Graduate Registration

Selecting Courses

Course offerings may change prior to the beginning of classes. Go to Class Schedules for the most up-to-date information.

Be sure to check The Graduate Bulletin for specific prerequisites required. Instructors who include this restriction believe that it is essential for you to have completed the prerequisite course(s). Descriptions of courses not included in the Bulletin may be requested in the office of the department offering the course.

The University does its best to enroll students in the courses they select. However, when courses are over-enrolled, the University may place a student in a different section of the course than the one selected.

Getting Approvals

All graduate students must have an adviser, department chair or designee signature on the drop/add form. Beginning with the first day of classes, the instuctor's signature is also required.

All graduate students registering for a reading course or independent study course need a completed approval form. Completed approval forms must be delivered to the Graduate Studies Office to complete the registration.

The permission of the instructor is needed to enroll in any course that has reached the enrollment limit and has been declared closed. Go to Class Schedules for the most up-to-date class information.

Full-time graduate students taking less than 12 hours must have proof of TA or RA responsibilities for the given semester.

Registering for Courses

All matriculated graduate students must register on-line. Please read the instructions carefully and complete any pop-up box that appears for credit hours and instructor name before submitting. For registration dates go to the Graduate Academic Calendar. Contact your department reprsentative as well as your advisor to be sure you are registering for the correct courses before starting online registration.

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Continuation of Registration

Matriculated graduate students must maintain continuous registration (Fall and Spring) until they are awarded degrees, withdraw from the degree program, or are dropped from the degree program by the University. Students maintain continuous registration by registering for credit courses or one of the following courses: 985, 895, 995, 899, 999. (see definitions below)

Study in Absentia:
In certain circumstances, it may be desirable for a full-time matriculated graduate student to engage in study or research for a limited period of time at another university, research organization, or scholarly institution and to register for appropriate graduate credit at the University of Rochester. All such requests must be made in writing and approved in advance by the Graduate Studies Office.
985 - Leave of Absence:
Matriculated graduate students who have not completed course and credit requirements for their degree, and who have been granted a leave of absence upon the recommendation of their departments, and have the approval of the College Dean of Graduate Studies should register for 985.
This course has zero (0) credit hours and no mandatory health fee. There is a flat rate fee for registration (see the Bursar's financial statement for the amount). This fee must be received by the registration deadline for each semester of Leave of Absence. Please note that this course will not defer student loans, as it is a less than part-time registration. An updated ID card may not be obtained through this course registration. Students in this category in the spring semester cannot defend dissertations in the Summer.
Continuation of Master's Enrollment (895):
"Plan A" master's degree students who have received written permission from the College Dean of Graduate Studies to complete the master's dissertation while not in residence and not working full-time on the dissertation should register for 895. "Plan B" master's degree students who have completed all of the required courses, but not all of the requirements for a degree must register for 895.
This course has zero (0) credit hours and no mandatory health fee. There is a flat rate fee for registration (see the Bursar's financial statement for the amount). Please note that this course will not defer student loans, as it is a less than part-time registration. An updated ID card may not be obtained with this course registration.
899 - Master's Dissertation:
"Plan A" master's degree candidates who have completed all requirements for the degree (except the dissertation) and who are working full-time on the dissertation should register for 899. Adviser's signature is required.
This course has zero (0) credit hours but is considered full-time registration. There is a flat fee for registration (see the Bursar's financial statement for the amount). The mandatory health fee must be paid and student loans may be deferred when registering for this course.
995 - Continuation of Doctoral Enrollment:
Doctoral candidates who have received written permission from the College Dean of Graduate Studies to complete the doctoral dissertation while not in residence and not working full-time on the dissertation, should register for 995.
This course has zero (0) credit hours and no mandatory health fee. There is a flat rate fee for registration (see the Bursar's financial statement for the amount). Please note that this course will not defer student loans, as it is a less than part-time registration. An updated ID card may not be obtained through this course registration.
999 - Doctoral Dissertation:
Ph.D. students who have completed all of the requirements for the degree (except the dissertation) and are in residence as full-time students should register for 999. Adviser's signature is required.
Ph.D. students who have completed all of the requirements for the degree (except the dissertation), who are working full-time on the dissertation, and have the permission of the Department and the College Dean of Graduate Studies to be in residence elsewhere, should register for 999A. (See Study in Absentia)
Ph.D. students should register every semester and pay the required registration fee. When the final two corrected copies of the dissertation are turned in, students are eligible for a refund of the current semester fee for continuing enrollment, according to the same schedule proposed for the health fee: 75% during the first calendar month, 50% during the second calendar month, 25% during the third calendar month of the semester.
This course has zero (0) credit hours but is considered full-time registration. There is a flat fee for registration (see the Bursar's financial statement for the amount). The mandatory health fee must be paid and student loans may be deferred when registering for this course.
Change of Time Status:
Change of time status requires approval from your Dean's office.
Matriculated graduate students registering for Independent Research or Independent Reading courses should use the course approval forms available at the Graduate Studies Office, 216-222 Lattimore Hall, or at the departmental office. Correct titles for the courses should be listed in order to be sure that accurate titles will be recorded on official transcripts. Completed approval forms must accompany Registration Forms.

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Holds

University policy requires that students be current in payment of all tuition and fees prior to the beginning of each academic term. Students who have a delinquent balance at the time of registration will not be permitted to register for the next term. If you have a past due balance, you need to settle your account with the Bursar's office. You will need clearance to register for next term's courses. If your account remains on financial hold at the beginning of the next term, the Bursar's Office may ask the Office of the Dean of your school to withdraw you for financial reasons. A financial hold also prevents the release of your transcript and diploma. Access will enable you to check your account for financial holds.

Audit Courses

Audit of a course related to a degree program is permitted for full-time and part-time graduate students, when approved by the student's faculty advisor, the course instructor, and the associate dean for graduate studies.* The audited course will appear on the student's transcript provided the student attends throughout the course. Students who wish to receive credit for such a course may do so by:

  1. Changing the registration in the Graduate Studies Office prior to the end of the sixth full week of classes in a given semester.
  2. Paying the required tuition for the course.

*Fee applies. The college/school may decide to pay the fee with the approval of the associate dean of graduate studies.

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Add Courses

Courses may be added after registration through the sixth week of classes. Independent study courses must be added by the end of the third week of the semester and require an approved Course Form. Add/drop forms are available at the Graduate Studies Office, Lattimore 216-222.

Be sure the following information is completed before handing in a drop/add form:

  1. date and term
  2. personal - name,UR IDnumber, phone number
  3. academic - school, class year, major/degree
  4. action - add, drop or withdrawal
  5. course - CRN, subject area, number, credit hours, audit, title
  6. signatures and/or approvals

Drop Courses

A regular semester course may be dropped at any time beginning shortly after registration through the sixth week of classes, provided the student obtains the approval of his or her faculty advisor and notifies the Graduate Studies Office on the proper drop/add form. Drop/Add forms are available at the Graduate Studies Office, Lattimore 216-222. No record of such actions appears on the official transcript or the advising record. Following the start of the seventh week of classes, a drop notification sent to the Graduate Studies Office must bear the signatures of the faculty advisor, course instructor, and associate dean for graduate studies. Such late drops will be recorded on the official transcript and identified by the grade W. At the option of the course instructor, a grade of E may also be attached.

In exceptional circumstances, the associate dean for graduate studies may approve dropping a course without record after the start of the seventh week of classes. Review of the circumstances is initiated by an appropriate written petition.

Retroactive dropping of credit hours after the conclusion of a semester is not permitted if the change affects the student's time status (full-time status changes to part-time status) for that particular semester.

Be sure the following information is completed before handing in a drop/add form:

  1. date and term
  2. personal - name,UR IDnumber, phone number
  3. academic - school, class year, major/degree
  4. action - add, drop or withdrawal
  5. course - CRN, subject area, number, credit hours, audit, title
  6. signatures and/or approvals

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