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• Registration Info Sheet (RIS)

Dates and Deadlines

Students are responsible for reviewing and complying with University registration and payment deadlines, available on the UT Academic Calendar. Late advising may result in problems obtaining needed courses, while late registration/payment may result in University late fees, the Registrar dropping you from courses, etc. 

Advising

What is course advising?

UT students enroll (aka register) in classes during designated Registration periods each semester. Before Registration is the Advising period. This is when students determine what classes to take for an upcoming semester, optionally with assistance from their program advisor.

How does it work?

• Before the advising period begins, update your Program of Work as you will need it to determine courses.
• After reviewing your Program of Work and the UT Course Schedule, you can optionally meet with your faculty mentor or Area Chair to discuss course plans.
• Submit your EDP Advising Form. It will route to your program's Area Chair for review.
• Your Area Chair will review your form, and approve or request changes. You'll get an email stating whether your form was approved or denied - if any changes are needed, submit a new form. 
• Be sure to keep your approval email as it has your class info there, which is handy to reference during course registration. 
• If you need to make any changes to your planned courses, you must submit a new Advising Form

How do I know what courses to take?

To determine what to take for an upcoming semester, you will need to review your Program of Work and the UT Course Schedule, and we recommend you check in with your faculty mentor or about your plans as well. Remember to update your Program of Work before advising! 

Registration Bars

Registration bars of any kind will prevent you from enrolling in courses for a semester, so it's important to check to see which bars (if any) you have. Any active Bars will be listed on your Registration Info Sheet (RIS), and must be cleared the department that issued it. 

Advising Bar: this bar is automatically placed on all graduate students' accounts by the Registrar's office. It will be removed by an EDP staff member after your Advising Form is approved. 

Other Bars: there are several other kinds of registration bars in addition to the Advising Bar. You'll need to reach out to the department that issued the bar in order to clear it.

Tip: update your emergency contact information in UT Direct annually, as this is a common registration bar from the Graduate School.

Registration Access Times

Check your registration access times in your Registration Info Sheet (RIS) well in advance of registration, and register at the very first opportunity as some classes may fill quickly.

Registration

You will register each semester through UT's online Registration System. Register early! Classes fill quickly, and having a class on your Advising Form does not guarantee a spot in the class. 

Out-of-Department Courses: you should contact that department for permission to add their class. Be sure to list any planned out-of-department classes on your Advising Form. 

Schedule Changes: if you wish to change the schedule on your Advising Form, send a new Advising Form to your Area Chair. You should not enroll in classes that missing from your Advising Form.

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, etc. 

Late Registration

See the Graduate School policies on Late Registration for more information about deadlines and procedures.

Late Adds

Late fees for registration can be substantial, and the amount of paperwork needed to late-register is cumbersome. If you did not register or pay by UT's deadlines and/or were dropped by the Registrar from your classes as a result, contact the EDP registration staff person. If it is prior to the 12th class day (for Spring or Fall semesters) or 4th class day (for Summer), the department may be able to add you back to your classes. After these dates, however, paperwork will be required:

• Graduate Add-Drop Form — form required for adds, drops and grade status change after the 12th class day (or 4th class day for Summer). Contact the EDP registration staff person for assistance with add/drops after this point.
• Late Enrollment Form — if after the 12th class day (or 4th class day for Summer) you are not enrolled in any courses, you'll need a petition from the Graduate Adviser and the graduate Late Registration Form.

Late Drops

Graduate students may drop a class through the last class day of a semester, at which point the instructor must assign a symbol of Q (Quit) or F (Fail). The form you need to late-drop a class can be obtained from the EDP registration staff person.  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.  

Course Load

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 (Spring/Fall) is 15 hours, and 12 hours for the Summer semester. 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 wish to take more than the maximum number of hours.