Registration and Taking Courses

Source: https://catalog.northeastern.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies-procedures/registration-taking-courses/ Parent: https://catalog.northeastern.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies-procedures/

Students are expected to register for classes during the published registration times in the academic calendar. First-year students may be preregistered for some or all of the courses they need. Most registration after the first year is accomplished through the Student Hub. Students must complete “I Am Here” registration just prior to the start of classes to remain enrolled. Class adds must be registered by the end of the 14th class day.

• Class Schedule
• Course Syllabus
• Course Prerequisites
• Overload Policy
• Reduced Load Policies
• Audit Policy
• Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (Pass/Fail) System
• Taking Courses While on Co-op
• Transfer Credits for Current Students
• Special Students
• Late Admission to a Course

Faculty members are expected to distribute a syllabus at the start of each course. The syllabus should also be placed on the course Canvas site. The syllabus should include a schedule of topics, exam and assignment due dates, information on how to contact the faculty member, process for conference time, grading and attendance policies, and a reminder of the university’s Academic Integrity Policy.

Course Prerequisites

Students are expected to meet prerequisites as listed in the course description of each course in which they enroll. Grades of F, U, I, X, or W in prerequisite courses do not normally fulfill requirements. Exceptions must be authorized by the instructor teaching the course.

Overload Policy

An overload occurs when a student is enrolled in more courses than prescribed by the program’s curriculum. To register for an overload, students are advised to consult their academic advisor. See Student Financial Services for more information on overload tuition.

Reduced Load Policies

Undergraduate full-time students are generally expected to take a full-time course load in progression toward their degree. Tuition adjustments for reduced loads are made only when the Undergraduate Petition to Reduce Load is approved by the academic advisor. Tuition adjustments are made for approved reduced course loads if the registered credits fall below 12 semester hours (calculated at the per-credit-hour rate). To receive petition for the adjustment, the Undergraduate Petition to Reduce Load must be submitted prior to the start of the term. Please refer to Student Financial Services Billing Policies for further information.

No rebate or credit is granted when a student voluntarily drops a course. A reduced load may impact the student’s housing, degree progress, financial aid, visa status, and health insurance. Students should consult applicable departments before committing to a reduced load. Students who take a reduced load will be billed at the per-credit-hour rate, 1/16th of the full-semester tuition for that semester per semester hour.

International students must speak with an advisor at the Office of Global Services prior to dropping a course. Permission to drop below full-time status is restricted according to federal regulations.

Audit Policy

Full-time Northeastern students may audit one class per term as an overload above 16 semester hours with no additional charge.

• Students are permitted to petition from the end of the class-add period to the end of the third week of classes.
• Permission is based on the availability of a seat in the class.
• Students must obtain advisor approval and meet the prerequisites and any other required approvals for the class.
• Instructor permission, as well as approval by the associate dean of the college offering the course, is required.
• The coursework required is at the discretion of the instructor.
• Once a student opts to audit a class, the audit status of the class cannot be changed.
• First-year students may not audit classes.
• Graduating seniors in their last term may audit one class if they are enrolled in less than full-time course load to complete their degree requirements.
• A signed Petition to Audit must be presented to the Office of the University Registrar during the designated audit-add period.
• Students will not be registered for approved audited class(es) until after the add period is over for the intended term.
• Excluded courses are co-op, labs, language courses, any off-campus course, any online course, and any course required for the major or degree.
• Audits carry no academic credit.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (Pass/Fail) System

The individual schools and colleges state how and when the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading system may be used. An outline of the general system follows.

• Any student not on academic probation may register for one satisfactory/unsatisfactory graded course per semester if permission is granted by the college in which the student is enrolled and if the course is offered on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
• Satisfactory/unsatisfactory graded courses are normally restricted to electives outside the major, outside any minor, or outside NUpath requirements. The college faculty, however, may choose to adopt the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system of grading when it appears pedagogically sound for required courses within a major or minor.
• Before requesting a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade from an instructor, students should meet with their academic advisor to determine whether doing so will disqualify the course from satisfying a program requirement or elective. In general, courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade basis can be used only to satisfy open electives.
• Individual faculty members may decide whether any of their courses may be taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system of grading, except when uniformity is necessary. In such cases, the department and/or college faculty offering the course determine whether the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system is used.
• Grades recorded on the basis of the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system of grading do not figure in the computation of the grade-point average. Satisfactory completion of all courses taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system is designated on the student’s permanent record by the letter S. Unsatisfactory work is designated by the letter U. Any unsatisfactory grade must be handled according to the existing policy of the college but must never be cleared through the election of the same course satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade, except when this system is the only one used by the college for grading the course.
• To use the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system of grading, students must meet all prerequisites for the course and declare by the end of the second week of the semester their intention to receive a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade. This deadline may be extended to the end of the eighth week of a full semester or the end of the fifth week of a half semester at the option of the instructor.
• Students must submit a Petition to Elect Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade, signed by the faculty member.

Taking Courses While on Co-op

Students who wish to take more than 4 semester hours while on full-time co-op must complete the petition registration form with their college academic advising office before the term begins. Students who do not receive the approval of their academic advisor and co-op coordinator will be dropped from their preregistered courses. Students who take a course while on co-op will be billed the per-credit-hour tuition rate. (See “Reduced Load Policies” above.)

Transfer Credits for Current Students

Once they matriculate, students are expected to complete all coursework for their degree at Northeastern University; or an entity in a formal contractual, consortial, or partnership relationship with Northeastern; or at an approved study-abroad program. In some cases, in order to clear a deficiency, to permit students access to courses deemed by their respective advisors and colleges to be important for their education but unavailable to them at Northeastern, or to remain on track for graduation, a student may petition their college for permission to take a course at another accredited institution.

With the approval of the college academic advisor and the graduate school offering the courses, students may take courses in Northeastern’s graduate schools.

Students who wish to take courses at another institution and transfer the credit to Northeastern must obtain prior approval from the college academic advisor. The Office of the University Registrar validates accredited institutions to ensure credit transferability. The student must earn a C (2.000) or better for a course to be considered for transfer. Students are responsible for providing documentation on the institution’s accreditation, course grading, and course descriptions prior to approval.

Special Students

Students who are not enrolled at Northeastern may petition the college academic advising office to take courses on a semester-by-semester basis. Approval is based on the student’s academic qualifications and on the availability of class space. The maximum cumulative semester hours for which a special student may register is 20 (not including related labs). Tuition is billed at the undergraduate per-credit-hour rate. If the college academic advising office approves the course enrollment, the student pays the bill and then returns the completed forms to the Office of the University Registrar.

Late Admission to a Course

After the last day of the add/drop period for the term (as published on the Academic Calendar) has passed, students may petition to register for a course by submitting a Late Course Registration request via the Registrar Forms link on the Student Hub. Permission may be granted if seats are available and at the discretion of the instructor. If students are not already registered for a full course load, late admissions may jeopardize full-time status. Tuition financial adjustments are calculated based on the university's refund schedule for course withdrawals. See the Student Financial Services website for more information.