Student Division FAQ (Policies & Procedures)

The College of Liberal Arts follows The University of Texas at Austin’s academic calendar for purposes of adding courses.

During fall and spring semesters, the deadline to add a class is 5 p.m. on the fourth-class day. Prior to this time, students may add courses online via the Office of the Registrar’s official registration system. Students may only add a course after this time and until the twelfth-class day, with approval of academic advisors in the department offering the desired course. Each department has its own policies and procedures and many will not allow students to add classes after the fourth-class day. Therefore, registration ought to be finalized by 5 p.m. on the fourth-class day.

During the fall and spring semesters:

• First through fourth class days: Add online via registration system.
• Fifth through 12th class: Request to add via advisors in department offering course

During summer sessions:

• First- and second-class days: Add online via registration system.
• Third- and fourth-class day: Request to add via advisors in department offering course 

Unless specified in the Course Schedule, any student who has completed 30 or more hours of college coursework may take a course on the pass/fail basis. Courses taken on the pass/fail basis can only satisfy hours requirements as electives; they will not satisfy core, flag, College general education, major, minor or certificate requirements. In addition, only two courses per semester may be taken on the pass/fail basis and only 16 total hours of pass/fail coursework may count toward a degree.  

If a class is taken pass/fail and a grade of F is assigned, the F will appear on a student’s academic record and the F will be averaged into the GPA. If a D- or higher is earned in a course being taken on the pass/fail basis, credit (CR) will appear on an academic record and will have no impact on the GPA.

Students may register or change a course to the pass/fail basis themselves via the Office of the Registrar’s registration system until 5 p.m.(central time) on the 12th class day (see academic calendar for specific date) in the fall or spring semester.

After this period, and until 5 p.m.(central time) on the midsemester deadline (see academic calendar for specific date) students must make pass/fail changes in the Student Division. All changes made by, and submitted to, the College are final.

Students should consult the academic calendar for summer session deadlines.

While most students will want to complete 15 hours a semester in order to graduate in four years, undergraduates must be registered for at least 12 hours to be considered a full-time student. In some circumstances, students may be granted a reduced course load accommodation from the Disability and Access.

Students dropping courses must be mindful of their total hours. If dropping below full-time, they could face issues with on-campus housing, financial aid and scholarships, parent’s insurance, or visa status (for international students).

An undergraduate enrolled in at least six hours of coursework in his or her semester of expected graduation may also be considered full-time. After consulting with Texas One Stop, the student must contact the Student Division after the twelfth-class day to apply to graduate and request verification of their final hours and expected graduation date. The Office of the Registrar will then certify the student as full-time below twelve hours when appropriate. 

Undergraduate students may not register for more than 17 hours in any long-session semester (or 14 hours in the summer) without the approval of the College. Exceptions will be considered in two situations:

• During the initial registration period, seniors graduating within the next two consecutive semesters may receive permission to add courses required to graduate.  Students should connect with a Student Division advisor iduring the initial registration period to review their graduation plan and make this request. 
• During the add/drop period at the start of the semester, students who earned at least 42 grade points during the immediately preceding long semester may request their maximum hours be raised by contacting the Student Division. Maximum hours will not be increased based on grade points prior to the add/drop period.

Students can take graduate-level courses for undergraduate credit, if they meet the following criteria:

• 3.0 GPA
• 60 hours of completed coursework
• Consent of the instructor
• Consent of the department’s graduate advisor
• Consent of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs via staff in the Student Division 

Students who meet the above criteria and are interested in taking a graduate course for undergraduate credit must submit their request along with approval from the instructor, and consent of the department’s graduate advisor to the Student Division for review.

If approved, the student will be given access to register for the course and the course will count as upper-division hours towards the student’s undergraduate degree. If the student would like the course to count towards a particular degree requirement, they should discuss it with their department advisor.

Students also have the option of registering for graduate courses and reserving for use towards a graduate degree. The requirements are similar but the process is maintained by the Graduate School. Once all other approvals are obtained, the Student Division can provide undergraduate college approval.

The College of Liberal Arts follows The University of Texas at Austin’s academic calendar for purposes of adding courses.

Delete Drops: First through 12th class day

Students may drop themselves from courses online via the Office of the Registrar’s registration system until 5 p.m. (central time) on the twelfth-class day during the fall and spring semesters. The deadline is 5 p.m. (central time) on the fourth-class day during summer sessions. Courses dropped before this deadline do not appear on a student’s academic record.

Students who wish to drop all of their courses after the semester begins, must connect with an advisor in the Student Division to initiate a withdrawal.

Q-Drops: After the 12th class day

Requests to drop courses after the 12th class day in the fall or spring must be submitted to the Student Division before 5 p.m. (central time) on the midsemester deadline (see academic calendar for specific date).

During summer sessions, requests to drop courses must be submitted to the Student Division after the fourth-class day and until 5 p.m. (central time) on the last class day of the session.

Any drop during this period is considered a Q-Drop; a “Q” identifies the drop on a student's academic record. All drops during this period will be considered “academic”; however, students may submit a General Appeal to request the drop be counted as “non-academic”. If determined the reason is academic, the drop is counted toward the six drop limit (see below).

All students should consult with their academic advisor when considering dropping a class. In addition, students should consult with Texas One Stop on possible financial aid, scholarship, and fellowship ramifications, and/or with Texas Global on visa and immigration matters (if you are an international student). Additional implications students should consider before making registration changes include (but are not limited to): time to degree completion; honors; Veterans' benefits; professional certification; employment eligibility; graduate/professional school applications (health, law, graduate); and athletic eligibility.

Students must connect with the Student Division to begin the q-drop process.

Students who wish to drop all of their courses after the semester begins, must connect with an advisor in the Student Division to initiate a withdrawal

After the midsemester deadline, students may be eligible to drop using the one-time exception (OTE). Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor in the Student Division as soon as possible to review options. 

One-Time Exception Q-Drop

After the mid-semester deadline, students may be eligible to drop using the One-Time-Exception (OTE). The OTE may be invoked only once during the student’s entire undergraduate college career regardless of the college the student was enrolled at the time the exception was allowed.

A student must request the OTE from a Student Division advisor by the last class day. You may connect with an advisor in GEB 2.200 or via Zoom in our online live chat.

Procedures for Drops

1. A student may not drop a class in which a final grade has been assigned.
2. A student may not drop a class if there are any pending investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the class in question; this will be verified by the Student Division advisor with the instructor of the course.
3. A student may drop a course if there is a pending investigation of scholastic dishonesty. However, a drop is not considered final until all investigations are fully resolved and the course may be reinstated to face an academic penalty. A student may receive an academic penalty for a dropped class if found guilty of scholastic dishonesty. 
4. Drops allowed under the provisions of the OTE will be considered academic drops and will count toward the six-drop limit. Students who have reached the six-drop limit are not eligible to use the OTE to drop a course.

Students who have already used their OTE will not be allowed to drop unless there are serious, non-academic circumstances that occurred after the deadline. In this instance, students are encouraged to meet with a Student Division advisor as soon as possible to review options.

Students are no longer required to speak with faculty before dropping, but it is still encouraged. 

The One-Time-Exception may also be used to withdraw from the University.

If you have questions, please email your academic advisor.

Course Load Reduction

A Course Load Reduction (CLR) is an accommodation offered through Disability and Access (D&A). The CLR process allows a student to drop a course(s) for non-academic medical or mental health-related reasons. D&A reviews the Course Load Reduction application and required supporting documentation and, if supported, makes a recommendation for the College to drop the course. Approved CLR dropped courses will be counted as non-academic Q-drops and will result in a Q on a student’s transcript.

Students interested in pursuing a CLR should meet with an academic advisor in the Student Division to initiate the process. The deadline to submit a CLR application is generally two weeks prior to the last class day of the semester. Students should refer to D&A for the specific deadline each semester.

Course Load Reduction Accommodation

For students registered with D&A, the accommodation of a course load reduction (CLR) is generally defined as maintaining full-time status while being registered for fewer than twelve (12) hours for undergraduate students. CLRs are approved on a semester-by-semester basis, and students are encouraged to arrange this accommodation early in the registration process. Students approved for CLR and registered with D&A will not be penalized by part-time status in policy and program areas under University control; however, auxiliary services (such as federal financial aid, personal insurance, non-University sponsored scholarships, etc.) may be affected.

Per Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, students who began full-time college enrollment at a Texas public institution for the first time in the Fall 2007 semester or later will be limited to a total of 6 dropped courses for academic reasons during their undergraduate studies.

Students may drop a course online during the first 12 class days in a fall or spring semester (and during the first four class days in a summer session) without penalty. Because courses dropped during this time do not appear on the student’s record, they also will not count towards the six-drop limit.

Courses dropped after the 12th class day in a fall or spring semester (and after the fourth class day in summer terms) will impact this Q-drop limit. Additional Q-drops beyond the six-drop limit must be requested by appeal and will only be considered for urgent, substantiated, nonacademic reasons.

If you have decided to not attend the University for a future semester in which you have registered, you should cancel your registration before the semester begins.

Prior to paying tuition, students may cancel registration directly via the Office of the Registrar.

If tuition has been paid (including if financial aid has been applied or attendance has been confirmed) cancelations must be initiated with an advisor in the Student Division before the first-class day. Students who paid tuition you will receive a full refund a minus a $15 administrative fee.

Students who are not enrolled at UT Austin for at least one long-semester, must apply for readmission in order to enroll in classes again.

International students should consult with Texas Global before canceling registration. Also note that cancelling registration may impact financial aid, housing, and veteran’s benefits among other services.

Once the semester has begun, students can no longer cancel your registration and must withdraw from the University (see below).

Once classes begin, if a student decides to drop all classes they are enrolled in that semester, it's considered a withdrawal and appears on the student’s academic record with a symbol of “W” assigned to each course. Withdrawals do not count toward the six-drop limit.

The deadline to initiate a withdrawal is the midsemester deadline (see academic calendar for specific date in the fall and spring semester) and the last class day in summer sessions. However, students should initiate the withdrawal process as soon as possible, if that's their intent, as they may be eligible to receive a prorated refund during roughly the first four weeks of classes.

When considering a withdrawal, students should consult with Texas One Stop on possible financial aid, scholarship, and fellowship ramifications, and/or with Texas Global on visa and immigration matters (if you are an international student). Additional implications students should consider before making registration changes include (but are not limited to): time to degree completion; honors; Veterans' benefits; professional certification; employment eligibility; graduate/professional school applications (health, law, graduate); and athletic eligibility.

To initiate a withdrawal, students must connect with the Student Division before the deadline. Students should also contact the Student Division if they need to withdraw after the deadline to discuss any possible options.

After Midsemester Deadline Withdrawals

The midsemester deadline is the last day a student may withdraw from all courses in a semester. After this date, and until the last class day, it may be possible for a student to withdrawal under one of the mechanisms below. Please speak to an academic advisor in the Student Division as soon as possible to discuss your possible options.

All withdrawals appear the same on academic records. Distinctions between different ways of withdrawing only explain the process and are not indicated or explained on any academic record.

One-Time Exception Withdrawal

The one-time-exception (OTE) may be invoked only once during a studentʼs entire undergraduate college career regardless of the college the student was enrolled in at the time the exception was allowed.

A student must request an OTE withdrawal by speaking with an academic advisor in the Student Division before 5 p.m. on the last class day.

The One-Time-Exception may also be used to drop a course.

Medical Withdrawal

An ill student whose illness precludes class attendance may pursue a current semester withdrawal through the Student Division until the midsemester deadline. After the midsemester deadline, requests for a semester withdrawal for medical reasons will be processed by University Health Services; and requests for a semester withdrawal for mental health reasons will be processed by Counseling and Mental Health Center.

Before submitting a medical withdrawal application, students must speak to an academic advisor in the Student Division.

The deadline for submitting medical withdrawal application is 5 p.m. on the last class day of the semester.

The College of Liberal Arts follows the withdrawal policies of the University as stated in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the General Information Catalog.

Since students are expected to withdraw during the semester in which they are experiencing difficulty, and exceptions are only made for students who were unable to withdraw during the semester, retroactive withdrawals are rarely considered.

A request for a retroactive withdrawal must be submitted to the Student Division by the last class day of the next long-semester. An appeal for a retroactive withdrawal for a semester prior to the previous long semester will only be considered if the student was somehow unable to contact the Student Division during any of the intervening time.

Students should speak to an academic advisor in the Student Division as soon as they are able, if they believe their circumstances warrant consideration. If appropriate, the Student Affairs advisor will provide the application materials and review the required components and necessary documentation for this request to be considered. 

If you decide to take a break from attending classes at the University and make this decision before you register, you will notify the University by simply not registering for classes. You can elect to return to the University in a subsequent semester.

Students wishing to return after one long semester must apply for readmission, pay an application fee, and submit any necessary transcripts. Application materials must be submitted by the posted application deadline. To be eligible to return, a former student who has attended another institution must have earned at least a 2.50 GPA.

To remain in good academic standing at the University, students must maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA. If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 2.00, they are placed on scholastic probation.

Scholastic probation is a sign that a student’s current strategies and performance aren’t as successful as the University expects. Academic advisors in our departments and in the Student Division can help students develop new plans for success and understand the requirements below.

Students on probation who fail to maintain certain GPAs in subsequent semesters are subject to scholastic dismissal by the University. To avoid being dismissed by the University, students on scholastic probation must meet the respective GPA benchmarks below: 

Students who do not meet the University’s requirements can also be allowed to continue their studies on scholastic probation (and avoid dismissal) by the College. Liberal Arts students who show marked improvement of at least six grade points (the equivalent of a 2.50 semester GPA on twelve hours) with no Fs or incompletes are allowed to continue at the University – even if they do not meet the University’s requirements. This criteria is outlined more fully in the SUCCESS Agreements students on probation are required to complete with their major advisor.

Students on probation who achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above at the end of a grade-reporting period in which they are currently enrolled are removed from probation. Students who meet the necessary benchmarks are continued on scholastic probation each semester until they return to good academic standing.

In order to avoid dismissal, the College of Liberal Arts requires all students on scholastic probation to schedule an advising appointment for SUCCESS advising each semester. At this time, the advisor will attempt to determine what factors are hindering the student’s academic success and make appropriate referrals. The advisor will also explain the minimum academic standards the student must achieve in the current semester in order to end probation/avoid dismissal.

In the interest of allowing students the best opportunities to continue coursework and graduate from the University, the College of Liberal Arts has instituted the SUCCESS Agreement for students on probation. Students who meet the standards of the SUCCESS Agreement but miss the University-specified GPAs are nevertheless continued on probation. When students are placed on probation, they are encouraged to meet with advisors early in the semester to discuss their plans and complete the SUCCESS Agreement. Students who opt to not meet with an advisor to complete an agreement are still held to the standards of that contract given that the conditions for continuation are usually more lenient than the university standard.

The minimum GPAs required through the SUCCESS Agreement varies based on the number of UT Austin hours completed during the semester. These minimum GPAs are allocated in such a way as to guarantee that students are making progress on bringing their overall GPAs to the university standard even if the standard itself is not met. Thus, required GPAs are highest for those with few completed hours and lowest for those with the most completed hours. The table below displays required GPAs by hours completed.

Students who q-drop courses during the semester and, as a result, complete fewer than six hours of academic coursework will not be automatically continued; they must appeal their dismissal.  

Scholastic Dismissal

Students are subject to scholastic dismissal in the following circumstances:

• The student fails twelve or more hours in their first long semester (freshmen or transfer).
• The student fails to achieve the requisite cumulative or semester GPA while on probation.
• The student withdraws from the University after the twentieth class day while on probation.
• The student q-drops courses during the semester and, as a result, completes fewer than six hours of academic coursework without meeting the requisite cumulative GPA. 

Dismissal Terms

A first dismissal lasts one long semester (including any intervening summer session).

After returning from a first dismissal, students failing to once again achieve the requisite cumulative or semester GPA will be subject to a second dismissal. Second dismissals last three calendar years.

After returning from a second dismissal, students failing to once again achieve the requisite cumulative or semester GPA will be subject to a third dismissal. If a student is dismissed for a third time, this dismissal is final, per University policy.

Return from Dismissal

Students returning from dismissal will be on academic probation. Following a first dismissal, students are automatically eligible to return to the University and must submit an application for readmission.

Readmission following a second dismissal is not guaranteed and students must appeal for approval. Liberal Arts also offers an appeal option for students to return early from a second dismissal. For additional information regarding appeals, see Scholastic Dismissal Appeals below

Note: If the student has taken any coursework while on dismissal, the Office of Admissions requires they maintain at least a 2.50 GPA on all transfer work.

First Dismissals

First dismissals (which last one long semester and any intervening summer session) are enforced except when a student has met his or her SUCCESS agreement. A first dismissal appeal will be approved in very rare circumstances.

Under SUCCESS standards, a student must earn at least the minimum GPA mandated by his or her credit hours for the semester with no incompletes or F’s.

A student who sits out his or her semester-long dismissal and wishes to return to the University does not need to submit an appeal to the College but does need to submit an application for readmission. Readmission shall be recommended by the College, provided the student meets all readmission criteria.

Second Dismissal - Appeal for Continuation

Second dismissals (which last three calendar years) are enforced except when a student has met his or her SUCCESS agreement. A second dismissal appeal will be considered based on time to degree and/or nonacademic circumstances.

A student facing a three-year dismissal may be granted greater consideration since a three-year dismissal can conclude a UT Austin undergraduate career. Any student with a "reasonable chance of completing a degree" in a timely manner may be granted one final exception to continue on probation. Such an exception is a once-only exception, i.e., the College will not grant the student any future exception to the College's and the University's dismissal policies and guidelines. It is the purview of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to approve or deny the appeal.

Second Dismissal - Appeal to Shorten the Term of a Second Dismissal

Students may appeal to return early from a second dismissal upon meeting the following criteria:

• The student has sat out at least two long semesters; and
• The student has raised his/her cumulative GPA to 2.0.

      or

• The student would have met the criteria for continuation as stated above, but did not file an appeal for continuation at the end of the semester for which they were dismissed. The dismissal notation will remain on the student’s record.

Second Dismissal - Appeal to Return from a Second Dismissal

After sitting out three years from a second dismissal, most students are allowed to return, through appeal to the College, to UT Austin if the Associate Dean for Student Affairs assesses the student has a "reasonable chance of completing a degree."

In addition to appealing, students must submit an application for readmission. Note: If the student has taken any coursework while on dismissal, the Office of Admissions requires they maintain at least a 2.50 GPA on all transfer work.

Third Dismissals

Appeals to continue or to return to UT Austin following a third dismissal (which are considered final) will not be considered except in the most extreme, extenuating circumstances. 

Deadlines for Submission of Appeals

All dismissal appeals must be submitted to the Student Division no later than five business days before the first-class day of the semester for which the student wishes to return.

Students who are unable to complete a class because of non-academic reasons should discuss this situation with their instructor and a Student Affairs advisor in the Student Division.

Under certain situations, if University criteria are met, an incomplete grade (or a “X”) may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Incompletes are a temporary delay in grade reporting. They may be an appropriate option when non-academic issues arise near the end of the semester that delay a student’s ability to complete an end of the semester assignment or exam on time. For issues that arise earlier in the semester, a Q-drop may be more appropriate.

When an incomplete is assigned, all remaining coursework must be completed and a final grade reported by the instructor by the end of the next long semester or a grade of “F” will be automatically assigned.

An incomplete does not allow a student to repeat an entire course nor should students re-register for the course in a subsequent semester.

There is no grade replacement policy at The University of Texas at Austin. If a student repeats a course, both grades will appear on the student’s transcript and both grades will be calculated into the student’s overall GPA.

Dean's List

The Dean's Honor List, prepared at the end of each long semester, officially recognizes and commends students whose grades for the semester indicate distinguished academic accomplishment. Students must be enrolled full time, earn a minimum of 52 grade points, and not earn a grade of F in any course. The Dean's list cannot be viewed online, but students may request a letter confirming their Dean's List status. Students will receive an email at the beginning of the spring or summer semesters if they qualified for the Dean’s List in the prior semester.

Dean's Recommendation Letter

If you are considering transferring to another university or applying to graduate school, the other institution may request information about your academic and student conduct records. College of Liberal Arts students can get this information from the University by requesting a Dean's Recommendation Letter from the College with this form. Forms can be submitted in person in Gebauer 2.200 or by email.

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment refers to being simultaneously enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin and another educational institution. The College of Liberal Arts permits concurrent enrollment and students do not need explicit prior approval from the College to enroll elsewhere while taking course at UT Austin.

Transfer Courses

Many students transfer academic credit from other colleges. Students who plan to take courses at another institution should talk to their academic advisor before enrolling.

Information about how coursework taken in-state transfers to the University can be found on the Automate Transfer Equivalency (ATE) System website. 


Students who are hoping to transfer courses from out-of-state schools should go through the Office of Admissions to complete the Pre-Evaluation Form prior to registering for any coursework.

Any courses completed at another educational institution must be transferred to the university. Students should also note that courses in which grades lower than C− are earned do not transfer to UT Austin, grades from transfer work are excluded from a student's UT Austin GPA, and all degrees require least 60 semester hours in residence at UT in addition to residency requirements in majors, minors, and certificates.

Students enrolled in a course offered in a department or program within the College of Liberal Arts have the right to appeal their final grade. Grade appeals will only be considered in cases of documented instructor error or policy violation. Students who wish to appeal a grade received in a Liberal Arts course should speak to an academic advisor first and must follow the guidelines and procedures for filing a grade appeal for their request to be considered.

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