1. Important: review this note on course formats (hybrid/other course formats, attendance).
2. Sign up to receive the CCT Monthly Newsletter: ongoing program news, course information, and other general announcements, sent about once per month: http://eepurl.com/w1Ayn. Students are welcome to submit items of interest to the general CCT community such as upcoming events, opportunities or job postings.
3. Course planner - use the following link to look ahead at anticipated upcoming courses as you think about how you wish to move through your studies; these can be discussed further during your entrance interview with the CCT program director before you take your first courses; most courses can be taken in any sequence (including foundation courses, which do not need to be taken first):
courses in next few upcoming terms: http://blogs.umb.edu/cct/home/courses/
4. Get set up with your UMass Boston email address: http://webmail.umb.edu/ (Used for registration, online course login, and other university systems. You should receive information from admissions about getting started once you are matriculated into the program. Students who have already taken a UMB course may have already used your email/UMB account. During your studies, please plan to use and check your umb.edu email address regularly, or set it up to forward messages to a personal address that you do use often -- some instructors may also contact you this way with early announcements before the start of a course term. Please also keep your alternate personal email address up to date in your WISER profile as a way to contact you in case your UMB email/password becomes disabled for any reason (for example, this can sometimes happen after an administrative hold is placed on your student account).
5. Review the program requirement related to the Reflective Practice and Metacognitive Portfolios: http://www.cct.umb.edu/rpp/index.html
6. Entrance interview: As a student admitted and matriculating in the upcoming semester, we'd like to schedule an entrance interview near the start of the semester. This will give you a chance to discuss course planning (see item 3 above first) and address any other questions that you have at this time. Possible topics: which semester/year do you hope to complete your studies?; local students: will you attend class on campus or online?; which electives interest you right now?; what else would you like the program to know about you to help you be successful?. This interview will also give the Program a chance to introduce you to a set of steps to prepare CCT students to complete a synthesis during their final semester.
To schedule this interview, choose an upcoming appointment time using this form, which will set a time for you to speak with assistant program director Jeremy Szteiter.
Please also email a copy of your admissions personal statement to cct@umb.edu (the online application system used by admissions does not allow us to view your statement once you are admitted, so this helps to remind us of your interests for advising purposes).
7. General university requirements:
All graduate students, regardless of residency or enrollment status, are now required to complete the university's one-time Sexual Assault Prevention online training. Look in your umb.edu email account for notices about how to complete this. Also, all students attending any courses on campus will be required to show proof of meeting Massachusetts state requirements for immunization. You may see messages from University Health Services reminding you to submit documentation (delays may cause a hold to be placed on your account and prevent you from registering for future courses).
please read through the following items when you get a chance and before you start courses:
8. Overview of CCT Program
8a. Trade-offs that core faculty see that you might take into account as you move into the Program. If you are at all unsure of your choice of Program, read these before you pay the deposit.
9. Student handbook (PDF) -- detailed information and reference, and the essential first stop if ever you have a question as you move through the Program, In particular, read through the section called "Program Requirements". Also, see Useful Links for CCT Students.
10. Graduate Studies official policies. Please refer to this comprehensive online catalog for all formal policies, procedures, and requirements affecting graduate students at UMass Boston.
11. Become familiar with WISER: http://wiser.umb.edu (once your umb.edu account is active)
After reaching the main WISER page, choose the "Student Log-in" link. WISER is used for course registration, viewing your unofficial transcript, and reviewing your student billing account. Critical and Creative Thinking courses are coded CRCRTH when you search the catalog in WISER. The catalog contains official course descriptions. It is also useful to view the information here, which may include additional information on semester-specific themes and course formats not represented in the official catalog:
http://www.cct.umb.edu/courses.html
12. Systems for online communication (relevant to both online and face-to-face students)
Online courses use Zoom, Google+ Hangout, or Blackboard Collaborate as the synchronous video conference system for class meetings.
Please contact the program for additional help getting started with these. At a minimum, you'll need a computer with a microphone or headphone-microphone device that you can plug in to your computer, and basic system requirements mentioned on the sites above.
13. CCT Community events
It is recommended that students attend (at least occasionally) the series of CCT Community Open House events held each spring and fall semester. The events are open to both CCTers and to the general public and serve to "supplement students' education through the involvement of alums and alums' education by their involvement in the education of students and each other."