3.0 Registration

3.1 Continuous Registration for Students Working toward Graduate Degrees
3.2 Withdrawal from the University
3.3 Option for Credit/No-Credit Grading
3.4 Policy Guidelines Regarding Summer Registration of Graduate Students

3.1 Continuous Registration for Students Working toward Graduate Degrees

Every graduate student must register for every fall and spring semester until s/he completes all requirements for her/his degree. S/he must also register during the summer term if s/he uses university facilities, consults with his/her Supervisory Committee, or takes her/his Final Oral Examination (thesis or dissertation defense) during the summer.

Full-time status is described in the Graduate School's Graduate Handbook - Registration. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requires that exceptions to this in any semester be explained in writing to the International Students Office by the department chair to avoid possible deportation proceedings.  ICE allows international students one vacation semester each year (this doesn't have to be summer) without being out of status; file the request for a vacation semester with the International Center.

Ph.D. students completing research or dissertation writing and no longer taking courses are required to take at least three (3) credit hours each semester, including the summer term if on campus.

During the semester in which a student takes his/her Final Oral Examination or during any other semester when s/he is offcampus and does not enroll in regular courses, seminars, independent study, or thesis research, and yet requires consultation with the faculty, or otherwise uses University facilities, s/he must register for three (3) credit hours of Faculty Consultation (Met.E. 6980 or 7980).

A doctoral student for whom a Supervisory Committee has been appointed who is not registered as indicated above and will not be using any university research facilities or offices may meet the continuous registration requirement by registering for Continuing Registration (Met.E. 7990) and paying the Continuing Registration charge. Students may register for no more than four semesters of Continuing Registration.

A student may apply for a leave of absence if s/he does not wish to enroll a given semester. The department and the Graduate School evaluate leave-of-absence applications. See the Graduate School - Registration for details.

Resident tuition is charged if a student's total registration includes only Thesis Research and/or Faculty Consultation (6970, 7970, 6980, or 7980).

Every graduate student must satisfy the continuous registration requirement. If a student does not comply, her/his Supervisory Committee will be terminated.

3.2 Withdrawal from the University

See the Registrar's Office for withdrawal.

3.3 Option for Credit/No-Credit Grading

A graduate student is granted the option, subject to the approval of his/her major department and review by the Graduate Dean, to enroll in some courses in which s/he will be graded on a credit/no credit (CR/NC) basis, rather than on a letter basis.

It is hoped that, with the CR/NC grades, a student will feel freer to extend her/his studies to areas outside his/her major or specialty and to take classes which s/he might not take if s/he had to compete with majors for a letter grade.

1. During her/his first year in the Graduate School of the University of Utah, the student may,if the department concurs, register for one class each semester on a CR/NC basis.
2. The department has maximum flexibility to work out a satisfactory program with the student. In all cases, whether the student is in his/her first year or is in advanced stages of her/his program, the choice of courses to be taken on a CR/NC basis is subject to the approval of his/her Supervisory Committee.
3. No student may elect to register for CR/NC courses in her/his major field.
4. All courses which are listed for one hour or less are graded on a simple CR/NC basis, unless the use of regular letter grades is approved by the Graduate Council.
5. A graduate student should earn a grade of "C" or better to be entitled to "credit" for those courses graded on a letter basis Students who do not wish to register for credit, whether a letter grade or the CR/NC option, should merely audit the course.

See the the Registrar's Credit/No Credit Option for other details on this subject.

The graduate student is cautioned that it is important that s/he receive letter grades in order to build a graduate grade point average. This is especially important if the student applies for fellowships or traineeships on a competitive basis or later transfers to another institution.

3.4 Policy Guidelines Regarding Summer Registration of Graduate Students

In accordance with University Policy, a student may leave campus to work and is not required to maintain continuous registration during Summer term. International students must file for a vacation semester to maintain status with Immigration.  However, every person who works in the departmental laboratories must be either a registered student, an employee of the University, or an appointed visiting researcher or scholar. Any student who takes the final oral examination during the Summer term must be registered during that Summer term.