Carnegie Mellon University

Cross-Registration for CMU Students

Carnegie Mellon University students are permitted to cross-register at any of the ten Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) institutions for courses not offered at Carnegie Mellon. The opportunity to cross-register is open to all full-time graduate and undergraduate students. In most cases, students may only register for one course per semester. Students are not charged any additional tuition, however, they will need to pay special course or laboratory fees to the host institution, if necessary. Students do not acquire enrollment status at the host institution, but they will have library and bookstore privileges. Cross-registration applies to fall and spring semesters only. Students must be registered for at least 36 units (full-time status) prior to adding a PCHE course, and must maintain at least 36 units throughout the semester during which they are cross-registered; PCHE courses represent additional units and will not count toward the 36 unit total. 

Please note: we strongly discourage students from cross-registering in their final semester. Due to the various final grade submission deadlines of the other PCHE institutions, grades are often late and may delay degree certification.

Questions? URO-PCHE@andrew.cmu.edu

Instructions for Cross-Registration

Submit Cross-Registration Form

  1. Complete the PCHE Cross-Registration (pdf) form in its entirety, including all required course information, and obtain your advisor's signature. Your advisor is responsible for assuring eligibility for the course in which you intend to enroll. PCHE forms should be submitted to the Carnegie Mellon University Registrar's Office prior to the first day of classes at the host institution (i.e. if you wish to register for courses at the University of Pittsburgh, submit your PCHE form to the CMU Registrar's Office prior to Pitt's first day of classes).
    1. If you wish to cross-register for a course at the University of Pittsburgh, please include both the course number and the CRN number listed in the catalog. If the class has a prerequisite or department approval requirement, you must go directly to the University of Pittsburgh’s offering department to request a permission number. This form must be processed by the University of Pittsburgh Registrar's Office in order for you to be registered into their student system. It is your responsibility to provide the CMU Registrar's Office with a copy of the form.
    2. If you wish to cross-register for more than one course, you must have a letter of approval from your associate dean.
    3. Students enrolled in an approved joint program between two PCHE institutions are exempt from the requirement of being full-time at either school. This information must be indicated on the top of the cross-registration form at the time the form is submitted to the University Registrar's Office. Computational Biology, the Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, Music Education and ROTC are the only joint programs considered valid.
  2. Submit completed form to uro-pche@andrew.cmu.edu

Await Course Availability Confirmation

  1. The registrar's office of the host institution will notify you regarding whether the cross-registration request has been accepted or if special permission is required for registration. If you attend classes at the host institution without first obtaining written approval, you will not receive credit. If the course does not appear on your schedule within 10 business days, contact the Carnegie Mellon University Registrar’s Office at uro-pche@andrew.cmu.edu for resolution.  Please also allow for additional processing time at the beginning of the semester, as PCHE schools receive a high volume of forms during this time period.
  2. Once the University Registrar’s Office has received confirmation of enrollment from the host institution, you will see a temporary placeholder course on your schedule (i.e., UPITT, CCAC). Before final grades are due, the placeholder course will be removed and an assigned course number and title verified by the host institution will be added to your schedule. The credit to unit conversion is one credit equals three units.

Grade Timelines & Changes

Final Grades

The host institution will report your final grade to the Carnegie Mellon University Registrar's Office and it will then be converted to the appropriate grading scale.  Please be aware that final grades may be delayed due to various academic calendar and grade processing schedules among PCHE institutions. PCHE institutions do not report mid-term grades.  If you receive an Incomplete grade from the host institution, you must complete the required work within the timeframe allotted by the host institution.  It is your responsibility to follow-up with the host institution to make sure the grade is resolved and sent to the home institution.

Changing Your Registration Status or Grade Option

Cross-registered Carnegie Mellon students may elect to drop or withdraw from a course, audit, or take a course pass/no pass at the host institution. If you wish to change your grade option, you must be registered for the course and follow the deadlines listed on the host institution's academic calendar. 

If you wish to drop or withdrawal from your cross-registration course, you must complete a PCHE Drop/Withdrawal (pdf) form and submit it to the host institution's Registrar's Office for processing. Please adhere to the drop and withdrawal deadlines set forth by the host institution. The host institution will notify the CMU Registrar's Office and you after the form is processed.

In order to audit a course at another institution, you first have to register for said course. Submit a PCHE Cross-Registration (pdf) form to uro-pche@andrew.cmu.edu. If the host institution approves your petition and allows you to register for the course, you may then apply for permission to audit the course. Visit the host institution's website and locate the appropriate audit approval form, then submit it to the host institution by the deadline specified in the host institution's academic calendar. It is your responsibility to check with the host institution and confirm that your form has been processed and that you have been granted permission to audit the cross-registered course. 

In order to take a course pass/no pass (or pass/fail), at another institution, you first have to register for said course. Submit a PCHE Cross-Registration (pdf) form to uro-pche@andrew.cmu.edu. If the host institution approves your petition and allows you to register for the course, you may then apply for permission to take the course pass/fail. Visit the host institution's website and locate the appropriate pass/fail approval form, then submit it to the host institution by the deadline specified in the host institution's academic calendar. It is your responsibility to check with the host institution and confirm that your form has been processed and that you have been granted permission to take the cross-registered course pass/fail.