Online Orientation
Online Orientation
New Student Orientation
Orientation Registration for Summer and Fall 2025 is now open!
Please note: You must set up your SOAR account to register and temporarily disable any pop-up blockers on your browser before registering. After registering in SOAR, keep an eye out for additional emails with further instructions to access and attend your Online Orientation session.
What is Orientation?
The Office of Online Learning offers a free, optional virtual orientation session to help prepare new fully online students for their online classes at Southern Miss. The virtual session is catered towards the online student, providing opportunities to join on your schedule, tutorials on the important online tools you鈥檒l need for your classes, and chances to meet and ask questions to professional staff working to help you succeed as an online student at Southern Miss!
2025 Online Orientation Dates
Summer or Fall Orientation:
- April 24 (5pm CST)
- May 10 (12pm CST)
- May 22 (5pm CST)
Fall Orientation:
- June 12 (5pm CST)
- July 15 (5pm CST)
- August 2 (12pm CST)
- August 14 (5pm CST)
- Online Orientation is a one-hour webinar hosted prior to the start of the semester. More information will be shared with students by email as your scheduled orientation session approaches.
- If you have questions about these webinars, please contact us at OL-orientationFREEMississippi
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Orientation
No! The Online Orientation webinar sessions are optional to attend. However, students MUST register for an Orientation session regardless of their future attendance.
You must be admitted to Southern Miss to attend Orientation. For more information about how to apply for admission, you can email the Office of Admissions at admissionsFREEMississippi or call 601.266.5000.
Admitted students can access Orientation registration in their SOAR account by navigating to the 鈥淎dmissions鈥� tab on the left side of the page and selecting 鈥淥rientation Registration鈥� from the drop-down menu.
No. Our Online Orientation webinar sessions are free to register and attend.
Only fully online students can attend Online Orientation.
Fully online students are students who are completing their degree in that are 100% online (i.e., no face-to-face classes). Even if a student is planning to take the majority or entirety of their classes online, a student majoring in Hattiesburg or Gulf Park-based academic programs does not qualify as a fully online student.
Yes! Online students have the special opportunity to attend Orientation virtually or in person at one of our 欧博娱乐城 campuses! If you would like to attend an in-person session, you can learn more about Orientations at each campus on the 欧博娱乐城 Orientation page.
Please note: Regardless of an Online campus status, attendance and additional registration fees are required of all students registering for an in-person Orientation session at both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses.
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. This fee is not the same as the fee to attend an in-person Orientation session.