Account Activation for New Students

To access all the online services available to you at UWM such as the Admissions Portal, PAWS, Canvas and Microsoft 365, you will need to activate your account. Once activated, your user name and password will be used to access all UWM online services. Do not share your password with anyone.

Account Activation Information

Below are resources for activating your account:

Multi-factor Authentication

Once you are a student at UWM, you will be required to add multi-factor authentication (MFA) to your account. MFA is the combination of something you know (your password) and something you have (such as a cell phone). More information on MFA can be found on the MFA site or use our directions to set up MFA using the Microsoft Authenticator App.

Password Changes & Forgotten Password

You are required to change your password once every year. Below are resources for password changes:

Is my account properly activated and set up?

If you have followed all the steps outlined above, your account should be set up properly and you will be able to use your account to register for classes, contact your advisor, perform coursework and utilize all the online resources available to you at UWM.

To test that your account is working properly, log into PAWS. If you do not see any error messages, your account is properly set up.

If you had difficulties with any of the above steps, or do not have the technology to complete the above steps, contact the UWM Help Desk for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access the Admissions Portal?
To access the Admissions Portal visit https://uwm.edu/admissionsportal. Before you do this, you must active your UWM account, to do so, use our instructions.
Why can’t I access my email?
While your user name is an email address, applicants do not have access to all of UWM’s online services including email. Once you are a student, you will be given access to email and other UWM online services:

  • Transfer students and Freshmen who will be 21 years old on the first day of classes should be able to access UWM email after you’ve been admitted to UWM.
  • All other new Freshmen will have access to UWM email about a week before your Orientation date.

If you think you should have access, but are still having trouble accessing your email, follow the steps in this video.

Resource List for New Students