FAQs
General Questions
Where is the Registrar's Office?
The Registrar's Office is located in room 213, Whitmore Administration Building, in the Haigis Mall.
How do I change my address?
You can change your address through SPIRE.
How do I change my graduation date?
If you need to change your graduation date, you should come into the office, in room 207 and speak with a member of Senior Staff.
Transfer of Credit
What courses will transfer to UMass?
Courses offered at a school that has regional academic accreditation at the post-secondary level
[consult the other school's catalog]
Courses comparable in nature, content, and level to courses offered at UMass Amherst
[compare course descriptions/syllabi]
Courses passed with a minimum grade of C- and are listed on an official transcript submitted to the Undergraduate Records Office, Whitmore Administration Building
What courses will generally not transfer?
Taught by a school which does not have regional academic accreditation at the post-secondary level
Failed, or passed with a grade lower than C-
Remedial or developmental
(pre-100 level, ESL, basic math, pre-composition, etc.)
Skills oriented
(Lotus 1-2-3, study skills, career development, word processing, business communication, sales, etc.)
Vocational
(secretarial, lab technology, real estate, electronics, paralegal, medical assistant, radiology, etc.)
Internships, co-ops, field experiences or practica sponsored by the other school
Non-credit or offered through certificate programs, professional or community service seminars, etc.
Credited with Continuing Education Units (CEUs) instead of semester or quarter credits
What paper work must a current UMass student complete prior to undertaking transfer coursework?
Seniors who intend to complete their final degree requirements off-campus must complete the Senior Year in Absentia Form available at the Undergraduate Records Office, Whitmore Administration Building.
Students studying abroad must complete the Preliminary Registration Approval Form (PRAF), available at the International Programs Office, Hills South (for more information, see the guidelines document from the International Programs Office)
Standard Prior Approval Forms are required for all other students. If transfer coursework is to be used to satisfy major or college requirements, students should check with the Chief Undergraduate Advisor (or designee) for their major to ensure acceptable choices prior to course registration.
How is course credit awarded?
Credit systems may vary from school to school. Transfer credit will be awarded in semester-hour equivalents. Quarter-hour credits are generally multiplied by .67 to determine the semester-hour equivalent.
How will courses be equated?
Attempts are made to assign exact UMass Amherst equivalents when course content sufficiently matches a course offered at UMass and the related department accepts the match. If the course is transferable, but no equivalent exists, then a generic number such as ITRA or IEXB will be assigned as the course number.
Why do some courses have a generic number such as ITRA or IEXB?
the course content is not equivalent to any existing UMass course, or
the related department chooses not to designate an exact equivalent (e.g. School of Management, School of Engineering)
How can courses with generic numbers be used?
URQMT designations will automatically be applied to the appropriate Gen Ed or Diversity requirement. However, academic advisors may choose to satisfy a major or college requirement with a generic course. The advisor notes this on a Student Exception Form and submits it to the Undergraduate Records Office, Whitmore Administration Building.
Transcripts
How do I get a transcript?
There are two types of transcripts: official transcripts and unofficial transcripts.
An unofficial transcript can be obtained through SPIRE or by simply coming into the office in room 213 with a valid Student ID and asking for one. We're sorry but we can only give out one copy of unofficial transcripts; however, feel free to make photocopies – they are just as "unofficial" or official as an unofficial transcript is.
Get information on how to order official transcripts.
Degree Progress Reports
What is the Degree Progress Report?
The Degree Progress Report is primarily an advising tool to inform you and your advisor about your progress through your particular degree program. While a transcript lists your completed courses in a chronological order, the Degree Progress Report distributes them among the various requirements in your program. It also places in-progress courses where they will satisfy requirements when completed with an appropriate grade.
Do University Graduation Credits include the courses I'm taking right now?
No. Credits are added to requirements only after a semester has been completed and grades earned. Also, note that remedial 0-level courses such as Math 011 do not count toward graduation.
How do repeated courses appear on the Degree Progress Report?
After you repeat a course in which you originally earned a grade of C-, CD, D+, D, or F, the Degree Progress Report will remove the grade and the credit from the semester and cumulative totals. You are not permitted to repeat courses taken with earned grades of C or higher.
The "repeat policy" allows you to repeat up to five courses with the "grade forgiveness" described above. If you repeat more than five, the grades in both course attempts WILL count in your cumulative average, but credits, if any, will count only once. Similarly, any repeats taken before the policy went into effect in Fall of 1993 will not be subject to this policy.
There are no special designations for repeated courses on your transcript.
Last semester all of my Gen Ed requirements were complete, this semester a course I'm taking now is in Gen Eds. Can I use it in another requirement?
The Degree Progress Report program reads courses chronologically and puts each course into the first requirement it can satisfy. It does not check to see if other courses could satisfy the same requirement. At the end of the semester, when these courses are completed, everything should fall into its proper place. If it doesn't, come to the Registrar's Office to get the courses relocated.
Why do in-progress courses satisfy some requirements and not others?
No course actually satisfies requirements until it has been completed with the grade required (some majors require a grade of C or better), but since the Degree Progress Report is meant to assist students in selecting courses for the coming semester, we have coded in-progress courses to show requirements as satisfied, with the assumption that you will complete them successfully. There is one exception. Requirements requiring a minimum grade will not be satisfied until the course is completed with that grade.
My advisor said this transfer course satisfies a major requirement, but the Degree Progress Report still shows the requirement in red/bold. Why?
If the Admissions Office has not assigned a transfer course an exact UMass equivalent, the course will not go into a requirement on the Degree Progress Report. It has to be manually processed for you. Ask your advisor to send a Student Exception Form to the Registrar's Office.
I think one of my transfer courses should satisfy a Gen Ed requirement. Why doesn't it?
The Office of Transfer Affairs (OTA) assigns Gen Ed codes to transfer courses. If they didn't do so, it probably means that the course doesn't qualify or that they didn't have enough information about the course to judge. Obtain a course description or syllabus and ask an OTA evaluator to review it.
My exchange courses are on the Degree Progress Report, but not where they belong. Why?
Did you fill out a prior-approval form signed by your departmental advisor? The Registrar's Office cannot assign courses to major requirements without authorization from the department.
One of my International exchange courses should satisfy a Gen Ed requirement. Why is it in "Additional Electives" instead?
The International Programs Office (IPO) assigns Gen Ed codes to international exchange courses. Check with them...
Why doesn't my Psych 100 course satisfy an SB requirement?
You are probably a Psych major. Since only one course in your major department can be used toward Gen Ed requirements, the Degree Progress Report has probably already assigned another Psych course to a Gen Ed requirement, such as 240 for R2, or 330 for BS. If you wish to rearrange how your major courses are used in Gen Ed requirements, come to the Registrar's Office (213 Whitmore).
I completed my foreign language requirement in high school. Why isn't it on the Degree Progress Report?
The report only shows what's on your UMass transcript. Go to the Arts and Sciences Records Office in Machmer Hall to discuss your situation.
My advisor says I should ignore the Degree Progress Report, so what good is it?
His/her advice will not help you when you fail to be cleared for graduation, especially if your Degree Progress Report has been telling you all along that you're missing some requirement. It is sad but true that some departments do not update their portion of the report, but we do use them to clear you for Gen Ed, Diversity and College requirements. The Chief Undergraduate Advisor in your department verifies your completion of major requirements, whether the Degree Progress Report shows this or not.
Additional Questions?
Students can call us at (413) 545-3743 for help reading their reports.
Withdrawal Questions
How do I withdraw?
From the University
If you are withdrawing from the University after the current semester ends but before registration day of the next semester, you must either fill out a withdrawal card, that is available in the Registrar's office, Rm. 213 Whitmore.
or notify the Registrar's office, 213 Whitmore in writing of your withdrawal. Please include your Student ID number and your signature.
PLEASE NOTE!! All withdrawals must be signed by you, the student. Any other signature submitted will not be accepted and the withdrawal will not be processed.
If you are withdrawing from the University in the middle of a semester, you must initiate the withdrawal at your Academic Dean's office. If the withdrawal is for health/medical reasons, you must get authorization from the Medical Director of Health Services. The necessary instructions and a form are available at the Dean of Students office, Room 227 Whitmore.
Additional signatures are required before a withdrawal can be processed; please note section C on the form mentioned above.
| Refund Schedule for Tuition and Fees, Fall and Spring Semesters |
| Time of Withdrawal |
Refund |
| 1. Registration day and first day of classes |
100% |
| 2. Day 2 of classes through the first two weeks of the semester |
80% |
| 3. During the third week |
60% |
| 4. During the fourth week |
40% |
| 5. During the fifth week |
20% |
| 6. After the fifth week |
none |
From a course
If you need to withdraw from a course during the semester you may drop the course, with no record, during the add/drop period, by using SPIRE. After the add/drop period, "W" drops are accepted with instructor's signature, up to the mid-semester date. A course change form needed for this process is available in the Registrar's office or your Dean's office. If a course drop is needed after the mid-semester date, the student must petition their Academic Dean for approval.
PLEASE NOTE: There are several factors to keep in mind when withdrawing from a course that will bring your enrollment total below a full-time load of 12 credits. If you are currently under your parents' health coverage, you may become ineligible. Most health insurance carriers require these students to remain full time in order to continue benefits. Also, if you are receiving financial aid and you change your status, your aid may be reduced. Please check with the Office of Financial Aid.
I just found out that I am withdrawn from the University. Why?
There could be several different reasons for a withdrawal from the University. In each case, every attempt is made 14 days in advance to notify the student of the pending action. If you have received such notice, contact that specific agency who has requested the withdrawal.
Common reasons for withdrawals
Money owed to the University: Bursar's Office, Campus Center, Housing , Dean of Students and /or Health Services
Immunization records are not complete
Failure to register for any courses
Academic Suspension or Dismissal
Disciplinary Action
Limited information regarding the withdrawal can be obtained by contacting the Registrar's Office.
Registration/Grades
I received an "INC" in a course I took last year, and now the grade is an "F". My instructor said he submitted the correct grade. How did this happen and how do I get it changed?
An "INC" grade automatically turns to an "F" after one semester (or to an "IF" if it was taken Fall 2004 or later). An instructor may submit a Grade Change Form , with their signature, at anytime during that semester, changing the "INC" to a letter grade. An "INC" grade may be extended for a semester provided the instructor of the course has submitted a request to the Registrar's Office.
If an "INC" has changed to an "F" or "IF", the Grade Change form now would require signatures from the Department Head and the Dean.
Grade Change forms are available in every department and the Registrar's Office for staff and faculty use only.
A course is missing from my schedule and add/drop is over, how do I add this course?
Late adds must get approval from an Academic Dean. The Dean will sign a course change form, indicating approval, only after they have received documentation from the course instructor verifying your attendance.
I am registered for the wrong section of a class, how do I change that?
You may make a section change at any time during the semester, with the instructor's signature of approval on a course change request card.
I had originally signed up for a six credit course and now it shows as only one credit, how do I change that?
You may change the credit value of a variable credit course at any time with the signature approval of the instructor on a course change form.
How can I add my course with the pass/fail option? How do I revoke the pass/fail option?
Students can add their courses with the pass/fail option during pre-registration or add/drop through SPIRE. If the student needs to change the option after add/drop ends, signature approval is required from an academic dean.
At any time during a student's academic stay at UMass he/she may revoke the Pass/Fail option off their record. Forms are available in Registrar's Office.
Part-Time Status
I am currently a full time student and wish to change to part time status, what do I do?
By filling out a form, the student can request the status change at any time BEFORE the end of the add/drop period of that current semester.
If during the add/drop period, the student whose billing status is full time and has paid the full time tuition, decides to become part time, notification must be given to the Registrar's Office. We will automatically recalculate the tuition, providing the form is completed and submitted during the add/drop period, and the results will be available for lookup on SPIRE.
PLEASE NOTE: There are several factors to keep in mind when changing to part time. If you are currently under your parents' health coverage, you may become ineligible if you switch to part-time. Most health insurance carriers require these students to remain full time in order to continue benefits. Also, if you are receiving financial aid and you change your status, your aid may be reduced. Please check with the Office of Financial Aid.
Loan Deferment
I have received notice that I must start paying back my student loan, how can I defer payments while still enrolled in school?
Several times during the semester we send an updated file of enrollments and graduation dates to the National Student Loan Clearinghouse. Students can contact the clearinghouse directly by phone, fax or in writing or drop off a deferment form with the Registrar's office and we will forward the completed verification form to the clearinghouse or directly to your lender. Students should obtain a blank deferment form from their lending agency. If unable to obtain a blank deferment form, the Registrar's office has generic verification statement that can be substituted.
National Student Loan Clearinghouse
13454 Sunrise Valley Dr
Suite 300
Herndon, VA 20171
Phone: (703) 742-4200
Fax: (703) 742-7792
http://www.studentclearinghouse.org
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