Course Registration and Enrollment

Registration and Enrollment Requirements

To attend classes, students must be formally admitted and fully enrolled. Students assume ultimate responsibility for all registration activity. This includes monitoring personal class schedules and officially dropping any courses they do not intend to complete - or withdrawing from the semester - by the published deadlines. 

Advising and Deadlines

Critical dates for registration activity are maintained in the online Dates and Deadlines calendar. While students manage their own schedules, they are strongly encouraged to consult with an academic adviser prior to registration (see Academic Advising).

Campus Connection and Resources

Registration is conducted through Campus Connection, a web-based system accessible via standard browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox. For detailed, step-by-step registration instructions, students should visit the One Stop website.

For registration purposes, students are grouped into the following general categories:

• Currently enrolled students: Currently enrolled students are assigned registration appointment times according to total credits earned. Registration appointments can be viewed on Campus Connection.
• Returning students: Returning students are those who have previously attended NDSU, but who have not been in attendance for at least one full semester (fall or spring). Returning students are assigned a registration appointment time according to total credits earned after the Reactivation/Petition for Readmission form is received and processed in the Office of Registration and Records. Students are notified of their readmission status via the email address the student provides on the Reactivation/Petition form. After processing and notification, student may view their registration appointment times on Campus Connection.
• New students: Detailed information regarding registration options is sent to all new students from Student Success Programs. Incoming freshmen, including first year students with transfer credit, will work with academic advisors to enroll in courses for their first semester.
• Transfer students: Admitted transfer students may register on Campus Connection. Transfer student registration appointment times are based on the total number of credits accepted in transfer to NDSU. Students will work with academic advisors to enroll in courses for their first semester. 

Financial Obligation Agreement

The North Dakota University System Financial Obligation Agreement (FOA) is used to verify that a student has acknowledged their financial responsibility to the University when they register for courses. Students must access, review and accept the FOA prior to registration for each term of enrollment in Campus Connection. It is in the students' best interest to read the full terms of agreement as this agreement is enforced and the terms of financial obligation are upheld by the University.

Changes in Registration

Registration deadlines for all courses are posted in the online Dates and Deadlines calendar. Deadlines for regular and variable length courses, as well as summer session courses, are adjusted proportionately. Students are always responsible for course registration activity and they are expected to review and monitor their schedule of classes and drop courses that they do not intend to complete by published dates and deadlines; this includes dropping individual courses or withdrawing from a semester. Questions related to registration should be directed to the Office of Registration and Records.

Students may add or drop courses to their schedules via Campus Connection until the published deadline in the Dates and Deadlines calendar.

Class Permits

All students are expected to have added their courses via Campus Connection one week from the start of the semester. After the deadline to add via Campus Connection, an authorized "Class Permit" for each course to be added must be acquired from the department offering the course and submitted to the Office of Registration and Records. Courses will not be added to a student's record after the semester has concluded.

Dropping Courses

Students who register and determine they no longer wish to be enrolled in a class are responsible to drop the classes that they do not intend to complete. Students failing to drop courses by published deadlines will result in failing grades and debt owed the university based on the NDUS Financial Obligation Agreement (FOA) that the student accepts when registering for classes. Students drop classes via Campus Connection through the semester drop deadlines published in the online Dates and Deadlines calendar. Students wishing to drop all of their classes in a semester need to refer to the Withdrawing to Zero Credits section below.

• No-record drops: Students may drop a course from their schedule without it appearing on their academic record until the published No Record Drop deadline for standard and variable length courses. Refer to the Dates and Deadlines calendar for both regular session and variable session no-record drop deadlines.
• Record (W) drops: Students may continue to drop courses after the no-record drop period until the published With Record Drop deadline for standard and variable length courses. However, such drops are recorded on student transcripts with 'W'. Grades of W do not count as attempted credit for grade-point averages on the academic record, but are counted in attempted credits for financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Refer to the Dates and Deadlines calendar for both regular session and variable session with-record drop deadlines.

Administrative Drop

Administrative drops are used in courses with high demand that typically have significant wait list numbers. At no time should students rely on instructors or departments to administratively drop them from classes. Instructors or departments have the option to administratively drop students who have not attended the first week (and in some cases, the first meeting) of a high demand lecture or laboratory course, or students who do not meet all course pre-requisites or co-requisites. Administrative course drop requests made by instructors/departments are submitted to the Office of Registration and Records within the first week of a class meeting for processing. 

Withdrawing to Zero Credits in a Semester

Cancellation of Registration (before classes start)

Students who register and then decide not to attend NDSU before the semester start date must cancel their registration by submitting a Cancellation of Registration/Withdraw to Zero Credits form. Forms must be submitted to NDSU One Stop. It is not possible for a student to cancel registration online using Campus Connection; students must submit the form. Cancellations are not accepted by telephone. Cancellations completed prior to the semester start date result in a full refund and no courses appear on the academic transcript.

Withdrawal to Zero Credits (after classes have started)

Students who have registered and then wish to drop all courses after the semester start date must officially withdraw from the university by submitting a Cancellation of Registration/Withdraw to Zero Credits form by the semester deadline published on the Dates and Deadlines calendar. It is not possible for a student to withdraw from all of their classes in a semester online using Campus Connection; students must submit the form. Failure to initiate the withdrawal process will result in the grades earned in the course appearing on the academic transcript and financial obligations owed to the university. Steps to withdraw from all courses include the following:

1. Read and complete the Cancellation of Registration/Withdraw to Zero Credits form. Submit to NDSU One Stop.
2. Students are responsible for any unpaid bills at the time of withdrawal.
3. Withdrawal forms must be submitted by the published deadline of the semester. Withdrawals received after this date will not be processed. Students who have a documented compelling reason or circumstance which prevented them from submitting the Withdraw to Zero Credits form by the published deadline may appeal using the Missed Deadline Appeal (grades not yet posted to record) or the Retroactive Withdraw Appeal (see the section below).
4. Students should not attempt to drop all of their courses, their last course, or their only course via Campus Connection.
5. Withdrawal refunds are prorated and are based on complete withdrawals from all courses.
6. If a final grade for any course taken in the semester is posted to the NDSU transcript, students are not eligible to Withdraw to Zero Credits. Students may drop the remainder of courses in accordance with the published drop deadlines for the semester (see Adding/Dropping Individual Courses above). Students may view their unofficial transcript in Campus Connection.

Retroactive Withdrawals

Students seeking to withdraw after final grades have been posted to the academic transcript as a result of extenuating circumstances beyond their control, which is documented with dated evidence, may appeal for a retroactive withdrawal. Students must submit An Appeal for Retroactive Withdrawal prior to 3 years after the close of the term being requested. Retroactive withdrawals appeals must be considered for all courses taken in one or more semesters as a result of these extenuating circumstances; selective course drops are not allowed. Students are not eligible to request a retroactive withdrawal from any semester that contributes attempted credit to an earned degree and the degree GPA. A student will complete the Appeal for Retroactive Withdrawal, which requires:

• the student to acknowledge understanding a series of academic statements;
• provide a detailed explanation that includes dates of the extenuating circumstance, which was beyond the control of the student that impacted the student's learning during the identified semester(s), and;
• includes dated documented evidence of the circumstance which prevented the student from either disrupted learning during the semester or from withdrawing on or before the published deadline for the semester(s). 

Once the appeal material is gathered, the student will submit the Appeal for Retroactive Withdrawal and all supporting documentation to the Office of Registration and Records. Appeals are reviewed and final decisions are rendered in the college of the student's current academic major by either a designated individual or appointed committee. Decisions by the college are final.

Auditing & Wait Listing Courses

Auditing Courses

An auditor may attend classes only as a listener, without participation in regular class exercises. No credit is received for audited courses, and an  'AU' grade appears on the transcript. A student cannot fail an audit; however, an instructor may assign a 'WAU' (withdrawn) for non-attendance.

Audit Process: A student is admitted to a class as an auditor when a Class Permit is issued by the course instructor or the academic department. The department or course instructor submits the Class Permit to the Office of Registration and Records for enrollment processing on or before the semester deadline published in the Dates and Deadlines Calendar. Once the audit registration is processed, the decision cannot be reversed.

Audit Fee: The audit fee is one-half of the regular tuition rate, based on the student’s residency, and is included in the tuition cap.  No student fees will be assessed.

Wait Listed Classes

NDSU utilizes a wait list feature in Campus Connection for most classes. Students attempting to register for a class that has reached its enrollment capacity may add themselves to a wait list. Wait list processes run daily until the No Record Drop deadline for a class. Students should monitor their position on a wait list and will be automatically enrolled if a seat becomes available and no holds or course restrictions prevent enrollment. Students are notified via their official NDSU email if enrolled in a class via the wait list process. Students no longer wishing to be enrolled in a wait listed class must drop it from their study list using Campus Connection. Students wishing to enroll in a class that does not utilize the wait list process may contact the academic department offering the course for enrollment options.

Dual Career Registration

Students are permitted to register for classes according to their classification level with the university. However, there are instances when a graduate student may need to enroll in undergraduate courses as pre-requisite preparation for a graduate program of study. In addition, on a limited basis, permission may be granted for an undergraduate student to take graduate level courses.

1. Graduate students who need to enroll in undergraduate coursework must follow the procedure below that most closely matches their academic intent. Students will complete and submit the Dual Career Registration form for the following situations:
   • Undergraduate coursework is a prerequisite or condition of admission to a graduate program of study. Approval is granted by the Graduate School. The student will enroll for these courses on an undergraduate academic record and billing will be at the undergraduate rate.
   • A graduate student would like to take undergraduate coursework at the same time they are enrolled in graduate courses either as a non-degree seeking student or for an undergraduate program of study. For an undergraduate program of study, the student must submit either an Undergraduate Application for Admission (if never enrolled as an undergraduate at NDSU) to the Office of Admission or an Undergraduate Reactivation Form (if previously enrolled as an undergraduate at NDSU) to the Office of Registration and Records. The student will enroll in the undergraduate coursework on an undergraduate academic record and be billed at the undergraduate rate. Graduate tuition waivers will not cover undergraduate coursework. (Not for accelerated program. See #2 for approved accelerated programs)
   • On a limited basis and only with permission, undergraduate coursework may be applied to a graduate program of study (select programs only). Students must obtain approval from the Graduate School. The undergraduate coursework will appear on a graduate academic record and be billed at the graduate rate.
2. Undergraduate students who wish to enroll in graduate coursework must make application to the Graduate School and be admitted to take graduate level courses.
   • Applies to undergraduate students who have been approved for an accelerated program of study. Students must make formal application to the Graduate School and be accepted into an approved graduate program of study concurrently with an approved undergraduate program of study. Students enroll in graduate level coursework on a graduate academic record and are billed at the graduate rate. No more than 15 credits of graduate level coursework can be applied to an undergraduate program of study. Specific coursework is to be identified on the Accelerated Declaration form submitted to the Graduate School with the Graduate School application. The credit for the graduate courses is applied as transfer credit onto the undergraduate record to satisfy predetermined undergraduate major program of study requirements.

Collaborative Registration

A collaborative student is one who chooses to enroll at more than one North Dakota University System (NDUS) institution for a particular term. The institution from which the student is earning a degree is considered the "home institution". The institution(s) that supplies courses for a degree is considered the "provider institution(s)". The following guidelines pertain to courses taken collaboratively:

1. A student must be enrolled in at least one degree credit course at NDSU before enrolling in a collaborative course including the summer semester. Excluded from this requirement are students using the faculty/staff tuition waiver.
2. Only fully admitted undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing (GPA of 2.0 or higher) are allowed to enroll collaboratively.  Students requiring ASC 86 or ASC 87 are exempt from the academic standing requirement.
3. The collaborative process allows NDSU to combine credits from more than one NDUS institution for the purpose of financial aid (for courses added through the seventh business day from the start of the term).
4. Collaborative courses are not subject to the NDSU tuition cap.
5. The provider institution's tuition/fees for collaborative course(s) are included in the student's accounts receivable balance at NDSU.
6. Not all scholarships will pay for collaborative tuition and fees assessed by the non-NDSU/provider campus.  Please check with the awarding organization to confirm.  NDSU-funded tuition discounts may not be applied to any collaborative charges.
7. Students must be in good financial standing to be eligible for collaborative course registration.
8. The student cannot exceed a total of 20 credits between NDSU and the provider institution(s) without special permission from the Registrar at home and provider campuses.
9. The student must follow NDSU's academic dates and deadlines for adding/dropping collaborative courses.
10. Drops/adds must be administered by submitting an updated collaborative registration form to the home institution. NDSU students may submit the form to the Office of Registration and Records, 110 Ceres Hall.
11. Courses will be posted to the NDSU academic record as transfer credit once NDSU receives an official transcript from the provider institution. Note: Grades earned in collaborative courses may be used in determining financial aid satisfactory progress.
    1. Graduate students using collaborative credits to satisfy NDSU graduate program degree requirements must either a) list the collaborative credits as transfer credits on their plan of study form, or b) submit the Request for Change to Plan of Study form and indicate which degree requirements the collaborative credits are satisfying on their advisement report.
12. Completion of the Collaborative Student Contract and Registration form does not guarantee registration into the requested course(s).  Registration is not considered completed until the student has received confirmation of enrollment from the provider institution.  However, if the request(s) cannot be processed, the student will be notified via their NDSU e-mail address.
13. Due to federal compliance, course repeats via collaborative registration may be ineligible to prevent significant federal financial aid impacts which could result in over-payment of federal financial aid funds.
14. The option to wait-list is subject to the provider institution's discretion and does not guarantee enrollment into the requested course(s).

Summer Registration

The 12-week summer session is designed to provide instruction within various time intervals throughout the summer. Classes are offered in several sessions throughout the summer. While the time interval of the individual sessions is different than that of the standard semester (16 weeks), each course carries full credit because classes meet the same number of contact hours as in the standard fall or spring semesters. In addition, deadlines for summer session courses are adjusted proportionately. Students are responsible for making changes to their registration according to published summer Dates and Deadlines calendar.

Each college or department determines its summer offerings. The summer session course offerings schedule is available in Campus Connection. For more information about summer schedule visit the Summer Schedule website.

Summer Fees and Housing

Summer tuition and fees are available online. Information concerning summer housing may be secured by contacting the Department of Residence Life, Dept. 5310, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108, or 701-231-7557 (toll-free 1-800-572-8840).

Summer Graduate Work

A considerable number of graduate courses are offered, but generally the summer serves as an important term for students to work on their research requirements, especially if field work is involved. Work on disquisitions and individual study arrangements frequently are facilitated during summers. Courses scheduled to begin at different times and for varying periods provide a high level of flexibility. Thus, those who may have only a portion of a given summer available are likely to find courses that meet their scheduling limitations. In addition, workshops, internships, and other special programs are offered. Teachers generally find the summer school designed to offer attractive selections as components of a degree program, as well as courses directed toward improvement of professional skills. Persons interested in graduate programs of study are encouraged to contact the Graduate School for further information.

Classroom Instruction Mode

The university offers classroom instruction in a variety modes. The course delivery mode is assigned to each class and can be viewed on the schedule when the student is enrolling for classes.  NDSU instruction modes include:

• On Campus Face to Face (traditional classroom) - The instructor and students are physically located in the same place and may incorporate the use of multiple supportive technologies as appropriate.
• Hybrid/Blended Combination - Instruction that is a blend of traditional classroom instruction with online distance education. All students meet on campus for lectures or presentations on specific days and complete the rest of their coursework via a learning management system. Instructors decide how students participate.
• Independent Study - Instruction is provided in a self-study, self-paced format where the instructor and student mutually established methods of communication.
• Off Campus Face to Face - The instructor and student are physically located in the same place in an off campus location and may incorporate the use of multiple supportive technologies as appropriate.
• Online Asynchronous - Online instruction occurring independent of time or location.
• Online Synchronous - Online instruction occurring independent of location, but at the same time (real time).