Who May Register

Admitted Students
Only students who have been officially admitted to The Graduate School may register for courses to earn credits toward a Graduate School degree. Students in The Graduate School must be registered in order to use University facilities. These facilities include (but are not limited to): University libraries; laboratories or office spaces; and equipment and computer facilities. The appropriate registration depends on the stage the student has reached in a graduate program.

Students generally register full-time, defined as no fewer than three (3) and no more than four (4) units each quarter. Registration for more than four (4) units requires permission from the Associate Dean of Student Services at The Graduate School. The minimum registration is one (1) course.

All students holding fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships must register full-time, as must international students on either F-1 or J-1 visas. Students receiving financial support administered by the University (including research assistantships, fellowships, or teaching assistantships) during the summer quarter must also be registered full-time.

In addition to formal coursework, several Graduate School registrations provide full-time status at reduced tuition rates, although these registrations do not accumulate credit toward a student's residency. These registrations and eligibility requirements are more fully described in the Master's Degree Requirements, Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements, and The Graduate School Courses sections of this Web site.

Auditors
Course auditors are not given formal recognition by either The Graduate School or the Registrar. The auditing of any graduate course without formal registration by full-time graduate students in good standing is both permitted and encouraged, depending on the limitations of space and facilities, and permission of the instructor.

How to Register

All Courses Except TGS 588 Resident Master's Study
Graduate students usually register online through CAESAR, except for the registrations for TGS 588 Resident Master's Study. Those students who are eligible to enroll in TGS 598, TGS 599 Post Candidacy Research and TGS 503 Resident Research Continuation may do so online. Registration for TGS 588, TGS 598, TGS 599, and TGS 503 may also be requested by e-mail in the case that a student has difficulty registering him/herself. Registration dates are listed the Office of the Registrar's Web site.

Late registration is permitted through the fifth day of classes in any quarter. In the Summer Session, the late registration period extends only through the fourth day of classes. A student who registers late must first pay a late fee. (See the Financial Aid page of this Web site for more information.)

Students should consult the Office of the Registrar and the Class Schedule for further information regarding procedures for registration.

It is the student's responsibility to clear all holds and confirm registration. To confirm registration, students may check their class schedule in CAESAR, or contact the Office of the Registrar.

TGS Resident Master's Study
Registrations for TGS 588 Resident Master's Study must be arranged through The Graduate School's Student Services representatives. Requests for these TGS registrations are also accepted by e-mail. All requests should indicate the quarter of registration, student name, ID number, and the type of registration requested.

Changes in Registration

Program Changes
Students may need to make one or both of two types of changes to their course of study. In some cases, students admitted to a program of study leading to a master's degree wish to continue on to earn a PhD. In other cases, students originally admitted to one academic program find that their studies are more appropriate to a related, but separate, academic field or department.

• Change of Degree
  Any student admitted to a master's degree program who wishes to pursue a PhD degree in the same department or program must petition The Graduate School for a change of degree status.  Students should contact their department to make this request, which is then handled online by the department via TGS' Self-Service forms.  The final decision will be made by The Graduate School in consultation with the student's department or program.
• Change of Academic Program
  A student who wishes to transfer from one department to another within The Graduate School must submit a Department Transfer form to the new department, which should then be sent to The Graduate School. Students should also consult with the new department regarding financial aid, and to determine whether additional supporting documents, including letters of recommendation or personal statements, are required. Such materials should be submitted directly to the department. The final decision will be made by The Graduate School after consultation with the department into which the student is requesting a transfer.
  

Residency credit for graduate work at another institution, and any residency credit accumulated in The Graduate School, are not necessarily counted toward residency in the department or program into which the student wishes to transfer. A reevaluation of transfer and residency credit is made at the time of the request for a department transfer.

Course Changes
A student who wishes to change a registration after the fifth day of the quarter must secure a Registration Exception form from the student's department or the Registrar's office, obtain the appropriate signatures, and return the form to The Graduate School office. A student who wishes to drop a course must submit the appropriate form by the end of the sixth week of classes in order to receive any type of refund. Please see the rules for Change of Registration, Withdrawal, and Refunds for more information.

Withdrawal
All students who cancel their entire registration, even if it is only a single course, must file a Withdrawal form. Withdrawal forms are obtained from the Registrar's office or The Graduate School. The completed form must be submitted to The Graduate School. This procedure also applies to students who register in advance and then decide not to enroll for the quarter for which they have preregistered.

Refunds of part or all of the tuition depend on the time the completed Withdrawal form is submitted to the Registrar's office (see the Financial Information: Costs - Course and Contract Cancellation: Deadlines and Refunds section on this Web site).