Registration Actions

Adding Classes  |  Dropping Classes  |  Withdrawing From a Class  |  Cancel Registration Before Term Starts  |  Withdraw From All Classes/Withdrawal From the Semester  |  Registering Late  |  Pre-Requisite Over-Ride  |  Course Overload  |  Grading and Registration Options  |  Final Exam Policy

Adding Classes

Students may add a course using Webreg commencing with the start of the registration period continuing through the add/drop period at the beginning of the term as indicated on the Academic Calendar for the school for which the student is registered.  Note that academic course loads may require a student to drop a course before adding its replacement.  Adding a second section of the same course number will result in an automatic drop of the original section (students may not be registered for two sections of the same course number in the same term).

Students are responsible for all changes to their schedule.  Please note that changing registrations may affect the student's Financial Aid, Veteran's Benefits, Athletic status or other general eligibilities.  Students should consult with their advisor, Financial Aid Office, Veterans Office, or coaches to verify that the changes to their schedule will not affect their eligibility.

Some courses are listed as "by permission of instructor" and will require a special permission number to process the registration. Special permission numbers for a course are available either from the instructor or from the academic department of the course, and must be entered into Webreg at the time of registration.

If the student does not have the appropriate academic background on their transcript to meet the pre-requisite requirements of a course, the student will need to complete a Pre-requisite Override Form.

If a student has reached the maximum allowed credit limit and wishes to add additional courses, the student will need to request permission for an Academic Overload.

If a course is closed due to maximum enrollment, students may contact the instructor for permission to add the course beyond the stop point. It is at the discretion of the Instructor to accept or refuse students.  Permission is granted to students in the form of a special permission number that the student may then use to register for the course using Webreg.  Students must have a special permission in order to register for a closed course – verbal, written, or email communications from the instructor will not be accepted.

Please see the section below under Grading Options to add a course with special registration circumstances, such as Repeat Option, Pass/Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, Audit, Graduate Credit Option, etc.

If a student has a hold on their record, the student will need to clear any outstanding holds prior to making any registration changes.  Students on academic probation normally require their registrations to be done through their academic advisor. 

Some programs and groups do not permit students to add or drop their own courses.  Please see the program directors of those programs for more information.

The add policies for the Summer and Winter Sessions are different than the Fall and Spring terms.  Please refer to those pages for those session policies.

Dropping Classes

Students may drop a course(s) using Webreg commencing with the start of the registration period continuing through the add/drop period at the beginning of the term as indicated on the Academic Calendar for the school for which the student is registered.  Note that academic course loads may require that a student drop a course before adding its replacement. 

Dropped courses do not appear on the student’s transcript, do not count toward credits attempted in a term or toward graduation, and the student is not charged for a dropped course. Courses “dropped” after the end of the Add/Drop period are processed as a Withdrawal.

Students are responsible for all changes to their schedule. Please note that reducing or changing course load may affect the student's Financial Aid, Veteran's aid, Athletic status or other general eligibilities. Students should consult with their advisors, Financial Aid, Veterans Office, or coaches to verify that the changes to their schedule will not change their eligibility.

Students with special circumstances, such as Athletes, Veterans, with Probationary status, must speak with their advisor or program director in order to make changes to their schedule.

Some courses require a special permission number in order to drop the course.  Special permission numbers for a course are available either from the instructor or from the academic department of the course, and must be entered into Webreg at the time of the drop.

Students are not permitted to drop their “last” class.  If students are only registered for a single class and intend to drop it, they will need to follow the procedure for Canceling All Courses before the term starts or Withdrawing from the Semester after the term starts.  If students are registered for only one course and wish to change that course, they should add the new course first and then drop the original course.

If a student has a hold on their record, the student will need to clear any outstanding holds prior to making any registration changes.  Students on academic probation normally require their registrations to be done through their academic advisor. 

The drop policies for the Summer and Winter Sessions are different than the Fall and Spring terms.  Please refer to those pages for those session policies.

Withdrawing From a Class 

Courses dropped between the end of the Add/Drop period and the end the of the term are considered a withdrawal and are assigned a grade a “W”.  Withdrawal may be done using Webreg.  “W” grades count toward credits attempted for a term, but are not figured into the term or cumulative GPAs, and do not count toward credits completed for the degree. 

A student who unofficially withdraws or “walks away” from a course for which the student is registered without formally withdrawing from the course will receive a grade of “F” in the course. 

“W” grades count toward credits attempted for a term, but are not figured into the term or cumulative GPAs, and do not count toward credits completed for the degree. 

Students are responsible for all changes to their schedule. Please note that reducing or changing course load may affect the student's Financial Aid, Veteran's aid, Athletic status or other general eligibilities. Students should consult with their advisors, Financial Aid, Veterans Office, or coaches to verify that the changes to their schedule will not change their eligibility.

Students with special circumstances, such as Athletes, Veterans, with Probationary status, must speak with their advisor or program director in order to make changes to their schedule.

Some courses require a special permission number in order to withdraw from the course.  Special permission numbers for a course are available either from the instructor or from the academic department of the course, and must be entered into Webreg at the time of the withdrawal.

Students are not permitted to withdraw from their “last” class.  If students are only registered for a single class and intend to withdraw from it, they will need to follow the procedure for Withdrawing from the Semester.

The withdrawal policies for the Summer and Winter Sessions are different than the Fall and Spring terms.  Please refer to those pages for those session policies.

Cancel Registration Before Term Starts

To cancel registration of all courses prior to the first day of the term and obtain a full refund of tuition and fees, the student may drop all courses via Webreg. This transaction must be completed before the first day of the term.  No record of the semester will appear on the student’s transcript. 

If the student wishes to attend the university in a later semester, the student will need to Re-enroll.  Students that cancel their first term of attendance should contact the Admissions Office to potentially defer their admission to a later semester, otherwise they may be required to re-apply to the university.

Withdraw From All classes/Withdrawal From the Semester

A student who wishes to withdraw from all classes on or after the first day of the semester/term should submit the Online Student Withdrawal Form.

When a student officially withdraws from the university after the 100% refund period, a grade of “W” is assigned to each course in the term.  These grades will appear on the student’s transcript, will count toward credits attempted for the semester, but will not be calculated into the term or cumulative GPAs or toward the total credits completed for the degree. 

Notification to the instructor, advisor, or school does not fulfill the student's obligation to communicate directly and in writing with the Registrar in all matters pertaining to changes in registration and withdrawal.  The student must complete the Withdrawal Form process noted above.

If the student withdraws after the 100% refund period and wishes to attend the following semester, the student can pre-register using Webreg and does not have to re-enroll for the following term.

If the student withdraws during the 100% refund period and wishes to attend the following (or later) semester, the student will need to re-enroll in the university in order to register.

The withdrawal policies for the Summer and Winter Sessions are different than the Fall and Spring terms.  Please refer to those pages for those session policies.

Registering Late

Students may not add courses using Webreg after the add/drop period during the academic year term – all registrations after that point will need to be done in person at the One Stop Office. The student will need to obtain permission of the instructor to add the course late and to arrange for any missed work.  Late admission to a course is entirely at the instructor’s discretion, and an instructor may not permit late registration for any course.  For undergraduate students, students may also require the permission of the dean of the college or academic advisor to register after the add/drop period.   Students should contact their advisor for more information.   Graduate students should contact their program director for information or restrictions regarding late registration. 

Students with special circumstances, such as Athletes, Veterans, with Probationary status, must speak with their advisor or program director in order to make changes to their schedule.

Pre-Requisite Over-Ride

In circumstances where the student has not had the pre-requisite course(s) for a course that they wish to register for, the student will require a Pre-requisite Override Form.  The form must be completed, signed by the appropriate academic administrators, and returned to the One Stop Office before the student may register for the course.  

Special permissions numbers do not act as a pre-requisite over-ride.  The only way to do a pre-requisite over-ride is to use the form above.

Pre-requisite override forms may be required for registration for a variety of reasons: the student took the pre-requisite course at another college of Rutgers; had a significant break in attendance such that course numbers may have changed in the system; had equivalent academic experience that does not align exactly with the pre-requisite course numbers; or other circumstances.  Pre-requisite overrides are granted at the discretion of the academic administrators involved and are not guaranteed. 

Students registering for courses at another college of Rutgers may require a pre-requisite override from that college offering the course for which they are registering, and not from the college in which they are resident.

Course Overload

Students are permitted to take a limited number of credits in each term, based on the term, their academic standing, and the school in which they are enrolled.  Please contact the Academic Advising Office of your school for information on the credit limits for your school, and for permission to exceed the standard load for a given term.

Grading and Registration Options

There are a number of special circumstances where students may register for courses for grades or credits that are different from the standard offering of that course.  Special Circumstances must be done at the time of registration and may require additional permissions or eligibilities depending on the option. 

Pass/No Credit Grading

Students who have completed 63 or more credits are permitted to register for a maximum of one course per term for credit on a Pass/No Credit basis.  Pass/No Credit courses may not be used to fulfill major, minor, or general curricula requirements.  Permission to take a course on this basis rests with the instructor of the course and the student's advisor.  Permission is granted at the discretion of the instructor and may not be appealed.  Courses taken in this program will appear on the student’s transcript and are graded “P”(Pass) or “NC”(No Credit).  Students must pay all course fees and are expected to complete all course work, including the final exam.  A Pass grade earns degree credit and is equivalent to an A, B, or C letter grade.  A No Credit grade is equivalent to a D or F letter grade and grants no degree credit.  In either instance, the course does not factor into the term and  cumulative GPAs.  Students may choose to change a course registration from standard letter grading to P/NC during the first eight weeks of the term.   Course status changes must be processed through the One Stop Office, and requires permission of the instructor and advisor.  Pass/No Credit courses are indicated on registration forms by the prefix P in the credit-hour prefix area. 

Repeat Option

Undergraduate students receiving a grade of D or F in a course may use the Repeat Option UP TO FOUR TIMES during the course of their degree program.  Exercise of this repeat course option is subject to the following restrictions:

• This applies only to courses taken at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
• The course must be the exact same course number (or exact same subtitle for Special Topics courses).  Courses from different units or similar courses may not be used for a Repeat Option.
• The option may be exercised only once for each course.
• Students applying this option must visit the One Stop Office to indicate their intent to repeat the course.  Courses that are repeated will appear on the student’s transcript with the appropriate prefix next to the credit value of the course.  Students may choose to use the repeat option during the semester the student is taking the repeated course.

Both the original and the repeated course and grade appear on the student's transcript, but only the better of the two grades is computed in the cumulative grade-point average. Degree credit is granted only once when the student earns a passing grade for the course.  Repeat options are normally applied shortly after the end of the term, and may not appear immediately on the student’s transcript.  

Auditing Courses

Upon obtaining permission from the instructor of the course and subject to space availability in the course, full-time matriculated students may audit a course without registration. No academic credit is earned in this manner, and the audited course does not appear on the student's transcript. Students are expected to attend and complete all work for the course, but are not required to take the final exam. The student does not earn a grade for the course.  Online courses and courses open only to restricted populations may not be audited.  The course does not count toward the total credits for the semester (for purposes of full-time status, overloads, or financial aid).  Students are not charged independently for the course, but may be required to pay any individual course, lab, or materials fees and would be required to pay for textbooks or other course materials. 

Graduate Credit Option

Graduate (and some combined Undergraduate/Graduate program) students may, with permission of their program director and the Dean of the School of the course, register for an upper-level (300-400 level) undergraduate course and receive graduate credit for the course.  This option is not available to non-matriculated students.  The course uses the symbol “G” in the credit prefix field.  The Graduate Credit Option must be done at the time of initial registration for the course, and may not be retro-actively applied to a course.

All students are expected to attend the final exams for their course.  Final exams are generally held in the same room in which the course normally meets. The final exam schedule for each semester is posted on the Calendars and Catalogs page. 

The following rules shall govern the construction of the examination schedule and the handling of examination conflicts.

1. All final exams must be scheduled during the official Final Examination period as stated in the academic calendar except those approved by the Dean's Office of the academic unit.  No exams may be scheduled during the days designated as the Reading Period. 
2. Exam periods will be three hours in length and will be scheduled at the following hours: 8:00am-11:00am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 2:45pm-5:45pm, 6:00pm-9:00pm.
3. Exams for courses regularly scheduled in the evenings have priority in terms of space and time over group or conflicts exams which might also be scheduled in the evening, Students enrolled in courses which are regularly scheduled in the evenings must take those exams at their scheduled times.
4. It is the policy of the University to excuse without penalty students who are absent because of religious observances and to allow the make-up of work missed because of such absence. Examinations and special required out-of-class activities shall ordinarily not be scheduled on those days when religiously observant students refrain from participating in secular activities. Absences for reasons of religious obligation shall not be counted for purposes of reporting.
5. A student shall be said to have an exam conflict if that student has:
   • More than two (2) exams on one calendar day.
   • More than two (2) exams scheduled in consecutive periods (e.g., a student has exams scheduled for 6:00pm-9:00pm on one day and 8:00an-11:00am on the following day.)
   • Two exams scheduled for the same exam period.
   • Exam times can be viewed on the Term Exam schedule on the Calendars and Catalogs [internal link to Calendars and Catalogs Page] page. In case of a conflict a student can print a list of final exams and share it with instructors. Students having an illness requiring medical attention or conflict due to a religious observance, should contact the instructor of the course(s) involved for information regarding the arrangements for the make-up examination. The instructor may re-schedule the examination during the examination period and is responsible for rescheduling, proctoring, and grading make-up examinations to accommodate students who have conflicts.
6. If an instructor desires verification of the absence from an examination, the student must provide it. If they need assistance in providing it, they may contact the Dean of Students Office.

Final Exam Policy

All students are expected to attend the final exams for their course.  Final exams are generally held in the same room in which the course normally meets. The final exam schedule for each semester is posted on the Calendars and Catalogs page. 

The following rules shall govern the construction of the examination schedule and the handling of examination conflicts.

1. All final exams must be scheduled during the official Final Examination period as stated in the academic calendar except those approved by the Dean's Office of the academic unit.  No exams may be scheduled during the days designated as the Reading Period. 
2. Exam periods will be three hours in length and will be scheduled at the following hours: 8:00am-11:00am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 2:45pm-5:45pm, 6:00pm-9:00pm.
3. Exams for courses regularly scheduled in the evenings have priority in terms of space and time over group or conflicts exams which might also be scheduled in the evening, Students enrolled in courses which are regularly scheduled in the evenings must take those exams at their scheduled times.
4. It is the policy of the University to excuse without penalty students who are absent because of religious observances and to allow the make-up of work missed because of such absence. Examinations and special required out-of-class activities shall ordinarily not be scheduled on those days when religiously observant students refrain from participating in secular activities. Absences for reasons of religious obligation shall not be counted for purposes of reporting.
5. A student shall be said to have an exam conflict if that student has:
   • More than two (2) exams on one calendar day.
   • More than two (2) exams scheduled in consecutive periods (e.g., a student has exams scheduled for 6:00pm-9:00pm on one day and 8:00an-11:00am on the following day.)
   • Two exams scheduled for the same exam period.
   • Exam times can be viewed on the Term Exam schedule on the Calendars and Catalogs [internal link to Calendars and Catalogs Page] page. In case of a conflict a student can print a list of final exams and share it with instructors. Students having an illness requiring medical attention or conflict due to a religious observance, should contact the instructor of the course(s) involved for information regarding the arrangements for the make-up examination. The instructor may re-schedule the examination during the examination period and is responsible for rescheduling, proctoring, and grading make-up examinations to accommodate students who have conflicts.
6. If an instructor desires verification of the absence from an examination, the student must provide it. If they need assistance in providing it, they may contact the Dean of Students Office.