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Unless otherwise noted below or in materials for the specific program or host university, all registration policies and timelines are in accordance with University of Minnesota course registration policies and timelines. Dates listed on the University of Minnesota One Stop page adjust to correspond to the actual dates of the study abroad program term.
All course registration changes may have financial aid implications. Students are responsible for understanding the financial aid consequences of changing their enrollment.
Course registration changes or program withdrawal do not result in refund of program fees. See the Cancellation Policy for more detail.
Registration Process & Timeline
U of M One Stop Registration: University of Minnesota–Twin Cities students receive U of M placeholder registration instructions via email from the Learning Abroad Center prior to each term study abroad. This registration must be completed in order to maintain U of M student status and allow financial aid to be released (if applicable). These instructions are available near the opening of the U of M registration queues. Students should not be concerned with registering immediately upon their scheduled queue time. Students from the other U of M campuses are enrolled by Learning Abroad Center staff.
Non-U of M Participant Registration: Non-University of Minnesota students are enrolled by Learning Abroad Center staff and should consult their home campus regarding any required registration at their home university.
On-Site Registration: Upon arrival abroad, students finalize registration for their actual courses according to the policies and timelines of the program or university.
Academic Standing
Students must remain in good academic standing during the term prior to their study abroad experience. Students not in good academic standing may be disqualified from participation.
Students on probation may be allowed to study abroad, pending the approval of their college advising office. Collegiate approval requires temporary removal of the probation hold on registration and willingness to hold probationary advising meetings via email while a student is abroad. Students on academic suspension may not participate in study abroad.
Full Time Status
Study abroad students are required to maintain full time enrollment status. Read the information on the 13 credit policy of full time enrollment and the paragraphs below on adding/dropping courses or withdrawing from a course.
Grading Option (A/F or S/N)
Most study abroad courses must be taken for an A/F grade. In certain cases, study abroad programs or host universities allow participants to take courses on a pass/fail (S/N) basis. Students must indicate S/N with their initial registration on site.
To receive a grade of S, the student must earn the equivalent of a C- or better. Students are responsible to check with their academic adviser (or, for non-University of Minnesota system students, with their home institution) prior to departure to determine whether S grades for coursework taken abroad are accepted.
Change of Grading Option (A/F or S/N)
Students may change their grade option from A/F to S/N or vice versa during the initial add/drop period, if the program course may be taken S/N. Students may not change their grading option for a course after the initial add/drop period.
Adding/Dropping Courses
Students must register for a minimum of 13 credits per semester and 3–6 credits for May/Summer Session. Additionally, some programs may have stricter requirements for credit (for example, many programs require at least 15 credits for the semester).
A semester student may drop to 13 credits with the approval of the on-site director or host university, as long as the student completes all required program courses. Students with fewer than 12 credits are dismissed from the program (except in the case of documented disability accommodations).
Students may add courses throughout the add/drop period for their program. After this intial registration period is complete, students are not allowed to add a course to their registration.
Canceling a course before or during the first two weeks of Fall or Spring semester is referred to as "dropping" a class (no "W" is recorded on your transcript). This completely removes the registration from your records, thereby reducing the total credits taken that term. Unless otherwise noted by the specific program, the drop/add period is in accordance with University of Minnesota policies and timelines.
Cancellation of a course after the program’s drop/add period results in a "W" on the student’s University of Minnesota transcript (see Withdrawing from Courses below for more detail).
Withdrawing from Courses
After the second week of Fall or Spring semester, cancelling is referred to as "withdrawing" from a class. Withdrawing from a class means you keep those credits for the term and get a "W" as your grade.
To withdraw, students must do so before the withdrawal deadlines. The deadline page provides information for all possible terms of enrollment (Summer, May, 7-week, semester, etc.). Dates listed on the University of Minnesota policies and timelines page are adjusted to correspond to the actual dates of the study abroad program and term. As a result, students wishing to withdraw from a class at any point after the initial add/drop period must be in consultation with the Learning Abroad Center.
After the deadline to withdraw from a course and prior to the final exam, students may drop a course only with special permission from their University of Minnesota college of enrollment. Non-University of Minnesota student requests to withdraw are evaluated by the Learning Abroad Center. Students must consult with the on-site director and fill out a special request form to adjust their enrollment. The form is forwarded to the Learning Abroad Center for approval by the student's college of enrollment. Generally, only in the case of extenuating circumstances (sustained illness, for example) is a student allowed to drop a course after the mid-semester deadline. Approved requests are recorded on University of Minnesota transcript with a grade of "W". No requests may be submitted after the final exam.
In some cases, a non-University of Minnesota student's home university may not allow a student to withdraw from a course and records an "F" in lieu of a "W". It is a student's responsibility to check with their home university if they allow a grade of "W" before requesting to withdraw.
One Time Withdrawal Exception
University of Minnesota undergraduate students and non-University of Minnesota study abroad participants have one opportunity to withdraw from a course after the deadline without college approval. Students who do so receive the transcript symbol "W". Before using this one-time drop exception, you must first check with the Learning Abroad Center regarding one-time drop procedures. Using the one-time drop on study abroad is subject to the following additional parameters:
- Study abroad programs with mandatory courses may not allow a student to drop those courses.
- Students must provide proof of support from the overseas program for the request and receive a "W" on their transcript for the dropped course(s).
- Students must provide verification from their college that they have not used their one-time drop. The Learning Abroad Center works with the student’s college to have the college process the drop, if approved.
- Students are responsible for finding out if course cancellation affects their financial aid package.
- Questions regarding credit load, grade options, and drop/add while on study abroad should be directed to the Learning Abroad Center. Study abroad staff respond to your query, after consulting with on-site study abroad staff and college advisers, as appropriate.
Last modified on May 5, 2009 |
Last modified on May 5, 2009 |