Academic Policies

• Administrative Policy Library: University policies for sponsored projects.
• Managing Research and Externally Funded Projects: Policies guiding management of projects sponsored by governmental and private organizations.
• Policies on Federally-funded Projects: Agency-specific guidance for project management.

• Student Email Communication Policy: Policies governing how the University communicates with students by email.
• Information Technology Policies: Full scope of policies governing use and access to information technology.

• Non-Retaliation Policy: Statement on the University prohibition on retaliation against those who report or seek guidance on ethical or compliance issues.
• Policies and Procedures on Discrimination and Harassment: Faculty and student policies on discrimination and harassment, reporting options, investigation and disciplinary process.
• Gender-Based Misconduct Policies for Students: Sexual respect and integrity policy, reporting protocol, and counseling resources.

• Policy on Partisan Political Activity: Rules prohibiting the University from participating or intervening in any political campaign and the rules governing anyone connected with the University regarding participation in political campaign activities.
• University Event Policies: Guidance in planning and scheduling events or meetings.

• Involuntary Leave of Absence: Policy for how involuntary leave is determined and managed.
• Leave for Military Duty: Policies on military leave of absence.
• Voluntary Leave of Absence Policy: Circumstances and process for withdrawal from school.

• Policy on Access to Student Records (FERPA): Your rights to access your educational records or release them to others.
• Social Security Number Usage: Policies about when you must provide your Social Security Number to the University.

Find information about the formal and informal processes of resolving disputes and registering a complaint or grievance in the Student Handbook. See the sections, “Formal Complaint Procedures,” and “Student Grievances, Academic Concerns, and Complaints.”

• Student Conduct: Rules of University conduct and discipline.
• Community Standards: The rationale and principles of academic integrity as a student in the Columbia Engineering community.
   

• Academic Standing for Undergraduates: Policies regarding academic performance.
• Academic Integrity: Policies and information about academic integrity.

Steps to Register:

• Meet with your Academic Advisor in your Department to discuss your Program Plan.
• Review the Registrar’s Directory of Classes.
• Review Registration Timeline.
• Log on to your SSOL (Student Services Online) account.
• During your scheduled registration appointment, register for classes using SSOL.

Registration for MS Students:

Beginning with registration in April 2022, master’s students will be able to register for a maximum of 15 credits, including courses for which the student is registering on the waitlist. As has been past policy and practice, graduate students may not take more than 15 credits per semester, and students are reminded that they are billed per credit. 

In addition, graduate students are reminded that if they drop classes after the last day of the Change of Program (add/drop) period, they will be charged tuition for the dropped classes.

Master’s students at Columbia Engineering will be limited to the following parameters:

• 1st Year students will only be able to be simultaneously registered and waitlisted for credits up to 15 credits.
• 2nd Year students will only be able to be simultaneously registered and waitlisted for credits up to 12 credits for 36 credits programs or 9 credits for 30 programs.

For example, if you are a 2nd-year student registered for 10 credits and want to waitlist a class for 3 credits, you will not be able to. Your total waitlisted/registered credits would be 13, which would be above the 12 credit max. You will either need to register or waitlist a class that is 2 credits or drop a class you are registered for to waitlist the 3-credit class.

If you are a 1st-year student, currently registered for 9 credits and waitlisted for 3 credits, and want to register for an open 4-credit course, you will not be able to. Your total waitlisted/registered credits would be 16, which is above the 15 max. You will need to either drop a class or remove yourself from a waitlist.

Registration for Doctoral Students:

Doctoral students cannot register part-time. There are three full-time registration categories for Doctoral students. Please make sure to confirm your registration category with your department administrator.

• Full Residence Unit (RESI G0001, call number 13369) – “R.U.” is for students who will be taking courses or who will still be within their first six semesters. The completion of six R.U.s is a requirement for the MPhil and PhD degrees.
• Extended Residence (EXRS G0001, call number 13367) – “E.R.” is for students who are beyond the first six semesters of their PhD program and are serving as Teaching Assistants (TAs), Research Assistants (RAs), Research Fellows, or as Core Preceptors.
• Matriculation and Facilities (MTFC G0001, call number 13368) – “M&F” is exclusively for PhD students who are beyond their first six semesters, who will not be teaching, and who are instead:
  • completing a degree requirement such as a language examination or qualifying examination
  • preparing the dissertation proposal, or
  • writing or distributing the dissertation.

Please note: students should not register for M&F for over two semesters. In extenuating circumstances, students may petition Graduate Student Affairs for a third term of M&F. 

For more information about each registration category, please see the Residence Unit Student Guide. 

Doctoral students must register continuously until they distribute to their committee the copy of the dissertation that will be evaluated at the defense; if the dissertation defense is scheduled for a subsequent term, students need not register again.

Part-Time vs. Full-Time Registration

Part-time and full-time statuses depend on your degree and number of points (equal to "credits" at other institutions). One point of credit represents one hour of contact with a professor each week for the length of the term. Most classes are three credits.

All students should plan their academic programs with their department. Should a graduate student need more time to complete their degree program, a petition for an extension to their program must be submitted to the department and the Office of Graduate Student Affairs.

International Students (F-1 or J-1) are required to be full-time. These students should contact ISSO to inquire about dropping courses at any point during their program. Since the cost of tuition generally increases each academic year, students are encouraged to complete their program in the shortest time possible that fits with their own schedule and constraints.

Adding/Dropping Courses After Change of Program Period

Graduate Students are cautioned that there are no refunds for courses dropped after the University's Change of Program Period. Even if you are adding a course, the cost of the new course will not be “offset” by dropping (swapping) with a discarded course. Students will be charged in full for both courses. 

Because of this, we encourage students to be fully advised as to their intended course load each term. Students who desire to add or drop courses after the add/drop timeline will need to complete the Registration Adjustment Form and submit the request to their department. SSOL cannot be used for this purpose as faculty and school approval are required.

Changing Degree Program After Change of Program Period

The change of program period only allows you to add or drop courses. If a graduate student wants to “transfer” into another department, they must complete at least one semester in their current program and submit an admissions application for the program that they wish to enroll in the future. If the student is admitted, then their degree program status will change.

For further questions about transferring, please check with Graduate Admissions.

Changing Course Grading Options

Graduate students must speak to their department before selecting P/F for a course.

If approved, please review the timeline established by the Registrar’s office for students wishing to change their grading options (i.e. Letter Grade to Pass/Fail etc.). The Registration Adjustment Form is used for this purpose as well.

Pass/Fail courses do not count towards the degree. After the last day of the change of grade option period, there is no uncovering or changing of P/F or letter grades under any circumstances.

Changing Status

Apply for advanced standing, a degree level change (lower), a concentration change, a leave of absence, or readmission. 

Columbia University Cross-Registration

The following should be noted:

• All students will need departmental permission to take non-program-related courses. 
• If approved, students can take courses outside of their requirements. However, they should be aware that these courses may not count towards their degree program. 
• Students who take undergraduate courses through Engineering will be charged graduate-level tuition for those courses. 
• Cross-registration requests require approval from both non-Engineering schools and the graduate student’s department. 
• Please be aware of eligibility requirements when registering. Some courses may be restricted.
• Students wishing to take graduate courses at the Columbia Business School (CBS) must follow Business school registration procedures and receive approval from their department. 
• Students wishing to obtain academic credit for courses taken at Columbia but outside of the School of Engineering will need to inquire about advanced standing.

Columbia Engineering Cross-Registration

Cross-registration within Columbia Engineering must be approved by the graduate student’s home department and the host department. For example, if you are a MECE student and you want to register for a CS course, then you will need to obtain approval from MECE and CS.

Graduate students with questions about enrollment, registration, or degree requirements should contact their respective Department's student affairs officer.