Online Orientation

May 28

June 30

July 16

July 30

August 5

August 13

The Online Orientation fee is $35. This fee is nonrefundable and must be paid at the time of registration. It covers the cost of programming platforms and a Southern Miss swag pack that will be mailed directly to you!

Please note: All new students are charged $100 for UNV 100, which is a required course for all new students. This fee is not the same as the fee to attend Orientation. Student Life coordinates UNV 100.

Canvas and SOAR walk-through

Overview of virtual student support resources

Information about upcoming university deadlines

Success tips for virtual enrollment

Yes, Orientation is mandatory for all new degree-seeking students. Online Orientation is an virtual session catered to fully online students to help make sure new students have a smooth, successful start to their Southern Miss journey on the Online campus.

Admitted students can access Orientation registration in their SOAR account by navigating to the “Admissions” tab on the left side of the page and selecting “Orientation Registration” from the drop-down menu.

Only fully online students can attend Online Orientation.

Fully online students are students who are majoring in academic programs that are 100% online (i.e., no face-to-face classes). Even if you are planning to take the majority or entirety of their classes online, new students majoring in Hattiesburg or Gulf Park-based academic programs do not qualify as a fully online student and must attend Orientation at the program's campus.

Yes! Online students have the opportunity to attend Orientation virtually or in-person at one of our USM campuses. If you would like to attend an in-person session, you can learn more about Orientations at each campus on the USM Orientation page.

Please note: All fully online students choosing to attend an in-person orientation event are expected to follow all in-person orientation requirements, including paying associated registration fees.

Immunization records are not required for fully online students majoring in a 100% online program.

Hattiesburg and Gulf Park students must submit proof of two (2) immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) prior to Orientation registration.

Academic advisement is coordinated by the academic colleges. After Orientation registration and prior to the start of the upcoming semester, students are contacted by their advisor to confirm their class schedule and discuss any questions about their semester enrollment or their degree plan.

The process of college credit posting is initiated when an admitted student registers for an Orientation session. Typically, a student’s college credit (credit earned from another college or through an examination like AP or CLEP) is posted no later than the date of a student’s Orientation session.

We’ll send you helpful information a couple of weeks before your session, but there are 2 things that you’ll need to do before your Orientation session.

• Log into SOAR and complete your Academic and Financial Agreement to lift the registration hold on your account.
• Monitor your Southern Miss student email account. This email account is how the University will officially communicate with you.

You must be admitted to Southern Miss to attend Orientation. Click here for more information about how to apply for admission.

Contact our office as soon as possible for further assistance.

No. If you have an Orientation hold on your SOAR account, contact our office for assistance.

No. If you have an Orientation hold on your SOAR account, contact our office for assistance.

UNV 100 is a required one-hour course for all new degree-seeking students at Southern Miss. It is a pass/no pass course designed to supplement the Orientation experience.

Please note: All new students are charged $100 for UNV 100, which is a required course for all new students. This fee is not the same as the fee to attend Orientation. Student Life coordinates UNV 100.