Official enrollment for the fall and spring term is determined on the 12th class day, or the fourth class day in a summer term.
After that date, graduate students may add or drop courses by submitting the Add/Drop form, available from graduate program offices or the Graduate School at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu. It includes instructions for adding and dropping courses and provides for appropriate signature authority.
Adding Courses
Online:
During class days 1-4 for fall or spring term or 1-2 for summer sessions, students may add courses online. If the course is full or restricted, the student must have department approval to add the course.
By Department:
During class days 5-12 for fall or spring term or 3-4 for summer sessions, courses may be added by the department in which the course is offered. Students must have the approval of their graduate adviser.
After the 12th class day:
After the 12th class day for fall or spring term or the fourth class day for a summer session, students may not add a course, except for rare and extenuating circumstances as approved by the graduate dean. Requests to add a course under these circumstances require a letter of petition from the graduate adviser to the graduate dean and a completed Add/Drop form with all required signatures.
Dropping Courses
With the required approvals, a student in good standing may drop a course through the last class day of a term.
Delete Drop
A student may drop a course online through the fourth class day of a fall or spring term term (or the second class day of a summer session) and receive a full refund.
A student may drop a course the fifth through the 12th class days of a fall or spring term term (or the third and fourth class days of a summer session) through the department offering the course and receive a full refund. Courses dropped during this period do not appear on the student’s transcript.
Obtaining Refund from Accounts Receivable
The exact amount of the refund may be obtained from Student Accounts Receivable.
After the 12th class day, a delete drop may be requested only in the cases of University error or in response to rare and extenuating circumstances.
Submitting Petition for Delete Drop Request
A delete drop request must be accompanied by a petition from the graduate adviser to the graduate dean detailing the error or situation submitted to GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu along with the Add/Drop form signed by the graduate adviser.
Q Drop
From the 13th through the 20th class day of a fall or spring term (or the fifth through the 10th day of a summer term), a student may drop a course with the approval of the graduate adviser and the graduate dean, but without a refund.
Submitting Add/Drop Form
An Add/Drop form signed by the graduate adviser must be submitted to the graduate dean for approval at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu.
Courses dropped during this period will appear on the student’s transcript as a Q. They are not included in the student’s GPA.
Q/F Drop
After the 20th class day of the fall or spring term (or the 10th day of a summer term) through the last class day, the student may drop a course with the approval of the instructor, the graduate adviser and the graduate dean.
Submitting Add/Drop Form
An Add/Drop form signed by the instructor and the graduate adviser must be submitted to the graduate dean for approval at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu.
The instructor will determine whether a Q or a grade of F will be recorded. Courses assigned Q appear on the transcript, but are not included in the student’s GPA.
Warning Status
A graduate student who is in a warning status because of failure to maintain a 3.0 grade-point average may not alter his or her registration without the approval of the graduate adviser.
Dean's Approval
After the 12th class day (or the fourth class day in a summer session), the student must also have the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, received by submission of the Add/Drop form to GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu.
International Students
International students, in addition to obtaining the required approvals, must be advised by International Student and Scholar Services before dropping a course if their remaining course load will be fewer than nine hours in a long-term or three hours, if registered, during the summer session.
Full-Time Status
Students employed as assistant instructors, teaching assistants, academic assistants, assistants and graduate research assistants may not reduce their course load to a less than full-time status.