New Student Information

Your Student ID Number (or C-number) begins with a C, followed by nine numbers. This number will populate in your admissions offer letter within one week of your acceptance.

The Columbia University Network ID (UNI) is an online identification number. You will use your UNI to access password-protected University websites. This number is only generated once you accept your offer of admission and pay your program deposit. It will also be populated in your acceptance letter in the application portal, along with activation instructions. This number is typically generated 3-5 business days after you accept your admission offer. You'll want to activate your UNI as soon as possible. Activation instructions are also listed below. 

UNI activation instructions. 

Contact us at ihnadmisisons@cumc.columbia.edu if you do not receive your student ID numbers within the timeframes stated above.

Contact Columbia University IT  (CU IT) at 212-854-1919 or 5help@columbia.edu if you need help with your UNI. 

DO NOT set up Lion Mail after activating your UNI. Columbia programs located on the Medical Center campus do not use this service. Instead, we use a Microsoft Exchange email account. 

Your email address will be YourUNI@cumc.columbia.edu. (Personalization of email addresses is not a medical center email account feature.)

IHN staff work with CUIMC IT to create new student email addresses monthly. We will notify you via email when we start the process and when your account is ready for activation. 

CUIMC IT sends activation emails to the email address listed on your application. If the preferred email address listed on your application is no longer active, please email ihnadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu with a new email address to ensure you receive your Exchange activation email. 

Contact CUIMC IT directly at 212-305-4357 or 5help@cumc.columbia.edu if you need help with your email account. 

You must upload your photo to the ID Center website to receive an ID card.

Photo upload requires an active UNI. Follow the instructions in the 'Student' section to upload your photo.

You will receive your photo ID on the first day of Orientation unless you live in on-campus housing, in which case we will coordinate with Student Housing to make your ID available when you move into your residence. 

Contact the ID office at 212-305-0238 with any questions about the student ID card.

Vergil is the portal to your student account!

Visit Vergil to:

• Check your registration appointment
• Check your registration holds
• Register for courses
• Sign up for emergency text message alerts
• View grades
• And much more! 

After activating your UNI, log in to Vergil and familiarize yourself with the site.

The IHN MS academic calendar, including semester start/end dates and holiday days, is available on our website. 

IHN MS students generally have 2-3 classes per day, 4 days a week, during the Fall and Spring terms. The remaining time is spent on thesis work. 

Students conduct full-time thesis research in the summer and attend their summer Thesis Research course.

Students are expected to stay on campus through August. Special arrangements are made exclusively for students who need to leave early to attend academic programs that start in late summer. 

The online Canvas platform will be our primary method of relaying important information throughout the year.

You will have a Canvas site for:

• IHN Courses (access upon course registration or approximately two weeks before the term start date)
• Key Program Information "KPI Canvas site" (access a few days post program acceptance)
• Career Services (access starting in the fall term)
• Student Representatives (access starting in the fall term)

Your KPI Canvas site contains a great deal of information, including a new student checklist; you should begin working on this checklist soon after receiving your UNI.

Our primary communication method is Canvas Announcements.

Set your Canvas Announcement Notification preferences to 'receive announcement notifications via email' so you do not miss important details.

If you are waiting for your CUIMC Exchange email account, you may add your personal email address to your Canvas profile to receive announcements in your personal inbox or view the announcements online.

Canvas Calendar is where we post all MS-related events, office hours, course schedules, etc.

The tutorial How do I use Canvas Calendar as a Student? will set you up for success when managing your schedule and Canvas Calendars. 

All MS students take required courses in the Fall and a combination of required and elective courses in the Spring.

Students take six required courses during the fall term, totaling 17 credits. 

Students take three required courses during the spring term and two or more elective courses. Students must register for at least 13 credits during the spring term to graduate in one year. 

Students take one required course during the summer term. 

View our Curriculum webpage for course details, including course titles, numbers, descriptions, and credit hours. 

Detailed registration instructions are listed on the KPI Canvas site. 

Registration dates and times can be viewed in Vergil approximately one month before registration begins.

Students should check Vergil before open registration each semester to ensure they do not have any registration holds. 

Visit the Online Academic Calendar for general semester registration timelines.

Students can save courses in advance using Virgil or search and register for classes on the spot.

Students are responsible for keeping track of their registration appointments. 

Contact Alex Sosa at sa96@cumc.columbia.edu with registration questions.

Columbia University Disability Services facilitates equal access for students with disabilities by coordinating accommodations and support services, cultivating a campus culture that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of students.

Areas of accommodations include but are not limited to:

• Assistive technology and alternate format materials
• Foreign language substitution or modification 
• Housing modification
• Note-taking accommodations
• Service and assistance animals
• Test-taking accommodations

View a list of Disability Services resources.

Students seeking Disability Services accommodations are required to register with the Disability Services office.

Phone: 212-854-2388 or

Email: disability@columbia.edu

The Office of Student Financial Aid and Planning is here to assist you with financing your education. Read the IHN Financial Aid Handbook for our program's eligibility guidelines and finance details.

Follow these steps to Apply for Financial Aid.

• Columbia's NetPartner Financial Aid portal opens in late-March each year for students entering in the Fall term. 
• Student Financial Aid and Planning begins sending Financial Aid letters to admitted students in April. 

Explore Financial Wellness resources, and check out Columbia's iGrad - a fantastic collection of all things financial.

You will need your Columbia C-number to apply for financial aid through Columbia's NetPartner system and create an iGrad account. 

The IHN Financial Aid Handbook details the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA). You do not need your Columbia UNI, C-number, or Exchange email to complete a FAFSA form. The Office of Student Financial Aid and Planning recommends you complete this form within two weeks of receiving your acceptance letter. 

If you are completing a FAFSA, Columbia needs your Social Security number on file to match your FAFSA form with your student account. Contact us at ihnadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu if you are completing a FAFSA but did not submit your Social Security number on your application.

The IHN Director's Scholarship

The IHN offers a small needs-based IHN Director's Scholarship, generally in the amount of $3,000 - $5,000, to domestic students.

Needs are assessed based on past federal financial support. No additional information is needed from incoming students beyond what is listed in their application.

Accepted applicants are reviewed for scholarship receipt in mid-May. You must have an application that has undergone or is in review by May 15th to be considered for this scholarship. 

If you have received past financial support not documented within the federal financial aid system and would like to submit a note to the IHN for scholarship consideration, email us at ihnadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu. 

US Veterans Yellow Ribbon Scholarship

The IHN participates in the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship for US veterans. 

Contact Aracelis Cuevas (ac391@cumc.columbia.edu) if you are a US Veteran and would like information on the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship.

External Scholarships

Our Student Financial Aid and Planning Office lists external scholarship opportunities. 

Other good sources are the websites Foundation Grants to Individuals and www.finaid.org. These additional resources may require a paid membership.

Phone: 212-305-4100

The IHN's Financial Aid Officer, Aracelis Cuevas, can be reached at ac391@cumc.columbia.edu.

Columbia's International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) is dedicated to supporting our international students.

Non-US citizens should visit ISSO shortly after receiving their acceptance to review visa application or transfer processes.

We recommend beginning with Getting Started: Applying for your I-20/DS and the Newly Admitted Student FAQs.

You can apply for international documents ten business days after accepting your admission offer and paying your program deposit. 

cumc-intl-students@columbia.edu.

View a more extensive list of contacts on the ISSO Contact Us webpage. 

We encourage you to contact ISSO if you have questions, even before you confirm your acceptance to our program. 

CUIMC Student Health Services (SHS) is the primary resource for all your healthcare needs as a Columbia student.

SHS has five areas:

1. Addiction Information and Management Strategies (AIMS)
2. Center for Student Wellness
3. Insurance and Administration
4. Medical Services
5. Mental Health Services

Students must submit their health records to Student Health Services before the beginning of the school year. Health form submission requires an active UNI. You may use ANY email address when creating your Health Portal login.

The Pre-Registration Requirements Student Health Website outlines the submission process for health forms. 

IHN MS students complete the Pre-clinical Student Forms.

Failure to submit health records and have them cleared before the start of the fall term will prevent students from registering for courses. 

Student Health insurance plans are available on the Student Health website. Student Health Services will review insurance options with you during our Orientation.

Students are automatically enrolled in an insurance plan, but the coverage can be waived. View health insurance waiver instructions. 

Phone: 212-305-3400

Use this contact list to email the appropriate area of Student Health Services. 

CUIMC on-campus housing facilities are within the Medical Center campus, just a few short blocks from our classroom spaces. We invite you to explore on-campus housing options on the Facilities Management and Campus Services website.

Student housing applications open in February. The housing application fee (non-refundable) is $30, due when completing the application.

We encourage accepted applicants to apply for on-campus housing even if the housing application deadline has passed. 

Facilities Management aims to provide on-campus housing for all full-time students requesting accommodations. However, Facilities Management can provide you with off-campus housing listings if they cannot accommodate your request or you choose to live off-campus. 

Explore your off-campus housing options, and investigate your transportation options to and around campus.

Many students will use a phone app called StreetEasy to find off-campus rental options. We advise against using Craigslist. Current MS students in your Class GroupMe chat can provide you with apartment-hunting tips. (A link to join your Class GroupMe chat will be available on your KPI Canvas site.)

Phone: 212-305-HELP (4357), option 2 

Email: cumc.housing@columbia.edu

Student resources are abundant at CUIMC, whether you are on or off campus!

View a list of student resources, including but not limited to:

• Columbia University Offices
• CUIMC Department Websites
• CUIMC Information Technology Resources
• Forms for Students
• Health Sciences Library
• Student Life

Make sure to visit CUIMC IT's website for new students to explore computer and software discounts, encryption policies, printing support, and more. 

University Life is the student life hub across all of Columbia's 17 schools and colleges. They focus on connecting students to each other, to the broader University and surrounding community, and to opportunities beyond their schools. 

Learn more about University Life.

IHN classes are held at the Irving Medical Center Campus at 168th Street and Broadway. 

View an interactive Medical Center map and learn where to eat, where to study, and where to get fit on the Facilities Management and Campus Services Campus Life webpage. 

View campus maps for all Columbia campuses, including Morningside and Manhattanville. 

There are many ways to get to, from, and between Columbia University campuses.

Visit Columbia Transportation for a full list of Columbia-supported commuter services, including the free campus shuttle!

IHN MS students pay a flat tuition rate in the fall and spring terms as long as they stay between 12 and 19 credits per semester.

Students must complete 17 credits of required coursework in the Fall Term and take a minimum of 13 credits in the Spring Term to graduate in one year.

Part-time students pay for courses on a per-credit basis.

All students pay per credit during the summer; however, most will register only for their required 3-credit summer Thesis Research course. The tuition breakdown quoted on the website includes this 3-credit summer course. 

View a breakdown of the IHN MS Program tuition and student fees.

Tuition rates generally increase by 3% per year.

Students receive a Fall, Spring, and Summer tuition bill. 

The Registrar's Website has estimated billing dates for the academic year.

Students may view current and past bills on Vergil.

Students can expect to receive their final Fall tuition bill in mid-September after the registration period ends; however, an 'estimated' bill may be sent in August. Always check Vergil to view your bill and contact the Registrar's Office with questions. 

Phone: 212-342-4790

Email: sfs@columbia.edu