During the spring, students will receive information regarding course offerings for the following academic year. After consulting with academic advisors, students will make course selections via the online registration system. Students with holds will be prevented from registering until the obligation is met.
A calendar is published by the Registrar’s Office prior to the add/drop period which specifies the time periods and fees for late changes. Students are responsible for the dates and should contact the Registrar’s Office if they need information to avoid late fees. Requests for exceptions to published deadlines must be submitted in writing to the Registrar’s Office and will be granted based on documented extenuating circumstances, i.e., medical, military obligations.
Course Changes
There is an add/drop period at the start of each term and the exact deadlines depend on the length of the course session (7, 10, or 14 weeks).
For 7-week courses (undergraduate and graduate), a student can add a course without a fee through the fifth day of classes. On the sixth through the tenth day of classes, students can add courses (with instructor approval) with a $100 late fee. Students can drop courses on days 1-10 of each term without incurring a late fee. For undergraduates in 7-week courses, no adds or drops are allowed after the tenth day of the term. For graduate students in 7-week courses who drop a course after the tenth day, but before the end of the fifth week of the term, a W (Withdrawal) will be assigned. No tuition or fees will be refunded after the tenth day of the term.
For 14-week courses (undergraduate and graduate), students can make course changes (add or drop) without penalty through the tenth day of the semester. A $100 late fee will be charged for course adds after the tenth day of the semester and instructor permission is required. No drops are allowed after the tenth day of the semester; for graduate students, course withdrawals are permitted through the tenth week of the semester, and a grade of W (Withdrawal) will be assigned. No tuition or fees will be refunded after the tenth day of the semester. Consult the University calendar for specific dates.
For 10-week courses (undergraduate and graduate), students can make course changes (add or drop) without penalty through the tenth day of the semester. A $100 late fee will be charged for course adds after the tenth day of the semester and instructor permission is required. No drops are allowed after the tenth day of the semester; for graduate students, course withdrawals are permitted through the seventh week of the semester, and a grade of W (Withdrawal) will be assigned. No tuition or fees will be refunded after the tenth day of the semester.
Note: If a degree-seeking student is dropping or withdrawing from all registered course activity, they must either take an institutional leave of absence or officially withdraw from the University.
Wait Lists
When a seat in a class becomes available to a student on the wait list, they will be notified via e-mail. The e-mail contains instructions on how to claim the available seat. If a student does not receive an e-mail, it means no seat is available for them in the wait-listed class.
Overloads of Courses
The standard course load for WPI students is one unit per term (exclusive of courses for ROTC and Wellness and Physical Education, which do not count towards overloads). Students may register in advance for a maximum of one unit in any term.
Registration for courses which will result in an overload may take place, on a space-available basis, after all current undergraduate students have had the opportunity to register for classes. This date will be posted on the Registrar’s website.
Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor before registering for an overload.
Overload charges will be computed each semester based on the course and project load based on the student’s registration after the add/drop period in the second term of the semester.
Note: undergraduates taking graduate courses receive more credit for said courses and are billed accordingly. Please take this into account when considering overload fees.
Withdrawal from Courses
Students who wish to withdraw from a course or project will be assigned a grade of NR (No Record) by the instructor. The student should contact the instructor and indicate that they will not be continuing in the class.