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 Orientation

Orientation for incoming CMB students will be held August 24-August 28, 2026

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 this website
  • 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 (Genetics 990) in the search field, choose the appropriate term, and search for the class
  • Select “See sections” and choose the section taught by David Wassarman (this section will be listed as “closed seats,” but you should have permission to register)
  • 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).

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 year advisor during CMB Orientation Week
  • For more information, see the Course Requirements and Registration sections of the CMB Handbook

Where To Go With Concerns

Throughout your time in CMB, multiple people will be available and happy to help should any concerns or questions arise. Please feel free to reach out to anyone on this list at any time.

  • CMB Program Managers (cmb@bocklabs.wisc.edu)
  • CMB Program Chair (David Wassarman, dawassarman@wisc.edu)
  • CMB Advising Chair (Bill Bement, wmbement@wisc.edu)
  • Your First Year Advisor
  • Your Thesis Advisor (beginning in the spring semester of your first year)
  • Your Thesis Committee (beginning in the summer of your first year)

If your concern requires the involvement of a person not affiliated with CMB, we encourage you to reach out to the Ombuds Office at uwombuds@mailplus.wisc.edu.

For more serious issues, please see CMB’s Grievance Policy.

Payroll and Benefits

  • New students will receive their first paycheck for the first two weeks in the program around the third week of September. After that, students will receive paychecks on a biweekly schedule.
  • The Bock Labs HR Coordinator will set up and administer the payroll and benefits for all rotating students during their first semester in the program. Students can sign-up for benefits starting in mid-August.
  • Once students join a lab, payroll and benefits will be transferred to the lab’s department.

Health Insurance

  • In early August, incoming rotation students will be sent benefits information and instructions.
  • Students do NOT have to enroll in benefits before orientation week, but should read through the benefits information beforehand
  • 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. Students receive health insurance through the CMB Program.
  • 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

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
  • New students without a prior Wiscard  are able to submit their photo online before they come into the office to pick up the ID, or take a photo at the Wiscard office (more info here: https://wiscard.wisc.edu/soar/)
  • 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, and you must be registered for the fall
  • You can obtain your ASM Bus Pass starting August 25, 2025, Monday-Friday at Union South
  • Check UW’s ASM Bus Pass page 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 check-in, 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