Registration

An individual student is responsible for registering for the course(s) for each semester and managing their degree completion requirements. Registration dates are available on the Academic Calendar website. A student with an account hold is not permitted to register until the hold has been rectified. Registration is determined by the student’s class level - see Student Class Level, which is based on hours passed. See also, Academic Calendar.

A student has the ability to add, drop or withdraw courses via Banner Web within policy statements. Official dates are listed within the Academic Calendar on the University Website. Each undergraduate student within a campus-based program is assigned a registration pin, provided to the student by the academic advisor, to complete a course add/drop or course withdrawal transaction. A campus-based student identified as needing additional intervention prior to registration by the Center for Academic Success and Achievement or the advisor may be placed on a Registration Hold status. When a Registration Hold is imposed, the individual imposing such action will notify the student including how to rectify the status. If the Registration hold is not resolved by the end of Add period, the student may not be permitted to enroll. For any course registration, course add, drop or withdrawal, refer to the billing policies posted from the Bursar’s Office.

To receive credit, a student must register for any course to be pursued during a semester; otherwise, there is no official record of the course.

Course Add
A student is permitted to add a course up to six business days from the start of the first day of class. For a course offered in a compressed term (i.e. part-of-term, eight-week session, five-week session, etc.) refer to the posted Academic Calendar on the University Website for deadlines to add a course. A student may complete an Academic Petition to late add but no later than the last day of the regularly-scheduled classes, with approval from the course instructor, the advisor, chair of the department and Dean.

Course Drop/Course Withdraw (amended 11/2022)
Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. The Academic Calendar lists the deadlines for dropping a course without a record or a course withdrawal, earning a grade of “W” on the transcript.  Typically, for a full semester course, the last day to drop a course is a week after the start of classes. Students have until the second to last Saturday of the semester or term to withdraw from a course. After the posted course withdrawal deadline the student may withdraw earning a grade of “WF.” The “WF” grade is recorded and calculated into the student’s official transcript (see also course quality points). To withdraw after the deadline, the student must complete the Registration Agreement form on the Registrar’s SharePoint site.  

Course Drop - Administrative
Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. However, the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs or Vice President of Student Affairs may administratively withdraw a student for behavior or when a student shows indifference to studies. 

Course Drop/Withdrawal - Last Course
To drop or withdraw from the last course for any semester or term of enrollment, a student must submit a Withdrawal Form. See also, Withdrawal.

Course Levels
Course descriptions are located within the Course Descriptions section of this catalog. The level of a course is indicated by its number. If the course has a pre-requisite, co-requisite or a restriction, the Course Description will include this information along with the typical semesters the course is offered. 

Course Offerings
The times and days for class sessions and the rooms in which they are held are listed in the Schedule of Courses located in Banner Web. When limited numbers of students enroll in an elective course, or if unforeseen difficulties arise, the University reserves the right to remove the course from the schedule without further notice. Demand for certain courses or staff conditions may also necessitate a change in the typical sequence.

Course Override
When a student wishes to enroll into a course but is unable to register due to one or more of the reasons below, the student may contact the instructor of record, the department chair, director, or program manager with a request to consider an override. The department chair, director, or program manager, in consultation with the instructor, is under no obligation to approve the override request.

• The course is full.

• The course requires instructor, department, or instructional location approval.

• The course has prerequisites (e.g., another course is to be taken first) or corequisite (e.g., courses are to be taken at the same time).

• The course is linked to another course (e.g., a laboratory).

• The course is only open to majors or a specific program, etc.

• The course is open only to students in a specific class or level (e.g., sophomore status, undergraduate, graduate).

Time Conflict - If a student wishes to enroll in two courses that are offered at the same time or at overlapping times, the student must request a Time Conflict Override. The form must be completed by instructors in both courses and submitted to the designated administrator and the Office of the Registrar for processing. The Time Conflict Course Contract is available in the Office of the Registrar or on the Registrar’s website.

Course Waiting List
A course section that has met the seat limit may offer a course waiting list. A student may add the course as a Waiting List (WL) status via Banner Web. When or if the waitlisted seat becomes available, the student will receive an email notification stating the student must take action on the waitlisted seat within 24 hours. Should the student not register within 24 hours, the student will be dropped from the course waiting list. The next student will be notified. Waiting lists are cleared/erased at the start of the semester or after the Course Add period. A College Dean may override a student with a higher waiting list number when they have determined there is a higher priority to enroll.

Course Load
A typical course load for students in campus-based programs ranges between 15-18 credit hours per semester. For a student to graduate in four years, an average of 15 credit hours per semester is needed. Please review a sample curriculum map for a specific degree to determine the number of credits needed. Full-time status begins at 12 credit hours per semester. A student is permitted to register for a maximum of 22 credit hours (19 academic credits plus up to 3 ROTC credits) without special permission; excluding MU 260 (see also Tuition and Fees section for credit hour charges published on the Bursar's website). Hours beyond the registration limit might be approved under limited circumstances through an Academic Petition (Registrar’s Office SharePoint website). Students in degree completion programs have a 12 credit limit and must petition the program's director for an exception for hours beyond the registration limit.

To receive credit, a student must register for any course to be pursued during a semester; otherwise, there is no official record of the course.

Internships
A student must register for an internship during the designated registration period for a fall or spring semester and by 1 May for summer internships. Departmental or School permission is required for an internship. Enrollment for internships will not occur unless the faculty member has received written confirmation from the field supervisor that internship arrangements are complete. Internships will be scheduled to coincide with the opening and closing dates of the semester of internship enrollment. Summer internships will coincide with the beginning and ending dates of the appropriate summer session.

Independent Study
To support a course registration for an independent study, the affirmative recommendation of the student’s academic advisor and the course Department Chair/School Director must be present on an Independent Study form (link requires access to my.norwich.edu).