FAQ on Programmatic Issues

Q
As a new student, how do I activate my GT computer account so I can register for classes?
A
Login to: https://passport.gatech.edu/
Click “I need to activate my account (Students Only)”
Enter your GTID and birth date (MMDDYY)

 

Q
I cannot login to my student Oscar account. How do I reset it?

 

Q
I cannot login to my GT computer account and cannot reset the password either. What should I do?
A
To reset an Oscar password, students should create a ticket through Service Now https://gatech.service-now.com/home. Be sure to include your full name and partial GT ID# (last 7 digits) in the request.
To reset an email password, students in Shenzhen should bring identification to GT-Shenzhen Program Manager Mr. Zhiya Wang in person. Mr. Wang will then follow a required GT procedure to request for your password to be reset by a GT-Shenzhen staff member in Atlanta. The new password will be forwarded to and distributed by Mr. Wang and you should change it immediately. Your physical presence is to prevent fraudulent activities.

 

Q
Today is the first day of the registration period. I would like to sign up for classes as soon as possible but the system does not allow me to register until 3 days later. Is there anything wrong with my account?
A
The GT Registrar’s Office assigns registration time ticket for each student. Time ticket assignment is based on earned hours. Since new students have earned 0 credit hours, it is typical that their registration time ticket is for a later period. Just try to register early during your assigned registration time period.

 

Q
I have a registration hold on my account for incomplete documents. How do I submit my final undergraduate transcript and degree documents?
A
When transcripts or degree documents are incomplete in your student file, a hold will be placed on your registration; it must be cleared before you are allowed to register. You will need to submit your final transcript and degree certifications (native language and English) to us before the end of the first semester. If you applied to a GT-Shenzhen MS program when you were a senior undergraduate student, the Graduate Admissions Office typically only has the transcripts reflecting the first 3 years of your undergraduate studies. Please submit your final, official transcripts and degree documents (native language and English versions) to the GT-Shenzhen office in Atlanta as early as possible. See the Office of Graduate Education’s FAQ for the preferred method of submission.

 

Q
I am a PDO student. How do I request my transcript?
A
PDO students must request transcripts via the online request form https://pe.gatech.edu/transcript-request-form.  Please note you must wait at least two weeks after the end of each semester for the current transcript. Be sure to specify each enrollment term, courses, include your full name, GT ID number, and current email address. Allow 3-4 weeks to receive your transcript.

 

Q
I am a previous PDO student. How do I request transfer credit?
A
MS students may request PDO transfer credit in their first graduate semester after registration closes. Please send your PDO transcript to ECE or ENVE to verify grades and submit the request.

 

Q
How can I locate my PDO transfer credit?
A
After a PDO student has been accepted to the MS degree program, and has registered successfully, they may view their transfer credit in Buzzport. Please see https://registrar.gatech.edu/current-students/transfer-credit “Viewing Transfer Credit”. Please allow 1-2 months after you have submitted your request for the credit to be processed.

 

Q
If I participate in an internship during a GT-Shenzhen semester, will my transcripts show such experience?
A
For the semester that you engage in an internship, you can register on OSCAR for the COOP 6012 course that does not charge any tuition. Your transcripts will indicate “Graduate Co-op” for that semester. To be eligible, your internship must last at least 14 weeks and it must be relevant to your major. Since this involves quite a bit of paperwork and coordination among three different GT offices, internship students who wish to register for the graduate co-op course must declare the intention of doing so by the last day of classes in the semester prior to the internship semester.

 

Q
I see many courses listed for the “video” campus. Can GT-Shenzhen students sign up for any of those video courses?
A
In order to manage costs and ensure adequate staffing for exam proctoring etc, only selected video courses are made available to GT-Shenzhen students. Those video courses will have a section code QSZ (Q for video, SZ for Shenzhen) and will be announced on the GT-Shenzhen website. When you login to OSCAR during the Phase I or Phase II registration period, you will only be able to see RSZ (Shenzhen on-site) and QSZ (video to Shenzhen) courses. All GT courses are coded with campus restrictions – Shenzhen and video (distance learning) are separate campuses.

 

Q
How do video course students turn in homework and exam papers?
A
Students should upload the electronic or scanned version of their homework to their account in Canvas. You can use the scanner found in any GT-Shenzhen office. Remember to include a cover sheet to each homework assignment.

 

Q
How do I get the textbooks?
A
We will announce courses and the corresponding textbooks for the following year as early as possible but usually no later than 3 months in advance. You can comparison shop for textbooks at many online vendors such as www.allbookstores.com and have the books shipped to you. You may also find in China, international editions of some of the textbooks that we use. For example, you may check with the following book sellers:
book.dangdang.com
www.china-pub.com
www.phei.com.cn

www.tup.com.cn
www.sciencep.com
www.ptpress.com.cn

 

Q
When applying to a position with Company Y, I am asked to provide enrollment or degree verification. I followed the link on the GT Registrar’s website to the National Student Clearinghouse, entered my information, but was given an error message. How do I obtain an enrollment or degree verification?
A
The US social security number (SSN) is needed to use the Clearinghouse Student Self-Service. Since GT-Shenzhen students do not have the US SSN, the verification will have to be requested by using the Verification Request Form found on the ECE website. Check “Certification of Degree” or “Certificate of Enrollment” under the “Type of Verification” field. For “Special Instructions”, indicate that you are a GT-Shenzhen student, you do not have the SSN, and thus cannot request enrollment verification online through the National Student Clearinghouse. Click here for a sample completed enrollment verification request form.

 

Q
I will be applying for summer internship program. I have already requested the Certificate of Enrollment on the GT Registrar’s website; however the program has a special form of their own that is also required.  What do I do?
A
Please submit the form, with instructions on where it should be sent (and the deadline) to comments@nullregistrar.gatech.edu .

 

Q
I have received low grades in some of the courses. Can I repeat the courses and substitute with new grades?
A
You can re-take any course, but both the old and the new grades will stay on the transcript and enter into the GPA calculation.

 

Q
My term GPA is low and I have received a “warning” status on my transcript. If my performance improves next term, will the word “warning” disappear from my transcript?
A
As a Master’s student, if your term GPA and your overall GPA rise above 2.7 (out of 4.0) the next semester, you will be considered in good academic standing and you will not receive a warning status for that semester, but the word “warning” will remain on the transcript for the term that your GPA was deficient.

 

Q
Some of my course grades are low and I am worried about not being able to graduate. Can I take more courses to make up?
A
Yes, you can take more than the minimum required number of courses for your degree. By taking more courses, you allow yourself the possibility of raising your GPA (you will need to gauge yourself, how much GPA improvement you can possibly achieve). You should use your best set of courses for your degree petition, assuming that the combination of those courses meet the degree requirement. You can omit certain courses from your degree petition, but all course grades will appear on your transcript. The program tuition assumes that each student takes a total of 10 courses; additional tuition will be assessed if you take more than 10 courses in total.

 

Q
I have over-committed this semester and wish to drop a course. How do I do that?
A
First, discuss your situation with the GT-Shenzhen program director. Dropping a course is only possible before the official drop date for the semester as specified on the Georgia Tech calendar. Once the program director has discussed with you the consequences of the course drop and how you may make up for the lost credit hours, you can drop the course via your student account on OSCAR. See https://registrar.gatech.edu/current-students/withdrawal-and-dropping-courses for more details.

 

Q
I am planning to exchange to Atlanta, but I cannot access iStart to review my documents. What should I do?
A

Students cannot access iStart until OIE submits your I-20 request. For difficulties accessing iStart, please try the following:

-Clear your browser’s cache.
-Use a different browser.
-Try opening the link in an incognito/private browser window.
-Check that you are logged in with only your username and do not include “@gatech.edu”.
-Email OIE for further assistance.

 

Q
I have applied for the exchange program and am preparing for my visa interview. Do I need an official letter from Georgia Tech for the interview?
A
No. Students will not receive a new offer letter to continue their studies on another campus. Students may use their current acceptance letter along with a verification of enrollment from Georgia Tech. Type the Enrollment Verification form and forward it to the GT Registrar’s Office, per the instructions at the bottom of the page.