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Step 1: Advising

All UT students have an Advising Bar placed by the UT Registrar. To have this removed to register, you'll have turn in the EDP Advising Form, which requires your faculty adviser's signature. Students typically meet with their adviser in person to go over the proposed schedule. Be sure your Program of Work is updated before advising! 

Students on Dissertation or Internship do not need to turn in an Advising Form, UNLESS they are planning to take an in-person EDP course as well. In that case, send notifcation of the course to Kim.

Step 2: Registration Bars

There are several other kinds of Registration Bars, placed by various UT entities. Bars will be listed on your Registration Info Sheet (RIS), and must be cleared the department that issued it. Tip: Be sure to update your emergency contact information in UT Direct annually, as failure to do so may result in a registration bar from the Graduate School. 

Step 3: Registration Access Times

You can view general registration access periods in the UT Academic Calendar online, and your specific registration times in your Registration Info Sheet (RIS). You should plan to be advised before Registration begins, and register early at the first opportunity.

Step 4: Registration

You will register for each semester through the online Registration System. Register early! Courses fill quickly, and having a course on your Advising Form does not guarantee a seat in the course. 

For restricted out-of-department courses, you must contact that department for permission to add their class. 

If you wish to change the schedule from your Advising Form: you must notify your faculty adviser and the EDP registration staff person.

Check your registration carefully! Graduate students are expected to confirm they are in the correct classes. Be sure to verify in your Class Listing online, and with the instructor on the first day of class, that you are registered for the correct course. Some courses have the same course numbers but different topics, slightly different names, identically-named undergraduate versions, etc. 

If you have trouble getting into any of your EDP classes, or have other registration issues not addressed on this page, contact Kim.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Students may drop or add courses through the online registration system during the first four class days of a long semester and the first two class days of summer sessions. Be sure to notify your faculty adviser and the EDP curriculum coordinator of any changes to your Advising Form! See the Graduate School's information about Adds/Drops.

To make course changes after the student online Add-Drop period has closed, you will need to contact the department offering the course. See the Late Registration section below for details on late registration and late drops. 

Late Registration

Late Adds

Late registration is a serious matter. Late fees can be substantial, and the amount of paperwork needed to late-register is cumbersome. 

If you failed to register by the registration system closure deadline (or forget to pay for your classes by the deadline and were dropped by the Registrar), contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator. If it is prior to the 12th class day (for long semesters) or 4th class day (for Summer), the department may be able to directly add you back to your classes. After these dates, however, paperwork will be required:

Late Drops

Graduate students may drop a class through the last class day of a semester, and the instructor will assign a symbol of Q (Quit) or F (Fail). The form you need to late-drop a class can be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator.  Because the form requires the signatures of the Graduate Adviser, it is best to decide to drop a course prior to the last week of classes.  

More information about Add/Drop deadlines and policies via the Graduate School.  

Continuous Registration

All students are expected to register and pay tuition and fees by the appropriate deadlines until graduation (this continuous registration rule does not apply to summer sessions).  

Full-Time Course Load

Full-time status is necessary to receive most University fellowships, reside in University housing, and be employed for an academic appointment (Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Assistant Instructor, etc.).  Full-time student status is typically required for visa permits for international students (until candidacy), and is frequently required for student loans or deferment of existing loans (check the Office of Student Financial Services or your lender).  Full-time registration in the summer, for the purposes of having an academic appointment (TA, RA, AI, etc.) is three hours (either summer session).

Maximum Course Load

The maximum course load for a graduate student during long semesters is 15 hours; 12 hours for the summer session.  A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the Graduate Adviser and approval of the Graduate Dean.  Approval is granted only under certain circumstances.  Contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator if you need to take more than the maximum number of hours.

Leave of Absence

Typically, a graduate student may apply for a leave of absence of no more than two long semesters.  Requests for a leave of absence must be recommended by your faculty adviser to your area's Program Director, who will email a leave of absence request to the Graduate Adviser (including details regarding duration and reason for the leave), who will notify the Dean of Graduate Studies. 

If a student has been admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, the GSC Executive Committee and Dean of Graduate Studies must also approve a leave of absence.  The Dean of Graduate Studies approves such leaves of absence only in rare and unusual circumstances.  In-candidacy students who leave the University without an approved leave of absence must reapply for admission and, if admitted, must pay for all semesters of dissertation missed during the leave.

Paperwork must be in the Graduate School office no later than a week prior to the beginning of classes or the student will have to pay the regular readmission application fee.  

A student on leave of absence may not use University facilities or receive advice from any member of the faculty.  A student who is on leave of absence (or not registered for some other reason) cannot gather data for research.

Federal Financial Aid

All students receiving federal financial aid are subject to the "excessive hours" limitations of the Office of Student Financial Services.  A Satisfactory Progress Appeal form must be filed and approved in order for you to receive federal financial assistance if you exceed 40 hours for a master's degree, or 160 hours for doctoral degree (without a master's) and 140 hours for a doctoral degree (with a master's - even if the master's degree is from another university, and regardless of how the degree was financed).  In addition, there is a maximum amount students may receive from federal financial aid.  You can find more complete information via UT Financial Services.

Academic Warning, Dismissal, and Termination

Registration in the Graduate School beyond the first semester or summer session depends on three factors:

  1. satisfactory progress in absolving any admission conditions;
  2. maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.0 in all graduate coursework; and 
  3. approval of the student’s GSC.

A graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be warned by the Graduate School.  The student must attain a satisfactory GPA during the subsequent semester or be subject to termination.  The student may not drop a course or withdraw from a course during this period without approval of the Graduate Adviser and Graduate Dean.

Unless the course is only offered CR/NC, EDP students must pass all courses used to satisfy degree requirements with a letter grade of B- or better.  You don’t want to have to repeat a course, so make sure you are signed up for the correct grade status.

In general, if a student's performance is below the expectations of the area/program, either academically or behaviorally, the student can be placed on probation through written documentation outlining all the problems, the processes by which to be removed, and the deadlines by which the processes must be completed, as well as the final recourse should satisfactory progress not be achieved by the deadlines.

The GSC may recommend termination to the Dean of Graduate Studies if a student is not making satisfactory progress.  Again, contact your faculty adviser to learn what constitutes satisfactory academic progress in your area/program.  Students have the option to voluntarily withdraw from the doctoral program.