Dropping a Course
Semester-Based Courses
Definition: To drop is to disenroll from one or more courses while remaining enrolled in at least one course. Disenrolling from the last course results in a withdrawal.
Students who drop a course prior to the tenth day of instruction receive a full (100%) refund of the tuition and fees. Thereafter, no refund is allowed. For the exact refund dates for a given regular term, consult the website of the Office of Admissions and Records. For nonstandard length course sections, refund periods are determined proportionately.
Graduate students may drop a course without receiving a grade of W until the end of the twelfth week of instruction in the fall and spring semesters. Deadlines may be found in the graduate calendar.
Undergraduate students may drop a course without academic penalty during the first eight weeks of instruction in a term. See the OAR website for exact dates. A college or department may place an advising hold on an undergraduate student whom they wish to talk with prior to adding or dropping a course.
For all students, a grade of W or F will be assigned to a course dropped after these deadline dates. The decision is based on the evaluation of the circumstances by the college in which the student is enrolled. For nonstandard length courses, the time frame for dropping course sections without academic penalty is determined proportionately in accordance with the above principles. In case of extenuating circumstances, a student may be permitted to drop a course without academic penalty and regardless of time if, in the judgment of the student’s college, such action is warranted.
How to Drop a Course
The effective date and time of the requested add or drop is determined by when the completed form is received in our office.
Dropping the last course section
Degree students will be unable to drop their last course section via the Student Self-Service website. To drop the last course section, the student must cancel all course enrollments (prior to the 1st day of class) or withdraw from campus (after the 1st day of class). The main registration menu on the Student Self-Service website contains a “Withdraw from Term/Cancel Registration” link.
If you cancel, drop or withdraw from a full- term semester-based course, see Academic Deadlines for information on official academic dates, including the deadlines for adding and dropping classes.
For general information about refunds of tuition and fees, see the Refund Schedule.
For general information about refunds of tuition regarding nonstandard length course sections, please refer to the Student Refund Reference Guide.
Note: The Student Refund Reference Guide does not calculate the exact refund amount for any course section and serves only as a reference tool for students. The assessed tuition is refunded on a pro-rata basis less a processing fee of 5 percent (5%) of the assessed amount or one hundred dollars ($100), whichever is less. The administrative fee is non-refundable.
Transfer credit and the Graduate College application: the “12-Hour Rule”
Degree-seeking students: With departmental approval, you may petition to transfer for degree credit up to, but no more than 12 semester hours of course work. This course work must have earned grades of A or B and have been completed no more than five years prior to your admission to the Graduate College. Admission into a graduate program is required in order to be eligible for a degree and some programs require admission prior to registration for the first course. If you have questions about transfer credit, please contact your department