Registration
Registration
Before the start of each semester, you should consult with your advisor and jointly agree upon the courses you will take and upon research work. As part of the discussion with your advisor, you should establish that you have any prerequisites required for a course, including instructor permission. There is no cross-checking by the Department or the Graduate School.
Registration is done online using WebSTAC. Your username is your student ID number, and your password is a 5-digit PIN code that you got your first semester here. You can view your grades and update your contact information by logging on this way. On-line registration closes about 2 weeks after the start of the semester. If you forget to register by the deadline, you will have to register in person at the Graduate School office and pay a late fee of $100.
You should check the number of credits you think you are going to take against the tuition scholarship notice that you should have received from the Graduate School during summer. If the two do not agree, please see Rich right away. Generally, you will need to take 9 credits per semester.
You must be a full-time student in order to have student medical coverage, paid mostly by the Graduate School of Arts and Science and to be exempt from social security and to defer payments of college loans. To remain a full-time student, you must be registered for the full complement of credits (9). For research, sign up for 592 (research) and/or 590 (independent study) to reach the required number of credits.
If you are an A.M. student, your credit limit is 36, and if you're a Ph.D. student, the limit is 72 credits. Once you have reached your limit (generally during the 4th year for Ph.D. students), you are called a "continuing student", and there is a different procedure to maintain your full-time student status. You must register for 883 if you're an A.M. student or 884 if you're a Ph.D student. You must sign up for 0 credits, section "01", and with the audit grade option (L). You are charged a per semester fee while you have continuing student status. This fee is generally paid by the Department or your fellowship through the end of the 6th semester (3rd year) for A.M students and through the 10th semester (5th year) for Ph.D. students. After that the Graduate School will pay the fee for TA's and university-sponsored fellowships. Others must pay it out of their own pocket until graduation. Your advisor's grants cannot pay this fee. It is the Department's policy not to pay the fee beyond the time limit described above.
If you will not be on campus for a semester and will not need access to library, gym, health insurance, etc., you can sign up for "non-resident continuing student" status. The course numbers for this option are 885 if you're an A.M. student or 886 if you're a Ph.D. student. The fee is lower than the fee for continuing student status. You should consider this option only if you are paying the fees yourself (i.e., past your 5th year). See Rich if you wish to consider this option. Non-resident continuing student status means that you're no longer considered a full-time student. It will end student loan deferrment and FICA-tax free status.
To take classes in another department or school, you must get the Dean's approval. Generally, you are allowed to take other classes as long as you can make a case for it and your advisor agrees. Note that while University faculty and staff can take University College classes for free, graduate students must pay the full tuition because they are considered 45% full-time workers, rather than 100%.
For more information, see the GSAS registration page.
Website maintained by Cynthia M. Fadem. Last updated 13 Septmeber 2006.
