Course Changes: Add, Drop, Withdrawal & Pass/No Pass Election
Beginning with the 2020-2021 Academic Year, the voucher process has been expanded to include late pass/no pass elections.
Listed below is a timeline and instructions for making course changes, including adds, drops, withdrawals and pass/no pass (P/NP) elections, as well as instructions for using vouchers to either drop a course or elect to take a course as pass/no pass after the deadlines.
It is expected that students who are full-time after the add period retain full-time status (36 units) unless there are extenuating circumstances. In order to drop below full-time, students should meet with their advisor and associate dean. Students are not allowed to use vouchers to drop below full-time status.
Add, drop, withdrawal and pass/no pass election deadlines may be found on the official Academic Calendar.
Add/Drop
DEADLINE: |
Fall & Spring Semesters: Monday after first two weeks of classes. |
PROCESS: |
Students can add and drop courses in Student Information Online (SIO) depending on course availability/space and pre- and co-requisite requirements. |
transcript impact: |
Courses dropped will not appear on the transcript. |
tuition impact: |
Tuition is adjusted if dropping below full time (less than 36 units). |
LATE ADD: |
Students who wish to add a course after two weeks must obtain academic advisor approval, and complete a Course Add, Switch Section or Change Units Request (pdf) form and submit it to The HUB (with required signatures) to be processed by the University Registrar's Office. |
Drops
Deadline: |
Fall & Spring Semesters: Monday after six weeks of classes. Minis, Micros, Doctoral Course-Sections & Summer Sessions: View Academic Calendar for deadlines. |
Process: |
Students taking undergraduate and master's courses may drop a course in SIO up until the drop deadline; however, permission must be obtained from the academic advisor to drop below full time (36 units) during this period. |
Transcript impact: |
Courses dropped by the deadline do not appear on the transcript. |
Tuition impact: |
Tuition is not adjusted for courses dropped during this period. |
LATE DROP: |
Students who wish to drop a course after the drop deadline must consult with their academic advisor to use a voucher. |
Withdrawals
DEADLINE: |
Fall & Spring Semesters: Monday after 10 weeks of classes. Minis, Micros, Doctoral Course-Sections & Summer Sessions: View Academic Calendar for deadlines. |
PROCESS: |
Students may withdraw from a course during this period after consultation with their academic advisor. To withdraw, a Course Withdrawal Request (pdf) form must be completed by the student and submitted to The HUB (with required signatures) for processing by the University Registrar's Office. |
TRANSCRIPT IMPACT: |
A "W" grade appears on the transcript. |
TUITION IMPACT: |
Tuition is not adjusted during this period. |
LATE WITHDRAWAL: |
Course withdrawals are not permitted after the withdrawal deadline. Students should discuss options with their academic advisor. |
Pass/No Pass Elections
Deadline: |
Fall & Spring Semesters: Monday after 10 weeks of classes. Minis, Micros, Doctoral Course-Sections & Summer Sessions: View Academic Calendar for deadlines. |
Process: |
Students may elect to take a course as pass/no pass (P/NP) during this period after consultation with their academic advisor. To take a course as P/NP, a Pass/No Pass Approval (pdf) form must be completed by the student and submitted to The HUB (with required signatures) for processing by the University Registrar's Office. Note: Any course switched to the P/NP grade option which counts toward a general education, major or degree requirement will need to be repeated. View a grade conversion process explanation. |
Transcript impact: |
Courses taken as P/NP appear as "P" on the transcript if passed and "N" if not passed. |
Tuition impact: |
Tuition is not adjusted for courses taken as P/NP. |
LATE DROP: |
Students who wish to elect to switch to P/NP for a course after the P/NP deadline must consult with their academic advisor to use a voucher. |
Voucher Process
The voucher process was implemented to permit a limited number of course drops and pass/no pass elections after the deadlines.
The policies for using vouchers are as follows:
- Vouchers may be used to either make pass/no pass elections after the Pass/Fail Grade Option Deadline has passed or to drop courses after the Course Drop Deadline has passed.
- Vouchers are not intended to be used for exceptional or extenuating circumstances; they cannot be used to drop below full-time status (36 units); and they cannot be used for courses from which a student has already withdrawn.
- Undergraduate students are permitted three vouchers over the course of their undergraduate career and may use only one voucher per semester (including summer).
- Master’s students are permitted one voucher per 12 months of study (beginning with the month they started) and may use only one voucher per semester (including summer).
- Doctoral students, visiting/non-degree students, and certificate students do not receive vouchers and do not participate in the voucher process.
- Eligible students may elect to use a voucher up to and including the last day of classes each semester.