Dropping Courses

Students can drop and add classes in UR Student from when registration opens through the second week of the semester.

Beginning with the third week of the semester through the end of the fourth week of the semester, an electronic drop/add form must be used to add a class. Students can drop a course in UR Student up until the end of the fourth week of the semester.

After the end of the fourth week of the semester, and up until the end of the eleventh week of the semester, students are eligible to withdraw from one or more courses. A notation of "W" will be recorded on the transcript. Withdrawal from one or more courses may impact graduation plans, financial aid, and for international students--their visa status. Students are always advised to discuss their plans to withdraw from a class with their faculty or College advisor. The procedures for submitting a drop/add form are described in more detail below.

Hajim School students are always required, to secure the permission of their undergraduate coordinator or faculty advisor before making changes to their course schedule. Undergraduate students who are not pursuing majors in the Hajim School are strongly encouraged to discuss any schedule changes with their College or faculty advisor.

Students who choose to withdraw from all of their courses at the end of the semester will not be permitted to register and return for the subsequent semester. In these circumstances, students should follow the procedures outlined on the leave of absence or withdrawal page.

There are additional policies concerning dropping calculus courses. See the drop policy for calculus page for more information.

One- and Two-Credit Courses

The deadline to drop one- or two-credit courses, whether full- or half-semester courses, is the end of the third week of the course (assuming the course began at the start of the semester).

If the course begins after the start of the semester, the deadline to drop a one- or two-credit course is the end of the second week of the course.

NROTC Students

NROTC students must additionally obtain permission from the professor of naval science to drop or add a course. In no case may they reduce their course load below 12 credit hours. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the loss of scholarship benefits and/or removal from the NROTC program.

Add/Drop Form Instructions

General Drop/Add Information:

  • Please refer to the official academic calendar on the registrar’s website for specific dates for dropping, adding, and withdrawing from courses each semester:
    • Use UR Student as much as possible to adjust your schedule. Many students find it is helpful to use the edit registration feature within UR Student to adjust their schedule.
  • If you need to use the online drop/add form (pdf): Save the form to your desktop, then complete each section of the form.
  • After saving the form, email the completed form as an attachment to registrar@rochester.edu.
  • Before submitting a drop/add form, please verify that you have no existing time conflicts for the changes you are making. We suggest that students register for the course(s) that are the most difficult to get into first and then email BOTH instructors for overlap permission. Please forward the overlap permissions, with the drop/add form, to registrar@rochester.edu.

After Drop/Add Period ends:

  • After the drop/add period ends, students will need to submit a petition form if requesting to late add or drop delete courses. Advisors in CCAS are available for additional questions.
    • While you are waiting for your drop/add form to be processed, ask theinstructor to provide you with a link to attend class and/or ask the instructor to manually add you to the course’s Blackboard page (instructions for adding a user to a Blackboard course).
    • If using the drop/add form for a request to late add a course, submit a petition form, and forward the email from the instructor giving permission,with the drop/add form, to registrar@rochester.edu.

During the Course Withdrawal period:

  • During the course withdrawal period, all changes to your schedule will be made via the online drop/add form(pdf). Students who plan to underload (12-13 credits) will receive an email from an advisor to discuss their academic plans.
  • The requested changes will not be processed until the student responds to the advisor's email.

Advisor/Instructor Permission:

  • First-Year and Sophomores who have not declared their majors, should speak to their College Advisor about any proposed changes to their schedule.
  • All undeclared and declared Hajim students (engineering, computer science, or engineering science) will need an email from their undergraduate coordinator, submitted along with the drop/add form, indicating approval for the schedule change.

Transcripts

Courses dropped before the end of the fourth week of the semester will be deleted from the transcript and the advising record. Beginning with the fifth week, and thereafter through the last day of the eleventh week of classes, courses will appear on the advising record with a “grade” of W and the week in which the course was dropped, and on the transcript with a “grade” of W (the week is not specified).

Underloads

Underload approval is required if the program consists of fewer than 14 credits, and will not be granted for programs comprising fewer than 12 credits.

Students should be aware of the fact that dropping below 12 credits before the four-week deadline will affect all financial aid. Only students enrolled in at least 12 credits may receive University grants and scholarships. Dropping below 12 credits even after the four-week deadline may also change TAP, Pell, and loan eligibility. Students contemplating such actions should be referred to the Financial Aid Office.

Varsity athletes wanting to drop below 12 credits should be referred to Athletics and Recreation, since NCAA regulations are strict on this point.

International students are not permitted to drop below 12 credits. There are rare exceptions and students must always consult with International Services Office (ISO) and an advisor in CCAS.

Part-time students who are also University of Rochester employees using tuition benefits should check the tuition benefit policy.

Full-time students who drop below 12 credits will be sent a warning letter at the end of the semester.