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New students

Supporting your transition to Dal

Welcome to Dalhousie! From the time you get accepted to the day you graduate (and beyond), our services and resources are available to support you throughout your Dal journey.

New student orientations Registering for courses and prep programs Support for off-campus students Get ready for campus Info for parents and supporters Support services and resources
Five students wearing Dalhousie University t-shirts smile at the camera while sitting in a crowd of people.

New student orientations

Our orientation programming provides you with opportunities to connect with other new students online and in person before your first semester and during your first year at Dalhousie. We want to help make your transition to Dal as fun, successful, and positive as possible! Find the orientation programs that are right for you.

Halifax O-Week Truro New to Dal orientation International student orientation Able@Dal orientation Graduate students orientation
A smiling student wearing a white t-shirt and sunglasses slaps hands with people wearing yellow t-shirts standing in rows on either side of him. They are holding signs in the air with their other hands.

Registering for courses

Registration for your courses opens in early June. It’s best to do it as early as possible to give you a better chance of getting the courses you want.

Learn how to register for undergraduate courses Learn more about registering for graduate courses

University prep programs

Dal offers courses to help you with your transition to university, including ones on writing skills, academic math, and various sciences. You can find them all on the University Preparation site.

Find out more about Dalhousie's prep programs

Support for off-campus students

Are you living off campus in your first year? Together@Dal is a mentorship program that provides a great way for you to meet other students, develop a sense of academic belonging, and become connected to the university community before and during your first year.

Learn more about Together@Dal
Together@Dal gets off-campus students engaged on campus.

Get ready for campus

Get connected using the DalU app

The DalU mobile app and web portal has groups for new students where you can meet new people, get important information about starting at Dal, and find out what’s happening on campus. It also gives you access to your course schedule and marks, and lets you message other Dal students.

Download from the Apple App Store Download from Google Play Login to the DalU web portal (NetID login required)

New student checklist

The transition to campus life can be both exciting and overwhelming. Our to-do list will start you off on the right foot and help make your start at Dal as smooth as possible.

Visit the New Student Portal and start checking items off the list

DalCard

The DalCard is your key to pretty much everything at Dal. It can be your residence room key, your pass to athletics facilities, your debit card on campus, and your photo ID.

Check out all the features of your DalCard

Parents and supporters

Your family and friends are an important part of your Dal journey, and we have information that will help them support you throughout your first year.

Discover the Parent & Supporter Portal
A student and her mother stand with their arms around each other in front of a black backdrop featuring the Dal logo multiple times. They both are smiling and the student has her arm stretched out.