Orientation
Our New International Student Orientation (NISO) Series is a weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, virtual session via Zoom. Please see the Orientation tab in your New Int'l Student App for more details on dates and topics. You will receive a link to the app once you're admitted.
All events will be held at 10 a.m. CDT and your parents are welcome to attend.
Students also receive specific information and guidance for their student type. Find out your student type below:
Exchange Students
Students who are attending one of our UIW Sister Schools and plan to study at UIW for one or two semesters but plan to go back home and finish their degree. Students who study at Centro Universitario Incarnate Word or UIW - Bajio Campus, our Mexico campuses, are also considered exchange students. If you are an exchange student, you will have a J-1 visa and have a "cultural requirement" as part of your immigration, which you will learn more about at orientation.
Undergraduate Students
Students who are seeking a bachelor's degree and plan to graduate from UIW. Some students come straight from abroad while others come from high school in the U.S. or English-language schools in the U.S. Usually on an F-1 visa, you will have special rules and benefits covered in orientation.
Transfer Students
Students who are seeking a bachelor's degree and plan to graduate from UIW but have been studying at another U.S. university or college directly before transferring to UIW. Usually on an F-1 visa, you already have experience in the U.S. and feel comfortable in a U.S. environment, but now need to learn about UIW rules and opportunities in orientation.
Graduate Students
Students who are seeking a master's or doctoral degree and plan to graduate from UIW. Orientation will help you learn about immigration rules and resources for graduate students.
You will also need to sign up for and attend the Graduate Orientation (master's and Ph.D. students), or the Professional School Orientation (optometry or pharmacy students)
What is covered in the Orientation Series and Arrival Week?
Orientation Series
- Your ISSS Office
- U.S. Classroom Tips From UIW Professors
- Your Dorm, Your New Home
- UIW Technology
- Managing Your Student Account
- Meet Your Classmates and Global Ambassadors
- Wellness, Health and Exercise
- Planning for Your Arrival and Travel
- Tutoring, Writing Assistance
- Campus Life and Events
- How To Be a Texan
- Off-Campus Housing Workshop
- What To Pack, What To Expect.
- Beyond the Classroom: Student Employment and Careers
- New Student Arrival Checklist and Open Q&A
- Special: Transfer Session
- Special: Athlete Session
Arrival Week
- Campus Tour and Student ID
- Cardinal Apps and Student Accounts
- Dorm Living and Move-In
- Immigration Document Check-In
- Class Schedule and Books
- Shuttle Service - Shopping
- Social Night - Meet New Friends
- Ambassador Night - Meet U.S. Students
- Get To Know Your Neighborhood
- Public Transportation
- Fiesta Texas - Six Flags
- The Shops at La Cantera
Welcome Week
- University Mission
- Civic Leadership at UIW
- U.S. Classroom Expectations
- Academic Success and Graduate Support Center
- Safety in the U.S.
- Banking, Mobile Service, Transportation and San Antonio Community
- Know Your Rights in the U.S.
- Immigration Briefing for F-1, J-1 and Other Visa Types
- Acculturation and Homesickness Workshop
- University Events and Campus Activities
- Student Organization and Greek Organization
- Campus Safety and UIW Student Advocacy and Accountability
- Health Insurance, Health and Counseling Services
- Tuition and Payments
- Study Abroad Opportunities
- Wellness Center and Sport Facilities
- Sharing Your Culture
- Meet UIW Alumni
- San Antonio City Tour
- Dinner With UIW President
- iRetreat
- ... and much more