Getting Started | BAS & BLS
The University of Iowa

Congratulations on choosing The University of Iowa! You have chosen one of the top 35 public research institutions in the country (U.S. News & World Report, 2017 edition). We have been delivering quality distance education since 1951 and our online degree programs bring you an affordable and accessible experience at Iowa.

Athletic field, track

Our Getting Started section will guide you through the initial stages of admission and let you know what to expect as your application is being processed. 

The first step is to APPLY!  Whether you are New, Returning to UI or an International Student, the UI Office of Admission has a process and application for your situation. Please visit our BAS/BLS Apply webpage. 

If you have any questions along the way, please don’t hesitate to contact an advisor at:
basbls-advising@uiowa.edu.

A Hawk ID is your username for online access to MyUI (University of Iowa's student portal). You can register for courses, view tuition, set up email, change your mailing address, and various other functions through MyUI.

If you do not already have a Hawk ID and password, you will be prompted to set these after you submit your application.

If you have questions about your Hawk ID, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 319-384-HELP (4357) or visit the Hawk ID Guide for assistance.

 

HawkID Login

 

Forgot your Hawk ID and/or Password?

In the future, if you don’t know your Hawk ID, you can look it up online at the Hawk ID guide.  If you don’t know your password, follow the link on the HawkID login page or contact the ITS (Information Technology Services) Help Desk to have it reset. Please call 319-384-HELP or 319-384-4357; for security purposes, the ITS Help Desk will NOT reset passwords by email.

ITS Help Desk hours are available here.

Once you know both your Hawk ID and password, you should reset your password to one you will remember. You can change your password or hints at any time or you may reset your password if you forget it. Passwords expire every six months. ITS sends email notification before your password expires.

For additional information about your Hawk ID, email and other services, please visit the ITS Help Desk.

MyUI (http://myui.uiowa.edu) is the University of Iowa’s student web portal that manages student academic, personal and financial records.

Log in to MyUI, using your HawkID and password to monitor many aspects of your student life, from application through graduation and beyond, including:

  • Admissions Profile
  • University ID, HawkID, password
  • Name, Address, Email
  • Degree Audits
  • Courses
  • Registration
  • Class Schedule
  • Iowa Courses Online (ICON)
  • Financial Aid
  • Billing
  • Transcripts
  • Degree Application
  • Student Resources

Don’t know your HawkID or password? You can look up your HawkID online at the HawkID Guide or reset your password when you log in.

Need additional assistance? Contact the Information Technology Services (ITS) Help Desk at 319-384-4357 (HELP); for security purposes, the Help Desk will NOT reset passwords by email.

After you have submitted an online application for admission, you should access your Admissions Profile for up-to-date details on your application. Your Admission Profile will list the status of documents and transcripts the Office of Admissions requires, and will display your admission decision once your application is finalized. The profile also provides your University ID, directs you to set up your email and lists your Academic Advisor.

To access your Admissions Profile, login to MyUI and click on the Student Information in the top menu bar, and then navigate to the Incoming Students section.

Admissions Profile

Email and Office 365

OFFICE 365

The primary campus email and calendaring service at the University of Iowa is Office 365 which provides access to Microsoft Office for free over the internet. Students most commonly access Office 365 online at https://office365.uiowa.edu.

In addition to email and calendaring features, Office 365 also provides up-to-date access to other programs such as Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint to name a few. All of these programs are available to UI students at NO CHARGE. UI Office 365 is located online or in the cloud so you can access it virtually anywhere. Additionally, students have the option to install Microsoft Office for free on up to five personal devices.

More information on Office 365 including a full list of features can be found at https://its.uiowa.edu/office365.

 

EMAIL

Each student is assigned a standard University of Iowa email address, also referred to as your email alias. This is most commonly in the form of "firstname-lastname@uiowa.edu" (for example:"jane-doe@uiowa.edu").

The University of Iowa requires every student to maintain a valid UI email account for official communication with University administration and interaction with advisors and professors. Students are expected to check their UI email regularly. Email is the primary communication source from the UI.

For your privacy and the protection of your student record, UI faculty and staff can only correspond with your UI address.

 

Access your UI email account (required):

  • Students will automatically have their UI email address created and their Office 365 email account activated once they are are admitted.
  • Use your Hawkid and Hawkid password to login to https://office365.uiowa.edu to access your UI email account as soon as you are admitted.
  • From the Office 365 home screen click on the Mail icon.

 

Forward your UI email address (optional):

  • If you wish to have your UI email forwarded to an external or personal email address, please visit the instructions on the ITS website at https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/102567.
  • If you choose to forward your email to a personal account, you should make sure that address is set to accept all email from uiowa.edu addresses as some external providers may reject messages sent by the UI.  
  • We highly recommend you utilize the forwarding option to "keep a copy" of all forwarded messages in your Office 365 account.  Be sure to login to your Office 365 account on a regular basis to make sure you are not missing emails.  You are responsible for all email sent to your UI email address
  • To ensure student identity, the UI requires that students send email from their UI email account.  If you have forwarded your email to an alternate account, you will still need to login to Office 365 to send email from your UI account.

 

Set email filters (optional):

  • We encourage you to set your email filter to manage which categories of student organization information you wish to receive.
  • Email accounts default to automatically receive email from all student organizations, so it is important to set your filters if you wish to restrict the amount of email sent to you.
  • Under the MY UIOWA options, select My Email> Email Account Filter.

 

Please note:  If you’re not enrolled in a UI course, your Office 365 account will become inactive after 2 years.  For help using email see Email Support.

You may use your Hawk ID, University ID number or Student Identification Card to identify yourself when communicating with your advisor or other university personnel.

University ID

All UI students are assigned an eight-digit identification number. Your number is unique and protects your identity and student records. You will be asked to provide your UI ID number by your advisor and other University personnel. To find your ID number please log in to: MyUI.

For your security and privacy, when communicating with UI faculty and staff, please use only your University ID number and NOT your Social Security Number.

Student Identification Cards

Students taking UI courses, whether online, on campus or at official off-campus sites, are eligible to receive a UI student identification (ID) card. To receive a UI photo ID card with full privileges, students must go to the University ID Card Programs Office (also known as the Iowa One Card Center) in Jessup Hall on the Iowa City campus. All individuals must show a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, to obtain a UI photo ID card. Please see Iowa One Card Center website for location, hours, requirements and contact information.

Students at a distance may request a limited-privilege UI nonphoto ID card using the this form. Please note that the University Book Store no longer allows students to charge using a nonphoto ID card.

BAS and BLS Online Orientation will introduce you to information that will be important for you as a new student at the University of Iowa. This online orientation is offered via the university’s learning management system called ICON, or Iowa Courses Online, and will need to be completed prior to registering for courses.

You should enroll for the orientation for the semester you have applied to start the BAS/BLS program.  You will need your HawkID and password to log in to the BAS and BLS Online Orientation.

CURRENT ORIENTATION SITES:     
Summer 2023 BAS/BLS Online Orientation
Fall 2023 BAS/BLS Online Orientation
 

 

 

 

 

Accessing Online Courses from Outside of the United States :  Please note that there are some locations outside of the United States where students have had difficulty accessing online courses. More information can be found here: Online Outside of the U.S.