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Streamlined Adult Gerontology Acute Care Students

Welcome and congratulations on your acceptance to Penn Nursing!

New Student Orientation

Your orientation is offered as an online module titled WELCOME in the course management platform Canvas and will be available approximately two weeks before the start of classes. (For more information on Canvas, see point #6 and #8 below on the Checklist.)

The orientation will consist of a video and a PowerPoint. This is something that students can watch at their leisure; all content is asynchronous.

There is also a pretest assessment within the orientation module. It asks questions pertaining to Canvas and IT issues. It helps answer frequently asked questions.

Spring 2023

Classes Start: Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Summer 2023

Classes Start: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Fall 2023

Classes Start: Tuesday, August 29, 2023


 Incoming Student Checklist

 1. Register your PennKey

How to create and test your PennKey:

  • You receive the Setup Code via email from Penn’s ISC Department shortly after you pay the enrollment deposit – please do not delay in setting up your PennKey as the Setup Code will expire
  • Navigate to the PennKey home page: https://pennkeysupport.upenn.edu/tools
  • On that page, click “Register your PennKey”.
  • On the login screen, enter your PennKey Setup Code, the last four digits of your 9-digit U.S. Social Security Number (if you have no U.S. Social Security Number, enter the last four digits of your Penn-assigned 9-digit identifier), and your birth date.
  • Follow the prompts to create your PennKey and password. Do not share this password.
  • Return to the PennKey home page and test your PennKey and password by clicking on “Test my PennKey” and following the prompts.

If you need assistance or further information, send email to pennkey@isc.upenn.edu or visit http://www.upenn.edu/computing/pennkey/.

To request a new Setup Code (only needed if your code has expired), contact registration@nursing.upenn.edu

*Students who have been admitted to start more than one year in advance will not receive a PennKey until approximately 6-9 months before their start date.

 2. Apply for your School of Nursing accounts (both computer and email)

The School of Nursing uses distribution lists to communicate important information and a School of Nursing email account is required. Please activate your school account promptly and plan to access it daily. The account application form can be found on our ITS site under Getting Connected - Incoming Students - Request Your School of Nursing Email Account . You will note in the instructions that you can set up your e-mail to be read from your home computer. The ITS website has other information about the technology resources available to students at the School of Nursing.

*PennKey required.

 3. Check your listing in the Penn Directory
Once your account is activated, it should be added to the Penn Directory. It is essential to have your email listed here; all class listservs and university offices pull student contact information from this source. You can edit your listing and update privacy settings in the Directory itself. Please check to assure that your email is listed correctly; if not, you may add it by selecting “Update directory listing” and adding your School of Nursing email account.
 4. Review tuition, billing, and financial aid information

The billing schedule is posted on the Student Financial Services website. Bills for the fall term are produced based on the time of registration and issued monthly. You can begin classes even if your tuition bill is not yet due or paid but please note that Student Financial Services will assess late fees to bills not paid by the stated due date.

Tuition rates can be found on the website under graduate part-time/post-master’s (per course rate).

Federal regulations require students to be enrolled in at least 2 credit units to be eligible for federal financial aid, therefore, students in the Streamlined Program are generally not eligible to apply for federal loans. Any questions about this policy or other financing options can be directed to our Financial Aid office.

 5. Register for courses (PennKey required)

Registration is managed by the Nursing Registrar. Monitor your Penn Nursing email for important communications from the School of Nursing Registrar regarding registration each semester. You will register for courses based on the plan of study received at the time of admission; if you need to make any changes to your plan of study, please contact your Program Director before you register.

Path@Penn is your main hub for information about your academic records, financial aid, registration, and student profile. You can access Path@Penn and review guides on how to use Path@Penn here.

Registration instructions, important dates, and resources are also available on the website under Courses & Registration.

Canvas is the Learning Management System used at the University of Pennsylvania. Students use Canvas to access their course content, upload assignments, and interact online with their instructors and classmates. Once you register for a course, you will be added to the Canvas site. Please note that sites are published individually by instructors each semester, so don’t worry if you don’t see a course in your course listing right away.

* PennKey required.

 6. Familiarize yourself with Canvas

Canvas is the Learning Management Platform used at the University of Pennsylvania. Students use Canvas to access their course content, syllabus, calendar, and lecture materials, upload assignments, and interact online with their instructors and classmates. Your program orientation is also posted as a module in Canvas.

The NURS7960 Canvas site will be available approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester. You will have access to the site if you are registered for the course.

*PennKey required.

 7. Review important dates

University of Pennsylvania Academic Calendar

 8. Explore the Penn Portal

The Penn Portal is one page that holds a variety of links to student resource.  You will find direct links to resources like Path@Penn, Canvas, and billing, among many others. You may even create a personal portal using My Tab and adding resources that you use frequently to that page.