Welcome to the RAMily! Below you will find detailed information is a guide which will help you get started with your graduate student journey.
Steps Once Admitted
Admitted Graduate Checklist
1. Submit your official transcripts or other required documents and review your Letter of Admission
If your department accepted unofficial transcripts with your application, you must still submit official transcripts. Official transcripts must be submitted, prior to or during your first semester, before you can register for your second semester of graduate work. Failure to meet this condition will result in your dismissal from the Graduate School. Please follow the instructions in the Guide to Submitting Your Transcripts.
Once you receive your Letter of Admission, review it and submit any documents as instructed. Delays in submitting the required documentation may prevent you from registering.
2. Confirm your decision to attend Colorado State University
Confirm your decision to attend through your admissions application. This will let us know if you are accepting or regretting your offer of admission.
If you need to defer your admission to a future term, be sure to communicate this with your department.
3. Create a CSU NetID and log into RAMweb
Your CSU NetID (electronic identification) grants access to a myriad of CSU systems including the RAMweb student portal. Access RAMweb for course registration, financial billing, degree progress information, grades and more. To access your student record through RAMweb, you must first create a NetID. Note: CSU eIDs are being replaced by NetIDs. If you have already created an eID, your eName/eID will automatically become your NetID, no action is required.
Create a NetID
To complete all of the necessary steps for enrollment, you must have a NetID. Online students enroll through CSU Online. All students drop courses, pay tuition, and access many other resources through RAMweb.
If you have not already done so, follow the steps to create a NetID. You must know your CSU ID to create your NetID. Your CSU ID is available on your application status page and is provided in your official admission letter. If you need assistance with your CSU ID, please contact the Office of Admissions at gradadmissions@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6909.
Your email account with CSU
When you create a NetID, an Office 365 account will automatically be created for you unless you were a prior student who had an @rams email account. If you were a prior student, you have the option to continue to use your @rams account or opt into an Office 365 account as your official CSU email. Official email communication from the Graduate School will go to your Office 365 account. You can access your email through an Outlook client or through the Office 365 portal at portal.office.com. To log in to the portal, your username is the NetID you created plus @colostate.edu (e.g. your-NetID@colostate.edu) and your password is the NetID password created during the NetID setup process. For technical assistance, call the Central IT Help Desk at 970-491-7276 or e-mail help@colostate.edu.
Your Office 365 email account is utilized by the Graduate School as the official means of communicating important information such as academic deadlines; account holds; events and updates; and important campus news. You are responsible for accessing your account and checking your email regularly.
Set up Duo two-factor authentication
When you access certain CSU services, including Office 365, you will be required to provide an additional layer of security to your account by using Duo. Setup your account and learn more about Duo.
Access RAMweb and enroll in classes
Log in to RAMweb to enroll in classes, pay tuition, access grades and more. Online students enroll through CSU Online. All students drop courses through RAMweb.
Please note that student information can only be shared with the student and not with family members because of the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). More information about FERPA is available under “Students’ Rights Regarding Their Educational Records” in the Policies and Guiding Principles section of the General Catalog or through the U.S. Department of Education FERPA site.
4. International Students Only: Visit the Office of International Programs
Please communicate directly with the Office of International Programs regarding your immigration status requirements. For information about I-20 or DS-2019 issuance, please review this page. There are also helpful resources for incoming international students on the Information for New and Transfer International Students page on the Office of International Programs website.
5. Apply for campus housing (if applicable)
University Apartments are affordable and convenient options for all Rams who have met the first-year Live On requirement. Offering studio, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments to residents from around the world, University Housing provides a variety of spaces for students of all types who wish to live in an academically supportive and interactive community. Our apartment communities are open to students in their second undergraduate year and above, in a graduate program, those 23 years of age and older, post-doctoral fellows, and students with families. If you are interested in living off campus, Off-Campus Life offers services to students.
6. Mandatory health insurance
All full-fee paying resident-instruction graduate students enrolled in six credits or more are required to enroll in the CSU student health insurance plan or to opt-out by demonstrating health insurance coverage at a comparable level. For more information, please review the Mandatory Health Insurance page.
7. Complete other health requirements for enrollment
Information about other health requirements for enrollment is available in the New Student Checklist for Graduate Students. Follow the directions in the checklist and make sure you have completed all the necessary requirements by the date given.
8. Obtain a RamCard
You must be admitted and registered for the current semester to be eligible for a RamCard.
Your RamCard is your student ID and is your ticket to just about everything at Colorado State University, and they are required for all students attending on-campus classes. Visit RamCard.colostate.edu for info on how to get your card. Once you have your RamCard, RamCash can be added to your account to buy food and access other campus services like parking and printing. Plus, RamCash purchases allow you to pay it forward by supporting on-campus businesses and CSU Departments.
9. Graduate School Orientation
Visit the Graduate School Orientation webpage for an introduction to resources for graduate students and information about orientation offerings.
The Graduate Student Council invites all incoming and returning graduate students to a welcome picnic. This event is focused on community building and is a casual event specifically for the graduate community.
Welcome Picnic
August 17, 2023 5 – 8 p.m. (moved from Aug. 18)
Lee Martinez Park Shelter
Add to your calendar
Take some time to review student expectations as well as our Principles of Community.
10. Set yourself up for success
Use our online guides to help you personalize your graduate school experience and build a support network. Navigate through the Competencies Road Map as a framework to develop core competencies and enhance personal and professional success. The RamIDP is a process that helps identify professional development needs, refine career objectives, and promote personal growth, while also functioning as a communication tool to enhance dialogue between mentors and their mentees.
Assistance with documenting accommodations is supported by two CSU units. Students who are also CSU employees (for example, Graduate Assistants) should contact both offices.
- CSU students should contact the Student Disability Center at disabilitycenter.colostate.edu. The SDC has the authority to verify and confirm the eligibility of students with disabilities and/or health conditions for the majority of accommodations on campus. The What-We-Do webpage on the SDC website details services.
- CSU Students who are also CSU employees should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity at oeo.colostate.edu.
Subscribe to the Graduate School’s event calendar to easily find upcoming events and set automated reminders. You will find a variety of professional development opportunities, Graduate Center for Inclusive Mentoring offerings, CSU Writes sessions, and social events among our 250+ curated offerings for the graduate community.
11. Completing your program
You’ve taken the first steps to success. Now is the time to start preparing to complete your program.
For COVID related updates and information, students should visit covid.colostate.edu
Follow the guides below for general information about what to expect and the steps you will take to complete your graduate school journey.
Still have questions?
For information about the coursework, faculty, and specific program requirements, please reach out to your department. Please visit our program pages for contact information. If you still have questions, give us a shout and we’ll try to get you to the right people.