Students may drop and/or add courses by following instructions and adhering to deadlines set by the Registrar each semester or term. Change of Schedule (drop/add) forms are available in departments and can also be printed in pdf format on the Office of the Registrar's Web site. To see when a Change of Schedule form is required, see Dates and Deadlines.
During the first week of classes in a semester (or proportional period in a shorter term), UAccess is available for registration or adding/changing classes. After the first week of a semester (or proportional period in a shorter term), a Change of Schedule (drop/add) form with the instructor's signature is required to add or change classes. Registration from zero units after the first week of a semester (or proportional period in a shorter term) requires the instructor’s and college dean's permission on a Change of Schedule form.
Course withdrawals before the first deadline, at the end of the second week of classes (the tenth day of regularly scheduled classes), result in cancellation of registration in the course. The course enrollment is deleted from the student's permanent record.
For course withdrawals filed between the first and second withdrawal deadlines--at the end of the tenth week of classes--a grade of W is awarded, regardless of whether the student is passing at the time of withdrawal. No approval is needed. Students use UAccess Student Self-Service to withdraw from a course. The W will appear on the student's permanent record, but it does not affect the student's grade-point-average (GPA).
The second withdrawal deadline is normally the student's last opportunity to drop a course, except for an extraordinary reason approved by the course instructor and student's college dean via a Late Change Petition. With the college dean's approval, undergraduates may drop a course from the eleventh through the thirteenth week of regularly scheduled classes. Any approved Late Change Petitions must be submitted to the Registrar prior to the final examination period.
The Registrar determines the first and second withdrawal deadlines for shorter terms and for courses with non-standard start-and-end dates. Those deadlines are based on the length of the session (or the course); see then Dates & Deadlines.
Courses dropped before the first deadline result in cancellation of registration; the student's enrollment in the course is deleted from the permanent record. Courses dropped between the first and second withdrawal deadlines result in a grade of W, regardless of whether the student is passing at the time of withdrawal. No approval is needed to withdraw before the second deadline. Students use UAccess Student Self-Service to withdraw from a course. The W grade will appear the student's permanent record, but it does not affect the student's GPA. Specific withdrawal deadlines for shorter or non-standard terms are published in the Dates & Deadlines.
The two drop deadlines for courses with extended terms (i.e., those extending 5 or more months) are proportional with those set for the Fall or Spring Semester.
The second deadline to drop a course is normally the student's last opportunity to withdraw, except for an extraordinary reason approved by the course instructor and student's college dean via a Late Change Petition. With the college dean's approval, undergraduates may drop a course with shorter or non-standard start-and-end dates--prior to the final examination period.
For professional students in the colleges of Law and Medicine, course withdrawals are governed by regulations established by the respective college faculties.
The number of undergraduate course withdrawals (drops) cannot exceed 18 units during the student's undergraduate career; the 18-unit limit will be reset once a student completes a bachelor's degree at the University and begins a Second Bachelor's Degree (does not apply to concurrent degrees). The 18-unit maximum applies to all courses dropped with a W grade. The W grade is awarded for all withdrawals between the first and final withdrawal deadlines--from the third week through the thirteenth week of a regular semester (including those awarded for administrative drops or for approved Late Change Petitions).