How do I accept an invitation to a GitHub Classroom assignment?

If your instructor has created an assignment in GitHub Classroom, you will need to:

  1. Have or create a GitHub account.
  2. Accept the invitation to access the assignment.

Have or create a GitHub account.

Screenshot of the GitHub website's menu bar with the Sign up button outlined.

Before accepting the assignment invitation, you will need to have an account in GitHub that is associated with your UVA email address. If you do not yet have an account, go to the GitHub website (opens new window) and select Sign up to begin creating your account.

While creating your account:

  • Make sure to use your [email protected] email address, for example [email protected], as the email address for the account.
  • The password for your GitHub account should be unique. Please do not enter your UVA NetBadge password as the password for your account. A password that follows the guidelines in the UVA Authentication Standards for Sensitive Data (opens new window) is strongly recommended. These include:
    • A minimum of 12 characters.
    • At least three character classes:
      • Letters,
      • Numbers
      • Special characters (such as, ! ? +)

Tip: If you would like to use a GitHub account that is not currently associated with your [email protected] email address, you can change the primary email address on your GitHub account (opens new window).

Access the assignment invitation.

Navigate to the GitHub Classroom link for the assignment invitation link that your instructor provided.

Sign in if prompted.

Screenshot of the Sign in to GitHub page showing a UVA email address in the Username or email address field.

If you were not already signed in to GitHub before accessing the link, sign in using your [email protected] email address.

Select your name from the class list.

Screenshot of a class list with a student's name outlined.

Select your name from the list of students in the course.

Note: If you accidentally select someone else's name, you will need to ask your instructor to unlink your account.

Accept the assignment.

Screenshot of a GitHub Classroom Accept the assignment page.

You will be taken to an "Accept the assignment" page with the name of the assignment. The page explains that once you accept the assignment, you will be granted access to a GitHub repository that will be created for your assignment submissions.

Select Accept this assignment.

Note: You may be presented with an error message if this is your first GitHub assignment. This is expected behavior.

Open the invitation to collaborate on the assignment repository.

Screenshot of the notifications inbox with example invitation notification.

GitHub Classroom will send you a notification inviting you to collaborate on the assignment repository, which you will need to accept.

Depending on the notifications preferences in your GitHub account, you may also receive an email from "github-classroom[bot]" linking directly to the invitation. Either use the View invitation link in the email to open the notification or:

  1. Go to the GitHub notifications inbox (opens new window).
  2. Open the Invitation notification. It will be an "Invitation to join" the repository for your assignment submission, e.g., "stacs/test-assignment-2," and come "from github-classroom[bot]."

Select Accept invitation.

Screenshot of an example notification with the Accept invitation button outlined.

Select the Accept invitation button.

View assignment repository.

Screenshot example of an assignment repository.

You will be taken to the assignment repository, where you can get started working on the assignment.