Registration Policies and Procedures

Registration
The registration process begins with a conference between students and their advisors. The official registration period for each new semester usually begins in the last month of the previous semester. No student will be registered without the advisor’s online registration approval or signature; nor will any registrations be accepted after the official ending of the registration period without approval of the Office of Academic Affairs. For their first semester, graduate students will be registered through the Office of Graduate Education.

Schedule Changes
Students may change their schedules during the designated Add/Drop period. All schedule changes processed by the Registrar’s Office must have the signed approval of the student’s faculty advisor.

Full-Time Student Status
Mercyhurst University considers a full-time graduate student to be one who carries at least 9 credit hours per academic semester. Students who receive financial aid or government sponsored loans should consult with the Office of Student Financial Services before registering for fewer than 6 credits in any semester.

Part-Time Student Status
A part-time student is one who is officially registered at the University but carries fewer than 15 credits during the normal academic year or who carries fewer than six credit hours in any regular semester. A part-time matriculated student is charged at a per-credit rate, plus additional fees as determined by the Vice President of Finance. Part-time students must register for three credits each term.

Course Withdrawal
Students who withdraw from a course after the first week will receive a grade of ‘W’ for the course. There will be no withdrawal after the published last to withdraw date in any semester. Students need to be aware that withdrawing from one or more courses can affect Academic Progress resulting in the loss of Financial Aid. * See Student Financial Services information for details.

Leave of Absence
Due to federal reporting guidelines, Mercyhurst follows a voluntary withdrawal processes for students needing a leave of absence. Upon return, students in good standing would be guaranteed acceptance after reapplication.

Voluntary Withdrawal (Cease Enrollment) From the University
Students who wish to withdraw officially from the University must complete the cease enrollment form, available in the Office of Academic Affairs. Students may withdraw from the University without grade penalty until the last day of regular classes, but before final exams, in any semester. Tuition refunds will be calculated based on University policy. See TUITION AND FEE REFUND POLICY DUE TO TOTAL WITHDRAWAL. Students who have officially withdrawn and are in good academic standing may apply to the Office of Admissions for readmission during the next regularly scheduled semester or session.

Exceptions to Regulations/Missed Deadlines
Students who miss deadlines, (pass/fail, withdrawal, incomplete, etc.) and ask for an exception are required to obtain the written permission of the Office of Academic Affairs. These requests will be kept on file and will become part of the record for future decisions on requests for exceptions. Exceptions to the regulations for serious reasons and waivers on deadlines will only be granted where valid documentation is provided. Students who miss the Drop –add period, will have to complete a late enrollment appeal form, which will be reviewed by a committee. The student will be notified via email of the decision.

Tutorial Study
Tutorial courses differ from Independent Study courses in that they are a part of the regular program and require no more special knowledge than that expected of students enrolled in a regular semester course. Students who enroll in a tutorial course must meet the same requirements as those enrolled in the regular course, except that they must meet with the instructor two hours weekly during the semester. Because there are fewer contact hours with the instructor, students whose Grade Point Average is below 2.5 are not permitted to enroll in tutorial courses.

Permission to enroll in tutorial courses is reserved for students who are completing a program or who are meeting other requirements. It is expected that tutorial courses will not be taken simply as a matter of student convenience or preference. Under most circumstances a student may only enroll in two such courses during their period of matriculation.

The application for tutorial study form is available in the Office of Academic Affairs and must be approved by the Office of Academic Affairs once written permission of the department chair, the faculty advisor, and the sponsoring faculty member have been obtained.

Thesis Extension Course
Students who are unable to complete their thesis requirements during the term they have registered for the course, will be granted an incomplete (I). If after 30 days, the requirements are not fulfilled, the student will be required to register for a zero-credit thesis extension course. This allows the student to maintain access to MU services and active in the records. If the student fails to register for the extension course or fails to pass the extension course, the thesis course grade will be changed from an (I) to an (F). To complete their thesis, students will have to repeat the full thesis course over again.

Credit for Life Experience
Some work experience may count towards graduate credit, but credit number acceptance and portfolio requirements are up to the director’s discretion. The Life Experience Credit form must be signed by the student, Department Chair, The Office of Academic Affairs, Student Financial Services, and Registrar. Students earning life experience credit must pay the Life Experience Credit fee prior to having the credits added to their transcript.