Staying connected and informed
We use both online cloud-based platforms and in-person events to help on-board our students when they first accept their offer to our school. Those indicated with an asterisk will be used throughout your graduate school experience to provide you with access to the resources and tools you need to manage school work and administrative processes.
ApplyUTH
ApplyUTH is the initial platform you use to accept your offer and manage required paperwork or holds prior to your myUTH account activation.
Identity Management Verification (IDM)
Student background checks, required for enrollment at any UTHealth school, are managed through the Employment Screening Associates, an independent vendor.
myUTH*
Once you’ve accepted your admissions offer and your Identity Management Hold (IDM) is removed, myUTH is the UTHealth institution-wide platform where our students can manage their courses, tuition, fees and other administrative items for graduate school.
mySPH*
Similar to myUTH, but only for UTHealth School of Public Health students, mySPH is our student resource portal, which houses degree planners, school forms and additional information that will be used throughout the school year.
Canvas*
All UTHealth courses are taught using the Canvas Learning Platform, an easy-to-use, cloud-based system that offers digital tools and resources for enhanced learning. Use your UTHealth credentials to log in to Canvas here.
UTHealth email*
We assign all students with a UTHealth email address during the enrollment process. For more information on how to gain access to your email, review the New Student Checklist.
Newsletters*
Once your UTHealth email is created, you’ll be automatically subscribed to the UTHealth School of Public Health weekly student newsletter, which includes key academic updates and deadlines, school announcements, job opportunities, and events.
What to expect
To help make your transition into graduate school as smooth as possible, we’ve created a checklist for newly admitted students to complete. If at any point you have trouble completing the checklist or finding the information you need below, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services.
Please note that items marked with an asterisk (*) can take several business days to clear.
To complete immediately
Reply to your offer of admission
To accept your admissions offer you will need to:
- Log-in to ApplyUTH and go to Manage Application
- Click on Admissions Status, look for Admissions Decision
- Use the hyperlink to accept or decline your offer of admissions and pay the mandatory $200 enrollment deposit
If you are having issues logging in to your applyUTH to view your admissions offer, you will need to contact the UTHealth IT Department at 713-486-4848 or [email protected].
Complete your Criminal Background Check (CBC) and Identity Management Verification (IDM)*
Please complete this step as soon as possible to avoid delays in course registration.
UTHealth Houston requires that a criminal background screening and identity management verification process be completed and submitted by all new students admitted to a degree or non-degree program prior to enrollment for their first term of study at their respective campus. International students arriving in the US less than 30 days prior to orientation are exempt from providing the criminal background check report but should review the IDM/CBC guide for details. Accepted students who do not consent to a CBC or who fail to provide the report as required will not be able to enroll in the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
To begin your criminal background and identity management check, go to https://www.emplscreen.com/esa-student-login.asp, select University of Texas School of Public Health and click “apply here.” Download the CBC/IDM guide for a step by step process on how to complete your criminal background and identity management check.
Complete & submit your immunization record*
Please complete this process as soon as possible as verification can take several weeks. An immunization hold on your account will prohibit your from registering for classes.
Please use applyUTH to complete your Immunization Certification. Download the Immunization FAQ for more information about the required immunizations and how to submit your immunization records.
Review and apply for financial aid, if applicable
Financial aid application processes are managed by UTHealth Houston Student Financial Services.
International Students ONLY: wait to be contacted by the Office of International Affairs
The Office of International Affairs (OIA) will contact all international students directly via email once your official admission letter is processed and received by OIA. This email will provide students with information for obtaining appropriate visa eligibility documents, including Form I-20, and detailed instructions to complete a check-in and clearance process upon arrival on campus. ALL foreign national students are required to check-in with OIA prior to beginning their academic program at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Mail your final transcript to the Registrar’s Office
Official transcripts provided directly to SOPHAS will be shared with the Office of the Registrar. If you are a currently enrolled student at your institution, send your final official transcripts at the end of your last semester of enrollment directly to the Office of the Registrar prior to the first day of classes. Certificate/Non-degree newly admitted students must provide ALL official transcripts directly to the Office of the Registrar.
Please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website for more information.
Update your personal contact information
Changes to your email and physical address can be made on applyUTH or myUTH if needed. We recommend using an email that will not change over the next year as we will use it to contact you regarding orientation and registration.
Students Computer Information
Students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health must have a personal computer (i.e. laptop or tablet) available to them as a graduate student. For software not provided through the virtual computer lab, the school provides reduced software prices through the UTHealth Houston Bookstore for certain required software titles, including Windows Operating System, MacOS, Microsoft Office, and certain statistical software products required during study. For compatibility purposes, students should have access to a personal computer running the latest version of either the Windows Operating System or Macintosh Operating system. However, students should note that the most commonly used platform is the Windows Operating System.
All students are provided with a user account, which offers access to a Web-based electronic mail application (Outlook), an online learning management system (Canvas), the ability to connect personal wireless computers within campuses, and a file repository and sharing system.
For compatibility purposes, all students must have a computer with the following minimum requirements and recommendations:
All students enrolled must have access to a web camera (with preferred resolution of at least 1280 x 720), and the computer must also include a microphone. See chart below for other computer requirements listed:
| Computer Component | University Standards |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 or higher, Mac OS X 11.1 (Big Sur) or higher |
| Web Camera | Resolution at least 1280 x 720, should also include a microphone |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB minimum, 16 GB or more is recommended |
| Browser | Edge Chromium, Chrome, Firefox |
| Internet Speeds | Preferred: DSL and Cable connectivity form outside the campus. Dialup and ISDN services will not provide enough bandwidth for most applications to function properly |
| Antivirus Software | You must have Antivirus software. You must have Antivirus software. Windows 10 has built-in anti-virus software (Defender). Sophos Antivirus for Mac users is free. |
| Proctor Software | You can test your system’s compatibility with our proctor solution. |
| Other Software | Access to most course software through a virtual computer lab environment is provided. This system is called Parallels. You can gain access to the software and instructions for configuring the software on the “Students” section of the IT Services website. Parallels software clients are available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Additionally, Microsoft Office is the primary application tool used by all faculty. Regardless of your operating system, you will be most compatible with your faculty if you have Microsoft Office installed. |
Search for housing, if needed
We recommend using websites like Zillow or Apartment Finder to find suitable housing or using the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Student Association page to ask for housing advice from current residents. If you’re feeling unsure of where to start, you can contact your designated campus coordinator for support. Please note that while there is official university housing available at the Houston location, it is usually filled to capacity.
Activate your UTHealth Houston email address
The IDM hold populates on July 1 (Fall), November 1 (Spring), April 1 (Summer). Assuming your criminal background check has cleared, please allow one to two business days for the IDM hold to be removed. Once the IDM hold has been removed, your UTHealth Houston email address will be created. Please reset your password using the "Change Password" link on the myUTH login page.
Contact the UTHealth Help Desk at 713-486-4848 to obtain your username and password. More information about IT services is available in the Student IT Handout.
You can access your UTHealth Houston email using the webmail portal.
Complete mandatory online pre-orientation modules via Canvas
Once your UTHealth Houston e-mail address is active, you will be manually added to the online Orientation Course via Canvas. For the SPH Orientation hold to be removed, modules must be successfully completed. Please allow 5-7 business days after you complete the modules for the SPH Orientation hold to be removed.
Verify your Health Insurance Status
State law mandates that all UTHealth Houston School of Public Health students have health insurance, and you will be required to verify your insurance once a semester as part of the course registration process through applyUTH/myUTH. If you do not have insurance, or you do not verify your health insurance, you will be charged for university-issued health insurance in addition to your tuition and fees. For more information about university-provided health insurance, please contact Auxiliary Enterprises.
Register for classes once all holds are removed
Students must register for classes through the myUTH. Please note that certain courses require faculty approval and that all students must register for a minimum of three credit hours per semester.
Next steps
Attend orientation
Attendance at orientation is mandatory for all students admitted to a degree program, including students who have completed a previous degree at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Failure to attend orientation will prohibit you from enrolling in courses and will require that you attend a makeup orientation session.
Newly admitted certificate/Non-degree newly admitted students are not required to attend face-to-face orientation.
Pay tuition and fees
Tuition and fees are paid either online through myUTH or in person at the Bursar's Office at 7000 Fannin Street. Registration will be canceled for all students who have not paid by the 12th day of class.
Obtain UTHealth ID Badge
- Austin: Students must wait until after their twelfth day of class to begin the steps to get their badge. After this point, an email with further directions explaining how to go about getting your badge from UT Austin will be sent. More information about the badge process is provided during orientation, and students will still be able to access the School’s building without their badge during the first few weeks of class.
- Brownsville: At orientation, your photo will be taken by a Student Affairs staff member. In addition to your photo, your name and student ID will be collected and sent to Houston where your UTHealth ID badge will be created. A blank, temporary badge will be provided to each student while their UTHealth ID Badge is being processed. Please visit Student Affairs (N2.200) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday the first week of courses to obtain the temporary badge. Students will be notified once the UTHealth ID Badges have arrived from Houston. In order to obtain your UTHealth ID Badge, you must return the temporary badge.
- Dallas: Please email [email protected] once you have attended orientation for further assistance.
- El Paso: After registering for classes, you can stop by office 308 or 309 to obtain a loaned UTHealth student badge. If your badge is lost, damaged or stolen you must notify us and pay a fee of $25 for a replacement.
- Houston: All students are required to have a UTHealth Houston-issued badge before entering any UTHealth Houston building. Badges can be obtained at the first floor of the University Center Tower (UCT) - 7000 Fannin St. To activate your badge, please email Bonnie Schoenbein ([email protected]) your name as its listed on myUTH, along with the letters and numbers located under the black strip on the back of your student ID Badge. Please be sure to include in your email that you are a School of Public Health student.
- If Houston students submit a photo by December 1st (for Spring) or August 1st (for Fall) via email to [email protected], the orientation team will provide your printed ID the day of orientation. The photo must be JPG file titled "lastnamefirstname.jpg," for example, smithjohn.jpg. Photos MUST meet the following criteria: a passport photo or similar professional photo, color photograph, and the background must be a plain white background or light in color.
- San Antonio: At orientation, your photo will be taken by a Student Affairs staff member. In addition to your photo, your name and student ID will be collected and sent to Houston where your UTHealth ID badge will be created. A blank, temporary badge will be provided to each student while their UTHealth ID Badge is being processed. This temporary ID badge will be given out at orientation. Students will be notified once the UTHealth ID Badges have arrived from Houston. In order to obtain your UTHealth ID Badge, you must return the temporary badge.
Complete the Library User Form
SPH Library students have access to two libraries on one platform. Both new and returning students should complete the UTSPH Library Patron Registration Form and register for Remote Access to Services at the Texas Medical Center Library, available on the UTHealth School of Public Health Library website under “Getting Started” and “Helpful Information.”
Complete the Public Health 101 Course
Upon enrollment, you will automatically be signed up for a Public Health 101 course on Canvas. You have one year to complete the course, otherwise a hold will be placed on your account.