OVERVIEW
Target audience: Current and former McGill faculty and staff members, alumni, applicants, former students (non-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 combination of 6-to-18 numbers and letters of your choosing. They are used together to access some online services and IT systems at McGill, including:
- Minerva (for those without a valid McGill Username and Password. This includes some applicants, guests, former students who are not alumni, and those whose McGill Username and Password has not yet been provided)
- Restricted sites within the old McGill Web Publishing system
In this article:
What is your McGill ID and initial Minerva PIN?
Students/applicants
The letter of acknowledgment of your application includes your McGill ID number. Your initial Minerva PIN is your date of birth in the format YYMMDD, (year, month, and day), such as 020624. 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 have not received your initial Minerva PIN, log in by using your McGill email address. You can change your PIN after logging in using the instructions below.
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 their own McGill ID and Minerva PIN. For more information see Guest Access to Minerva on the Student Accounts web site.
Logging into Minerva
- Log in with your McGill Username and Password. Alternately, you can log in using your assigned McGill ID number and PIN.
NOTE:
If you have a valid McGill username, your McGill ID and PIN will eventually be phased out, so it is recommended to use your McGill credentials to log in.
- If logging in for the first time with your assigned McGill ID number and initial PIN, you will be prompted to:
- Accept the terms of the Responsible Use of McGill IT Resources.
- Change your initial PIN to one your choosing.
- Choose a security question and set the answer. This will allow you to reset your PIN if you forget it.
- If necessary, click on the HELP link at the top of the Login screen for detailed instructions to help you set up/change all credentials.
You can change your Minerva PIN at any time by going to Personal Menu > Minerva PIN.
Changing 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.
Resetting a forgotten Minerva PIN:
To reset your 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:
- Applicants and guests call Service Point at 514-398-7878.
- Students, alumni, and staff contact the IT Service Desk at 514-398-3398 (Alumni can also use the Reset Password form via the McGill Alumni office).
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.
Changing your Minerva Security Question and answer (after logging in):
To change your Minerva Security Question:
- 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 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
