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New MS Students -- Spring 2027

We are so excited that you will soon be here in Pittsburgh and starting your journey to earning the Master's degree. 

In this busy time, we realize that you have lots of things to learn and think about. So, here are some tips, resources, and links that should come in handy as you transition into being a Master's student!

When does Spring Term 2027 start? 

  • January 11, 2027. Our Academic Calendar has all the important term dates, from the start of classes to finals week!

When will New Student Orientation take place?

Plan to join us for the Department's New Student Orientation for Spring Term 2027!  This will be your chance to learn more about the degree programs, the department, and to enjoy your first social event with faculty, staff, and other graduate students. After you accept your offer of admission, you will receive an email invitation with more details!

Department's New Student Online Orientation

  • Date and time: TBA
  • This will be an online orientation.

When can I enroll for Spring Term 2027?

  • Enrollment for new students will open on December 1, 2026.  Right now, all new students have "advising holds" on their accounts, which will be automatically removed. 

Need help with selecting classes? 

  • In the first term, if you have any admissions conditions (check your offer of admission letter), you should take those mandated courses.
  • Everyone should start with a subset of these Core MS Courses:
  1. INFSCI 2150 - Information Security and Privacy
  2. INFSCI 2300 - Human Information Processing
  3. INFSCI 2591 - Algorithm Design
  4. INFSCI 2710 - Database Management
  5. TELCOM 2310 - Applications of Networks 

How does advising work at the Department?

  • The Department will introduce you to your academic advisor by December 1, 2026 (via email).  If you have advising questions before that, you can send those questions to DINS-Advising@pitt.edu and our graduate administrator, James Petraglia, will help you to find the resources and answers you need!

Where can I find the Spring Term 2027 Course Schedule? 

Where can I find directions for using Pitt's enrollment system?

What if I need to take English courses, per my admission letter?

You will automatically be enrolled in the appropriate courses. 

Financial Support of Students:

Our Research and Teaching Assistant positions are generally directed to the Department’s PhD students. However, MS students have other types of financial support opportunities:

  • Campus Jobs (general) are posted online and can include working in many of Pitt's data centers, computing labs, or other student-service related organizations.
  • Other SCI Departments may use MSIS/MST students as Teaching Assistants. These positions usually do not become available until just before the start of Fall/Spring terms.
  • Our school has launched a data-science program in partnership with Coursera and anticipates a need for teaching/course management positions for the coming years.  These positions are posted on Pitt's HR job site. 
  • Research faculty in DINS may use MS students on their research projects as hourly workers. 
  • DINS Student Awards are presented each Spring Term. These awards and scholarships are made possible thanks to donors to the Department, and they recognize the achievements of students at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels.

Some helpful links: