The following are a list of frequently asked questions from across Student Affairs collected here in one place for your convenience. You can browse by topic/department or search by keyword.
During the Change-of-Program period (the first 10 days of the semester, also known as Add-Drop): Use normal web registration procedures.
After the Change-of-Program deadline: You must petition the Committee on Academic Standing. Fill out a Petition for Action and a Registration and Add/Drop form. Ask the instructor to complete the Instructor Approval form. Submit all three forms to your adviser in CSA.
The mark of "R" or registration credit is equivalent to auditing a course. Please note that no points/credits are earned. The "R" credit option is available only to Columbia College seniors who submit a completed petition.
"R" credit petitions will only be authorized if:
For more information regarding the "R" Credit option, please see your Advising Dean.
During the Change-of-Program period (also known as Add/Drop): You can use normal web registration procedures.
After the Change-of-Program period and before the drop deadline: Go in person to the Registrar's Office in 205 Kent with a Registration and Add/Drop Form. SEAS students need their CSA adviser’s signature on the form. The drop deadline for CC students is normally the 5th week of classes; for SEAS students, it is the 10th week. Refer to the academic calendar for specific dates.
After the drop deadline: You must petition the Committee on Academic Standing for a W (approved withdrawal). Fill out the Petition for Action form and a Registration and Add/Drop form. Ask the instructor to complete the Instructor form for Drop or W. Submit all three forms to your adviser in CSA.
Science Requirement: Columbia College students who wish to request an exception to the Science Requirement should go to the Dean's Office in 208 Hamilton Hall.
Global Core/Major Cultures: Students who wish to request an exception to the Global Core or Major Cultures Requirement should meet with Senior Assistant Dean Scott Carpenter in 606 Kent Hall.
To take more than 22 (CC) or 21 (SEAS) credits during one semester, submit the Over Points Petition form to your adviser in CSA, along with a Registration and Add/Drop form indicating which course you wish to add.
CC Students: CC students can designate one class per term to take Pass/D/Fail (not including PE courses and other courses that only allow the Pass/Fail grading option). You cannot take any Core classes Pass/D/Fail, nor any language courses. Some majors allow you to elect Pass/D/Fail for the first course you take in the department, but it is your responsibility to confirm that with the department before choosing the Pass/D/Fail option.
Beginning with courses taken in the Fall 2007 semester, students are allowed to uncover a grade of Pass within two weeks of the start of the semester immediately following that in which the grade of Pass was received. Students have until two weeks into the start of the spring semester to uncover the grade of a fall course and two weeks into the start of the fall semester to uncover the grade of a spring or summer term course. The grade of Pass will not be used in calculating grade point average; the grades of D and Fail will be so used.
SEAS Students: The Pass/Fail option is not available to SEAS students except in very rare circumstances; any class with a Pass/Fail grade will not count toward any requirements or toward the 128 credits SEAS students need to graduate. SEAS students must consult with their adviser before opting to take a class Pass/Fail.
Deadline: The Pass/D/Fail deadline is usually the 10th week of classes. Go in person to the Registrar (205 Kent) with a completed Registration and Add/Drop Form.
For more detailed information, consult our Fact Sheet.
CC Students: Columbia College students who wish to register for courses that overlap must visit the Dean's Office in 208 Hamilton Hall, before the last day of registration, to petition for approval. Click here for the form.
SEAS Students: Columbia Engineering students who wish to register for courses that overlap must submit the Overlap Approval form to their Advising Dean before the last day of registration. You should also fill out a Registration and Add/Drop form indicating which class you would like to add.
If you are struggling in a course, you should always first contact your professor or teaching assistant to discuss expectations, go over previous exams and papers, and clarify concepts and the material. It's also a good idea to contact your advising dean, who can help you review your study habits and create a plan.
For more assistance, you can look for a tutor or visit a help room. Help rooms are sponsored by the academic departments and are staffed by graduate students. They are open at various times for students to drop by and ask questions about homework and material. There are also a variety of tutors available. Academic Success Programs offers a free group tutoring service in a variety of subjects. Here is a list of department-sponsored private tutors and help room information.