Change of Schedule (Add/Drop)

The Change of Schedule process and instructions are accessible on the Office of the Registrar website. Change of Schedule deadlines are set by the Registrar and published at Dates and Deadlines.

Adding and Changing Courses

During the first week of classes in a semester (or proportional period in other sessions), students may use UAccess Student Self-Service to add or change courses. After that point, the instructor's signature is required in the Change of Schedule process to add or change courses.

Dropping Courses (Drop, Withdrawal, and Administrative Drop)

Student-Initiated Drop and Withdrawal

Any student who intends to drop or withdraw from a course must follow the deadlines and processes listed below. Students who remain enrolled in a course throughout the term but fail to attend and/or complete assignments may receive a failing grade for the course.

Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor or faculty advisor prior to withdrawing from courses. Withdrawal from courses might adversely affect students’ financial aid and visa status as well as their eligibility for fellowships, awards, scholarships, and graduate assistantships.

Administrative Drop and Withdrawal (instructor-initiated)

Administrative drop is an instructor's option, not an obligation. Instructors are not required to drop students who fail to attend class. Since students may add courses beyond the official start date, instructors should be attentive to student enrollment dates when assessing adequate participation for the purposes of administrative drop. Students may be administratively dropped in the following circumstances:

• Excessive or extended absence from in-person or synchronous online class sessions
• Noncompliance with student participation policies listed in the syllabus (the duration or extent of noncompliance that warrants administrative drop will be indicated in the syllabus)
• Missing the first class session or required interaction for classes that are accelerated or that have limited enrollment

Drop/Withdrawal Procedure and Transcript Effects

Students can use UAccess Student Self-Service to drop or withdraw from a course. Instructors may administratively drop or withdraw students from courses through their department.

• Courses dropped prior to the drop deadline will not appear on the student’s transcript, and no grade will be recorded.
• Courses withdrawn from after the drop deadline will remain on the student’s transcript, with a grade of W (or XO for auditing students) recorded, regardless of whether the student was passing at the time of withdrawal. The W (or XO) grade does not affect the student’s grade point average (GPA).

Late Withdrawals

Students may only withdraw from courses after the withdrawal deadline under extraordinary circumstances. Administrative drops are not processed after the withdrawal deadline.

A Late Change Petition must be submitted with approval from the course instructor and appropriate dean (college dean for undergraduate courses; Graduate College dean for graduate courses) to withdraw from a course after the withdrawal deadline. Approved Late Change Petitions must be submitted to the Registrar prior to the final examination period.

For students in select professional programs in the colleges of Law, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, class withdrawals are governed by regulations established by the respective college faculties.

Unit Maximum on Course Withdrawals

• Undergraduate: The number of course withdrawals (drops) cannot exceed 18 units during the student's undergraduate career; the 18-unit limit will be reset once a student completes a bachelor's degree at the University and begins a Second Bachelor's Degree (does not apply to concurrent degrees). The 18-unit maximum applies to all courses dropped with a W grade.
• Graduate: There is no unit maximum on the number of course withdrawals for graduate and professional students.

Drop/Withdrawal Deadlines

The date a drop/withdrawal is processed in the student information system determines how the drop affects the student’s academic record. See Dates and Deadlines for specific dates.

* All deadlines are determined by the Office of the Registrar. See Dates and Deadlines for specific dates.

** Add a week in spring for spring break.

*** As sessions do not always begin on the same day of the week, weeks are counted as 7-day periods starting with the first day of the session for the purpose of setting deadlines.