[Skip to Content]
This site's design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
UW Tacoma Logo Enrollment Services title
UWT Favorites Info for...
Home Admissions Registration Catalog Financial Aid & Scholarships Veterans Contact Us  
UW Tacoma home > Offices and services > Enrollment Services
GWP terrace skylights
[Content]

Registration Policies

For specific dates in each quarter, please see the Registration Guide page

Registration Eligibility

All students who remain in good standing and in compliance with other rules and regulations, with no outstanding financial obligations, are guaranteed the opportunity to register each quarter as long as they maintain continuous enrollment (Summer Quarter excepted). Continuation must be in the same classification, i.e., undergraduate, postbaccalaureate (fifth-year), graduate. Once a student earns a baccalaureate degree, she or he must apply for readmission as a postbaccalaureate (fifth-year), nonmatriculated, or graduate student. Exceptions to the guarantee are: (1) students under disciplinary action, (2) students with a registration hold, (3) students not meeting their program's continuation policies, or (4) students not meeting the University's satisfactory progress policy (see the General Catalog).

You will not be eligible to register if you have an outstanding balance on your tuition and fee account; this includes parking fees and library fees. You must contact the Student Accounts Office at (206) 543-4694 and pay any fees due in order to register.

Continuing students guaranteed eligibility

University of Washington Tacoma students who remain in good scholastic standing are guaranteed the opportunity to register each quarter as long as they maintain continuous enrollment (Summer Quarter not included).

Continuing students who withdraw during the first week of two consecutive quarters (Summer Quarter not included) will not be eligible to register as continuing students for the third quarter, and must reapply as former students returning to the University.

If an undergraduate student does not enroll for more than two quarters, or if a graduate student goes on leave, he or she must file an application for readmission with the Office of Enrollment Services. Undergraduate students must include payment of the $50 application fee. Information on admission closing dates is available here.

Quarter-off Eligibility

Undergraduate students

Subject to college, school and departmental enrollment policies, undergraduate and professional students who have completed a quarter at the University of Washington may take the following quarter off and remain eligible to register in Registration Period I for the subsequent quarter without reapplication as returning students. For example, a student completing Autumn Quarter may, without registering for or completing Winter Quarter, register during Registration Period I for Spring Quarter without reapplying. Any quarter from which a student has completely withdrawn, or from which she or he is canceled, does not constitute a completed quarter. Summer Quarter enrollment is not required to maintain continuous registration eligibility. Returning students who do not meet the criteria described in the above paragraph must submit a Returning Student Application by the published deadline. Applications for re-admission are subject to space restrictions.

Graduate students

The quarter-off eligibility policy does not apply to graduate students. Graduate students who do not maintain continuous enrollment (Summer Quarter excepted) must file a Petition for On-Leave Status. To be eligible for on-leave status, graduate students must be in good standing, currently registered in a graduate student status or on-leave status and have completed at least one quarter of graduate study at UW Tacoma prior to filing an on-leave petition.

Graduate students must submit an on-leave petition to their graduate program adviser no later than the 10th calendar day of the quarter. If you are registered for a quarter which has not begun (pre-registered) and you plan to go on leave that quarter, then you must officially withdraw on MyUW or in the Enrollment Services office (GWP 102) before the first day of the quarter to be eligible to go on leave. If you are registered for classes once the quarter has begun, you may not go on leave that quarter. Registering in any other status (nonmatriculated, Extension, etc.), while on leave, will cancel your on-leave status.

There is a $35 non-refundable fee that must be paid with the Petition for On-Leave Status. Consult with your graduate program adviser for more information about the on-leave process.

Registration Periods

Students must register for at least one class before the quarter begins. A $25 late registration fee is charged to students who have not registered for at least one course before the first day of the quarter.

Registration Period I
(Continuing Students)

This period is open only for continuing matriculated students who were enrolled for the previous quarter or for students who completed the quarter prior to the previous quarter.

Graduating Senior Priority

If you are a graduating senior or postbaccalaureate student with a degree application on file in the Graduation Office, you may register on the first day of Period I during your final two quarters. If you must postpone your graduation, you may save your priority quarters by not registering before your regular senior priority day. When you have used your Graduating Senior Priority for two quarters, you will revert to regular senior priority.

Registration Period II
(New, Nonmatriculated and Returning Students)

This period is primarily for newly admitted, nonmatriculated and returning former students. Registration materials are mailed to newly admitted or readmitted students. You may register on or after your date. Continuing students may register on MyUW any day during this period.

Registration Period III
(Schedule Changes)

This period is open to all students for late registration, course adds and drops. Courses dropped during this period will not appear on your transcript. No fee charged for changes.

Late Add Period

This period is open to all students. All courses added during this period require an entry code or faculty number. A $20 change of registration fee will be charged for all registration changes made on a single day. The last day of this period is the last day to add a course or credits. Entry codes will be cancelled at 1 p.m. on that day.

Unrestricted Drop Period

This period is open to all students. Courses dropped during this period will not appear on your transcript, but are subject to a $20 change of registration fee and tuition forfeiture.

Late Course Drop Period (Annual Drop)

Students may drop one course each academic year (Autumn through Summer Quarters) after the 14th calendar day of a quarter through the seventh week. If used this quarter, no additional courses may be dropped after the 14th calendar day until the next Autumn Quarter. A "W" and a number indicating the week you dropped the course will follow the course title on your academic transcript. A $20 change of registration fee will be charged and partial or full tuition is forfeited. These optional drops are not cumulative.

UW Tacoma ID Card

Carry your UW Tacoma ID card with you at all times, since it is required for a variety of transactions and services on campus. In some situations, you may be asked to provide additional pieces of identification, including one containing your photo. A quarterly validation sticker is mailed to you and should be affixed to the permanent ID card as soon as it is received. Lost ID cards may be replaced at the Office of the Registrar. A non-refundable $10 fee is charged for replacement of ID cards.

Change-of-Registration Fee

Beginning the second week of the quarter, a $20 change-of-registration fee is assessed for any number of add, drop, or change transactions (including change of grading option) made during a given day. The $20 fee is a service charge, not a penalty, and is in addition to any change in tuition or forfeiture as a result of adds, drops, or changes.

There is no charge for changes made during Registration Periods I, II, and III. This "free" period gives students an incentive to complete their schedule before the quarter is too far advanced.

Fee waivers are rarely approved. If you think your change is necessitated by a University error or is at the University's request, you must pay the fee and complete a petition for a refund at the Office of the Registrar (GWP 102). The fee will be waived only if you meet the criteria listed in the guidelines on the petition.

Credit Limitations

Undergraduates will be limited to 19 credits during Registration Periods I and II to allow all students a chance to develop a basic schedule. Additional credits may be added during Registration Period III and require the signature of your program adviser on an Add/Drop Form. The limit is 30 credits per quarter.

Overload Guidelines

For reasons of public safety and instructional quality, course enrollment in each section will be limited to the approved classroom capacity. Through the first week of the quarter, a student may add a section without permission unless the class is full or requires permission; then an entry code is required. After the first week, add codes are required to add any course. If a class is full, permission of the faculty member and approval of the program administrator are required. Submit a yellow Add/Drop Form with appropriate signatures to the Registrar in GWP 102.

No course adds are accepted after the second week of the quarter.

Entry Codes

Entry codes are five-digit random numbers issued to you by academic programs as authorization to add or drop in restricted course sections. Entry codes are not transferable. Courses requiring entry codes are designated with an asterisk (*) next to the schedule line number (SLN) or a "Y" in the entry code column in the class schedule.

Please note that academic programs reserve the right to require entry codes whether or not the course is so designated in the class schedule. Usually, information on where to obtain entry codes is found with the listings in the Class Schedule section. Contact the program offering the course if MyUW advises you that an entry code is required and the location for obtaining one is not identified in the class schedule.

Instructor permission and program approval are required when a class is full. (See Overload Guidelines for additional information on using entry codes to overload closed courses).

Once you have used an entry code, the computer removes it from the list of viable codes and will not accept it again. If you drop a section that required an entry code to add, then you must obtain another entry code from the program if you wish to re-add the section.

When you use an entry code, it becomes a part of your registration record, and is visible with your name on computer terminal screens.

Drop Codes

Some courses require a drop code to drop. Obtain the code from the program offering the course. Perform the drop transaction on MyUW and enter the drop code when prompted.

Other Registration Information

Independent Study Courses

If you are enrolling in independent study courses (usually numbered 499, 600, 700, or 800) you will first need to obtain a faculty number from the instructor or program. The faculty number is used instead of the entry code to register for these courses. If you enter an entry code instead of a faculty number, the system will reject your request.

Registering at Other UW Campuses

Undergraduate students who have completed at least 15 credits and freshmen who have completed at least 25 credits at the Tacoma campus, are eligible to register for up to five credits per quarter at one of the other UW campuses during Registration Period II. Eligible students should meet with their adviser, complete an Add/Drop card with the signature of their adviser and take it to the Office of the Registrar to register. Undergraduate students are limited to a total of 45 credits through cross-campus registration. More information about cross-campus registration.

Registration Holds

If you have a hold on your registration, you will not be permitted to register or add courses until the hold has been released by the initiating office. If you attempt to register before your hold has been released, the system will indicate which office has placed the hold and where to go to get it released. You may still make other transactions on the system.

Registration in Sequence Courses

Academic programs may establish a registration priority for students enrolled in sequence courses. For example, students enrolled in Intermediate Accounting (TACCT 301) may have priority to register in the next course in the sequence (TACCT 302) for the succeeding quarter.

Registration Tampering

A student who tampers or attempts to tamper with the registration records of another student, including but not limited to dropping courses and adding courses, may be subject to disciplinary sanctions as defined in the Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-120).

Time Conflict

You may not register for two courses that meet at the same time or for courses with overlapping meeting times. If you want to add a course that conflicts with another, you must add the second course, in person, at the Office of the Registrar. Students must obtain verbal approval from both instructors to add a course that conflicts one hour a week or less; instructor signatures are required for courses that conflict more than one hour per week.

Class Attendance

The University of Washington Tacoma reserves the right to drop students who have not attended class during the first week of the quarter to make space for other students waiting to enroll. However, do not assume that you will automatically be dropped from a course if you do not attend. If you are not going to attend a class, it is your responsibility to drop the course on MyUW or you will be held responsible for the tuition and fees incurred. Students who are registered for a course section but do not attend will be assigned a failing grade by the instructor. You may not attend a course in which you have not been officially registered after the first two weeks of the quarter.

An instructor may allow you to attend his or her class only if your name appears on the official class list from the Office of the Registrar. Other faculty members may attend informally with the approval of the instructor.

Variable Credits

Some courses are offered for variable numbers of credits. Check with the program office to obtain the appropriate number of credits for a variable credit course, and be prepared to enter the number of credits when requested to do so by the system. Any increase in the number of credits must be completed by the end of the first week of the quarter. Reduction in variable credits can be made at the Office of the Registrar until the 8th week of the quarter. All changes to variable credits require a $20 fee and the signature of the instructor on an Add/Drop Form. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar (GWP 102).

Auditors

Students who intend to audit a course must first register using MyUW, and then go in person to the Office of the Registrar to elect the audit grade option. Students may select the audit option through end of the second week of the quarter. Enrollment in courses as an auditor is by consent of the instructor involved and is conditioned on space availability. Permission to audit is ordinarily granted for lecture classes only. An auditor may not participate in class discussion or laboratory work and his or her registration may be canceled at the discretion of the instructor. Audited courses are not recorded on your permanent record. To receive credit for an audited course, the student must register for the class for credit in a subsequent quarter. Courses audited may not be changed to credit registrations after the second week of the quarter.

Auditors, except ACCESS program students, pay standard tuition and fees and must be regularly admitted and registered in the course. Although credits for audited courses will not be listed on your transcript, they will be included in the billing on the fee statement. Such credits count in the calculation of fees.

Full-time/Part-time Status

Undergraduate students registered for 12 or more credits are considered full-time students; 6-11 credits establishes part-time status. The UW Graduate School requires graduate students to be registered for 10 credits to be full-time and 5-9 credits for part-time status.

Credit/No Credit Courses

Some courses are offered on a credit/no credit (CR/NC) basis. It is not possible to register S/NS to take these courses because the only grades assigned by the instructor are CR (Credit) or NC (No Credit). Neither CR nor NC is included in the grade-point average. In cases of withdrawal a "W" is recorded. "N" (No grade), "I," and "X" are recorded until the instructor reports the final grade, or in cases of an Incomplete received by undergraduates, until the "I" is converted by the Registrar.

Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory

Students may elect to take certain courses on a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory (S/NS) basis. This option is open to students in good academic standing only (i.e., not on academic warning or probation). Advisers should be consulted, and in no case are undergraduate students allowed to register for more than six credits (or for a course offered for more than six credits) on a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory basis in a given quarter.

For undergraduates, a course in which an "S" is earned may not be used to satisfy any Program, College, or University requirement, however the credits may be applied to the minimum of 180 credits required for graduation. Each instructor will report conventional grades to the Registrar, who will convert satisfactory grades (2.0 or greater) to "S" and unsatisfactory grades (less than 2.0) to "NS" for the student's transcript. A grade of "NS" does not count in the GPA and does not carry any credit value. No more than 25 S/NS credits will apply to an undergraduate degree.

Graduate students earning grades of 2.7 or above receive a grade of ?S? (Satisfactory), while 2.6 or below is recorded as "NS" (Not Satisfactory). With the approval of his or her Graduate Program Adviser or Supervisory Committee Chair, a graduate student may elect to take any course for which he or she is eligible outside of his or her major academic unit on an S/NS basis.

In cases of withdrawal, the "W" is recorded. Neither "S" nor "NS" is included in the grade-point average.

Withdrawing for the Quarter

Students who drop their last course and do not add a course will be considered withdrawn for the quarter. Students who drop their last course on the system will be charged the $20 change fee beginning the eighth calendar day of the quarter.

Complete Withdrawal for the Quarter
(Dropping all courses for the quarter)

It is your responsibility to withdraw from your courses if you will not be able to attend this quarter. You may withdraw from all of your classes through the last day of instruction.

Beginning the second week of the quarter, you will be charged the $20 change fee if you drop your last class. Complete withdrawal cannot be done on MyUW after the first week of the quarter. Withdrawal paperwork, including the signature of your program adviser, must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar located in GWP 102.

From the 8th to 30th calendar day of the quarter: One half of tuition is due if withdrawing from the quarter.

After the 30th calendar day: Full tuition is due if withdrawing from the quarter or if a course drop results in lower tuition.

Tuition owed is based on the date the complete withdrawal paperwork is received in the Office of the Registrar, the date the last course is dropped using the registration system, or the postmark date (if received by mail).

If you drop your last course on MyUW and do not add a course, you will be considered withdrawn for the quarter.

Courses dropped as part of a complete withdrawal from the University during the first two weeks of a quarter are not recorded on the student's UW transcript; however, the date of the complete withdrawal is recorded.

New students who withdraw before the first day of a quarter must reapply through the Office of Enrollment Services. Continuing students who withdraw during the first week of two consecutive quarters (Summer Quarter excepted) will not be eligible to register as continuing students for the third quarter. Such students must complete the Adobe PDF file Returning Former Student Application and will be required to pay the $50 application fee. For example, a student who withdraws during the first weeks of Autumn Quarter and Winter Quarter must apply as a returning student for Spring Quarter.

The forfeiture schedule is as follows:

  • Students withdrawing before the eighth calendar day of the quarter do not pay tuition.
  • Students withdrawing on the eighth calendar day through the 30th calendar day continue to owe one half of their tuition.
  • Students withdrawing after the 30th calendar day continue to owe full tuition.
  • Students who drop classes on the eighth through the 30th calendar day of the quarter, resulting in lower tuition, will owe one half of the tuition associated with the reduced credit hours.

Withdrawal for Military Service

If you are conscripted into the Armed Forces or called to active military duty during a quarter in which you are registered, you may either request to be withdrawn or request to receive credit or grades. Note: the Military Withdrawal Policy does not apply to students who voluntarily enlist.

If you withdraw before the end of the 7th week of the quarter

If you request to be withdrawn before the end of the 7th week of the quarter you may receive a full refund, if tuition and fees have been paid. You do not have the option of receiving credit or grades when withdrawing before the end of the 7th week of the quarter. You may send a letter requesting a military withdrawal or go to the Registration Office to fill out a withdrawal card. A copy of your military orders must accompany any withdrawal for reason of military duty.

If you withdraw after the end of the 7th week of the quarter

If you withdraw after the end of the 7th week of the quarter, you may elect to use the above procedure and withdraw without earning credit but getting a full refund, or you may elect to receive credit and grades. If you choose to receive credit you may not receive a refund.

If you elect to receive credit or grades, you must send a letter requesting a military withdrawal or fill out a withdrawal card. In either instance, you must attach a copy of your military orders. The Graduation and Academic Records Office will contact each of the your instructors requesting grades. You may elect to have numeric grades recorded as by the instructor, or to have them recorded as CR/NC (credit or no credit).

The student must contact the Registration Office to request withdrawal.

Returning from Military Leave

You may apply to return using the Returning Student Re-enrollment Application available in the Registration Office. The returning student application fee will be waived. Registration will be permitted beginning Registration Period I.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Washington Tacoma is committed to making the physical facilities and instructional programs more accessible to students with disabilities. Any student enrolled at UW Tacoma who has a physical, psychological or emotional disability that affects his or her academic performance is eligible for assistance from Disability Support Services (DSS).

Registration instructions are available in alternative formats, including audiotape, enlarged print, and Braille. Please contact Disability Support Services if you require assistance to register for classes.

You may contact Disabilities Support Services at (253) 692-4522 or TTY (253) 692-4413 or dssuwt@u.washington.edu to learn more about UW Tacoma's adaptive technology, physically-accessible routes through campus, classroom accommodations and other services designed to meet individual needs. Disability Support Services is located in Mattress Factory, Suite 253.

Disclosure of Student Records

As a general rule, the University will not release a student?s education records to a third party without the written consent of the student. This includes tuition account information. The complete University policy on student education records and the location of such records may be found in the Washington Administrative Code under WAC 478-140. The policy covers such items as accessibility, review and expunging of inaccurate records, and costs to be charged for copies of student records.

Release of Student Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of your educational records. However, the following information is considered public or "directory" information and may be released to anyone unless you inform the Office of the Registrar that you do not wish any information released: name, telephone number, place of birth, major field of studies, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, full-/part-time status enrollment status, most recent previous educational institution attended, degrees and awards received, and for athletes, date of birth, weight and height.

If you do not wish to authorize directory release and do not want your directory information to appear in the Student Directory, you may restrict the release of this information through MyUW or by completing a form in the Office of Enrollment Services. Except under provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, no information will be released on students who have restricted release of directory information, including degrees awarded and dates of attendance. Because no information is released, students who choose to withhold directory information are required to conduct all their University business in person. If you wish to change your authorization and allow release, you may do so using MyUW or go to the Office of Enrollment Services, present your request in writing, and present photo identification.

Under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), you have the right to:

  • 1) Inspect and review information contained in education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. You should submit written requests that identify the record(s) you wish to inspect to the Office of the Registrar, Chancellor, Director of Academic Program, or other appropriate official. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify you of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise you of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  • 2) Request the amendment of your education records that you believe are inaccurate or misleading. You should write the University official responsible for the record, submit required documentation, clearly identify the part of the record you want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify you of the decision and advise you of your right to a hearing.
  • 3) Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception is that which permits disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including Campus Public Safety personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
  • 4) File complaints with the Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University of Washington Tacoma to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Written complaints should be directed to Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

Grievance Procedure

Students, as well as members of the faculty and staff, who wish to file a complaint regarding sexual harassment may contact the Office of the Ombudsman.

up arrowtop
UW logo
Contact Us: Enrollment Services
Page Last Modified: 2009-08-05 12:05 PM
© 1995 - 2009 University of Washington Tacoma
 Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!