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College-level academic terms and processes can be confusing. Below we've outlined the academic vocabulary and procedures you may need to know as an incoming student taking summer classes, which will hopefully help you manage any registration changes with ease. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Office of Summer and Continuing Studies at oscs@rochester.edu.

Add a course

Definition: Adding a course is used interchangeably with registering for a course. Both "add" and "register for" mean officially enrolling in a class where you will be expected to abide by the course rules set by the instructor and pay for the course. You can add or register for a class for credit or as an audit.

Process: In order to add a course, you need to complete the instructions below by the course's add deadline. We highly recommend adding a course BEFORE the first day of class (which is earlier than the add deadline) to avoid falling behind on course material, as summer courses are more fast-paced than academic year classes.

Financial impact: The additional tuition will be billed to your student account automatically, and the payment is due 16 days after your successful course registration or one week prior to the start of the class—whichever date occurs first.

How to add a course

This process can take up to 20 business days to complete, so we recommend completing step one at least four weeks before the first day of your desired course(s).

1. Connect with an academic advisor.

After selecting your course options, you are required to with an academic advisor in the College Center for Advising Services to get approval of your final course selections.

  • If you are intending to pursue a program in the School of Arts & Sciences (or if you are unsure of your program of study), you should select School of Arts & Sciences: 30 Min ZOOM Advising on the first screen.
  • If you are intending to pursue a program in the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, select Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences ZOOM on the first screen.
2. Complete the online registration form.

Once you meet with an academic advisor and finalize your summer course selections, the advisor will send you an email with a link to a registration form titled Non-Matriculated Registration Form: New Student Summer Opportunity.

Download the fillable PDF form, complete it (making sure to fill out all the details for your final summer course selections), and save the file. Email the PDF file to registrar@rochester.edu with your full name in the subject line or body of the email.

Within three to five business days of sending your email, the Registrar will send you a confirmation email with your course registration details and your next steps.

Swap a course

Definition: Swapping a course means removing a course from your registration and replacing it with either a completely new course or a different section of the same course. Swapping a course may affect your financial responsibility, based on the number of credit hours of each course, whether you are taking the courses for credit or audit, and when you complete the swapping process.

Process: In order to add a course, you need to complete the instructions below by the course's add deadline. We highly recommend adding a course BEFORE the first day of class (which is earlier than the add deadline) to avoid falling behind on course material, as summer courses are more fast-paced than academic year classes.

Financial impact: If your new course or new course section is the same number of credits as the course or course section you dropped, your financial responsibility should not change. If you are switching your grading basis (from taking a course for credit to auditing a course and vice versa), your financial responsibility will change.

How to swap a course

This process can take up to 20 business days to complete, so we recommend completing step one as soon as possible.

1. Connect with an academic advisor.

To swap a course, you need to  with an academic advisor to have them approve your proposed registration changes.

  • If you are intending to pursue a program in the School of Arts & Sciences (or if you are unsure of your program of study), you should select School of Arts & Sciences: 30 Min ZOOM Advising on the first screen.
  • If you are intending to pursue a program in the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, select Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences ZOOM on the first screen.
2. Swap the courses in UR Student.

After your registration changes are approved, you will need to swap the course on your own in UR Student, the University’s student registration system. Follow the instructions below for swapping a course:

  1. Log into  using your Active Directory credentials.
  2. Click ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é.
  3. Under Academic Records, click View My Courses.
  4. Scroll to the RIGHT in the My Enrolled Courses table to see DROP and SWAP buttons off screen.
    1. If you're on a Mac, you may need to hover over the table to activate scroll bars.
  5. Click Swap next to the course section you need to replace and choose either a New Course or a New Course Section offering.
    1. Please note: Swapping to a new course section means selecting a new section (with a different instructor or meeting pattern) of the same course.

To swap a new course:

  1. Click New Course.
  2. Type in the new course section within Course to Add.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Select an alternate section offering of lab, lecture, etc.
  5. Set the Grading Basis.
  6. Check the Confirm Swap box (notice the Course to Drop field).
  7. Click OK and Done.

To swap a new course section:

  1. Click New Section.
  2. Click OK.
  3. Select an alternate section offering of the course.
  4. Adjust the Grading Basis (if needed).
  5. Click OK and Done.

Drop a course

Definition: Dropping a course means removing it completely from your summer registration. Each summer course has a drop deadline and this process must be completed by that deadline in order for the course to be considered a "drop" and not a withdrawal.

Process: If you no longer want to continue a summer class and the drop deadline for your course has not yet passed, you can follow the instructions below to drop the class on your own in UR Student, the University's student registration system. If the drop deadline has passed, you will need to follow the withdrawal process.

Financial impact: You may be eligible for a full or partial tuition refund based on when you complete the drop process. View the Summer 2024 tuition refund schedule to see what percentage of your tuition you can expect to be refunded. If you have any questions about refunds, contact the Office of the Bursar.

How to drop a course

Expand the following item to learn how to complete the drop process by the drop deadline.

Instructions
  1. Log into using your Active Directory credentials.
  2. Click ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é.
  3. Under Academic Records, click View My Courses.
  4. Scroll to the RIGHT in the My Enrolled Courses table to see DROP and SWAP buttons off screen.
    1. If you're on a Mac, you may need to hover over the table to activate scroll bars.
  5. Click Drop.
  6. Check the Confirm box.
  7. Click Ok and Done.

Withdraw from a course

Definition: Withdrawing from a course means removing the course from your summer registration after the drop deadline. This notifies the University that you will no longer be attending class, but the course will remain on your transcript and a "W" will appear in place of a grade.

Process: If the drop deadline has passed and you would like to remove a course from your summer registration, you will need to complete the instructions below to withdraw from the course by the withdrawal deadline.

Financial impact: You may be eligible for a partial tuition refund based on when you complete the withdrawal process. View the Summer 2024 tuition refund schedule to see what percentage of your tuition you can expect to be refunded. If you have any questions about refunds, contact the Office of the Bursar.

How to withdraw from a course

Expand the item to learn how to complete the withdrawal process by the withdrawal deadline.

Instructions
  1. Download the fillable Drop/Add Form (pdf).
  2. Complete the form, making sure to select Wdrw from the dropdown menu and fill in the full course details.
  3. Save the file as a PDF.
  4. Email the PDF file to registrar@rochester.edu with your full name and student ID number in the body of the email.

Audit a course

Definition: Auditing a course means that you can attend class meetings and have access to course materials, but you will not receive credit for the course. You will also be charged the audit fee instead of the tuition rate. Individual instructors may have specific requirements for auditors, so you are expected to follow any guidelines the instructor may have regarding class attendance and participation. In some instances, permission from the instructor may be required to audit a Summer Sessions course. Instructors may decline to give their permission. The drop and withdrawal deadlines and procedures for summer classes remain the same whether you are taking a class for credit or auditing a class.

Process: If you are interested in auditing a summer course, make sure to discuss it with the academic advisor during the registration process. If you wish to switch your grading basis for a summer course you are already registered for, you need to complete the instructions below by the add deadline for the course you are taking.

Financial impact

  • If you are switching from taking a course for credit to auditing a course, your tuition will be refunded based on the Summer 2024 tuition refund schedule and the audit fee will be automatically applied to your student account.
  • If you are switching from auditing a course to taking a course for credit, your audit fee will be refunded in full unless the class has already begun. Audit fees will not be refunded in partial or full after the first day of class. The tuition rate will be automatically applied to your student account.
  • Payment of the final balance is due 16 days after your successful updated course registration or one week prior to the first day of classes—whichever occurs first.

How to change your grading basis

Before following these instructions, make sure to discuss changing your grading basis with your academic advisor.

Instructions
  1. Download the fillable Drop/Add Form (pdf).
  2. Complete the form, making sure to fill in the full course details and place a Y or N in the Audit column to signify your new grading basis:
    1. Y: auditing the course
    2. N: taking the course for credit
  3. Save the file as a PDF.
  4. Email the PDF file to registrar@rochester.edu with your full name and student ID number in the body of the email.