Registration and Course Change Policies

Course Load

Normally students take four four-credit courses each semester. However, students may plan a course of study, with the approval of their advisers, that involves three courses during some semesters (which satisfies NCAA requirements) and five during others. The maximum number of four-credit courses a student may take in a single semester is five. Students may also enroll in no more than an additional two credits through any combination of one- or two-credit courses. (This includes any PED courses for which credit is granted at the end of the semester.) There are two exceptions to this rule:

  1. First semester first-year students are not ordinarily permitted to take more than 18 credits.
  2. Students on academic probation may not take more than 18 credits in any single semester.

Class Standing/Credit Hours

Normally, class standing is determined by the following credit-hour formula:

When students have 40 credit hours, they will be sent information requesting that they declare a major.

Preregistration

Pre-registration is held late each semester for courses to be taken the following semester.

Check-In Procedures

General check-in takes place at the beginning of each semester. All students must go through general check-in and see the Business Office and the Registrar each semester even if they were enrolled in the College during the preceding semester.

Course Change: Drop/Add

At the beginning of each semester, there is a period of ten calendar days from the first day of classes in which students may change courses without penalty. Students who wish to change courses should get a "Drop/Add slip" from the Registrar's Office, have it filled out, and return it immediately to the Registrar's Office. Drop/Add slips must be used even if changing from one section of a course to another. Students changing courses without filing proper forms may lose credit for work taken. Adding a course requires the signatures of the student, adviser, and instructor; dropping a course requires the signatures of the student and adviser only.

Students registered in a course who do not attend the first class meeting and students wishing to enroll in a course at or after the first meeting shall be admitted only at the discretion of the instructor.

Course Change: Withdrawal from Courses

Students may withdraw from one or more courses, with the exception of CNW seminars (see below), at any time without penalty until the Friday following the second advising day. A "W" will be noted on the student's transcript when the withdrawal takes place after the drop/add period. Withdrawal from a course (as distinct from withdrawal from the College) shall take place only after the student has discussed the question with the adviser or, if the student prefers, with the Associate Provost. The student must present the signed withdrawal form to the Registrar no later than the Friday after the second advising day. The Registrar keeps the withdrawal form on file.

Students may not withdraw from a CNW course unless all of the following three conditions are met:

Students who withdraw from a CNW course must enroll in an appropriate CNW seminar in the next possible semester. Withdrawals from CNW courses need to follow the rules for all college course withdrawals.

If the withdrawal option is exercised in any one semester, resulting in completion of fewer than four courses, the W option may not be exercised in the following two semesters if it would bring about a similar result. In special circumstances, the student, after consulting with his or her adviser, may request of the Associate Provost for Academic Services an exception to this rule.

In examination of a student's progress toward graduation, the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising will take into account the number of W's on the record.

Registration Requirements for Seniors (The Eight-Course Rule)

The last eight courses taken by a senior must be at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program.