Registration Information

Registration procedures and class offerings are published in the UIC Schedule of Classes each semester and graduate students are responsible for the complete and accurate processing of their registration according to the guidelines published therein.

Graduate students who fail to register for two terms in a row (excluding summer) without taking an approved leave of absence forfeit their admission and must re-apply to Graduate College and be re-admitted to the program. Re-admission is not guaranteed, and re-admitted students may have to fulfill degree requirements currently in place, if they have changed.

New students may register during the designated period before the beginning of their first term or during the late registration period (days one to ten for fall and spring, days one to five for summer). Currently enrolled students should register during the early registration period in the previous term. Registration information will be mailed to all currently enrolled and new students prior to registration. Continuing students who are not currently enrolled will not be sent registration information and must wait for the open registration period. Students who wait to register at late registration will be assessed a late registration fee and may experience limited course availability.

Registration for Zero Hours

Registration for zero hours is only available to students who have completed all coursework, examinations, and all degree requirements except the thesis or dissertation. Students wishing to register for zero hours must submit a Graduate College petition and receive permission from the program and the Graduate College prior to registration. Once permission is received students may continue to register for zero hours provided they remain in the same program, continue to make satisfactory academic progress, and are within the time frame for degree completion. An option of registration for reduced zero-hour charges (Option B) exists for some doctoral students. Master’s students may be required to register for zero hours by their program or INS regulations. (See Degree Requirements, Doctoral Degrees, and Master’s Degrees).

Note for Student Visa Holders:  Current SEVIS (federal immigration) regulations do not allow an international student on a student visa to register for more than zero (0) hours in a subsequent term, if the student was registered for zero (0) hours previously, unless the student is admitted into a different program.  This  precludes accepting an assistantship or tuition waiver for future terms after a zero-hour registration occurs.  The rationale for the regulation is that zero-hour registration is allowed for students on a visa only if all requirements other than the thesis or master's project are completed, and registration for more than zero hours indicates that they did not originally qualify, and, are thus be out of status.  Unfortunately, flexibility to take a course for intellectual development or to register for hours to qualify for an assistantship or tuition waiver after zero hour registration does not exist currently.

Repetition of Courses

Students can repeat a course for credit if:

• The course is designated in the Schedule of Classes with the phrase "May be repeated for credit."
• The course is one in which a grade of D, E, F, or U was received. In such cases the course can be repeated only once and counted only once toward the degree requirements; the original grade continues to be included in the computation of the Graduate Degree GPA. The approval of both the instructor who will give the course and the director of graduate studies is required.
• The course is one in which a student has received a permanent Incomplete (I) (see Grades).