After you’ve been admitted to SOIS take care of the following to prepare for enrollment/registration:


Campus ID number

Your 9-digit number (99X-XX-XXXX) is listed in your admission letter/email from the University. You’ll need this number to activate your student accounts.

Activate your ePanther Account

You’ll need your ePanther account activated to log in to all of your UWM student accounts. To start this process, visit: https://account.uwm.edu/public/activate

Set up your Email & Multi-Factor Authentication

It’s important to check your UWM email on a regular basis (https://uwm.edu/office365/). Log in using your ePanther ID and password. For security reasons our campus uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the ePanther ID verification. To set this up visit https://uwm.edu/technology/mfa-student/.

University Credit Agreement

Before you’re able to enroll you’ll need to complete the University Credit Agreement in PAWS. It will show up as a “Hold” on the right-hand side of your student account. More info at http://uwm.edu/onestop/finances/university-credit-agreement/

Plan your Schedule

Using the Schedule of Classes (https://catalog.uwm.edu/course-search/) is the best way to search for course offerings each term. Check with a SOIS advisor if you have questions about your course options and graduation plan.

Sign up for Classes

You’ll register for classes through PAWS (https://paws.uwm.edu/). First add classes to your shopping cart then ‘finish enrollment’ to officially register. PAWS how-to tutorials can be found at https://uwm.edu/registrar/students/enrolling/adding-dropping-and-changing-classes/


After enrolling/registering for classes check out the following resources to prepare for the first day of classes:

Apply for financial aid (if applicable)

Apply for financial aid online at fafsa.gov. Designate UWM as a recipient using the Title IV code 003896. Visit the UWM Financial Services website for more details: https://uwm.edu/financialaid/). Once you have been awarded financial aid, you will have to officially accept it in PAWS, see Accepting Your Award: https://uwm.edu/financialaid/apply-for-aid/receiving-aid/accepting/

Military and Veteran Student Information | UW-Milwaukee Veterans

Visit the UWM Military and Veterans website (https://uwm.edu/military-veterans/) for information about MEBO (Military Education Benefits Office) and support for veterans through MAVRC (Military and Veterans Resource Center)

Log in to Canvas

Canvas is the UWM web-based learning environment. All UWM courses (online and onsite) in which you are enrolled, should appear in Canvas by the first day of the term. Access Canvas via the UWM Homepage, or by going directly to UWM Canvas Site (https://uwm.edu/canvas/home/). To log in to Canvas, you need to know your ePanther ID and Password.

Get your Student ID Card

Your PantherCard is your official UWM identification card and is an essential part of accessing services throughout the University. All enrolled Students are eligible for a PantherCard and new students can submit ID photos online – check the full details at https://uwm.edu/retailservices/panthercard/

Get your textbooks

Required texts for each class are listed in the syllabus (found in Canvas before the start of each semester). Books can be purchased online at the UWM Campus Virtual Bookstore at UWM Virtual Bookstore (https://uwm.ecampus.com/shop-by-course). Outside sources may also be used.

Pay your tuition

Tuition and fees are due on the date indicated on your PAWS account. Eligible students who wish to participate in the tuition installment payment plan, must pay at least $100.00 toward tuition charges by the tuition due date. Important tuition information can be found at: Business & Financial Services https://uwm.edu/onestop/finances/billing-and-payment/

For the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate tuition for online INFOST courses is $392.00/per credit. Graduate tuition for online INFOST courses is $800.00/per credit. This amount is assessed for all online courses regardless of your geographic location. This tuition is assessed in lieu of standard UW-System resident/non-resident tuition and campus-segregated fees.

Last Updated | January 2023