Registration and Enrollment
Graduate students are required to register at Michigan Tech each academic-year semester
(fall and spring) from the time that they enter a graduate program until the time
they receive their degree. See the Continuous Enrollment section for more information
- Students must complete their initial registration and enroll prior to the billing due date (posted on the Academic Calendar; typically the Wednesday before classes start).
- Students who fail to enroll prior to that date will be charged a fee and may have
their course schedule dropped.
- Refer to your student bill for deadlines.
- For specific enrollment rules for students in candidacy, please refer to our page
about candidacy.
How does a student "confirm enrollment"?
There is a difference between registration and enrollment. The process of signing
up for courses is called registering. Students are charged tuition and fees when they register. Students are enrolled after they pay the tuition and fees. Even students who do not owe money must confirm their
enrollment by the deadline. For more information refer to this page from billing services. It is each student's personal responsibility to properly register and enroll for courses.
Where can students get help with registering?
What is the minimum number of credits for enrollment?
The Graduate School requires enrollment in at least one credit for all students or
three research credits for candidates. See "Full-time status" for a description of
who is required to be full-time. Students eligible to enroll in UN5951 may use this
course to satisfy continuous enrollment requirements.
International students should consult with IPS to determine the minimum number of
credits to maintain their status.
Full-Time Status
Full-time status is defined as:
- Nine (9) credits during the academic year (fall/spring).
- Five to eight (5-8) credits is considered half-time.
- During the summer, one (1) course OR
- One (1) credit of research if the student is not a candidate OR
- Three (3) credits of research if the student is a candidate.
Who needs full-time status?
Graduate students supported (with full or partial support) by teaching, research,
administrative assistantships, or fellowships, must be registered as full-time students
during each semester (including summer) for which they receive support.
Students enrolling in fewer than the full-time number of credits may be at risk of
losing their financial assistance or visa. Any international student who is considering
enrolling for less than nine credits should consult International Programs and Services (IPS) to ensure that their visa status will not be jeopardized.
Can a student be considered full-time at less than 9 credits?
A graduate student taking fewer than nine credits during an academic-year semester
is considered full-time at Michigan Tech in the following instances:
- The student is enrolled in a course that carries full-time status regardless of the number of credits, e.g., co-op (UN5000).
- The student is dual-enrolled at Michigan Tech and an affiliated university and the
student’s total credit load equals or exceeds nine credits.
- An affiliated university is one with whom Michigan Tech has a formal written agreement
for exchange and/or dual enrollment of students. Enrollment at the affiliated university
must be documented to the Graduate School by the student’s home department at Michigan
Tech.
- Students who have successfully defended in a given semester are considered full-time
at less than 9 credits for up to 2 semesters after the defense semester.
- The two semesters after the successful defense includes summer, even if the student chooses not to enroll in summer.
- For example, if a student successfully defended in spring, they would be considered
full-time at less than 9 credits for the following summer and fall semesters.
- The minimum enrollment for these students for full-time status is one credit for all
students or three research credits for candidates.
What is the maximum credit load?
A graduate student may enroll in up to 13 credits. If a student wishes to enroll in
more than 13 credits, approval must be obtained from the graduate program director,
chair of the department, or dean of the college. See the overload request form from the registrar.
Continuous Enrollment
Having begun a graduate program, students must be enrolled every academic-year semester
(fall and spring) until they complete their degree.
- "Completing" a degree means successfully completing all required courses, turning
in all paperwork, and, if required by the degree program, defending and turning in
a final version of a report, thesis or dissertation.
- for example: students who defend their dissertation, thesis, or report, but fail to submit a
final version or fail to complete any paperwork, must be enrolled each fall and spring
semester until their degree is completed.
What is the minimum number of credits required to maintain continuous enrollment?
The Graduate School requires enrollment in at least one credit for all students or
three research credits for candidates. See "Full-time status" for a description of
who is required to be full-time. Students eligible to enroll in UN5951 may use this
course to satisfy continuous enrollment requirements.
International students should consult with IPS to determine the minimum number of
credits to maintain their status.
Is registration required in the summer?
Graduate students are not required to register for summer session in order to fulfill
the continuous enrollment policy. However, graduate students are required to enroll
during the summer in the following cases:
If a student fails to continuously enroll, the student will be considered inactive.
Refer to the Readmission section of this page for more information.
What do students on active military duty or in online programs without courses register
for?
Students who find themselves in situations that make it impossible for them to register
and enroll in regularly scheduled courses, including research or special topics courses,
may be eligible to register and enroll in UN5951 (Graduate Continuous Enrollment—Special
Circumstances).
- 0.0 credits (no fee)
- Requires Graduate School permission to register.
- Meets continuous enrollment requirement for graduate students needing "time out" for
special circumstances. These circumstances include:
- Active military duty
- Online programs with inactive terms
- Finishing a dissertation, thesis, or report submission during the grace period
- Completing an incomplete grade on a final course required for the degree
- Transferring a final course required for the degree from another university
- Students enrolled in UN5951 do not have access to advisor's time or campus facilities
but do have e-mail and library privileges.
What can students register for to take a semester break and maintain access to campus?
Students who find themselves in situations that make it impossible for them to register
and enroll in regularly scheduled courses, including research or special topics courses,
may be eligible to register and enroll in UN5953 (Graduate Continuous Enrollment).
- 1.0 credit.
- Requires department permission to register.
- Course can be used to meet the minimum one credit enrollment requirement for graduate
students. Students enrolled in research-oriented degree programs must instead register
in one credit of research with the appropriate faculty member. Not available to students
who need to be enrolled full-time with 9 credits.
- Students enrolled in UN5953 maintain access to campus facilities, e-mail, and the
library. Late enrollment after the billing date carries the standard late fee; no
waivers granted.
Students who will be working with their advisors must enroll in one credit of research (3 credits for candidates) instead of UN5953 so the advisor gets credit for the course.
Readmission Procedure
Any graduate student who has been dismissed or who has officially withdrawn from Michigan
Tech (by submitting a withdrawal form to the Registrar's Office) must submit a new
application for admission. This application will be reviewed and considered along
with all other applications.
Students returning after failing to maintain continuous enrollment must apply for and be granted readmission. They must also pay a readmission fee of $200.
Readmission is not automatic. Students who apply for and are denied readmission will
be not be allowed to continue in their graduate program.