GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION
Welcome to graduate life at Villanova! Our robust orientation programming supports your transition with a blend of virtual and on-campus opportunities.
All incoming graduate students must complete the self-paced virtual orientation and register for individual events using the program-specific forms. You’ll find resources to help you transition into a graduate mindset, connect with peers at in-person gatherings, and access specialized programming for international and funded students.
We look forward to welcoming you at the Graduate Student Community Kick-Off Picnic on Friday, August 28 - your exciting start at Villanova!
Fully funded Graduate Assistants and all international graduate students are required to attend additional orientation programming. Please pay close attention to emails from the Center for Graduate Research and Education.
ORIENTATION EVENTS
Pre-Departure Virtual Orientation for International Graduate Students
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Join the Grad Center via Zoom for an information session about how to prepare for your arrival as a graduate student at Villanova University. The information session will cover topics such as finding off-campus housing, health insurance, cost of living, how to get around, and much more. This session is required for all new international graduate students.
"Shift Happens": Preparing for Life as a Grad Student – Session 1: Grad School Mindset
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Join the Grad Center via Zoom for a conversation about what it means to be a grad student at Villanova! This series of virtual sessions discuss ways to make sure your transition into life as a grad student goes as smoothly as possible. Today's topic is adopting a grad school mindset.
Peer Mentorship Info Session
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Do you want a supportive network of peers as part of your graduate school experience? Learn more about being a mentor or mentee during the upcoming school year as part of the Graduate Student Peer Mentorship Program. Joyce Harden, Assistant Director for the Graduate Student Experience, will be joined by a panel of past participants to discuss the benefits of this unique program!
"Shift Happens": Preparing for Life as a Grad Student – Session 2: Practical Skills: August 12, 2026
"Shift Happens": Preparing for Life as a Grad Student – Session 2: Practical Skills
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Join the Grad Center via zoom for a conversation about what it means to be a grad student at Villanova! This series of virtual sessions discuss ways to make sure your transition into life as a grad student goes as smoothly as possible. Today's topic will cover practical skills that can set you up for success as a grad student.
New & Returning Graduate Student Mixer with Optional Campus Tour (In Person Event)
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Grad Center, Vasey Hall G13 (Ground Floor)
New students are invited for an optional campus tour at 3:00 p.m. that will meet in the Villanova University Center for Graduate Research and Education (Grad Center) in Vasey Hall (Building 25), and will end with a relaxing Happy Hour and informal get together in the Taleghani Family Lounge at 4:00 p.m., also in the Grad Center! The Happy Hour is hosted by the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) and is a wonderful opportunity for new and returning grad students to relax and get to know one another before classes begin.
Cabrini Campus Info Session and Q&A
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Are you joining a graduate program that will make the Cabrini campus your primary home? Do you have questions about services, resources, parking, the shuttle system related to Cabrini Campus? Join the Grad Center and representatives from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing for a Q&A session where you will have all your Cabrini questions answered!
"Shift Happens": Preparing for Life as a Grad Student – Session 3: First Gen Grad Students
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual
Join the Grad Center via Zoom for a conversation about what it means to be a grad student at Villanova! This series of virtual sessions discuss ways to make sure your transition into life as a grad student goes as smoothly as possible. Today's topic is focused on providing support and connection for first generation grad students.
Graduate Assistant & Tuition Scholar Onboarding (In Person Event)
Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: The Inn at Villanova University
All graduate students receiving funding are required to attend this program hosted by the Villanova University Center for Graduate Research and Education (Grad Center). Topics will include HR onboarding, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), Villanova’s Augustinian Mission, Graduate Student Professional Development and Competencies, Cohort Building, and much more! Additional information and instructions will be provided to Graduate Assistants directly via email. Breakfast and lunch are included and the day will conclude with a happy hour reception.
International Graduate Students Onboarding (In Person Event)
Date: Friday, August 21, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
All incoming international graduate students are required to attend the International Graduate Student Onboarding program hosted by the Grad Center. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. PLEASE NOTE: this event is different than the International Student Orientation hosted by Hubert Whan Tong and the Office for International Students and Scholars on Monday, August 17. That event is also mandatory and involves very important information regarding your immigration status in the United States. If you have questions about that event, please contact Hubert Whan Tong. It is essential and mandatory that you attend both programs.
International Graduate Students Field Trip to Philadelphia (In Person Event)
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Graduate Student Community Kick-Off Picnic (In Person Event)
Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sheehan Beach
All members of the graduate student community are invited to attend a kick-off picnic for the new year! Build community with graduate students, faculty, and staff while eating delicious food and enjoying cold beverages. Institutes, Centers, graduate student groups, and other student-centered programs from across campus will host info tables and welcome you to Villanova!
UNIVERSITY RESOURCES
The Office of Access and Disability Services assists students living with a disability and provides academic and physical accommodations for registered students. Students living with a disability should visit the office in the Connelly Center (second floor) and present documentation regarding their disability.
A personal interview and accommodation plan will be discussed and implemented at the time of registration of the disability accommodation request. Other services are available around enhanced technology and employment searches and networking.
Contact: Greg Hannah, Director
The Office of Belonging and Inclusion (OBI) seeks to provide support to underrepresented students on campus through one-on-one support, events and workshops. The OBI provides spaces for students to explore their identities and discuss how they are impacted by the environment or culture. The OBI provides a structure to support and advertise Heritage month activities, (e.g. Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month).
The Office is eager to support other heritage month celebrations. The OBI seeks to make Villanova University a more inclusive community through events and training and collaboration with other university offices. The OBI works with other university offices to address bias-related incidents that occur for students.
Contact: Eloise Berry, Director
The Career Center's Career Management team serves graduate students, alumni and students in the College of Professional Studies with career resources and programming tailored to the experienced professional.
All graduate students have access to Villanova’s career management platform Handshake, which hosts all incoming job opportunities, career resources and employer events. Career coaching is available for all graduate students on an individual basis with a masters-level career counselor. Industry advisors are specialists who act as liaisons between employers and students and have the most up-to-date industry expertise in the Career Center.
The Nova Network is Villanova’s social and professional network and home to nearly 20,000 alumni, students, faculty and staff. Grad students may search the community by company, city or industry of interest and directly connect for a networking meeting. Nova Network houses on-demand workshops and checklists on best practices on resume writing, LinkedIn, interviewing, offer negotiation and more.
Contact: Meredith Okenquist, Director
Villanova's Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF) ignites curiosity, exploration and discovery through student research programs, the Presidential Scholars Program and nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Through tailored professional development and advising, we equip students to become change-makers and transformative leaders.
Our advisers support Villanovans as they pursue their boldest ambitions and create the futures about which they dream.
Contact: Catherine Stecyk, Director
Villanova University’s Counseling Center offers talk therapy, consulting psychiatry services, mental health consultation for students, families, faculty and staff as clinically indicated, and education and outreach to our University community. During the current pandemic we have been offering telehealth services through confidential video conferencing. Our services are free and confidential. We are located in suite 206, in the Health Services Building.
We can assist with the process of finding private, off-campus treatment with a licensed professional for those students who would benefit from more intensive or longer-term treatment. To make an appointment, please call our Center’s main number and leave a message with your name and phone number. Someone will call you back to help you to find a convenient appointment.
Contact: Julia Stein, PhD, Staff Psychologist and Associate Director
The virtual library is open 24/7. Building hours are subject to change. Visit the Library website for daily building access and service hours.
Electronic collections including books, journals and streaming video are available anytime anywhere. Print books can be requested online and picked up safely on campus. Scans of book chapters and excerpts from the print collection can be requested with the interlibrary loan form.
Access the Library’s collections through its online catalog. Catalog records include authorized links to electronic resources and automated requests for contactless pick-up of print resources.
Ask a Librarian is the Library’s gateway to its research services. Chat with us, schedule a virtual consultation, email your questions. You can work directly with a Library Subject Experts in your area. Request books, book chapters and journal articles that are not available in the Library’s collections from other libraries with the interlibrary loan form.
Contact: Jutta Seibert, Director of Research Services & Scholarly Engagement
The Office of Financial Assistance is located on the second floor of Kennedy Hall. Students are required to file for financial aid each academic year. Students can use financial aid to assist with books, transportation, living expenses and miscellaneous personal expenses. Financial aid counselors are available for one-on-one appointments to discuss financing.
Contact: Nathan Walch, Associate Director
Villanova Fitness and Recreation offers a variety of programs such as aquatics, club sports, group fitness, intramurals and personal training. The University has five fitness centers across campus (Arch, Canon, Davis, Farley and Stanford). Each is free for graduate students. The main fitness center is located on the third floor of the Davis Center.
Contact: Gina Palermo, Director
The Office of Health Promotion offers one-on-one consultation services regarding nutrition, fitness, stress management, sleep management, tobacco cessation and BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students).
The office offers monthly activities, events and initiatives related to health and well-being; free online courses on mental health and well-being and prescription drug abuse; and mobile resources, including the Campus Well app for health and well-being resources and information and the SAVUR (Sexual Assault Villanova University Resource) app for campus and community resources and information related to sexual violence.
Contact: Stacy Andes, Director
We are mindful of continued internet security risks, including ransomware and phishing scams. The University works to protect you from these security risks, however, please be mindful of your online social media posts, followed content, and interactions with those you don’t know.
For suspected phishing emails, click on “Report Message” in your Outlook Inbox Toolbar. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to UNIT at 610-519-7777 or via support.villanova.edu.
The Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship supports graduate students in a number of ways, including: peer accountability writing groups for PhD students; access to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity; online professional development resources and webinars for academics; and support for external funding proposals upon reccomendation of department chair, supervisor and/or the Center for Research and Fellowships.
Contact: Janice Bially Mattern, Director
The Office of International Students and Scholars offers a myriad of services to international students, including: immigration rights and responsibilities; educational, social and personal counseling; cultural adjustment issues; and campus and community activities.
Contact: Hubert WhanTong, Assistant Director
The Mathematics Learning and Resource Center (MLRC) provides free math and statistics peer tutoring for students at every level of study. Appointments will be offered mostly online this fall, with some limited face-to-face tutoring if deemed safe to do so. Appointments can be booked online.
Contact: Melissa Ferreira, Director
Villanova offers a number of services for students living in local townships, including lease assistance, issues you may be experiencing in the community, information on public transportation and local attractions, etc.
The Public Safety Department is responsible for providing a safe, secure living and learning environment for the Villanova University community. Operating 24/7/365, the department is the university’s first responders to emergency situations, including police, medical and fire calls.
On the website, you can sign up for NOVA Alert to receive Emergency Notifications including severe weather closures; view the Emergency Procedures including a guidebook for various emergencies; and learn more about public safety services, safety escorts, anonymous reporting and crime reporting.
Contact: Debra Patch, Deputy Chief and Associate Director
Depending on the nature of your research, it may be subject to oversight by one of Villanova's regulatory compliance committees. The Office of Research Protections (ORP) works with students, faculty members, University administration, regulators and inspectors to help everyone at Villanova perform ethical and compliant research.
We all have a personal responsibility to ensure that Villanova research is conducted safely, ethically and with the rights and welfare of subjects in mind. ORP staff are knowledgeable regarding regulations and institutional policies. We are experts in compliance so that you don’t have to be! Feel free to reach out to us as you begin planning your study to determine if any regulatory committee review is necessary - we are here to help.
Villanova University offers a number of paid positions for graduate students. You can apply online to available positions at jobs.villanova.edu. If selected for hire, you will be contacted about onboarding requirements necessary to complete prior to beginning work. See FAQs about student employment and the Student's Guide to Employment on the Human Resources website.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Sexual harassment, which includes sexual assault and other sexual misconduct, is a form of sex discrimination.
Contact Ryan Rost, Title IX Coordinator
UNIT's Technology Support Services team serves as the primary point of contact assisting in computing and technology related needs. UNIT's Technology Support Services is committed to providing high quality customer service and techncal support to the Villanova community.
Villanova's Wildcard community card system allows convenient, efficient, mobile and secure access to all card-related services. These services include personal identification, facilities access and access monitoring, debit transactions processing, meal plan administration, banking relationship management, student printing allowance, and web-based and mobile transaction processing. The Wildcard is universally accepted on campus and at selected off-campus locations. Photos can be submitted online.
Contact: Kathy Gallagher, Director
The Villanova Writing Center offers 60 trained tutors, including six professional tutors, to work with you at any stage of the writing process. We can brainstorm, sketch outlines, draw roadmaps, read rough drafts, and help you tighten and perfect those final drafts.
We provide more than 5,500 tutorials each academic year, so we encourage you to book your appointment far in advance. You can also schedule a series of sessions with the same professional tutor to maintain consistency. We believe in the work we do with our students and pride ourselves on creating an open, honest, productive and fun experience.
Contact: Mary Beth Simmons, Director