Graduate Orientation: Welcome to the UMass Graduate School (WUGS)
Welcome, New Graduate Students!
Content
WUGS, an in-person orientation experience for incoming students will be held right before the start of the fall semester. WUGS 2026 will be held on Friday, September 4th!
Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby
Check-In & Light Refreshments — 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Join us to be sure you have time to check-in and grab a pastry. Check-in tables will be located outside the front entrance of the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts.
Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall at the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts
Welcoming Remarks — 9:30 AM to 11:55 AM
Land Acknowledgement
Grad School 101
Do you still need your uCard? Have you connected with your program director? Join us for a quick session focused on sharing key reminders and resources for new graduate students.
Hear from Partners in Student Support
While our large campus offers many resources and opportunities, it can sometimes feel confusing to know where to go for what. This segment of the morning will introduce a team of offices here to support you in your graduate journey.
The Graduate Student Experience Panel
Our panel of current graduate students will offer advice to help ease your transition to graduate school at UMass. What strategies did these students use to get to know UMass and the resources available to graduate students? How can you best position yourself for success? What are the most important things to do in your first year? We’ll cover all this and more to get your graduate career at UMass off to a strong start!
Mid-Day Break:
Grab Lunch — 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
There are many options for lunch; dining commons, Campus Center and various cafes around campus. Learn more about UMass Dining.
Some departments/programs are hosting welcome lunches. Students will have received communications directly from their department/program.
Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center 1st Floor Rooms
Concurrent Talks, Session 1 - 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Adjusting to Life in the Amherst Community, featuring UMass Downtown
Are you new to Western Massachusetts? Welcome to the area known as the Pioneer Valley! Join members of UMass Downtown and several current graduate students for a series of roundtable discussions around topics and themes of interest in the community. This is a great opportunity to get further connected into Amherst!
- Managing Your Mentoring Relationships: Working Effectively with Your Faculty Research Advisor §
Students in a research-based graduate program work closely with a faculty advisor to plan, conduct and communicate their research. This session will highlight steps students can take to establish and maintain productive relationships with faculty advisors. (§) Recommended for Doctoral students and Master’s students who will complete a thesis.
- Cultivating Strong Relationships in Graduate School *
While graduate school is symbolized by great personal achievement, success is not achieved alone. Graduate students rely on faculty, staff, peers, friends, professionals, and others for guidance, expertise, and support. In this session, panelists will talk about the importance of these relationships and the steps you can take to start building your own community of support. (*) Recommended for Master's students.
- First-Year Strategies: Setting Goals and Supporting Well-being
Having a plan helps students achieve more and stress less. Learn how goal setting and time management strategies can help you create an effective first-year plan that focuses on balance, productivity, and well-being.
- Underserved Populations in Academia: Opportunities, Challenges & Resources
This panel centers the voices and lived experiences of graduate students from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Panelists will share their personal journeys through the campus environment, identify key sources of community and mentorship, and present actionable solutions to shared academic challenges.
Concurrent Talks, Session 2 - 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- The Art of Introducing Yourself
Whether the goal is to meet friends, impress faculty or simply survive a social event, many of us dread the idea of introducing ourselves. But the first step in building successful relationships is making yourself visible. This session will offer tips to help you introduce yourself with confidence.
- Launching Your Master's Career Journey *
Managing your career as a Master's student is no easy feat— that's why you have a whole community at UMass here to help! Join us as we hear from a small panel of graduate career advisors about the ways they support and work with our students. This panel will review what services are available in your college or school, as well as how to successfully begin managing your career growth at UMass and beyond. (*) Recommended for Master's students.
- You Need a Five Year Plan §
Why did you come to grad school? In the midst of courses and other responsibilities, it is easy to overlook your long-term plans. Come hear tips for creating a multi-year plan for research, writing, and teaching that will propel you towards your professional goals. (§) Recommended for Doctoral students.
- First-Year Strategies: Setting Goals and Supporting Well-being
Having a plan helps students achieve more and stress less. Learn how goal setting and time management strategies can help you create an effective first-year plan that focuses on balance, productivity, and well-being.
- Students of Color in Academia: Networking
This networking session brings together graduate students from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds to foster meaningful connections, share lived experiences, and build community. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their academic and personal journeys, exchange insights on navigating campus life, identify sources of mentorship and support, and connect with peers through conversations centered on shared experiences and collaborative problem-solving.
Break
Take time to grab a quick snack before the last session in the Campus Center.
Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center Auditorium
Title IX at UMass — 4:15 PM to 4:45 PM
A staff member from the Equal Opportunity & Access office will join us for a brief overview of Title IX policies and resources available at UMass Amherst.
Goodell Lawn
Welcome Dinner and Resource Fair — 5:00 PM