Academics

Registration

For specific program requirements, see your program’s page or talk to your advisor.

Jump to information about:

• Registration requirements
• Prepare
• Plan
  • Guidance for PhD students
  • Guidance for Master's students
  • Registration Placeholder Courses
  • Special Registrations
• Register

Registration Requirements

Graduate students must register each semester until their degree is awarded. Registration must be completed within two weeks from the first day of classes, or a late registration fee may be charged. See the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) academic calendar for registration deadlines and details.

Full-time Status

Graduate students must register for at least nine (9) credit hours to be considered full-time. Full-time placeholder courses are also available for students who have completed the credit requirements for their degrees. See below for more information.

A student wishing to change their status from full-time to part-time or vice versa must contact their department and the GEPA office. The GEPA office will work with the Registrar’s office to ensure that their student account is set properly so that policies and fees are applied appropriately to their student account.

Important Registration Dates

Refer to the GEPA academic calendar or the refund schedule for specific registration and refund deadlines. Deadlines will also be emailed to students by the GEPA office and will be included in the graduate student biweekly newsletter.

Prepare

Students must complete the onboarding steps in UR Student every semester before they can register.

Students must clear all other registration holds on their UR Student account before they can register. This could include a Past Due Balance hold, Academic Honesty training hold, Time to Degree extension hold, Past Due Immunization Requirements hold, or others.

Tip: If you have questions about any hold, refer to the contact information available in the hold description.

Plan

Each semester, students work with their graduate program coordinator and faculty advisor to determine what courses to register for. Students should use the following guidelines unless instructed otherwise by their department.

Refer to the course listings in UR Student for the most up-to-date information. Course offerings may change prior to the beginning of classes.

Be sure to check courses for specific prerequisites required. Instructors who include this restriction believe that it is essential for you to have completed the prerequisite course(s).

Tip: Not sure how many credits or which placeholder course to register for? Check out the guidance and definitions below.

Tip: Interested in studying in absentia, auditing a course, registering for a research internship, or taking a leave of absence? See more information on these special registrations below.

General Registration Guidance for PhD Students

General Registration Guidance for Master's Students

Master’s students work with their department to register for 30-32 total credits to complete their degree’s curriculum. Because master’s program curricula and timelines vary between programs, students are encouraged to work with their graduate program coordinator and faculty advisor to choose appropriate coursework.

Master’s students must register for at least 9 credit hours to be considered full-time.

In some cases, it may be appropriate for master’s students to utilize zero-credit placeholders in the final semester of their program. Students are urged to consult with their graduate program coordinator before registering for a placeholder course.

Definitions of Registration Placeholder Courses

Matriculated graduate students must maintain continuous registration (fall and spring) until they are awarded degrees. Students maintain continuous registration by registering for credit-bearing courses or one of the following zero-credit placeholder courses: 895, 899, 995, or 999.

895 – Continuation of Master's Enrollment

"Plan A" master's degree students who have completed all requirements for the degree (except the thesis) and need to complete the master's thesis while not in residence and not working full-time on the thesis 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, and are not working full-time on completing the degree requirements, must register for 895.

This course has zero credit hours and no mandatory health fee. There is a flat-rate fee for registration. Please note that this course will not defer student loans, as it is a less than part-time registration. An updated ID card cannot 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 thesis) and who are working full-time on the master's thesis should register for 899. The student's advisor's name is required. "Plan B" master's degree students who have completed all of the required courses, but not all of the requirements for a degree, and are not working full-time on completing the degree requirements, must register for 895.

This course has zero credit hours but is considered full-time registration. There is a flat-rate fee for registration. The mandatory health fee must be paid and student loans may be deferred when registering for this course.

995 – Continuation of Doctoral Enrollment

PhD students who have completed all of the requirements for the degree (except the dissertation) and need only 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 credit hours and no mandatory health fee. There is a flat-rate fee for registration. Please note that this course will not defer student loans, as it is a less than part-time registration. An updated ID card cannot be obtained through this course registration.

999 – Doctoral Dissertation

PhD 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.

PhD 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 dean of graduate studies in Arts, Sciences and Engineering to be in residence elsewhere, should register for 999A or 999B. (See Study in Absentia)

This course has zero credit hours but is considered full-time registration. There is a flat-rate fee for registration. The mandatory health fee must be paid and student loans may be deferred when registering for this course.

Special Registrations

View the corresponding policies for the following special registrations. These registrations require additional forms and steps prior to registration.

• Study In Absentia
• Auditing Courses
• Research Internships
• Leave of Absence

Register

All matriculated graduate students must use UR Student to register. More information about how to register can be found in the Quick Reference Cards on the UR Student training website.

Tip: The Saved Schedule feature is a planning tool that students are welcome to use to build their schedule. Remember that students must also register for these courses in addition to saving them to their schedule.

Tip: Adding a student to a course in Blackboard does not register the student for a course. An instructor can add a student in Blackboard while the student takes care of their registration, but the student must register in UR Student to get credit for the course.

Contact your graduate program coordinator or the GEPA office if you are unsure if you have registered appropriately.

Drop/Add Courses

Students may drop and add classes online until the end of online registration, after which a Drop/Add Form must be used. The precise deadlines for online registration, final registration, and course withdrawal are set each semester by the University Registrar and listed on the GEPA Academic calendar.

Online registration: Before the end of the online registration period (approximately the end of Week 2 in each semester), graduate students may drop a course without record, through UR Student.

• Courses dropped online will receive a 100% tuition refund.
• Student’s must maintain the appropriate time status (i.e. full-time or part-time) as required by their program, visa restrictions, or financial aid status. International students will not, in general, be permitted to drop courses below a full-time time load.

Drop without record: Before the final registration date (approximately the end of Week 4 in each semester), graduate students may drop a course without record, by submitting an add/drop form to the GEPA office.

• Courses dropped after the end of online registration will be subject to the tuition refund schedule.
• Student’s must maintain the appropriate time status (i.e. full-time or part-time) as required by their program, visa restrictions, or financial aid status. International students will not, in general, be permitted to drop courses below a full-time load.

Drop with record/withdraw (“W”): Before the final course withdrawal date (the final day of classes), students may petition to drop a course with record (i.e. a grade of “W”), by submitting a course withdrawal petition to the GEPA office.

• Courses dropped after the end of online registration will be subject to the tuition refund schedule.
• In general, withdrawal from a course with record (“W”) after the final registration date, should not affect a student’s reported time status. However, students are encouraged to contact ISO and/or Financial Aid to ensure that they are fulfilling the requirements of their program, visa, and financial aid status.
• In exceptional circumstances, the dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs may approve dropping a course without record after the final registration date. Review of the circumstances is initiated by an appropriate written petition.

Graduate Refund Schedule

Instructional days 1-10 = 100% refund

Instructional days 11-20 = 75% refund

Instructional days 21-25 = 50% refund

Instructional days 26-30 = 25% refund

Instructional days 31-end = 0% refund

This policy defines the institutional tuition refund when a student voluntarily withdraws (drops) from any course(s) during a period of enrollment while remaining enrolled. The above tuition refund schedule is to be applied to the individual course. This policy does not apply to students who voluntarily or involuntarily withdraw, take a leave of absence, or go on inactive status. For more information about these types of actions, please see to the University Registrar's policy page.