Registration

The Add/Drop period is your opportunity to drop any unwanted courses, fieldwork, IMPs, or State Mandated Trainings and expunge them from your student record. After the Add/Drop period ends, all courses remain on your schedule and academic transcript. If you need to leave a class or fieldwork after the Add/Drop period ends, you can submit a Course Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s Office until the Withdrawal Deadline. Please visit the Academic Calendar for dates specific to each term.

Opting to take a withdrawal is a way to leave a class without having your absence negatively affect your GPA. When you withdraw from a class, a GPA-neutral grade of WD is awarded. Please note that you cannot withdraw from an IMP (including Independent Study) or State Mandated Trainings. Please visit our Grading Policy Page for more information.

Withdrawing from a class or fieldwork does not guarantee a refund or reduction of tuition and fees charged. Please view the Course Refund page for more information. If you are a Financial Aid recipient, we recommend contacting the Financial Aid Office before submitting the Course Withdrawal form to us in the Registrar’s Office.

If you are withdrawing from your courses for a semester because you need to take some time away from the College, please also complete the Leave of Absence process (see the “Interruptions of Study” section for more information).

If you need to withdraw from a class because of a medical need after the Course Withdrawal deadline has ended, you can submit a Course Withdrawal Due to Medical Necessity to the Registrar’s Office along with supporting documentation from a medical professional (detailed below). The Registrar’s Office must receive the form filled out to completion, and all additional documentation, by the last day of the term. We cannot process Medical Course Withdrawals retroactively.

If you need to apply for a Medical Course Withdrawal, please ask your physician to include the following required information as part of their supporting documentation:

• Date of medical exam for this condition
• Brief description of reason you (the student) are unable to complete course requirements in non-technical terms
• The anticipated term of illness or length of time the medical condition will inhibit you (the student) from attending courses

If you are a financial aid recipient, we require you to contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss the impact of a medical withdrawal on your aid and to sign off on your Medical Course Withdrawal Form.

Keep in mind, this process is appropriate when you only need to take a Medical Withdrawal for one or some of your classes and/or fieldwork. We will only process a medical withdrawal from the courses listed on your form. If you need to withdraw from all of your courses due to medical necessity, please complete the Medical Leave of Absence process.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to step away from your program for a time. If you need to take some time off from actively pursuing your degree, you will need to request a Leave of Absence from the College. We ask that you indicate when you anticipate returning to your program when you submit your paperwork.

You can request to leave your program for up to one calendar year. Because we want to make sure that all invested parties are aware of your plans and any possible supports you may need, both your Program Director and the Chair of your department are required signatures on the Leave of Absence form.

When you take a Leave of Absence, you extend the time you will be permitted to complete your degree. All students are given a five year window to meet their degree requirements before their status as a matriculated (active, degree-seeking) student expires. By formally taking a leave, your time away from the college will not count against your five year deadline.

If you find that a year is not long enough, we invite you to write to the Registrar. A grace period may be granted for up to six months for students who, due to extenuating circumstances, need more time. You will be notified when you request the extension that you must resume your coursework at the end of the six month period or be asked to withdraw from the college.

While you are on a leave, we will continue to invite you to participate in online registration. If you decide you can resume your studies earlier than you originally anticipated, we welcome you reactivating your enrollment by simply registering during the online registration period.

If you stop registering for classes and never complete a formal request for a Leave of Absence, our office will reach out to verify your enrollment plans. If you do not respond to our outreach, you will be automatically withdrawn from the college after a year of non-enrollment. Should this happen, if you want to return to your program, you will be required to contact our Graduate Admissions Office and begin the process for readmission to the college.

If you reach the end of your six month grace period, meaning you have been away from your program for a year and a half, and still cannot return to your program, you may be counseled to withdraw from your program (see Withdrawal from the College under the “Interruptions of Study” section for more information).

If you need to suspend the pursuit of your degree for medical reasons, you will need to request a Medical Leave of Absence from the Registrar’s Office, along with supporting documentation from a medical professional (detailed below). The Registrar’s Office must receive the form filled out to completion, with all additional documentation, by the last day of the term. We cannot process Medical Leaves of Absence retroactively.

If you need to apply for a Medical Leave of Absence, please ask your attending health practitioner to include the following required information as part of the supporting documentation:

• The date of medical exam for this condition
• A brief description, in nontechnical terms, of the reason you (the student) are unable to complete program requirements
• The anticipated term of illness, or the length of time the medical condition will inhibit you (the student) from attending courses and/or supervised fieldwork

If you are a financial aid recipient, we require that you contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss the impact of a medical withdrawal on your aid and to sign off on your Medical Leave of Absence Form.

When you take a Medical Leave of Absence, you extend the time that you will be permitted to complete your degree. All students are given a five-year window to meet their degree requirements before their status as a matriculated (active, degree-seeking) student expires. By formally taking a medical leave, your time away from the College will not count against your five-year deadline.

If you submit documentation for a Medical Leave of Absence and you are currently registered, we will assume your leave should apply immediately. We will drop or withdraw you from all of your current courses (depending on whether the Add/Drop period is still active) and any future terms you may be registered for. If you are submitting paperwork for a future medical leave, please be sure to indicate this clearly on the form.

Tuition may be refunded for classes dropped or withdrawn due to medical necessity. Non-refundable fees will still apply. You will be notified via email once your request for a medical leave has been processed and the outreach will include information regarding financial next steps.

When you are ready and able to rejoin your program, please contact us. We will counsel you on your next steps to resume your studies. Please note that the College may require further documentation from your medical provider confirming your ability to resume your program. Depending on the length of your leave, you may need to complete more coursework if your program has changed during your absence.

This process is appropriate when you need a semester or more away from all of your classes and/or fieldwork. If you need to withdraw from just a few of your courses for medical reasons, please complete the Medical Course Withdrawal Form (see the section above for more information).

If you are a graduate student and you withdraw completely from your studies, you are required to complete a Withdrawal from the College form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. Doing so will end your status as a matriculated (active, degree-seeking) student. If at a later date you would like to return and complete your degree, you must contact the Office of Graduate Admissions to begin the process of readmission. Readmission is not guaranteed.

We recommend speaking with your academic advisor or program director before withdrawing from the College. He or she may be able to help you determine whether another interruption of study avenue, such as a Leave of Absence, would be more beneficial for you.

If you submit your form before the semester withdrawal deadline, your withdrawn status will not begin until the start of the following semester. If you have any concern about completing classwork in the current term, we recommend speaking with your advisor or program director.

If you stop registering for classes and never complete a formal request for Withdrawal, our office will reach out to verify your enrollment plans. If you do not respond to our outreach, you will be automatically withdrawn from the College after a year of non-enrollment. Should this happen, if you want to return to your program, you will be required to contact our Office of Graduate Admissions and begin the process of readmission. Readmission is not guaranteed.