OVERVIEW
Target audience: Current and former McGill faculty and staff members, alumni, and students and their designated guests (usually parents or relatives).
Your McGill ID is the 9-digit number shown on your McGill ID card. Your Minerva PIN is a 6-to-18-character combination (numbers and letters) of your own choosing. They are used together to access a few online services and IT systems at McGill including:
- Minerva (only needed for first-time login and for applicants)
- Restricted sites within the old McGill Web Publishing system
In this article:
What is your McGill ID and initial Minerva PIN?
Students / applicants
In the letter of acknowledgement of your application, you will receive your McGill ID number. Your initial Minerva PIN is your date of birth in the format YYMMDD, (year, month, and day) such as 850624. You will also receive instructions on how to log into Minerva. If you have trouble logging in, call Service Point at 514-398-7878.
Alumni and former McGill students
If your ID was a 7-digit number and your PIN a 4-digit number when you last studied at McGill, you may be able to access Minerva by adding 11 to the beginning of your old ID (e.g. 11xxxxxxx) and PIN (e.g. 11xxxx). Alternatively, call Service Point at 514-398-7878 for assistance.
Faculty and Staff
You should have received an email that includes your McGill ID number and a separate email with an initial Minerva PIN (which, for staff, is NOT your date of birth). If you do not receive your McGill ID or initial PIN, contact the IT Service Desk at 514-398-3398. They will be able to set an initial PIN for you, which you can use for first-time login.
Guests
Students may give access privileges (ability to view and pay bills), to a guest within Minerva. To designate someone as your guest, log into Minerva, go to the Student Accounts menu and select Guest Access. Your guest will be contacted by email and will be provided with his/her own McGill ID and Minerva PIN. For more information see Guest Access to Minerva on the Student Accounts web site.
Logging into Minerva for the first time
- The first time you access Minerva, all users are required to log in with their assigned McGill ID number and initial (temporary) PIN.
- You are then prompted with onscreen instructions to change your initial Minerva PIN
- You are also prompted to set up a security question, which will allow you to access the system and reset your PIN, in case you forget it.
- You can change your Minerva PIN at any time by going to Personal Menu > Minerva PIN.
TIP:
At this point, you should also take time to view your McGill Username and set up your McGill Password, since these credentials are used to access most IT services at McGill, including Minerva.
Change your Minerva PIN:
If you already know your Minerva PIN and want to change it:
- Log in to Minerva using your McGill ID and current PIN, or your McGill Username and McGill Password.
- Go to the Personal Menu, click on Minerva PIN, and follow the onscreen instructions to change your PIN.
Reset a forgotten Minerva PIN:
- On the Minerva login screen, enter only your McGill ID and click Forgot PIN?.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to answer your security question and choose a new PIN.
- Forgot both your security answer and PIN? Click Forgot Answer? You will be prompted to enter an email address where the system can send you a link to reset your PIN. This option will only work if the email address you enter is already associated with you, e.g. it is your McGill email address.
- If you cannot reset your PIN using one of the methods above, you must have it manually reset.
- Students, applicants, alumni, and guests call Service Point at 514-398-7878 (or use the Registered students / Guests/Alumni online contact forms).
- Staff contact the IT Service Desk at 514-398-3398.
Use the new temporary PIN to log in again, then go to the Personal Menu, click on Minerva PIN, and choose a new PIN immediately. Next, return to the Personal Menu, click on Password for McGill Username and enter a new McGill Password.
Change your Minerva Security Question and answer (after logging in):
Go to the Personal Menu, click on Minerva Security Question, and select a question/answer combination that you will easily remember. This will allow you to easily access Minerva if you ever forget your Minerva PIN or McGill Password.
Need help?
Support for students and their guests, applicants and alumni:
For online help or to contact the Service Point help desk, please visit the Service Point website, click Email/Webform options, and select the title which applies to you. You may also contact Service Point at 514-398-7878.
Support for staff:
Call 514-398-3398 or visit the IT Service Desk:
Support service hours and location
