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Welcome to Pitt Online!

If you have taken a course with Pitt Online previously, welcome back!  We are happy to have you with us. Most of this information will be familiar, but please take a moment to reacquaint yourself!

General Information:

If you are a new student at the University, you will receive a welcome letter from the University of Pittsburgh Information Technology (Pitt IT) department that contains your University credentials (username/password). These credentials grant you access to Pitt Passport. This is the official portal of the University of Pittsburgh, through which you can access your online course(s), email, and other resources. If you have not received this information, please submit a help ticket at or call 412-624-HELP [4357]. As an online student, your course work will take place entirely over the Internet. Below is some information to help you get started!

Course Access

Courses will be available for access 3 days before the start of the term! You will access your course through Pitt Passport (Figure 1). Once you’ve accessed the main menu, you’ll want to select Canvas to access your online courses (Figure 2).

Screen shot of the My Pitt portal login page Figure 1 – Use your University credentials to enter Pitt Passport (Click to enlarge).
Figure 1 – Use your University credentials to enter Pitt Passport (Click to enlarge).
My Pitt portal screen shot showing Canvas block
Figure 2 – Using the tile in the “Most Popular” section, select Canvas
for access to your online course (Click to enlarge).

Please note that courses become unavailable after the semester ends. You are strongly encouraged to download and save any course documents and work you will need to refer to in the future.

Project Concert (School of Nursing)

Project Concert is a data management system and a repository for storing data, records, health forms, portfolio and course projects for School of Nursing students. It is accessed through the Pitt Portal using your Pitt ID and password. Since your Pitt ID is active even after graduation, this repository is also available to you.

Canvas Student Guide

Looking for ways to get the most out of your online course experience? Use the Canvas Student Guide to learn more about the many tools that are at your disposal in Canvas.

Technical Support

If you encounter technical difficulties at any time, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Information Technology [Pitt IT] Help Desk. You can reach them any of the following ways:

Submit a ticket to the Pitt IT Help Desk
Call 412-624-HELP [4357]
Email at help@pitt.edu

Office of the Registrar

For questions about billing, tuition, and fees the registrar can be reached via email at registration@registrar.pitt.edu or visit the University of Pittsburgh Registrar Homepage.

University of Pittsburgh Testing Center

Some courses may require students to complete an examination under proctored supervision. The University of Pittsburgh Testing Center will contact each student individually approximately three weeks ahead of the exam to assist you with locating a proctoring facility that’s convenient for you. Once a proctoring facility is identified, students may schedule a testing session that fits their schedule. Read the Testing Center page for off campus options for more information.

Disability Services

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890/ (412) 383-7355 (TTY) or visit the DRS web site as early as possible for more information. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

Pitt Online courses use a variety of media and technologies in our courses, so we’ve compiled a list of Accessibility Statements for each technology.

Veterans Services

The Office of Veterans Services facilitates the transition of veterans from military to University life, support their ongoing academic success, and assist veterans, guardsmen, reservists, spouses, and dependents in receiving their military education benefits.

University Store on Fifth

You can order your textbooks online from The University Store on Fifth. Once you’ve accessed this homepage, you will see a variety of options for textbook reservations. Please order your textbooks as soon as possible.

Panther Badge Request

As a University of Pittsburgh student, you have the option of requesting a Panther Card which allows you to:

  • Physically check out library assets from all library systems on the Pittsburgh campus.
  • Access any of the computer labs on the Pittsburgh campus.

To request a badge, please fill out this form.

Academic Advising

Each University of Pittsburgh student is assigned an advisor who will follow you through your path of studies. Your advisor will provide guidance on course selection.

University Libraries

Online students at the University of Pittsburgh have access to the same digital library resources as our on-campus students.

There are several library systems available to Pitt Online students:

  • The University Library System [ULS] houses collections in the humanities and social sciences, and includes area studies, psychology, computer science, and maps. Of the collections listed above, the following are located in Hillman Library: Hillman, African American, Buhl, East Asian, Government Documents, and Special Collections. Learn more about accessing the ULS from off campus.
  • The Health Sciences Library System [HSLS] comprises several libraries that support the educational, research, patient care, and service activities of the schools of the health sciences (Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Nursing, and Public Health) as well as the hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
  • The Barco Law Library was originally conceived as both a law library and a research center. The current collection includes all of the major legal databases as well as 468,000 volumes and volume equivalents.

When you are connecting from off-campus, EZProxy allows you to access the library systems from a remote location.

Technical Support

If you encounter technical difficulties at any time, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Information Technology [Pitt IT] Help Desk. You can reach them any of the following ways:

Submit a ticket to the Pitt IT Help Desk
Call 412-624-HELP [4357]
Email at help@pitt.edu

University Writing Center

The University of Pittsburgh Writing Center provides one-on-one tutoring to Pitt students seeking help with their writing.

Instructions for using a Writing Center tutor for an online consultation:

  1. Visit the University of Pittsburgh Writing Center appointment scheduling website.
  2. Register for an account with the University of Pittsburgh Writing Center. This information is different than your Pitt log-in credentials, though you must use a Pitt email address.
  3. Under “Choose a Schedule,” select the term (e.g., 2211) and “O’Hara Student Center.”
  4. In the Schedule, look for a tutor who has the words “face-to-face or online” under her name. Identify the time that is convenient for you and double-click a white box to enter your information. Select the online option for the appointment. Include the instructor, course, and what you would like to work on. Then, click “Save Appointment.”
  5. You will receive an email confirmation with a link in case you need to change or cancel the appointment.
  6. A few minutes before your appointment time log in to the schedule site again and click on your appointment to enter the workspace. You can find more information at the Writing Center website.

NOTE: If you prefer to have a telephone consultation, call 412-624-6556 to make arrangements.

University of Pittsburgh Testing Center

Some courses at Pitt Online may require students to complete an examination under proctored supervision. The University of Pittsburgh Testing Center will contact each student individually approximately three weeks ahead of the exam to assist you with locating a proctoring facility that’s convenient for you. Once a proctoring facility is identified, students may schedule a testing session that fits their schedule.

Complaint Process

Information regarding the complaint process.

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