Advising and Registration

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Dates and Deadlines

Students are responsible for reviewing and complying with University registration and payment deadlines, available via the UT Academic Calendar. Be sure to check the Academic Calendar dates/deadlines regularly and make your advising, registration, and payment plans accordingly. Late advising may result in difficulty obtaining a seat in needed courses; late registration/payment may result in University late fees, the Registrar dropping you from courses, etc. 

Advising

UT students have an Advising Bar on their registration placed by the UT Registrar. In order to register, you must turn in the EDP Advising Form to have your advising bar removed (the form requires your faculty adviser's signature). Students typically meet with their adviser in person to go over the proposed schedule. Be sure your Program of Work is updated before advising! 

Other Registration Bars

There are several other kinds of Registration Bars, placed by various UT entities. Bars will be listed on your Registration Info Sheet (RIS), and must be cleared the department that issued it. Tip: Be sure to update your emergency contact information in UT Direct annually, as failure to do so may result in a registration bar from the Graduate School. 

Registration Access Times

You can view general registration access periods in the UT Academic Calendar online, and your specific registration times in your Registration Info Sheet (RIS). You should plan to be advised before Registration begins, and register early at the first opportunity.

Registration

You will register each semester through the online Registration System. Register early! Courses fill quickly, and having a course on your Advising Form does not guarantee a seat in the course. 

For restricted out-of-department courses, you must contact that department for permission to add their class (and be sure to note the class on your Advising Form along with the EDP courses you're planning to take).

If you wish to change the schedule from your Advising Form: you must notify your faculty adviser and the EDP registration staff person.

Note: Check your registration carefully! Graduate students are expected to confirm they are in the correct classes. Be sure to verify in your Class Listing online, and with the instructor on the first day of class, that you are registered for the correct course. Some courses have the same course numbers but different topics, slightly different names, identically-named undergraduate versions, etc. 

Adding and Dropping Courses

Students may drop or add courses through the online registration system during the first four class days of a long semester and the first two class days of summer sessions. Be sure to notify your faculty adviser and the EDP curriculum coordinator of any changes to your Advising Form! See the Graduate School's information about Adds/Drops.

To make course changes after the student online Add-Drop period has closed, you will need to contact the department offering the course. 

Late Registration

Late fees for registration can be substantial, and the amount of paperwork needed to late-register is cumbersome. If you failed to register by the UT deadline (or if you did not pay by the deadline and were dropped from your classes by the Registrar), contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator. If it is prior to the 12th class day (for long semesters) or 4th class day (for Summer), the department may be able to directly add you back to your classes. After these dates, however, paperwork will be required:

• Graduate Add-Drop Form — paper-only form required for adds, drops and grade status change after the 12th class day. It can be picked up from SZB 504 or the Graduate Studies office in MAI 101.
• Late Enrollment Form — if after the 12th class day you are not enrolled in any courses, you'll need a petition from the Graduate Adviser and the graduate Late Registration Form.

Graduate students may drop a class through the last class day of a semester, and the instructor will assign a symbol of Q (Quit) or F (Fail). The form you need to late-drop a class can be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator.  Because the form requires the signatures of the Graduate Adviser, it is best to decide to drop a course prior to the last week of classes.  

More information about Add/Drop deadlines and policies via the Graduate School.  

Continuous Registration

All students are expected to register and pay tuition and fees by the appropriate deadlines until graduation (this continuous registration rule does not apply to summer sessions).  

Full-Time Course Load

Full-time status is necessary to receive most University fellowships, reside in University housing, and be employed for an academic appointment (Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Assistant Instructor, etc.).  Full-time student status is typically required for visa permits for international students (until candidacy), and is frequently required for student loans or deferment of existing loans (check the Office of Student Financial Services or your lender).  Full-time registration in the summer, for the purposes of having an academic appointment (TA, RA, AI, etc.) is three hours (either summer session).

Maximum Course Load

The maximum course load for a graduate student during long semesters is 15 hours; 12 hours for the summer session.  A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the Graduate Adviser and approval of the Graduate Dean.  Approval is granted only under certain circumstances.  Contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator if you need to take more than the maximum number of hours.

Leave of Absence

Typically, a graduate student may apply for a leave of absence of no more than two long semesters.  Requests for a leave of absence must be recommended by your faculty adviser to your area's Program Director, who will email a leave of absence request to the Graduate Adviser (including details regarding duration and reason for the leave), who will notify the Dean of Graduate Studies. 

If a student has been admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, the GSC Executive Committee and Dean of Graduate Studies must also approve a leave of absence.  The Dean of Graduate Studies approves such leaves of absence only in rare and unusual circumstances.  In-candidacy students who leave the University without an approved leave of absence must reapply for admission and, if admitted, must pay for all semesters of dissertation missed during the leave.

Paperwork must be in the Graduate School office no later than a week prior to the beginning of classes or the student will have to pay the regular readmission application fee.  

A student on leave of absence may not use University facilities or receive advice from any member of the faculty.  A student who is on leave of absence (or not registered for some other reason) cannot gather data for research.

Federal Financial Aid

All students receiving federal financial aid are subject to the "excessive hours" limitations of the Office of Student Financial Services.  A Satisfactory Progress Appeal form must be filed and approved in order for you to receive federal financial assistance if you exceed 40 hours for a master's degree, or 160 hours for doctoral degree (without a master's) and 140 hours for a doctoral degree (with a master's - even if the master's degree is from another university, and regardless of how the degree was financed).  In addition, there is a maximum amount students may receive from federal financial aid.  You can find more complete information via UT Financial Services.

Academic Warning, Dismissal, and Termination

Registration in the Graduate School beyond the first semester or summer session depends on three factors:

1. satisfactory progress in absolving any admission conditions;
2. maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.0 in all graduate coursework; and 
3. approval of the student’s GSC.

A graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be warned by the Graduate School.  The student must attain a satisfactory GPA during the subsequent semester or be subject to termination.  The student may not drop a course or withdraw from a course during this period without approval of the Graduate Adviser and Graduate Dean.

Unless the course is only offered CR/NC, EDP students must pass all courses used to satisfy degree requirements with a letter grade of B- or better.  You don’t want to have to repeat a course, so make sure you are signed up for the correct grade status.

In general, if a student's performance is below the expectations of the area/program, either academically or behaviorally, the student can be placed on probation through written documentation outlining all the problems, the processes by which to be removed, and the deadlines by which the processes must be completed, as well as the final recourse should satisfactory progress not be achieved by the deadlines.

The GSC may recommend termination to the Dean of Graduate Studies if a student is not making satisfactory progress.  Again, contact your faculty adviser to learn what constitutes satisfactory academic progress in your area/program.  Students have the option to voluntarily withdraw from the doctoral program.