Welcome to Finance.

You've been admitted! Welcome. We are excited that you are part of the Finance community. There's plenty to do before you get started on your full-time master's degree, and we know you're busy, so we've laid it all out for you.

Check out the New Student Checklist below. At the bottom of the page, see some resources and services at your disposal. Have questions? Contact us at meghan-e-davis@uiowa.edu or 319-467-4654.

New student checklist

Your to-do's before classes start.

1.Activate your HawkID

Set-up instructions were in the email you received from admissions@uiowa.edu after you were admitted to the program.

2. Plan to attend orientation

A required Specialized Master's Program Orientation will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, tentatively from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in person. We are still working out the details and will provide updates over the summer. Dress code is casual.

OPTIONAL: GRADUATE COLLEGE ORIENTATION — You are also invited to attend the Graduate College's New Graduate Student Orientation. This is optional, though you will be asked to RSVP if you plan to attend. They will have information about community resources, benefits, billing, and payroll. Please see the Graduate Student Orientation website for more information.

International students: If you did not attend the University of Iowa for your undergraduate degree, you will also have to attend a mandatory orientation for international students. Please see the ISSS website for more information.

July 12, 2024 - Earliest date you may enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status.
August 11, 2024 - Date by which you should arrive in the Iowa City area
August 12-16, 2024 - International Student Orientation

3. Register for courses through MyUI

Registration information is available in the Plan of Study for the Full-time Master of Finance (pdf), the U2G Plan of Study (pdf), or the MFin/MSBA Dual Degree Plan of Study (pdf). If you encounter any problems with registration or would like to request a course waiver, please contact meghan-e-davis@uiowa.edu.  Please register by July 11.

4. Find housing

Check out the Off Campus Housing site if you are searching for housing or a roommate.

5. Confirm your computer specs

To ensure that you are able to complete the work required during your master's, please plan to have a computer with the following capabilities:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 or higher (Mac is not recommended).
  • Memory: Minimum of 8GB RAM recommended.
  • Processor Speed: Minimum of Intel Core i5 or equivalent.
  • Hard Drive/SSD: 256 GB or larger.
  • Wireless: Any card that supports 802.11 n/ac protocols and WPA2 Enterprise.

6. Start the Resume Review Process

Work with your assigned Career Coach as part of the Program’s structured Resume Review Process.  You will receive an email from your Career Coach in August to initiate the review. This will allow you to be application ready by September 10th.  If you'd like a jump-start, use this format (docx) to begin to build your resume.

7. Check your @uiowa email

Your UI email account will already be set up for you - please check to make sure it is working properly. This is important—we send all official program communication to your @uiowa email.

You are welcome to set up forwarding to your personal email if you'd like. Instructions are available online.

If you have any problems with email not working correctly, contact campus ITS at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or by phone at 319-384-4357.

8. Complete 'Not Anymore' Training

We are committed to creating a campus where all students can feel safe and successful.  In support of this aim, we require all new graduate and professional students to take the 'Not Anymore' sexual misconduct training.  Not Anymore is an online, video-based sexual assault prevention program to prepare students with important skills and knowledge to address sexual misconduct (including sexual violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and dating/partner violence), safety, and bystander intervention.

If you are a new student to the university, you will receive an email with information and instructions on how to complete the program prior to the start of classes.  Be sure to keep an eye on your university email account.  Please feel free to contact ui-ipv-prevention@uiowa.edu with any questions.

9. Purchase textbooks

Check on ICON or MyUI/courses to see what textbook or other materials required.

10. Log in to ICON before your classes begin

You can set ICON notifications to receive updates by email.

11. Get your Iowa OneCard

The Iowa OneCard is the official ID card of the University of Iowa. You'll use it to check out books, access gym facilities, and more. Once on campus, please get your University of Iowa picture ID card at the UI Service Center, which will be opening at 2700 University Capitol Centre / Old Capitol Mall prior to the start of classes.

Resources and services

Software

Need the latest version of Microsoft Office? As a UI student, you can get popular software for a fraction of the retail price through the Campus Software Program. Just need it for a short while? Get the program you need online through Virtual Desktop. For details, go to the University of Iowa ITS website.

Disability and veteran services