An individual student is responsible for registering for the course(s) for each semester and managing their degree completion requirements. Registration dates are available on the Academic Calendar website. A student with an active account hold is ineligible to register. The registration period opens based on the student’s current class level - see Student Class Level. See also, Academic Calendar.

A student will add, drop or withdraw from their courses via Banner Web. Official registration-related dates are listed on the Academic Calendar; a student is permitted to register into one academic calendar, e.g. 16-week semester or the 11-week semester but cannot cross register calendars. Undergraduate residential programs require permission to register released by the academic advisor. When a student enrolled in a residential program is identified as needing additional advising intervention the Center for Academic Success and Achievement may request an advising registration hold. The individual imposing the registration hold will notify the student and action to rectify the hold. If an account hold or registration hold is not resolved by the end of the Add period, the student cannot enroll. For any course registration, course add, drop or withdrawal, refer to the billing policies posted by the Bursar’s Office.

To receive credit, a student must register for all courses before the last day of the semester or term; otherwise, there is no official record of the course.

Course Add
A student can add a course up to six business days from the start of the first day of class. For a course offered in a compressed term (i.e. part-of-term, eight-week session, five-week session, etc.) refer to the posted Academic Calendar on the University Website for deadlines to add a course. A student may complete an Academic Petition to late add but no later than the last day of the semester or term and with approval from the course instructor, the advisor, the chair or director of the department of the course, and the Dean of the course.

Course Drop/Course Withdraw
Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. The Academic Calendar lists the deadlines for dropping a course without a record or a course withdrawal, earning a grade of “W” on the transcript.  Typically, for a full semester course, the last day to drop a course (not on the official record) is a week after the start of classes. Students have until the second to last Saturday of the semester or term to withdraw (grade of "W") from a course. After the posted course withdrawal deadline, the student may withdraw earning a grade of “WF.” The “WF” grade is recorded and calculated into the student’s official transcript (see also course quality points). To withdraw after the deadline, the student must complete the Registration Agreement form on the Registrar’s SharePoint site.  

Course Drop/Withdrawal - Administrative
Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. However, the Provost or Vice President of Student Affairs may administratively withdraw a student for behavior or when a student shows indifference to their studies. 

Course Drop/Withdrawal - Last Course
To drop or withdraw from the last course for any semester or term of enrollment, a student must submit a Withdrawal Form. See also, Withdrawal.

Course Levels
Course descriptions are located within the Course Descriptions section of this catalog. The level of a course is indicated by its number. If the course has a pre-requisite, co-requisite or restriction, the Course Description will include this information along with the typical semesters the course is offered. 

Course Offerings
The times and days for class sessions and the rooms in which they are held are listed in the Schedule of Courses located in Banner Web. When limited numbers of students enroll in an elective course, or if unforeseen difficulties arise, the University reserves the right to remove the course from the schedule without further notice. Demand for certain courses or staff conditions may also necessitate a change in the schedule.

Course Override
When a student wishes to enroll in a course but is unable to register due to one or more of the reasons below, the student may contact the instructor of record, the department chair, or the director with a request for an override. The department chair, director, or program manager, in consultation with the instructor, is under no obligation to approve the override request.

• The course is full.

• The course requires instructor, department, or instructional location approval.

• The course has prerequisites (e.g., another course is to be taken first) or corequisite (e.g., courses are to be taken at the same time).

• The course is linked to another course (e.g., a laboratory).

• The course is only open to majors or a specific program, etc.

• The course is open only to students in a specific class or level (e.g., sophomore status, undergraduate, graduate).

• Time Conflict.

Course Waiting List
A course section that has met the seat limit may offer a course waitlist. A student may add the course as a Waiting List (WL) status via Banner Web. When or if the waitlisted seat becomes available, the student will receive an email notification stating the student must add the course within 24 hours. Should the student not register within 24 hours, the student will be dropped from the course waitlist. The next student will be notified. Waitlists are cleared/erased at the start of the semester or after the Course Add period. A College Dean may override a student with a higher waiting list number when they have determined there is a higher priority to enroll.

Course Load
A typical course load for undergraduate students in campus-based programs ranges between 15-18 credit hours per semester. For a student to graduate in four years, an average of 15 credit hours per semester is needed. Please review a sample curriculum map for a specific degree to determine the number of credits needed. Full-time status begins at 12 credit hours per semester. A student can register for a maximum of 22 credit hours (19 academic credits plus up to 3 ROTC credits) without special permission; excluding MU 260 (see also the Tuition and Fees section for credit hour charges published on the Bursar's website). Students in an online program have a 12-credit limit and must petition the program's director for an exception for hours beyond the registration limit. A graduate student in a residential program is permitted to register into 16 credits where online graduate programs is 12 credits. Hours beyond the registration limit might be approved under limited circumstances through an Academic Petition Overload (Registrar’s Office SharePoint website). 

Internships
A student must register for an internship during the designated registration period for a fall or spring semester. Departmental or School permission is required for an internship. Enrollment for internships will not occur unless the faculty member has received written confirmation from the field supervisor that internship arrangements are complete. Internship enrollment dates must coincide with the opening and closing dates of the semester, term, or part-of-term. For each credit of internship, one credit equals 40 hours of experience.

Independent Study
A course taken as an independent study is reserved for a student who must take a course that is not offered in the desired term or is taken independently from a section on the university's course schedule. An affirmative recommendation from the student’s academic advisor and the course Department Chair/School Director is required by completing an Independent Study contract available on the Registrar's SharePoint site.