Your Dal ID, sometimes called your Banner ID, begins with B00 and is found on your acceptance letter. You will need to locate this before you proceed.
Congratulations, you've been accepted!
Welcome to Dalhousie University’s graduate studies community. We’re looking forward to having you join us. Before you start, there are a number of important things to take care of. The list below will get you on your way.
If you have been admitted to the Master of Journalism (MJ) or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program, jointly offered by Dalhousie University and the University of King's College, please go to the University of King's College Next Steps page to learn more.
To do after you’ve been accepted
Your acceptance letter will indicate if an admission deposit is required. If required, payment of the deposit is how you will accept your offer of admission. While non-refundable, your $200 deposit will be credited toward your tuition fees when you register. Space is limited in some programs, so we encourage you to pay as early as possible. Once you have paid your deposit, wait two business days before moving on to step two below.
If your offer letter did not state that a deposit is required, you can move forward with the next step.
Your Net ID is your username that you’ll use to log in to Dalhousie’s online services. One to two days after your admissions deposit is received (if required), you can activate your Net ID using your Dal ID number. To activate your Net ID:
Go to MyDal and click 'New User?'
Click 'Activate my Net ID' and follow the instructions.
Dalhousie sends official university information to your Dalhousie email account, so make sure to check it regularly. Follow these steps to set up your Dal email account:
Log in to MyDal: Use your Net ID and password to access your Dalhousie email account by logging into MyDal. We recommend bookmarking the Faculty of Graduate Studies MyDal site.
Log in to Dal Online: You’ll also use your Net ID and password to access Dal Online. Here you can register for classes, check your grades and more. Log in and get familiar with the system.
The Graduate Student Information System (GSIS), accessible via Dal Online (login required), will provide you with convenient online access to your program requirements and progress reports. During your first semester of study, you will meet with your department to review your degree requirements.
Our Faculty of Graduate Studies MyDal site (login required with your NetID) has more information and how-to steps.
Dalhousie’s academic calendar is your comprehensive reference to study at Dalhousie. The calendars list all courses and programs offered at Dal, subject by subject. As well, calendars include information on admission requirements, university regulations and degree requirements.
The calendar published the year you began your degree at Dalhousie contains the regulations that apply to you.
Bookmark Dal's academic calendar for quick access.
Examples of university regulations that you will find include the code of student conduct, student absence regulation, student accommodation policy, policy on the submission of student papers, retention of student work, and more.
Examples of Faculty of Graduate Students regulations that you will find include the registration procedures and regulations, intellectual property and conflict of interest, degree requirements, examinations, thesis supervisors and supervisory committees, thesis regulations, appeals, and more.
What's next?
International students need to apply for a study permit to enter and study in Canada. Some may also need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). Dalhousie’s International Centre outlines how to apply for visas and permits.
At Dal, you will have the opportunity to access funding through direct support from your supervisor or department, scholarships and bursaries, employment opportunities, or student loans. Learn more about how to finance your studies.
Each graduate program at Dalhousie has a graduate coordinator and graduate secretary who are available to help you select your classes, plan your program and navigate the registration process. Use our programs page to find your program and contact information.
Once you are ready to begin, go to Dal Online (login required) and select “Web for Students”. If your program requires you to pay by the term rather than by the course, you must register for “Registration Course – Graduate (REGN 9999)” in all three terms.
Students can visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies MyDal site [login required with your NetID] for more information and how-to resources.
Find your home away from home. While vacancy rates are low, there are off-campus housing options within walking distance or along bus routes. View the Places4Students listings service on Dalhousie's Off-Campus Living website, where you can find tips and resources to prepare you for off-campus living. You can also check sites such as Rentals.ca (not affiliated with Dalhousie) for housing options.
Student with families
Students with families may wish to live in Peter Green Hall, a family housing cooperative in Halifax. For more information, visit petergreenhall.dal.ca.
Our Family Life page includes information about childcare, enrolling your children in school, adding family members to your health plan, and parental leave.
To do 2 months out
Every graduate student must have health insurance coverage. Dalhousie offers two different student health plans through StudentVIP: the DSU Health & Dental Plan and the DSU International Health Plan.
The DSU Health & Dental Plan is a student-oriented benefits plan that covers prescriptions, dental, travel, accident, vision, and many other services.
The DSU International Health Plan is for international students who don’t have MSI (Canadian provincial) coverage. It covers general doctor visits and emergency medical services.
There is also a DSU International Short-Term plan for short-term programs or visiting scholars to cover you for emergency medical situations while visiting Canada.
Visit each plan page to see if you are automatically enrolled or must opt in depending on your student status.
2023-24 Opt-In/Out Dates:
Fall: August 8, 2023 – September 19, 2023
Winter: December 15, 2023 – January 22, 2024
Spring: April 15, 2024 – May 20, 2024
Dalhousie Student Health & Wellness also has a health checklist for new students, including setting up a health profile at the on-campus Student Health & Wellness Centre in Halifax or Health Services in Truro, reviewing your prescriptions, immunizations, and more.
If you have used adaptations or accommodations at your previous institution, you can request academic accommodations at Dalhousie. Submit a Request for Accommodations form along with your medical documentation or learning assessment to access@dal.ca (Halifax) or accessac@dal.ca (Truro).
If you are unsure about your accommodations needs, be sure to connect with the Student Accessibility Centre to find out more.
Your DalCard is more than your official student ID card. It's a debit card, library card, gym pass, key to residence, and bus pass. To get started, you will need to upload your photo online at the DalCard Photo Upload Website. Note: There is no photo service offered at the DalCard Office.
Questions? Contact the DalCard Office.
Visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies MyDal site (login required with your NetID) to find information on accepting awards and how payments are processed.
To do 1 month out
Download the Dal Mobile app for iOS or Android to connect with other students, discover useful services and resources on campus, and stay up to date with important information from the university.
Two groups that you can join on the app include the Faculty of Graduate Studies group and the New to Dal group (created each summer).
Each semester, the Faculty of Graduate Studies welcomes new students from locations locally, nationally and around the world. To bring us all together we’ve created the Together@Dal: Grad Edition (T@DGE) orientation program.
During T@DGE, you’ll explore a series of online modules released weekly. We’ll introduce you to resources available to you at the university and equip you to start your degree.
We also recommend International Student Orientation and exploring other New to Dal programming.
To do when you arrive
Whether you’re from the other side of the world, across the country, or right here in Nova Scotia, you’ll find plenty of things to do on campus and around the city, including arts and entertainment, athletics and recreation, graduate student societies, including the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students (DAGS), and more.
There are also resources and support services tailored to specific communities at Dalhousie including the Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC), Indigenous Student Centre (ISC), LGBTQ2SIA+ support, and Multifaith Centre.
Dal GradPD is your go-to place to learn about professional development designed for your specific needs as a graduate student. Together with partners across the university and external providers, the Faculty of Graduate Studies assembles an ongoing schedule of free workshops and events aimed to help you prepare for your career, whether you’re pursuing a professional life in or outside of academia.
If you were accepted prior to finishing your previous degree, or you have received all your grades, but have not graduated, remember to send your final transcript within 90 days of beginning your Dalhousie graduate program. Find out more about submitting supporting documents.
Now that you’re on campus, it’s a great time to set up a meeting with your graduate coordinator and/or graduate secretary to review your program requirements and other helpful information for new graduate students in your department. Use our programs page to find your program and contact information.
A positive student-supervisor relationship is a key driver of success in your graduate program. It is widely acknowledged that positive student-supervisor relationships lead to higher completion rates, greater efficiency, and overall, a more satisfying experiences for both student and supervisor.
The relationship is more likely to be positive if the expectations of you and your supervisor are established early and revisited and adapted throughout your program.
Visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies MyDal site (login required with your NetID) for a list of topics to help start a conversation early between you and your supervisor to establish an understanding of your respective expectations.
If your offer letter did not state that a deposit is required, you can move forward with the next step.
2. Set up and check your Dal email account
Dalhousie sends official university information to your Dalhousie email account, so make sure to check it regularly. Follow these steps to set up your Dal email account:
- Find your Dal ID number
Your Dal ID, sometimes called your Banner ID, begins with B00 and is found on your acceptance letter. You will need to locate this before you proceed.
- Activate your Net ID
Your Net ID is your username that you’ll use to log in to Dalhousie’s online services. One to two days after your admissions deposit is received (if required), you can activate your Net ID using your Dal ID number. To activate your Net ID:- Go to MyDal and click 'New User?'
- Click 'Activate my Net ID' and follow the instructions.
- Register a password reset email.
- Log in to MyDal
Use your Net ID and password to access your Dalhousie email account by logging into MyDal.
3. Activate your Dal Online account.
You’ll also use your Net ID and password to access Dal Online. Here you can register for classes, check your grades and more. Log in and get familiar with the system.
4. Register for classes
Each graduate program at Dalhousie has a graduate coordinator and graduate secretary who are available to help you select your classes, plan your program and navigate the registration process. Use our programs page to find your program and contact information.
Once you are ready to begin, go to Dal Online (login required) and select “Web for Students”. If your program requires you to pay by the term rather than by the course, you must register for “Registration Course – Graduate (REGN 9999)” in all three terms.
5. Visit the Graduate Student Information System (GSIS)
The Graduate Student Information System (GSIS), accessible via Dal Online (login required), will provide you with convenient online access to your program requirements and progress reports. During your first semester of study you will meet with your department to review your degree requirements.
6. Submit your final application documents
If you were accepted prior to finishing your previous degree, or you have received all your grades, but have not graduated, remember to send your final transcript to the Faculty of Graduate Studies within 90 days of beginning your Dalhousie graduate program. Find out more about submitting supporting documents.
7. Participate in the Together@Dal: Grad Edition orientation program
Each semester, the Faculty of Graduate Studies welcomes new students from locations locally, nationally and around the world. To bring us all together we’ve created the Together@Dal: Grad Edition (T@DGE) orientation program. During T@DGE, you’ll explore a series of online modules released weekly. We’ll introduce you to resources available to you at the university and equip you to start your degree. Learn more about T@DGE.
8. Download the Dal Mobile app
Download the Dal Mobile app for iOS or Android to connect with other students, discover useful services and resources on campus, and stay up to date with important information from the university.
9. Start exploring what professional development is offered
Dal GradPD is your go-to place to learn about professional development designed for your specific needs as a graduate student. Together with partners across the university and external providers, the Faculty of Graduate Studies assembles an ongoing schedule of free workshops and events aimed to help you prepare for your career, whether you’re pursuing a professional life in or outside of academia. Learn more about DalGradPD.
10. Learn more about life as a Dalhousie graduate student
Meet some of the members of Dalhousie's graduate studies community and learn about their research.
11. Get your DalCard
More than just a student ID, your DalCard is used around campus as a library card, gym pass, bus pass and debit card. You can upload your photo electronically on the DalCard website.
12. Defer your start date to a future term (if desired)
You may choose to defer your acceptance up to 12 months from the original start date. You will need to receive permission from your department, which must be followed by approval from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Once you have been officially accepted, please contact your department to request a deferral of your start date.