Orientation Programs

Congratulations on your acceptance to The University of New Mexico! We are excited to welcome you as one of the newest members of our Pack!

To help you get acquainted with UNM, all incoming students complete an orientation program that provides them with the opportunity to learn about campus resources, make connections with faculty and staff, and register for courses.

Considering students enter UNM with diverse knowledge and experiences, we offer a variety of NSO options that are tailored for each student. When you sign in to our reservation system, you will automatically be directed to the orientation program that was designed for your admitted student type. Click on the admitted student types below to learn more about the orientation you will need to complete before registering for your courses.

First-Year Student

Population: You're considered a 'First-Year' student if...

You have never attended college; or
You are a graduating high school student with college credit earned through a dual enrollment program (regardless of the number of college credits earned); or
You have completed less than 24 college credit hours since graduating from high school or earning your GED.

Format: Considering this is your first experience at UNM within your post-secondary (University/College) education, you will be required to participate in a 2-day orientation program.

Students will be able to choose to participate in either an NSO... In-Person! or NSO... To-Go! format.

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to review the available dates and secure your spot today!

Transfer Student

Population: You're considered a 'Transfer' student if...

You have at least 24 transferable credits with a minimum “C” average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) in all transferable college work attempted... OR...
You complete an associate degree (AA or AS) from a regionally accredited community college (not including UNM Branch campuses.

Format: Considering this is your first experience at UNM within your post-secondary (University/College) education, you will be required to attend a 1-day orientation program.

Students will be able to choose to participate in either an NSO... In-Person! or NSO... To-Go! format.

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to review the available dates and secure your spot today!

Branch Transition Student

Population: You're considered a 'Branch Transition' student if...

You are attending a UNM Branch campus (Gallup, Taos, Valencia, and Los Alamos) during their post-secondary education (not including Dual Credit) and are planning to continue their education at UNM-Albuquerque.

Format: Although this is your first time attending UNM - Main campus (Albuquerque), your experience within the UNM system allows you the opportunity to complete Online Orientation (Branch Transition)

If you prefer to participate in more in-depth orientation, students are able to choose to participate in either an NSO... In-Person! or NSO... To-Go! format.

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to review the available dates and secure your spot today!

Readmission / Returning Student

Population: You're considered a 'Readmission/Returning' student if...

You were previously enrolled as an undergraduate at UNM - Main campus (Albuquerque)
You have not been enrolled at UNM - Main campus (Albuquerque) for more than 3 semesters.

Format: Although this is not your first time attending UNM - Main campus (Albuquerque), you have been away for more than 3 semesters and there may have been some university-wide policy changes and/or new resources that you should be informed about. You will be allowed to complete Online Orientation (Readmit)

If you prefer to participate in more in-depth orientation, students are able to choose to participate in either an NSO... In-Person! or NSO... To-Go! format.

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to review the available dates and secure your spot today!

Accelerated Online Program Student

Population: You're considered a 'Accelerated Online Program' student if...

You are admitted directly* to Accelerated Online Programs

* Students who are admitted to UNM as any other student type (First Year, Transfer, etc.) will not qualify for this specific orientation. If you're interested in UNM Online, please visit their website, a chatbot is available for 24/7 inquiries.

Format: Considering you are admitted to an Accelerated Online Program you will be allowed to complete Online Orientation (UO)

If you prefer to participate in more in-depth orientation, students are able to choose to participate in either an NSO... In-Person! or NSO... To-Go! format.

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to review the available dates and secure your spot today!

RN to BSN Online Student

Population: You're considered an 'RN to BSN Online' student if...

You are admitted directly** into the RN to BSN Online Program

** Students who are admitted to UNM as any other student type (First Year, Transfer, etc.) will not qualify for this specific orientation. If you're interested in the RN to BSN Online Program, please visit their website to request information.

Format: Considering you are admitted directly into UNM Online you will be allowed to complete Online Orientation (RN to BSN)

Reservation or on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to secure your spot today!

Course Registration Information

At UNM, New Student Orientation and Academic Advisement work very closely to facilitate your personalized advising and course registration experience. Below is an overview of the process.

Students' sign-up for orientation
NSO shares a roster of registered students with Advisors and Schools / Colleges
Academic Advisors reach out to students via email and/or phone for pre-orientation communication
Students attend Orientation and meet with their Advisor to complete advisement and registration

To begin the process of registering for courses, students should sign up for NSO. From there, your advisor will reach out to you. Both Orientation and Advisement must be complete, and each respective hold must be removed prior to registering. New Student Orientation will not be able to provide any accommodations for this.

If you are worried that the date of your orientation will affect your courses, don’t be. Our Schools and Colleges pay close attention to the number of students admitted, selected degrees, placement scores, course fill rates, etc. when they are building course offerings.