On-Campus Student Orientation.

Virtual New Student Orientation will begin at 8:30 AM EST and conclude at 1:30 PM EST.

__________________________________________

**Any IDs printed at Charles River Campus will not work at the Med Campus. All IDs will be prepared by the Medical Campus ID Office**

Terrier Card ID Photo Upload Guidelines for Incoming Students

Terrier Card ID Photo Upload Deadline: Tuesday, August 11^th, 2026.

Students starting class in August: After uploading your photo by the deadline, please pick up your BU ID from the BU Medical Campus ID Office (650 Albany St.). They’re open Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 3 PM. Note they are closed from 9-9:15 AM and 12-12:30 PM each day).

Students starting classes September 2nd: Graduate Student Life will pickup all printed BU IDs from the BUMC ID Office to distribute at Orientation Check-In on 8/31 and 9/1.

• Note: If you attend virtual Orientation, but will not be on campus until the first week of classes, you may pick up your BU ID from the Orientation check-in table in the morning under the Tent on Talbot Green or the Talbot front desk Wednesday (9/2) – Friday (9/4).
• We will not have your BU ID if you do not submit a photo by the deadline.

Monday, August 31

Dietary Accommodations

Food will be served at this event. Please let us know if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions so we can make every effort to accommodate your needs. While we will do our best to provide appropriate options, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment or that all dietary requests can be fully accommodated.

Tuesday, September 1

Dietary Accommodations

Food will be served at this event. Please let us know if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions so we can make every effort to accommodate your needs. While we will do our best to provide appropriate options, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment or that all dietary requests can be fully accommodated.

9:00 – 10:00 AM	🗺️ Campus Tours   Take a guided tour of the School of Public Health and the Boston University Medical Campus.	Tent, Talbot Green
9:00 – 10:30 AM	💬 Ask Me Anything: Academic Accommodations Drop-In with Kori MacInnis   Do you have questions about Academic Accommodations? Stop by for a quick, one-on-one chat with Assistant Director for Student Engagement, Kori MacInnis, and get personalized guidance on how to navigate the process, what to expect, and how to set yourself up for success. No appointment needed!	219East, Talbot
9:30 – 10:30 AM	💰 Student Financial Support Info Session — Maximize Your Aid!– Required for all students receiving federal financial aid (International students need not attend)   Bring your questions and learn how to make the most of your aid, stay on top of requirements, and feel confident about your finances this year!	INS-110 (Instructional building, 1st floor – 72 East Concord Street)
10:45 – 11:45 AM	Academic Toolkit Speaker Series #2: Sustaining Wellbeing for SPH Students, Advocates, and Activists   Join Beverly Chen, Director at Student Wellbeing and Pedro Falci, Managing Director of Wellbeing on to build resilience. Learn tools and strategies to promote your own wellbeing. From recognizing signs of burnout to navigating stressful situations that demand a solution, gain practical skills to incorporate right away to make your time at SPH rich, rewarding and manageable in the face of other responsibilities.	TBA
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM	⏰ Academic Toolkit Speaker Series #3 Master Your Time   Learn how to make time work for you! Kori MacInnis, Assistant Director for Student Engagement will show you core principles of time management and hands-on strategies to plan effectively and follow through with confidence.	TBA
12:30 – 1:30 PM	🍽️ Community Lunch: Bring Friends & Family!   Join us for a lively lunch with your SPH community. Bring along any family or friends visiting you in Boston to show them your new school and introduce them to your new circle! *V/Vg/GF options available! Do you have dietary accommodations? Email us at SPHGSL@bu.edu in advance.	Tent, Talbot Green
1:45 – 2:45 PM	📚 Academic Toolkit Speaker Series #4: Unlock Alumni Medical Library Resources   Meet Kristen Sheridan, library liaison to SPH, and learn more about the resources available to you through Alumni Medical Library. The library offers a wide variety of materials and diverse collections that will help you with your coursework and research during your time at BU. Learn the tips and tricks for using the library to its fullest potential.	TBA
3:00 – 5:00 PM	Certificate Open Houses TBA

Friday, September 4

International Student Welcome Workshop will take place. This workshop is required of all international students and is intended for only international students. International students must attend this workshop, in addition to virtual or on-campus orientation. More details to come!

The Experience Fair will be held on Thursday, September 24th from 3 PM to 6 PM. Continue to visit us here for all Orientation updates!

On-Campus Spring 2027 New Student Orientation will be scheduled for January 2027. The exact date is TBD. Continue to check back here for updates later in the fall semester.

This orientation is best for students beginning SPH classes in Spring 2027.

Yes! All of orientation is mandatory.

Why is orientation mandatory? We’re partnering with offices and organizations all over campus to help provide information to ease your transition into graduate school, introduce you to campus services and opportunities to get involved, and help you get connected with graduate student communities.

While Boston University views Orientation as the foundational experience for a successful start both academically and socially, we understand that there are some circumstances that could prevent a student from being able to participate. If for any reason you are unable to participate in an orientation session, you may access this page to review recordings after orientation.

BUSPH Virtual New Student Orientation is held virtually over Zoom. 

We keep an accurate account of students for orientation events via registration. We also provide a variety ways to access orientation, so it’s hard to miss it. While Boston University views Orientation as the foundational experience for a successful start both academically and socially, we understand that there are some circumstances that could prevent a student from being able to participate. If for any reason you are unable to participate in an orientation session, you may access recordings after orientation on this page.

**SPH Students that have uploaded a photo by TBD will be able to pick up their ID at Spring Orientation. IDs not picked up at orientation can be picked up at the Medical Campus ID Office (650 Albany St.) Monday through Friday 7 am to 3 pm; closed 9 am to 9:15 am and noon to 12:30 pm each day.

Terrier Card ID Photo Upload Guidelines for Incoming Students

Incoming students also have the option to update their Terrier Card display name. For more information, please visit the website here.

Students can utilize the Directory Listing Update form to update their Display Name in the directory listing.

For more information about the Student Health Plan, watch the Aetna Student Health Plan Recording.

Contacts for Assistance

Aetna Student Health

Customer Service: (800) 966-7772

Aetna Pharmacy Management: (888) 792-3862

www.aetnastudenthealth.com/bu 

For assistance with waivers and enrollment:

Boston University Student Accounting Services 

Phone: (617) 353-2264

Email: studenta@bu.edu