Registration and Enrollment

Registration is the systematic process that reserves seats in particular classes for eligible students. It is accomplished by following the procedures announced in advance of each term’s registration period. Enrollment is the completion of the registration process and affords the full rights and privileges of student status. Enrollment is accomplished by the payment or other satisfaction of tuition and fees and by the satisfaction of other obligations to the University.

Registration alone does not guarantee enrollment; nor does registration alone guarantee the right to participate in a class. In some cases, you will need to obtain the approval of the instructor or of a representative of the department that offers a course. Please check this bulletin and the registration instructions contained in the on-line Directory of Classes for all of the approvals that you will need.

To comply with current and anticipated Internal Revenue Service mandates, Columbia University requires all students to report their Social Security numbers at the time of admission. Newly admitted students who do not have Social Security numbers should obtain one well in advance of their first registration. International students should consult the International Students and Scholars Office, located at 524 Riverside Drive (telephone: 212-854-3587), for further information.

According to University regulations, each person whose registration has been completed is considered a student of the University during the term for which he or she is registered unless the student’s connection with the University is officially severed by withdrawal or otherwise. No student registered in any school or college of the University shall at the same time be registered in any other school or college, either of Columbia University or of any other institution, without the specific authorization of the dean or director of the school or college of the University in which he or she is first registered.

The privileges of the University are not available to any student until he or she has completed registration. A student who is not officially registered for a University course may not attend the course. No student may register after the stated period unless he or she obtains the written consent of the appropriate dean or director.

The University reserves the right to withhold the privilege of registration or any other University privilege from any person with an unpaid debt to the University. Students are held accountable for absences incurred owing to late enrollment.

Registration and Change-of-Program Instructions

Registration and change-of-program instructions are announced in advance of each registration and change-of-program period. Instructions appear on the Registrar’s home page. Please consult those instructions for the exact dates and times of registration and change-of-program activities. Students must obtain all necessary written course approvals and advisers’ signatures before registering. The late registration fee is $100.

Registration for Classes

Registration for classes and change of program are by appointment on-line.  Some classes have limits that are controlled directly by instructors or their departments. To register for these classes, students must first obtain the signature of the person indicated in the registration instructions. The student should then register in accordance with instructions provided by the Office of the Registrar.

No courses may be added after the last day of registration/change of program. The tentative dates for this year are:

Fall 2009

Change of Program

September 4 for first year students
September 5, 8-11 and 14-18 for all students

Spring 2010

Registration

November 16-20 for students continuing from the fall semester

Change of Program

January 12-15, 19-22, 25-29 for all students

Fall 2010

Registration

April 19-23 for students continuing from the spring semester

Dropping Courses

With the exception of certain Core Curriculum courses, students may drop a course using the on-line registration system during the registration and change-of-program periods. Any change resulting in a program of fewer than 12 points must have the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. 

The final dates for dropping courses during the academic year 2009-2010 are October 13 for the fall term and February 23 for the spring term. Students cannot drop a course after these dates each semester without the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. For individual courses dropped between the last day of change-of-program and the final date for dropping courses, no refund whatsoever is made.

Failure to attend classes or unofficial notification to the instructor does not constitute dropping a course. Students who stop attending without dropping officially are assigned a grade of UW if they have not completed any substantive work in the course. However, for students who have completed substantive work, such as a paper or a midterm examination, the uncompleted work is averaged into the final grade as a “zero” or an “F,” and the instructor computes and awards a final course grade. A UW is a permanent grade and remains on the transcript even if the student repeats the course.

Changing Grading Options

Courses may be changed from regular grading to Pass/D/Fail or from Pass/D/Fail to regular grading up to and including November 19 in the fall term and up to and including March 25 in the spring term during the academic year 2009–2010.