International Student Orientation

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:

• Adjusting to U.S. Life: Culture and Costs
• I want a job! The facts about employment in the U.S.

Part II (post-arrival in person orientation)

In-person orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Please do not register for the in-person orientation sessions until (1) you have attended both online webinars, and (2) received your visa to attend Montclair.

This in-person orientation session will be hosted on campus by the Office of Global Engagement (OGE) in University Hall, Floor 7, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Orientation check-in will begin at 9:00 am. Once you arrive on campus, you will see signs and orientation leaders who will direct you where to go.

Topics to be covered:

• Maintaining your Status (F-1), MyGlobal Portal & Immigration Check-In
• Understanding U.S. Academic Culture
• University Police Department
• Commuter and Parking Services
• And many more resources to be a successful student.

Registration is required! Please only register if you have submitted your deposit.

Register now

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). Please check back for more information. 

Please contact the International Academic Initiatives 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.

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.