Registration Approvals

There are many situations in which you may need approval before you can register. The following list provides details about how to gain approval to register under these circumstances.

• Alternate PIN

  DU prevents undergraduate students from registering before meeting with advisers by placing an alternate personal identification number (PIN) on their PioneerWeb accounts. Once you've completed your pre-registration advising session, your adviser will remove the alternate PIN. The Office of the Registrar cannot release this alternate PIN before that time.

• Concurrent Enrollment

  If you want to enroll in courses at another institution while enrolled at DU, you must petition the Academic Exceptions Committee. We don't accept transfer credit for courses carried concurrently without prior permission. The total study load allowed may not exceed 19 quarter hours. Courses taken concurrently must not be available at the University of Denver.

• Continuous Enrollment

  This form is submitted once a graduate student has completed all coursework requirements and is working on academic work/research necessary to complete the degree. Examples of non-coursework requirements include a dissertation, thesis, research paper/capstone, portfolio, exhibition, or recital.  For more information, read the Continuous Enrollment Policy.

  For more details and to complete the form, please visit the Office of Graduate Education’s webpage

   

• Co-Requisites

  We offer some courses as a set, meaning you must register for both during the same term. When registering for these types of classes, you'll see a co-requisite notation following the course description. Find the two complementary courses, and register for both at the same time.

• Course Pre-Requisites & Restrictions

  You can always find course prerequisites by viewing the online class schedule. We list prerequisites at the top of each course description.

  Transfer students: In some cases, courses you transfer here that are similar to our own won't meet our prerequisite standards. Please contact the Registrar Office for further information.

• Credit & Course Load Approval

  You're considered a full-time undergraduate student when taking at least 12 credit hours per quarter. Graduate students must take at least 8 credits per quarter to reach full-time status.

  With approval, you can take a maximum of 20 credit hours per quarter. Undergraduate students are charged a flat rate tuition for up to 18 credit hours per quarter, and we'll generally charge you on a per-credit basis for anything above that amount. Please see the Office of Financial Aid and Office of Student Billing sites for more information.

  If you'd like to take more than a full course load, you must request approval from the appropriate office, which must provide its approval in writing. You may be approved to take up to the maximum of 20 credit hours per quarter.

  In most cases, you'll seek approval from the Office of Academic Advising, but exceptions include:

  • Undergraduate students in the Daniels College of Business wishing to take more than 19 credit hours per quarter: Contact the Daniels College of Business Student Services Office.
  • Graduate students wishing to take more than 18 credit hours per quarter: Contact the Office of Graduate Education.
  • Undergraduate students in College of Professional Studies wishing to take more than 19 credit hours: Contact your college for approval, and to verify the tuition and fee structure.

  These rules don't apply to the Sturm College of Law, which is on a semester schedule.

  We grant approval based on grade point average (GPA), request rationale and work schedule. Please contact the appropriate office for overload signatures and forms using the table below.

• Directed Study

  Directed study allows you to substitute out-of-class study for a University of Denver class under extenuating circumstances. Students often apply for directed study when a course they need to graduate isn't offered during an upcoming term.

  To apply for directed study, undergraduate students must complete the Application for Independent Study/Independent Research/Directed Study (also available at the Office of the Registrar on the ground level of University Hall). Graduate students can get the form from the Office Of Graduate Education.

  The form isn't complete until it has all required signatures, as noted on the form. Once complete, return it to the Office of the Registrar (undergraduates) or the Office of Graduate Education (graduates).

  Policies

  • Pre-approval for directed study is required from both the instructor and department offering the course.
  • There can be no change in the basic content of the course. In particular, this means the level, subject code, description, title, grading policy (A-F, P/NP), credits, and course content cannot differ from the permanent course.
  • The responsibilities of the instructor of record are: a) see that the grades are submitted; b) see that the material is presented in full in a timely manner; c) approve the course of study; d) approve the credentials of other faculty involved; e) agree to assume responsibility if problems arise. The faculty member must have taught the permanent course or a related course prior to teaching a directed study.
• Independent Research

  Register for independent research if you're conducting research for your thesis or dissertation to complete your degree.

  Registration

  To register for independent research, fill out the Application for Independent Research and obtain signatures from the required faculty members, as noted on the application. Return it to the Office of the Registrar or the department in which you study. You'll work with the registrar to register for independent research (course numbers generally ending in "995").

  Once you've registered for independent research, you must complete your research project within that quarter. Your project will appear on your transcript with the research topic as the course title.

  Oversight

  During your independent research project, your instructor will:

  • Approve the course of research
  • Submit grades
    • Once you've completed or ended the project, your instructor may use the A–F or pass/fail grading system.
  • Approve the credentials of other faculty involved in your project
  • Assume responsibility for any problems that arise
• Independent Study

  Independent study allows you to learn outside of a formal course. It's a great opportunity for anyone interested in more intensive study and inquiry.

  Eligibility

  If you're a non-business undergraduate student, you're eligible to take independent study if:

  • You have a grade point average of at least 2.0.
  • You were enrolled as a full-time student during the last quarter of classes.
  • You agree to take at least one quarter hour of credit as independent study.

  Graduate, non-business majors can take independent study if:

  • You have a grade point average of at least 3.0.
  • You have pre-approval from your adviser and instructor.
  • You've met all other independent study requirements, as determined by an adviser within the college, school, department, program or institute in which you study.

  Business majors can take independent study if:

  • You have a grade point average of at least 2.4.
  • You're a junior. (Transfer students must have completed at least 45 course credits at DU.)
  • You were enrolled as a full-time student during the last quarter of classes.

  Policies

  • Independent study can't replace University of Denver courses. If you'd like to substitute outside study for a class, please visit our directed study page.
  • You can take a maximum of five credit hours of independent study per quarter.
  • Unless you're a student in our Honors Program, you can apply a maximum of 10 independent study credit hours to your degree requirements.
  • You must complete your independent study project within the same quarter you started it.
  • Because we assign upper-level credit to any independent study credit you earn, your project must meet upper-division standards of study.

  Undergraduate Registration

  You can't register online for independent study. Instead, undergraduate students must complete an Application for Independent Study (also available in the Office of the Registrar, on the garden level of University Hall), and obtain signatures from our office as well as any others listed on the form. Return your completed application to the registration desk in University Hall to complete your registration.

  Graduate Registration

  Graduate students must complete an Application for Independent Study (also available in the Office of the Registrar, on the garden level of University Hall), and obtain the advisor signature. Return your completed application to the registration desk in University Hall to complete your registration You'll register for course number 4991 if you're earning a master's degree, or course number 5991 if you're earning a doctorate.

• Experiential Learning/Internships

  If you're an undergraduate student who's completed at least 90 credit hours, you can register to earn up to 10 credit hours of internship or a cooperative education credit.

  To get approval to use an internship for course credit:

  1. Contact the department through which you hope to earn credit to learn what requirements it enforces for internships.
  2. Contact the internship's faculty adviser and/or the director of internships and cooperative education to get approval. The approver(s) can provide you permission to register and begin working online by submitting an add/drop form to the Office of the Registrar.

  Check in regularly with your faculty adviser and cooperative education instructor to complete assignments.

  While you can't register for internships online, you can register for your experiential learning course in the Office of the Registrar when you submit your approval form. Check with the department offering your major to see how many internship credits you can apply toward your degree.

• Linked Courses

  Linked courses pair a lecture with its unique, complementary laboratory session. You must register for the pair of class sessions at the same time to ensure you're taking them during the same term.

  Be sure to read the linked course requirements carefully; you'll receive a registration error if your lecture and lab sessions don't match.

  Prerequisites and Test Scores

  In most cases, you can't register for the upper-level courses in a subject or degree program until you've completed its basic, lower-level courses.

  Exceptions:

  • Some programs accept test scores in place of prerequisites.
  • Some programs allow students to enroll in the prerequisite and upper-level course during the same quarter.

  If you receive a "prerequisite or test score" error when registering for a class, you can request a prerequisite override by contacting the department that offers the course. Faculty can provide overrides by sending a signed add/drop form to the Office of the Registrar or with online approval. Once our office receives and confirms the override, officially registering for the course is your responsibility.

• No-Credit Course Approval

  With instructor approval, you may be able to take classes for no credit. While we charge you regular tuition for no-credit classes, you won't earn any academic credit or progress toward your degree, and your performance in the course won't affect your grade point average. We'll note the course on your academic record with a grade of "NC."

  If you want to change a no-credit course to one that earns you credit, you must do so within the first five days of the quarter.

  If you want to change a credit-earning course to a no-credit course, you must do so before the end of the sixth week of the quarter.

• Repeating Courses

  You'll receive a "repeat course" error when registering for a class you've already completed or one comparable to it. If you want to retake the course, you must get approval from the department or college offering your major or minor. We'll charge you regular tuition for the retaken course, regardless of what grade you earn.

  Repeating Courses for Better Grades

  In some cases, a department or school may require you to repeat a course for which you've earned a D or F. To gain full credit for the retaken course, you must receive a grade of C or better. Both grades earned for the course will be factored into your cumulative GPA.

  Repeating Transferred Courses

  You don't need to register for a University of Denver course if we accept credit you've earned from another school as a substitute. You may, however, want to check with the Office of the Registrar to see if the credit has been applied toward a requirement you need. If you want to take the course anyway, approval is required from the department offering it.

• ROTC Credit

  The University of Denver partners with the University of Colorado at Boulder to offer an Air Force or Army ROTC program. While you'll register for ROTC credit through DU, classes are usually held on the CU Boulder campus (Air Force ROTC) or CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines or Metropolitan State of Denver (Army ROTC). The classes also run on the semester calendar rather than the University's quarter system.

  For more DU ROTC program information, visit Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC.

• Transfer Credits

  You must work with Office Of the Registrar to ensure credits you've earned elsewhere are transferable. The University of Denver may accept credits you've earned at other colleges or universities when:

  • The school provides courses that meet DU's academic standards.
  • The subject matter of the course(s) is similar in scope to those offered at the University.
  • You've earned a grade that DU deems acceptable.

  For more information, see our transfer credit policy 

• Undergraduates Registering for Graduate Courses

  Undergraduate seniors whose academic achievement makes graduate-level work appropriate may request to enroll in graduate courses that are well suited to their programs of study. This policy applies to graduate courses with course numbers of 4000 and above. Some 3000-level courses are approved for either undergraduate or graduate credit. Undergraduate courses may not be taken for graduate credit.

  Graduate Courses for Undergraduate Credit

  Students must be classified as seniors with an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Approval of the course instructor, the chair or program director of the graduate program, the Office of Graduate Education, and the student's major advisor are required. Graduate courses taken for undergraduate credit may not be subsequently used to satisfy graduate requirements unless the student is in an approved dual undergraduate/graduate degree program.

  Graduate Courses for Graduate Credit

  Students who have been admitted to a DU graduate program do not require permission to register for graduate credit. Undergraduate students must be classified as seniors with an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Approval of the course instructor, the chair or program director of the graduate program, and the Office of Graduate Education are required. Courses taken for graduate credit may not be used to satisfy undergraduate requirements unless the student is in an approved dual undergraduate/graduate degree program.