Withdraw From a Class
During the Course Adjustment Period (CAP)
As a graduate student, you may make schedule changes (add or delete one or more courses) at any time from the start of registration until the end of the CAP. During this time, students can alter their own schedules via PiratePort. Adding a course is always subject to seating availability. Courses dropped during the course adjustment period do not impact attempted hours and will not appear on a student’s official transcript.
After the Course Adjustment Period (CAP)
The CAP usually ends four days after the start of a semester. Once the CAP has passed, a student can withdraw from a course up until the Final Withdrawal Date. These dates can be found on the official university calendars. Students can no longer add a course or switch sections after the CAP.
Students are encouraged to contact their advisor to discuss course or term withdrawals.
Class Withdrawal Instructions
After the CAP and before the Final Withdrawal Date, a student can withdraw from a course using the Registration and Planning application in PiratePort. Instructions for how to withdraw from a course are listed below along with a guide to help trouble shoot errors students may experience.
- How to withdraw from a course for graduate students (PDF)
- Experiencing errors with the course withdrawal
Term Withdrawal Instructions – Only or All Classes
If you wish to drop your ONLY class or to drop ALL of your classes, the process is called a Term Withdrawal. All withdrawals must be made prior to the final withdrawal date listed on the academic calendar and are processed by the Registrar’s office. The student must submit an official term withdrawal form.
Final Withdrawal Date
The final date to withdraw from a class without a grade for each term can be found on the official University calendars. The withdrawal date is a hard deadline with no exceptions.
There is no limit to the number of classes a graduate student in good standing can withdraw from during their graduate program.
Consequences of Withdrawing from a Class
If you are on academic probation and you withdraw a course after “census day” of the term, the withdrawn course is included in the number of semester hours allowed under probation. Census Day for each term can be found on the University calendars.
Withdrawing from a course has Financial Aid implications. If you receive Financial Aid, please contact their office to discuss your plans.
If you withdraw from a course before the deadline, you will not receive a grade, however the course will appear on your transcript with a “W”; the withdrawal does not affect your GPA.
If you withdraw from a course that is a prerequisite or co-requisite for another course you are registered for in a future semester, the withdrawal will impact that subsequent course.
Please review the Registrar’s Course Drops/Withdrawal Policy website for FAQs.