Faculty & Staff | FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions: Registration

1. Why should a graduate student register early?
2. How does a student register ?
3. What happens on " Registration Day "?
4. What is late registration ?
5. Who pays program fee ? What is the Continuous Enrollment Fee?
6. Will Incomplete (INC, IP) grades keep a student enrolled ?
7. What procedure does a GPD follow to "readmit" a student who missed the enrollment deadline?
8. How many credits may a student take per semester?
9. How do students register for summer courses ?
10. How do students register as auditors in classes?
11. What is the deadline for changing from credit to audit status in a course?
12. Who is eligible to audit a class ?
13. How are audit grades recorded ?
14. Do audit credits count toward student enrollment status ?
15. How do students enroll for 5-College courses ?
16. How do students register for thesis/dissertation credits ?
17. Can nondegree credits be used toward a degree program ?
18. Can a GPD prevent nondegree students from enrolling in classes in my department?
19. Can nondegree students preregister ?
20. Is there a Pass/Fail option for graduate students?
21. How are full-time and half-time status determined ? What beside course credits can be used to define "full-time"?
22. How can errors in registration be corrected -- what are the deadlines for this?
23. How can GPD/students correct errors in registration after the semester is over ?
24. What does continuous enrollment until the degree is completed/awarded really mean?
25. A new international student has not arrived, (Visa problems or whatever) but is expected shortly after the Add/Drop Deadline, what can the GPD do?
26. What does it mean when the department cannot access a student's registration on SPIRE?
27. What is an ID# and what does it control?
28. What is RAC and what does it control?
29. What are off line courses and how can a department use this option?
30. Who is responsible for course overrides ? How can departments override eligibility requirements for a specific student?
31. How can a department set or change course eligibility requirements for a specific course?
32. How can departments limit class enrollment ?
33. Can an instructor award a different number of credits that is listed in the catalog for the course?
    
    

1. Why should a graduate student register early?
Early registration provides the student with the opportunity to plan ahead. Early registration is confirmed registration so the student will know immediately if a class is oversubscribed or if instructor permission is required. It also allows the Financial Aid office to assess a student's eligibility early and prevents delay in receiving an excess check. The best reason to register early, is so the student will not forget to register during the Add/Drop period.

2. How does a student register?
Registration is done over through SPIRE ( https://spire.umass.edu ). Information is sent to students in early November for Spring registration and in April for Fall registration. The early registration period runs from November/April through January/August.

3. What happens on "Registration Day"?
Registration day has less significance with the introduction of SPIRE. It is still the official beginning of the semester and a good day for students to get many administrative chores done. Departments should be prepared to handle registration problems such as off-line courses and courses with eligibility restrictions.

4. What is late registration?
Late registration is registration during the Add/Drop period. It runs from about one week prior to the beginning of the semester until the tenth class day of the semester. Students who do not register by this deadline are no longer enrolled and must be readmitted.

5. Who pays program fee? What is the Continuous Enrollment Fee?
Any degree (or certificate) program student who will not be registering for credits in a particular semester must register on SPIRE for Continuous Enrollment (Program Fee) by the tenth calendar day of the semester. Students who fail to either pay the fee or register by the end of the Late Registration period will be withdrawn from the University. Students who enroll for the Continuous Enrollment/Program Fee cannot be exempt from FICA/OBRA deductions if they are on the University payroll.

6. Will Incomplete (INC, IP grades) keep a student enrolled?
No, an incomplete grade does not comprise nor maintain enrollment. Students who are working only on incompletes should pay the program fee. IP grades on thesis/dissertation credits registered in previous semesters do not maintain enrollment.

7. What procedure does a GPD follow to "readmit" a student who missed the enrollment deadline?
The GPD should determine if the student should be recommended for readmission and forward a memorandum recommending readmission the Graduate Registrar. The student must pay the Readmission Fee of $125.00 and either register for 1 or more credits or pay the Program Fee for the current term. If the former student has been withdrawn for more than one term, s/he must file a formal Reapplication Form, pay the Readmission Fee, and all accumulated fees. Questions concerning readmission procedures should be addressed to the Graduate Records Office.

8. How many credits may a student take per semester?
The maximum credit load per semester is 16 (9 in the summer). An overload of up to 18 credits will be approved if the GPD endorses the course overload on a Course Overload Approval form. Over 18 credits requires a memorandum of justification.

9. How do students register for summer courses?
Summer Registration and grade collection are handled by the Division of Continuing Education for both undergraduate and graduate students. Courses taken are recorded as part of a graduate student's graduate record.

10. How do students register as auditors in classes?
Students sign up for audit during the add/drop period. Audited courses do not count toward total credits in determining full-time status.

11. What is the deadline for changing from credit to audit status in a course?
The last day of classes in the term is the deadline. The instructor must be willing to make this change and must signify that the student was passing the class at the time of the change. A Late Add/Drop form is used for this purpose.

12. Who is eligible to audit a class?
Any student may audit any course with the permission of the instructor. What coursework must be completed to meet the requirements to receive a grade of "Audit" should be worked out between the instructor and the student at the beginning of the term. Students should be reminded that audited courses do not count in determining full-time or half-time status for loan deferments or for waive of FICA/OBRA payments when on the University payroll.

13. How are audit grades recorded?
If the student has fulfilled the agreed upon requirements, the instructor should submit the grade of "AUD" on the Grade Roster. If the student does not meet the requirements determined by the instructor, the course will be removed from the student's transcript providing the instructor indicates on the Grade Roster that the student should not receive a grade of "AUD."

14. Do audit credits count toward student enrollment status?
Audited courses DO NOT count toward full-time or half-time status for loan deferment purposes nor for exemption of FICA/OBRA deductions.

15. How do students enroll for 5-College courses?
Graduate students enrolled in degree programs are eligible to register for most courses offered at Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke , and Hampshire colleges through the Five College Interchange Program. Special registration forms are available in the Graduate Records Office. (Note: Most courses offered by the area colleges are undergraduate level and, therefore, are not necessarily applicable toward graduate credit at the University). Such courses may be applied toward elective credits provided a request to do so is sent to the Graduate Dean. These courses may not be used to meet the 600-800 level nor "21 in major field" requirements for a master's degree.

16. How do students register for thesis/dissertation credits?
Students can register for thesis (699) or dissertation (899) credits using SPIRE just as they would register for any other course. Most departments require a minimum of 6 credits of thesis and 19 credits of dissertation. The maximum number of thesis credits per semester is 10; of dissertation is 9.

17. Can nondegree credits be used toward a degree program?
A maximum of 6 credits may be applied to the degree program. The GPD should recommend "transfer" of the credits toward the degree program as early as practical in the student's program. Because the approval or disapproval of these courses may affect the student's entire program of study, the recommendation should be made at the start of the program, NOT when filing for graduation.

18. Can a GPD prevent nondegree students from enrolling in classes in my department?
Course eligibility can be set to exclude study level "N" (for non-degree) through a form obtained in the Scheduling Office. The department can then override any non-degree student who obtains permission to enroll.

19. Can nondegree students register early?
No, early registration is not available to non-degree students. Registration for non-degree students generally begins on the third day of the Add/Drop period thus allowing degree students first access to courses.

20. Is there a Pass/Fail option for graduate students?
There is no Pass/Fail option for graduate students (not even for undergraduate level courses). Instead the instructor and student may make an agreement that the student will receive a Satisfactory (SAT) grade instead of a letter grade. This agreement should be made at the beginning of the term. It is not recorded on the student's record. In addition, certain courses may be offered with SAT/F grading option; this must be explained to all students at the beginning of the semester. Please note that there is a Graduate School requirement that students must receive a letter grades for at least half of the credits used for the master's degree.

21. How are full-time and half-time status determined? What beside course credits can be used to define "full-time?"
Full-time status is defined as enrollment for nine or more credits; half-time status is defined as six to eight credits. Students enrolled for five or fewer credits or who have paid the Program Fee are considered part-time. Degree students may be considered full-time or half-time regardless of the number of credits for which they are registered provided their Graduate Program Director certifies that they are working full/half time on research. Audited courses do not count in calculating enrollment status. See below for a description of enrollment status as related to loan deferments and payroll withholding.

Notes: Program Fee payers who are in the process of writing/researching their thesis or dissertation or studying for required examinations may be considered to be either "at least half-time" or "full-time" for loan deferment purposes but not for FICA/OBRA exemption purposes (see below) upon receipt of a written certification from their departments. To be eligible for a deferment, a student must be studying at a pace equivalent to taking 6 or 9 graduate credits in a given semester.

Audited and dropped courses do not count for loan certification or FICA/OBRA exemption purposes. A student on a leave of absence is not eligible for a loan deferment or a FICA/OBRA exemption. Student loans are not routinely deferred simply because of one's continued enrollment in the Graduate School .

22. How can errors in registration be corrected - what are the deadlines for this?
Students should be encouraged to check their course schedule on SPIRE and make corrections as soon as possible. In the event of a registration error, correction after the Add/Drop deadline should be made using a late add/drop form. As late changes do affect billing (either additional charges or refunds) all corrections should be made within the first 5 weeks of a semester.

23. How can GDP/students correct errors in registration after the semester is over?
When an error is discovered in a subsequent semester, a memorandum outlining the needed change should be addressed to the Associate Registrar.(Billing adjustment may not be possible after the semester is completed.)

 24. What does continuous enrollment until the degree is completed/awarded really mean?
A student must be either registered for courses or register and pay for continuous enrollment/program fee every fall or spring semester until the degree is awarded. The Degree Eligibility form must be submitted to the Degree Requirements Office along with graduation fees and the thesis/dissertation (if applicable) by January 15 for a February degree, by April 30 for a May degree, or by August 31 for a September degree. Students who meet these deadlines would not be required to register for the semester that follows the deadline. Questions concerning this should be addressed to the Degree Requirements Office.

25. A new international student has not arrived, (Visa problems or whatever) but is expected shortly after the Add/Drop deadline, what can the GPD do?
Every student must be registered by the end of the Add/Drop period. If the GPD can determine that the student will arrive in time to complete the semester, the student should be enrolled in the appropriate first semester course or courses. In the event that he/she does not attend, the GPD can request a cancellation of the student's bill after the deadline. If the student is not registered by the deadline, the record will be deleted. When the student arrives there will be several problems recreating the file so that services can be provided.

If the student is not expected until late in the semester, a deferral of admission until the next semester should be considered. If appropriate, a memo should be sent to the Director of Graduate Admissions requesting the deferral.

26. What does it mean when the department cannot access a student's registration on SPIRE?
If the screen is blank, check the message at the bottom. In most cases the student has not yet registered. Occasionally, there will be a message, "currently in use by ..." If you receive that message, call the Graduate Records Office at 5-0024 and a staff member will release the screen so that it can be used. In very rare cases, a department may not be able to access a screen because the level of confidentiality is so great that only a Graduate Records Office staff member can access the student's file. In that case, please call 5-0024 to have the file updated.

27. What is an ID# and what does it control?
All students are assigned an ID number for use in accessing the SPIRE system on the Web and for use in registration. If a student does not have an ID card, or needs an ID changed, the student should go to the ID Office in Hampton Dining Commons with appropriate picture identification.

28. What is a RAC and what does it control?
A Registration Access Code (RAC) is assigned to students in certain departments and can be used to require that the student see their advisor before registering. Once the student has been counseled, the advisor can give the RAC. The student can then access SPIRE as often as they like during the access period.

29. What are off line courses and how can a department use this option?
Departments may choose to take a course "off line" - that is, not allow students to register for the course using SPIRE. This option requires that the academic department schedule each approved student into the class using SPIRE. This should be used as an option only when the enrollment restrictions allowed on the Scheduling form do not meet the instructor's/department's needs.

30. Who is responsible for course overrides? How can departments override eligibility requirements for a specific student?
The academic departments are responsible for posting students to courses for which instructors have given permission to enroll if the student was blocked from enrolling via SPIRE.

31. How can a department set or change course eligibility requirements for a specific course?
Course eligibility requirements are set using the Course Eligibility form received from the Scheduling Office.

32. How can departments limit class enrollment?
Class size is limited by request when a course is scheduled. It may also be limited by the size of the classroom or laboratory required.

33. Can an instructor award a different number of credits that is listed in the catalog for the course?
No, courses must be taught for the number of credits for which they were approved. Most courses have been approved for 3 credits. Exceptions are noted in the Graduate Bulletin.