Your orientation experience will begin before the start of your semester. We look forward to welcoming you on campus! Please see below for more information about your required orientation program. If you have any questions about orientation, please contact I-20@joker47.net.
Welcome to Global Compass: Navigating Your Graduate Experience
This orientation experience will be in two required parts and provide you with all of the information needed for a successful transition to your studies at Montclair State University.
Part I (pre-arrival online webinar series)
You must attend each webinar topic ONE time. The webinars will be offered multiple times per month from May-June.
Webinars:
- American Culture and You: Tips for a Successful Transition
- Money Matters: What you need to know about your finances
- I want a job! The facts about employment in the US.
Part II (post-arrival in person orientation)
You must attend the in-person session on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. The in-person session will be offered in the morning or the afternoon. You only need to attend ONE session.
Topics to be covered:
- University Police Department
- Maintaining your Status (F-1), MyGlobal Portal & Immigration Check-In
- Commuter and Parking Services
- Understanding U.S. Academic Culture
- And many more resources to be a successful student.
*Registration is required for the webinars and the in-person session.
*Students in Computer Science and Math (CSAM) majors (please look at your admission letter) will not be able to register for classes until you complete the 3 required webinars!
The in-person orientation session is held in-person, on-campus at University Hall, Floor 7. Once you arrive on campus, you will see signs and orientation leaders who will direct you where to go. Register for Orientation – please only sign up if you have received your visa.
What to bring:
- Sweater or jacket – the room can get cold
- Appetite – Light refreshments will be served. This is your opportunity to try some American food!
- Questions – Bring any questions you have!
- Do not bring guests as they cannot be accommodated, this includes family members, parents, significant others, and children.
- Pets are not allowed. All service animals must be approved by the Disability Resource Center before they are permitted on campus and the confirmation of approval must be sent to OGE before the orientation day.
Other Orientation Sessions:
Incoming graduate students may be required to attend multiple orientation sessions before the start of their program. You will receive an email regarding any sessions that you must attend.
Freshmen and transfer students will attend the college-wide new student orientation. You can find more information on this orientation here: Undergraduate Orientation. ALL incoming international undergraduate students are required to attend a MANDATORY Maintaining Your F-1 Status session in addition to the campus-wide undergraduate orientation. This session will be run by the Office of Global Engagement (OGE). You will receive an email with more detailed information about this session once you receive your visa and confirm your intent to enroll for the fall 2025 semester.
Please contact the International Academic Initiative’s office for more information about this orientation. All incoming J-1 international exchange students are required to attend the Maintaining Your J-1 Status session in addition to the IAI Exchange Student orientation. This session will be run by the Office of Global Engagement (OGE).
Please check back for more information about the new student resource fairs.
Please review the International Student Resource Guide on CANVAS, which you will be added to after you receive your visa and confirm your intent to enroll. This guide has information about everything Montclair and what it means to be an international student here!
When coming to campus for orientation or just a visit, you can park in either the Red Hawk Parking Deck or Car Parc Diem Parking Deck for $12 for the entire day. You can find the location of each deck on our Campus Map.
Campus is also accessible via New Jersey Transit bus (Montclair Heights stop) or train (Montclair Heights station and Montclair State University station).
The NJ Transit bus schedule can be found here and the NJ Transit train schedule can be found here.