Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program

New Student Information

Overview

There are many things that new students must complete before and soon after arriving at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. New students will receive an email notification instructing them to activate their UW email address, NetID, and to register for 990 research credits prior to arriving at UW-Madison.

New Student Resources and Orientation

The orientation schedule and other information about orientation and the fall semester can be found in the New Student Resources Box folder (only accessible by CMB students). You may also find the resources in the Current Student Resources Box folder helpful.

Graduate School Welcome

Wiscmail and NetID

  • To establish a UW email account (Wiscmail), visit www.wisc.edu, and click on “My UW”
  • Students will need a student ID number and their date of birth to activate their Wiscmail account
  • Follow the instructions to create a NetID and password
  • Students should notify the CMB Office (cmb@bocklabs.wisc.edu) of their wisc.edu email address
  • Update your mailing address in My UW: From the Student Center page, go to “Profile,” then “Addresses.” Update your Mailing Address here. The change will be processed within 24 hours.
  • Update your phone number in MyUW
  • If problems occur, contact the DoIT Office (608-264-4357)

990 Research Credits

Incoming rotation students follow the procedure below to register for eight credits of Genetics 990 research with Dr. David Wassarman (CMB Program Chair). Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook.

To register for 990 research credits:

  • For information on registering, please visit the following link: https://registrar.wisc.edu/howto-quickenroll/
  • Visit www.wisc.edu, click on “My UW“
  • Log into “My UW” using the UW NetID and password
  • Click on the “Course Search and Enroll” application
  • Enter the course number (55961) in the search field, choose the appropriate term, and search for the class
  • Select “See sections” and choose the section taught by David Wassarman, section IND 127 (this section will be listed as “closed seats,” but you should have permission to register; if you do not see it as an option, toggle the options under Section filters at the top right)
  • Under “Select Credits,” choose 8 Credits and add class to cart
  • In the cart, select the three-dot menu next to “Schedule” and select the “Enroll all” button that appears
  • View your successfully enrolled classes in your Enrolled list in the My Courses tab to confirm that you have successfully enrolled in the correct section

Duo Multi-Factor Authorization

  • For security, UW–Madison uses Duo Security (MFA-Duo) for our multi-factor authentication service.
  • You must enroll in MFA-Duo in order to access your UW-Madison online data (MyUW, email, Canvas, etc).

Payroll and Benefits

  • Marcia Gratz (mgratz@wisc.edu) will set up and administer your payroll and benefits during your first semester in the program. You can sign up for benefits starting August 18, 2020. Please contact Marcia with any questions. Payroll and benefits info can be found in the New Students Info Box folder. Once you join a lab, your payroll and benefits will be transferred over to your new department.

CMB Handbook

  • The CMB Handbook will be your guide to program requirements throughout your time in the program.

Coursework

  • CMB students will register for coursework after meeting with their first semester advisor during CMB Orientation Week
  • For more information, see the Course Requirements and Registration sections of the CMB Handbook

Health Insurance

  • In the summer, incoming rotation students will be sent benefits information with instructions and application forms
  • Benefits packets must be completed and submitted to the CMB Office by August 26, 2020
  • Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook
  • Please note that incoming students might be prompted to sign up for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), but CMB students should NOT sign up for SHIP insurance. You will receive health insurance through the CMB Program, and when you arrive in Madison the CMB Office will have you submit a SHIP waiver form.
  • More information about health insurance can be found in the Financial/Health Insurance section of the CMB Handbook

Campus Health and Wellness Resources

Funding and Financial Resources

  • The Funding and Finances section of the Graduate Student Life page includes helpful information on graduate assistantships and fellowships.
  • If you are on a fellowship, please note that you may need to pay estimated taxes. University faculty and staff are not authorized to provide tax advice. However, the University of Wisconsin Service Center has put together a useful website with general information about tax filing.
  • If you have student loans from a previous degree, you can typically defer payment of those loans while in grad school.
  • Short-term loans (generally under $500) are available through the Dean of Students Office.
  • Fellowship Presentations

University Fees

UW ID Card

  • A UW ID card (Wiscard) is a student’s campus photo ID
  • To obtain a Wiscard, students must be registered for at least eight credits
  • Wiscards can be obtained from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Union South Wiscard Office (1308 Dayton St., Rm #149; additional hours may be listed here)
  • Personal ID (drivers license, passport, or state issued ID) must be presented when requesting an initial or replacement Wiscard
  • For 2020, new students should have received an email from the Wiscard Office asking them to upload a photo online. That email and submitting a photo is the same as requesting a Wiscard for this year. If students have submitted a photo, they need not take further action.
  • Contact wiscard@union.wisc.edu with questions.

Bus Pass

  • Graduate students are eligible for a free City of Madison Metro unlimited ride bus pass
  • A valid Wiscard must be presented in order to pick up a bus pass
  • For 2020:
    • Madison Metro is not collecting fares from any passenger until Sept. 1. You can ride any Metro Bus without a pass until then.
    • Starting Sept. 1, UW-Madison students will be able to use their Wiscards in lieu of a bus pass. Just show the driver your Wiscard when you board at the front of the bus.
    • Students will order their bus pass to be mailed to them. ASM will send an email to all registered students who are enrolled in fall 2020 classes once their online distribution system is up and running. They will need their Wiscard number and a residential mailing address (not a campus office address) to request their bus pass.
    • Madison Metro will continue to accept Wiscards for fare payment until ASM’s mail operation is up and running smoothly and they feel confident that the Post Office is making deliveries in a timely fashion. At this time, ASM estimates that should be accomplished by late September, and after that time Metro will revert to accepting only ASM Bus Passes.
    • More information on riding Metro Transit is available here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/contact/covid-19-updates
  • Check UW’s Transportation Services and ASM pages for updates on obtaining a student bus pass.

Parking

Campus Life

Biological Safety at UW-Madison

There are various safety trainings that a student may need to take when working in a lab on campus. If a student is working with animals or radiation, UW-Madison requires that the student complete the necessary training. For each lab rotation, the student should check with each faculty trainer about which training sessions he/she will need to attend for that specific lab. Below are the various training courses offered by the UW Office of Biological Safety.

Biological Safety Training

  • All training is administered through the UW Office of Biological Safety
  • For more information, see the Biological Safety Training website
  • Additional training is offered for lab animal certification, chemical safety training, hazardous materials, and radiation safety

International Students

  • If you are an international student on an F-1 or J-1 visa, please visit the International Student Services (ISS) website. You can find helpful pre-arrival guidelines, information about mandatory orientation, and the Guide for International Students.
  • After you have officially accepted admission and we have received your official hard copy transcripts, the UW-Madison Graduate School will mail you your official admissions letter as well as your I-20 form and information about applying for your visa.

Professional Development

Academic Policies & Procedures

Student Conduct