Registration Policies

The academic advising process is the basis for student course selection and registration. Each academic department identifies faculty or professionals who serve as advisors to students. Before registration, students must meet with their advisor and receive approval for their anticipated program of study.

• Undergraduate Advisors
• Graduate Advisors

The University Registrar places an Advisement (XAC) Hold on the student’s record before each registration period. Once a student meets with their advisor, the hold is removed by the advisor and the student can register.

More information on Undergraduate Advisement.

Students may audit a course with an advisor's approval. Regular tuition fees apply. Approval of the academic department is required prior to auditing a class, and will only be allowed when classroom space permits. Credits for an audited course do not count toward a student’s enrollment status, and grades will not be received or included in GPA calculations. An audited course will be annotated by R on the student transcript. Students must decide to audit a class during the registration period (by the Add/Drop deadline) by completing the appropriate form at the Office of Records and Registration. The decision to audit a course may not be changed once selected, and students may not choose to audit course for which they are already enrolled “for-credit” after the add/drop deadline.

Class permissions are generated by the department offering the respective course. Class permissions can override enrollment errors such as requisites, closed sections, and department consent. Class permissions allow students to add a course, as long as the student uses the permission by the expiration date.

Department contacts for permission numbers:

• Undergraduate
• Graduate

Students are classified by class level/standing based on credits earned and/or approved transfer and/or advanced placement credits as follows:

• First-Year: 1 – 31.5 credits
• Sophomore: 32 – 63.5 credits
• Junior: 64 – 95.5 credits
• Senior: 96 or more credits

Classroom locations are published in the course schedule online. Students and instructors may also view classroom locations on their personalized class schedules via NYU Albert Student Center. Most classes on the Brooklyn Campus meet in Rogers Hall (RH), Jacobs Academic Building (JAB). For the 55 Broad Street location, please contact that location directly for classroom numbers.

Building Code Key:

• JAB: Jacob’s Academic Building
• LC: Dibner Library
• MTC: Metro Tech Center
• RH: Roger’s Hall
• 370J: 370 Jay Street

Instruction Mode Definitions & Classroom Locations

Students are blocked from enrolling into closed (full) courses. Over-the-limit approvals may be issued – if classroom space permits – by the respective department. If approval is granted, a student must obtain a permission from the department to register online for a closed course. Most departments no longer use permission codes. They will grant you permission via Albert and you should be able to register without a code.

All students are required to be continuously enrolled each Fall and Spring semester until graduation. Students that do not enroll for a term and do not formally file for Leave of Absence in the NYU Albert Student Center are automatically discontinued. Students discontinued due to non-enrollment must apply for readmission. If readmission is granted, students will be governed by the catalogue and rules effective at the time of readmission and the terms and conditions of the readmission.

Undergraduate Courses:

• 1000 Level: Primarily for first year students
• 2000 Level: Available to all students
• 3000 Level: Primarily for advanced students
• 4000 Level: Advanced students

Graduate Courses:

• 5000-9999 Level: Graduate level course work

Students may withdraw from a course (for a W grade) until the published withdrawal deadline. Students process withdrawals online via NYU Albert Student Center. Withdrawn courses remain on the student’s transcript with a grade of W which is not calculated into the GPA. Once entered on the student’s record, a W grade cannot be changed to any other grade. An F grade is recorded for any student who ceases to attend a course without formally withdrawing in the required fashion by the deadline. Although formal approvals are not required, students are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor, Financial Aid Office, and International Students Office prior to withdrawing from a course. A course withdrawal may impact academic progress, delay graduation, or affect a student’s enrollment status, Visa eligibility, and financial aid eligibility.

Course Withdrawal

Undergraduate students with an outstanding record or specialized competence may establish a maximum of 16 credits toward the baccalaureate degree by passing comprehensive examinations. Each department within the School of Engineering determines the courses in which such an examination is available and the examination format. The student must obtain approval of the department/Instructor giving the course, their academic advisor and the Office of Undergraduate Academics. A grade of B+ or better is required to achieve credit by examination. Students registering for or attending a course at the School of Engineering may not subsequently take the examination for credit for this course or for a course with similar content. The examination may be taken only once. Students pay a fee to the Bursar's Office before each examination. The course and credits are posted on a student’s transcript without a grade and do not towards the residence requirement for a bachelor’s degree or for a degree with honors or towards the GPA.

Effective Fall 2015, full-time undergraduate students may register for 12-18 credits (all credits in excess of 18 are charged at the per credit rate). Graduate students may register for a maximum of 11 credits.

Credit ‘overloads’ are approved on a case-by-case basis and dependent upon a student’s academic performance. Students who wish to appeal for overload must submit a Credit Limit Overload Form (available on the Registration Forms page) to the Office of Undergraduate/Graduate Academics. The form must be signed first by the department advisor. If ‘overload’ permission is granted, the completed form must be submitted to the Office of Records and Registration for processing. The Office of Records and Registration will adjust the student’s maximum credit load, allowing the student to enroll for the approved credit amount online via NYU Albert Student Center.

Department Consent requirements are placed on special courses at the request of the respective department. The department will therefore manage enrollment for this course by issuing permission to those students permitted to enroll.

Tandon students are eligible to complete a second (non-primary) major in a distinct discipline other than their primary declared major, both within the Tandon School of Engineering and at other undergraduate schools of NYU. Declaring a second major is an option for all undergraduate students at Tandon as long as they are in good academic standing and receive approval from authorized personnel from both academic departments. Specific requirements for each major are determined by the two departments’ undergraduate academic advisors, undergraduate program directors, or department heads, in conjunction with the Tandon Office of Undergraduate Academics and the Tandon Office of Records and Registration. Students are required to complete all degree requirements for each major; some courses may be double-counted towards both majors at the discretion of both academic departments.

It is important to be aware that declaring a second major will likely increase a students’ time to completion at NYU and can impact financial aid. More information and instructions can be found on the NYU Tandon Non-primary (Double) Major Declaration form available on the Registration Forms page.

Common Exam Hour is a co-requisite for all first-year undergraduate core courses. Students must register for EX-UY 1 when registering for the first-year courses listed below. The EX-UY 1 co-requisite is required, regardless of the student's status.

CM-UY 1003, CM-UY 1013, CM-UY 1023, CS-UY 1113, CS-UY 1114, CS-UY 1121, CS-UY 1123, CS-UY 1124, CS-UY 1133, CS-UY 1134, CS-UY 2124, CS-UY 2413, MA-UY 1024, MA-UY 1154, MA-UY 1054, MA-UY 1124, MA-UY 1324, MA-UY 1424, MA-UY 914,
PH-UY 1013, PH-UY 1213, PH-UY 1223, PH-UY 2023, PH-UY 2033

Undergraduate Students whose academic records indicate an unacceptable level of academic progress may be placed on final probation. To improve academic performance, students on final probation must meet with their advisor to develop a study program and are limited to a maximum of 12 credits per semester while on probation.

If a student cannot complete the coursework at the usual time because of valid reasons, such as illness or another critical emergency, the instructor may give a grade of Incomplete/I. In such cases, the instructor and the student must develop a detailed plan for completion that includes a specific completion date. Ordinarily this date should not extend beyond the intersession, in fairness to students who finish course requirements on time and to ensure that students complete prerequisites for advanced courses. An Incomplete grade converts to an F if the student fails to complete the work within the specified completion timeline, or at most by 180 days after the end of the semester in which the student was enrolled in the course. All Incomplete grades must be converted before graduation.

The grade of Incomplete/I is used sparingly and only in cases with valid reasons, not merely because students have planned poorly or overloaded themselves. An Incomplete grade should not be issued if a student is unable to complete the course requirements without attending or participating in the course a second time. If the student reregisters for a course in which an Incomplete grade was given, the Incomplete grade lapses to an F. If successful resolution of an Incomplete grade would require the repetition of any course or portion of a course, the instructor should not assign an Incomplete, and should instead counsel the student to withdraw from the course.

The first two weeks of a regular semester are considered “late registration” or the “drop/add period.” During this period, students are responsible for finalizing their registrations. Students who do not finalize registration by the published Drop/Add Deadline will not be permitted to enroll for that semester. Late fees are charged to all continuing students who have not registered before the start date of the term. 

Students who cannot enroll for a semester due serious illness, national service, or compelling personal reasons may request a Leave of Absence. Students must submit a request for Leave of Absence via NYU Albert Student Center. Undergraduates must obtain permission from the Academic Advisement Center (first year students) or the Office of Academic Affairs (sophomore – senior students). Graduate students must obtain permission from the Associate Dean of Graduate Academics. If a request is approved by all required signatories, the Registrar will record a leave of absence on the student’s transcript.

Leaves of absence, if approved, are granted for a maximum of one year except in extreme cases, such as compulsory national service (if such service is for more than one year). Foreign students must also contact OGS. An approved leave of absence is an academic decision; it does not override OGS concerns. The leave of absence counts towards the time limits for earning a degree. The approval of a leave of absence does not preclude subsequent academic disqualification.

Student Leave Policy

• Undegraduate (MAINT-UY 4747)

Students that have enrolled in all required coursework, but have pending degree requirements (such as thesis, project, or incomplete grades) may request enrollment for Maintenance of Matriculation (MAINT-UY 4747) to maintain matriculated status at the School of Engineering. To be permitted enrollment in Maintenance of Study, a student must write an essay explaining the reason for all pending requirements, and a timeline and academic plan for completion. All requests must be approved by the academic advisor and the Vice Dean of Academics.

• Graduate Students (MAINT-GY 4747)

Ph.D. Students: Upon completing 75 credits towards the Ph.D. and all required dissertation credits, Ph.D. students may continuously enroll in MOS every semester until all remaining work for their dissertation is complete. Summer enrollment in dissertation credits or MOS is only required if students plan to graduate in the summer term.

M.S. Students: Upon completing the number of M.S. thesis/M.S. project credits required by their department, students may enroll in Maintenance of Studies (MOS) for one semester in lieu of enrolling in more thesis/project credits. If the remaining work is not completed after one semester of MOS, students must resume enrollment in thesis/project credits in the following term and all subsequent terms until the thesis/project is complete. Once students elect to enroll in M.S. thesis/M.S. project, they must continue to enroll in research credits or MOS every semester until completion, even if they are taking other courses that will maintain their student status in the same semester. However, summer enrollment in thesis/project or MOS is only required if students plan to graduate in the summer term.

Requisites are set conditions required for enrollment into a course. Pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to enrollment. Co-requisites courses must be taken in conjunction with the requisite course during the same semester. Requisites are printed in the School of Engineering Catalog, the course syllabus, and PeopleSoft course information. Students will be blocked from enrollment into a course if set requisites are not complete or currently in-progress. Requisite overrides may only be issued by the respective department. If an override is permitted, the student must obtain a permission number from the department to register for the course online. Click here for current list of department contacts for permission numbers.

Students may add or drop courses from their schedules until the published Add/Drop Deadline. Students process schedule adjustments via NYU Albert Student Center. A course dropped after the Add/Drop deadline is considered a Withdrawal, and withdrawn courses will remain in the student’s transcript with a grade of “W” (which has no GPA penalty).

Registration appointments determine when a student can begin registration. Undergraduate registration appointments are prioritized by a student's earned credits. Registration appointments can be seen on a student's NYU Albert Student Center.

• Undergraduates: If an undergraduate student takes a course two or more times, only the second and subsequent grades will count toward their GPA. This policy holds regardless of the first and second grades earned, even when the second grade is lower than the first. The repeated course must be taken within one year of the first course, or at the first time it is offered (if a course is unavailable to repeat within one year). If the student first repeats the course more than one year after taking it initially, and the course has been offered, all grades earned in the course will be counted in the student’s GPA. If a student earns a passing grade and subsequently fails the course, the passing grade can be used to satisfy degree requirements. No undergraduate course may be repeated more than twice, for a total of three attempts. If a student earns an F grade in each of their three attempts of a prerequisite course or a degree requirement, the student is then academically disqualified.

• Graduates: The first time a graduate student repeats a course, the lower grade is not counted towards the GPA. All subsequent grades in a course repeated more than once are included in the GPA, although degree credit is earned only once.

Students are not permitted to register for courses with conflicting meeting times. If a student feels an exception should be made, they must contact the Office of Records and Registration.

Students who intend to withdraw from their program at the School of Engineering must submit a Total Withdrawal request. Requests must be approved by the Office of Academic Affairs (undergraduate) or the Office of Graduate Academics (graduate). If an enrolled student totally withdraws from the School of Engineering prior to the Withdrawal Deadline, s/he will receive W grades. Mere absence from courses does not constitute official withdrawal, and failure to submit the appropriate forms by the published deadline will result in F grades for courses not completed.

Requesting a Total Withdrawal

New Veterans should notify the Veterans Affairs Representative in the Office of the University Registrar and submit their DD214 and Letter of Eligibility forms after paying their tuition deposit with the School of Engineering. 

Applications or further information may be obtained from the NYU VA website.   Since the interpretation of regulations governing veterans’ benefits is subject to change at any time, veterans should keep in contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs or with the Office of the University Registrar's Veterans Affairs Certifying Official.

Students may choose to join a waitlist for a closed course during the registration period and until the add/drop deadline. Although the course will remain closed to other students, if/when a seat opens the wait list process runs several times a day to enroll wait-listed students on a first-come-first-serve basis.

IMPORTANT WAIT LIST INFORMATION:

• THE WAIT LIST DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT IN A COURSE. 
• IT IS VERY EASY TO BE “SKIPPED” WHEN A COURSE OPENS – EVEN IF ON THE WAIT LIST.
  • Students will be skipped (not enrolled) if:
    • the course requisites are not satisfied.
    • any active holds block enrollment.
    • the wait-listed course creates a time conflict with another enrolled course.
    • the enrollment brings him/her above the allowed credit limit.

• STUDENTS SHOULD USE THE SWAP FUNCTION! Read detailed instructions
  • If students do not use the swap function but rather enroll and waitlist into different classes with individual enrollment attempts, they are more likely to be blocked/skipped due to time conflicts, multiple enrollments for the same course, or credit limits, etc.
• STUDENTS SHOULD ENROLL INTO AN ALTERNATE SECTION FIRST! 
  • If a preferred section is closed with a waitlist option, students should enroll first into their alternate-choice section, and then use the SWAP function to place themselves onto the waitlist for the “first choice” section. Read detailed instructions.

• Students can monitor their wait-list position via NYU Albert Student Center by viewing “My Class Schedule.”
• Students may drop themselves from a waitlist by following the same process for dropping an enrolled course.