Advising
Registration
Continuing degree-seeking students are registered for courses in one of four ways: through Auto Enrollment, through Pre-Registration, during the “drop/add” period, or via Instructor Consent. Summer courses follow a different process – for further information, go to the Summer Session Registration and Housing page.
Registration Procedures
Event When it happens What you do Pre-Registration Mon. Week 7, 9AM - Fri. Week 8, 5PM Select & rank courses Pre-Registration Results Finals Week View results Online Add Mon. Finals Week, 9AM - Fri. Week 1, 5PM Add courses online Online Drop Mon. Finals Week, 9AM - Fri. Week 3, 5PM Drop courses online Adding Courses Requires Instructor Consent Mon. Week 2, 8:30AM - Fri. Week 3, 4:30PM Add courses via consent The above dates apply to Winter and Spring Quarter registration. Autumn Quarter registration ordinarily occurs over the summer; the College will communicate to students the precise timeline.
When Add/Drop opens, students may drop or add classes to their schedules via my.UChicago.edu. Students may add courses online until the end of Week 1 of the new quarter; drops may be made online until the end of Week 3.
During Add/Drop, students may add courses for which they meet the prerequisites that have not reached preset seat limits and that do not require instructor consent. Online add/drop is processed in real-time, and works on a first-come, first-served basis. Courses may open or close instantaneously. The system does not permit students to be registered for more than 4 courses at once, nor does it allow students to register for courses that have time conflicts.
Courses may be dropped in the same manner until the end of Week 3. Students may not drop below 3 classes per quarter.
Students who cannot register themselves for a course may be registered by instructor consent. Instructor Consent is at the discretion of the individual instructor and is not guaranteed. Consent forms for subsequent quarters are available through my.uchicago.edu beginning when Add/Drop opens. Professors may choose to use either the online or printable consent form.
Approved consent forms are submitted in person or via email to the Registrar’s Office through Friday of Week 3. After Week 3, students may not add any class except by petition to the Dean of Students in the College.
Many Core Curriculum and beginning language sequences are identified as “automatic registrations,” which means that students are automatically enrolled in the same course and section the following quarter provided that the section continues the same day/time meeting pattern. Students who are registered for an automatic registration course do not need to select or rank that course during the Pre-Registration process.
Students may drop out of certain automatic registrations during Pre-Registration. Students are restricted from dropping Humanities courses during Autumn and Winter Quarter Pre-Registration and should discuss any section changes, drops, or adds with their College Adviser. If a student drops an automatic registration course and then wishes to re-enroll in it, they must select and rank that course.
Re-enrollment in any course is not guaranteed, however. Some sections may be discontinued or combined with other sections, or meeting times may be changed from one quarter to the next. Contact your College Adviser for questions about the course enrollment process.
The “W” (Withdrawn) grade means that the student has decided after Week 3 of the quarter not to complete the work of the course. Students who wish to exercise this option must request a W from their adviser by the Friday before Finals Week or the day before the final project/exam is due, whichever is earlier. When made before the deadline, a request for a withdrawal cannot be denied except in cases of academic dishonesty. A withdrawal may not be granted after completion of the course.
Once a student requests a W, it may not subsequently be changed to any other mark. W grades do not confer grade or impact GPA; however, they will count against the completion rate needed to maintain good academic standing (see Academic Probation).
Students who register for graduate-level courses are subject to the policies governing graduate grading. Students should discuss the implications of these policies with their advisers before registering for courses numbered 30000 and above. NOTE: Grades earned in graduate-level courses contribute to a student's GPA as indicated earlier in this section.
Courses that are not auto-enrolled may be added to one’s schedule during Pre-Registration. Students who are eligible for Pre-Registration may select and rank courses for the following quarter via the my.UChicago.edu site. Classes should be ranked from most desired to least desired (a ranking of “1” indicates most desired). Students interested in multiple sections of a course may select and rank multiple sections of interest.
Prior to Finals Week, Pre-Registration requests are “resolved” and registrations are added to students’ schedules. The Pre-Registration process does not guarantee enrollment in any course, and students should discuss their registration plans with their College Adviser.
To be eligible to take part in Pre-Registration, students must have resolved any administrative or academic holds. Students who are returning from a leave of absence or suspension must be approved to resume before Pre-Registration begins in order to participate.
Students planning to graduate in the current quarter, students who have scheduled a leave of absence, and students who will be abroad for the next quarter cannot participate in Pre-Registration. This process is only available for degree-seeking students. Students at large (SAL), international visitors, and Graham School students may not participate in Pre-Registration.
Reading Period
Every academic quarter, at least two days in advance of Finals Week are designated "College Reading and Review Period." Instructors and/or teaching assistants may hold review sessions on these days. However, no new material may be introduced, assignments may not be due, and final examinations may not be given (except as necessary for graduating students) during the reading period. The Reading and Review Period may not be dispensed with by classroom vote.
Examination Schedule
Students should verify that travel arrangements do not conflict with their final examinations. View the Final Examination Schedule.
Students and instructors can arrange Reading and Research (R & R) courses when:
- The material being studied is beyond the scope of a particular course
- When students are working on material not covered in an existing course, or
- When students would like to receive academic credit for independent research.
R & R courses (29700 or 29900) are graded on a Pass/Fail basis or with a quality grade in accordance with departmental guidelines.
Registering for an R & R Course
- Obtain a “College Reading and Research Course Form” here.
- Determine the proper course and section number.
- Ask the instructor to sign the form, or, if filling out the electronic form, obtain an e-signature or an email from the instructor for consent. Students registering for a B.A. paper with a faculty supervisor in a department outside of the student's major must also obtain the signature of the director of undergraduate studies in their major. For BIOS 00199 and 00299, the BSCD Undergraduate Research and Honors Chair signs in lieu of the program chair. A second signature is not required for BIOS 00297.
- Submit the R & R form to the Office of the University Registrar by Friday of 3rd week. If using the electronic form, this may be emailed in. Note: If using an email from the instructor in lieu of a signature, this email must be attached along with the filled out form.
Guidelines for R & R Courses
- First-year students may not register for R & R courses except by petition to the Dean of Students.
- Students registering for extra-departmental R & R courses must receive approval (per the R & R form) from the undergraduate program chair of their major, rather than the chair of the department in which that course is offered.
- Registration for more than one R & R course in the same quarter is permitted when the subject matter is different. In other words, students may not receive more than one course credit per quarter for a single project.
- Students may not receive academic credit for paid work in a research environment or elsewhere, although an unpaid internship that has a significant on-campus academic component may be eligible for R & R credit. Consult a College Adviser for more information about this option.
Incoming students to the College pre-register for courses during the summer prior to their first Autumn quarter. Students should consult with a College Adviser regarding course selection. For more information, visit the New Student Advising site.