Greetings!
The MSE Department would like to take a moment to congratulate you on your acceptance into our wonderful program and extend a warm welcome to UCR. We are excited to have you here at UCR and our department is looking forward to meeting you. With Fall looming around the corner, we are sure you have many questions. An email with information regarding your arrival to UCR should have been sent to your R'Mail account. We strongly suggest you check your email regularly so you are up to date with the latest program information.
Please refer to this page in its entirety as it contains very important information and will answer many questions that you may have. If you have any outstanding questions that are not answered here, feel free to contact the Graduate Student Affairs Officer Genevieve Vasquez via email: gvasquez@engr.ucr.edu or the Faculty Graduate Advisor, Dr. Richard Wilson via email: rwilson@engr.ucr.edu.
Orientations and Events
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Graduate Division Orientation
This orientation will be available online via Canvas. If you do not complete this in a timely manner, it could result in a hold being placed on your registration so it is highly recommended you work on completing this as soon as it is made available by Graduate Division. They will contact you regarding this.
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Safety Orienation
This orientation is currently being scheduled. Information regarding this orientation will be delivered to your R'Mail account through UCR's Environmental Healthy and Safety Department. Please keep an eye out for this email as it is mandatory.
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International Students and Scholars Orientation
International Student Orientation (ISO) will held on September 18, 19, and 20, 2024. Graduate students will attend on Wednesday, the 18th and Undergraduates will attend on Thursday, the 19th. Both Graduate and Undergraduate students will join together on Friday the 20th to close out orientation. Orientation will be in person. No make-up dates will be available.
During ISO you will learn about life at UCR, and about off and on campus resources through presentations from various departments and offices on campus. There will be opportunities to connect with your peers, explore the campus as a group, more!
Orientation updates and information will be sent to your UCR email account (called R'Mail), so please check that account regularly. Please register by following this link: https://ucriverside.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ePesEaSV5fOKNp4
For any questions, please contact them at internationalstudents@ucr.edu.
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Department Orientation
This orientation will be held in September, a week before the start of instruction. Date and location is TBA. Please mark your calendar as attendance is MANDATORY.
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Teaching Assistant Orientation
This orientation is mandatory for all new students that will TA in their first year. All PhD students will automatically be enrolled in the Orientation by the department. All New TA Orientation components for Academic Year 2024-2025 will be held online via eLearn. The orientation will be asynchronous; however, our expectation is that each TA will complete the required training between the beginning of the quarter and the conclusion of Week 3.
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New Student Mixer
Various departments in BCOE have come together to host a very special Student Mixer! This is an amazing opportunity to network with incoming peers of other departments, learn about their interests/research, and of course, enjoy some light refreshments together. Not only will you be able to meet with other incoming students from various departments, you will also be joined by Department Chairs, Graduate Advisors, and Graduate Student Association Presidents. This Mixer date and time is TBA . All incoming ME graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend.
Student Checklist
Students must consider and complete the following tasks prior to their official start date:
Statement of Legal Residence
As noted in your admission offer and post admission documents, all students are required to complete the statement of legal residence. Students who do not complete this online form should be assessed nonresident tuition. This includes students who completed their undergraduate degree at UCR. Please click the following link, Residency for Tuition Purposes and complete this form as soon as possible.
Direct Deposit
DIRECT DEPOSIT FORM: Enroll for direct deposit via R’Web for fellowship stipends, financial aid or any other student refunds. Visit the Student Business Services page for more information on Refunds, Loan Processing, Payments, 1098-T Taxpayer Relief Act, Forms and Student Accounts.
UCR R'Mail
Please ensure that you have set up your UCR R’Mail account if you have not done so already. Please note that all communications from myself and other campus agencies will always contact you using your R’Mail account.
ENGR Account
Although all students have R’Mail accounts, it is still vital to create and ENGR account. Please visit the BCOE systems website to create an account. It is the only way you can be added to any mailing lists created by BCOE which often carry important department information.
Parking
Visit Campus Transportation & Parking Services for:
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Parking Permits.
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RTA (Rapid Transit Agency) local Riverside bus line. Bus passes are free for UCR students.
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Metrolink (Southern California Commuter Train) - easy access to Los Angeles, Beaches and San Diego
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Carpool.
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Other Alternative Transportation Programs.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact TAPS.
If you do not have a parking permit yet, daily permits are available for purchase at our University Kiosk located on University Avenue and West Campus Drive. Hourly parking is also available for purchase via the park mobile app. See https://transportation.ucr.edu/visitor-parking#parking_options_how_to_pay for more information on how to use this service. For more detailed information on visitor parking availability, please visit https://transportation.ucr.edu/visitor-parking. You can find a printable map to help you locate the parking kiosks and lots here https://campusmap.ucr.edu/.
Housing
Below are some resources for on and off campus housing. Please be proactive in your housing search.
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Riverside Neighborhoods information from the City of Riverside
Medical Insurance
Graduate Students are automatically enrolled in a UCR policy. Students that prefer to keep their own medical insurance will need to cancel UCR’s policy by applying for a waiver as soon as possible. Any questions, please contact the Student Health Services.
Campus Safety
Learn more about Campus Safety Services and tools for all students online.
Campus ID Cards
Visit Card Services to obtain your UCR Student ID card!
Registration
Registration is currently open and you will have the option to add and drop courses online through October 11th, 2024. For instructions on how to register online, visit the Registrar's Office. . Please note that Graduate Advisors and the Graduate Officer cannot remove restrictions/holds that are set by other departments. You will need to contact that specific department to have the restriction/holds cleared.
Fall instruction begins September 26, 2024. For first year Graduate Students it is mandatory that you take the following courses, MSE 200, MSE 250, and MSE 251. During Graduate Orientation, the Graduate Advisor Dr. Richard Wilson will give further course recommendations based on your degree objective.
You should consult with your respective faculty advisor (PhD students) or with the department Graduate Advisor (MS students), Dr. Richard Wilson, for further guidance on which courses to enroll.
The written preliminary (PhD) and comprehensive (MS Plan II) examination is designed to test understanding of graduate-level materials science and engineering concepts and methods. It covers five subject areas Thermodynamic Foundation of Materials, Crystal Structure and Bonding, Materials Characterization Techniques, Functional Materials, and Materials Synthesis and Processing.
International Students
The International Student Resource Center assists incoming international students in answering questions and services. We encourage you to visit their site.
Deferring Attendance
PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to defer to the Spring Quarter. However, deferment to the Winter is possible but is considered on a case by case basis. Please contact Dr. Ruoxue Yan, the Faculty Advisor of Admissions via email: rxyan@engr.ucr.edu for questions.
Local Address
Once you have a local address, please be sure to update this information on R’Web. This is very important. If your local address is not updated, all mailed information will be sent to your home address on record.
Once again, please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or concerns you may have.
Contact Our Team
Staff
Genevieve Vasquez
Graduate Student Affairs Officer
gvasquez@engr.ucr.edu
Staff
Kaitlyn Etzweiler
Graduate Student Affairs Assistant
ketzweiler@engr.ucr.edu
Faculty Graduate Advisor (Enrolled Students)
Richard Wilson
Associate Professor
rwilson@engr.ucr.edu
Faculty Graduate Advisor (Applicants)
Ruoxue Yan
Associate Professor
rxyan@engr.ucr.edu