Changes in Schedule

With advisor approval, students may make schedule changes. Academic programs may also make schedule changes on the student’s behalf if the course in question is housed within that program. However, if the change involves a course outside of the home program or cannot otherwise be processed by program staff, the change must be made at the Graduate School. For all academic deadlines, refer to Appendix A.

Course Addition. Students may add courses to their schedules online through the first Friday of the semester. After the first Friday of the autumn or spring semester or summer term, additions to approved schedules require the permission of the instructor and approval of the student’s advisor and may be submitted on the Course Enrollment Permission form. After the second Friday of the autumn or spring semester or summer term, any addition to approved schedules is by petition to the Graduate School via the Late Course Petition form via GRADFORMS. Petitions must be approved by the instructor, advisor, and department chair. Petitions are reviewed in the Graduate School and are not always approved. Both the Permission and the Petition forms are available online on the Graduate School website.

Due to the various enrollment options of the summer term calendar, students are advised to refer to the Office of the University Registrar’s website for official deadlines for adding courses. 

Course Withdrawal. Until closing on the fourth Friday of an autumn or spring semester or summer term, a student may withdraw from any or all courses that began in the same semester with no mark entered on the official permanent record.

Withdrawal from any or all courses after closing on the fourth Friday of an autumn or spring semester or summer term requires the approval of the student’s advisor and such requests must be submitted to the Graduate School. After closing on the fourth Friday of a semester and until closing on the tenth Friday of a semester, if a student withdraws from any or all courses that began in the same semester, the Office of the University Registrar enters the mark “W” on the official permanent record for those courses. A dated notation “withdrew” is entered on the official permanent record when the student withdraws from the university. 

After closing on the tenth Friday of the semester, students who, because of circumstances beyond their control, find it necessary to withdraw from any or all courses, must file a petition with the Graduate School. Reasons not acceptable for withdrawal include, but are not limited to, the student’s performance in the course(s), lack of preparation for the course(s), or dissatisfaction with the subject matter offered in the course(s). 

The petition form is available via GRADFORMS. Petitions must be approved by the instructor and the advisor. Petitions are reviewed in the Graduate School. If the Graduate School approves the petition, a copy is filed with the Registrar, who is then authorized to enter the mark “W” on the student’s official permanent record, and the instructor(s) of the course(s) is/are so notified. If the petition is denied by the Graduate School, the student continues to be enrolled in the course(s), and a final grade(s) must be reported by the instructor(s). 

A student who stops attending a course and does not officially withdraw from it has the final grade of “EN” as reported by the instructor entered on the official permanent record. Such a grade is based on the Rules of the University Faculty.