Adding, Dropping, Withdrawing

Who to Contact

Students are encouraged to discuss adds, drops and pass/fail changes with their assigned academic advisor prior to submitting the request. Peer Advising and Academic Advising are available, including via Zoom.

Click here to access our CNS Student Services virtual office: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Here, you will be able to receive advice from experienced CNS Peers who can provide resources and information.

For academic advising, please schedule an appointment with your assigned academic advisor by contacting them directly via email. To find your advisor’s email, please utilize the UT Directory.

Email CNSInfo@austin.utexas.edu if you have further questions. Please be sure to include your UT EID in all communications. If you’d like to speak to a CNS representative on the phone, please contact our front desk at 512-471-4536.


To Add or Drop a Course

CNS uses the UT calendar for purposes of registration, adding and dropping courses, and withdrawing from the university. The general schedule is as follows:

Add a Course


  • Day 1 – 4, add online, via the online Registration Information Sheet which can be found here.
  • Day 5 – 12, add in the departments (at their discretion). A list of departmental contacts can be found below. Please contact each department directly for permissions.

Drop a Course


  • Day 1 – 12, drop online, via the online Registration Information Sheet which can be found here.
  • Day 13 on, submit q-drop request via the CNS online form. All requests submitted via our online system are final and cannot be reversed. Please discuss Q-dropping with your advisor to ensure you know the repercussions towards your degree completion.

Dropping a class

Dropping a class up to the 12th class day results in tuition money refunded if the drop is to a different level on the flat-rate tuition scale and classes do not appear on the permanent record. Not attending does not automatically drop you from classes or withdraw you from UT; you need to do that yourself through the CNS online form. The CNS Online Form will not open until the 13th class day. Please note that all submissions are final and, once you submit your request, it cannot be changed or rescinded. There are statements on our Academic Change Request System notifying students that all requests and submissions are final. Always double-check your final schedule before the 12th class day.

Withdrawal from the University

Withdrawal from the University is done after a student has competed registration for a semester or summer session, and then decides not to attend any classes that semester or session. 

From Day 1 through Day 12, transactions can be initiated through meeting with a Non-Academic Coordinator from the CNS Dean’s Office. To do so, please schedule an appointment by visiting the Non-Academic Coordinator web page.

On Day 13 through the 10th week of classes (exact dates are on the university calendar in the Course Schedule), students may drop for any reason by submitting a Q-Drop request through our online Academic Request Change System. A “Q” appears on the record to indicate a drop with no refund. For more information on how a Q-Drop may affect you, please reach out to your assigned academic advisor via email.

International students must have the written consent from the International Office to drop a class.

Withdraw Online

You can request a withdrawal online through the Q-Drop Deadline. During the first four weeks of class there is a pro-rated refund for withdrawing from school. A full refund, less $15.00 enrollment fee, is ONLY given if a student withdraws prior to the first day of class. This is a cancellation.

Failure to properly withdraw results in failing grades in all semester coursework. Leaving UT without a formal withdrawal is the same as failing all classes and has the same consequences.

To withdraw in a long session, you must meet with a Non-Academic Coordinator. More information on how to schedule an appointment can be found on their Non-Academic Coordinator web page.

Final Deadline

After the final deadline, students may not drop or withdraw unless there are serious Non-Academic circumstances, which occurred after the Q-drop deadline date. Appeals will only be considered for documented, extenuating Non-Academic reasons. Please contact one of our Non-Academic Coordinators at their webpage here. You may also submit an email request to CNSInfo@austin.utexas.edu to get started. Eligibility information can also be found at the Non-Academic Coordinator’s webpage linked above.

Adding a Course

To add a course before the 4th class day:

To add a course by 5 pm on the 4th class day - submit via the online registration page which can be found here. Verify your schedule.

To add a course during the 5th – 12th class day of the session, you must request permission from the department offering the course. A list of CNS departmental contacts is listed below. To find a department outside of CNS, please utilize the UT Search Bar for the appropriate contact email. Adding a course after the 2nd class day is not guaranteed and is dependent on departmental permission.

Adding or dropping courses may change your tuition, please be sure to verify if any additional funds are charged. Click here to see how adding a course can impact your financial aid, or contact The Texas One Stop.

OTEs (One-Time Exceptions) for Drops

OTE requests will be accepted from March 26th, 2024 – April 29th, 2024, at 11:59 pm CST. All Submitted OTE requests that are received by CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu will be FINAL. Please ensure you are certain of your request prior to submission. No exceptions will be made. If you have questions/concerns on how an OTE drop may affect you academically, please contact your assigned Academic Advisor via email. If you have questions/concerns on how an OTE drop will affect you financially, please contact Texas One Stop.

OTE drops count towards your 6 Q-Drop limit. Undergraduate students who may not have urgent, substantial, non-academic reasons will be allowed to drop a single class or withdraw from the University after the deadline to drop or withdraw for academic reasons under the provisions of the One-Time-Exception (OTE). The OTE may be invoked only once during the student’s entire undergraduate career regardless of college the student was enrolled in at the time the exception was allowed. It is the responsibility of the student to verify if they have an OTE available prior to submitting their request.

  1. A student must request the OTE from the student’s dean’s office by the last class day. Request must be submitted via email to CNSInfo@austin.utexas.edu by 11:59 pm CST by the last class day. Include your name, UT EID, and state that you are requesting to drop a course using your OTE. Please include your course number and unique number with the subject: “OTE Request, UT EID.”
    • Example of an OTE request:
      • Subject line: “OTE Request, abc123”
      • Body of email: “Hello, My name is Bevo Longhorn, my UT EID is ABC123, and I am requesting to utilize my OTE to drop my BIO 311C course, unique number 12345. Thank you!”
    • Please note, course and unique numbers should be found via your course schedule, NOT your Canvas course page. If incorrect course information is included, your request will not be processed and follow-up confirmation will be required.
  2. Students will receive notification once an OTE request has been received by CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu. Students should monitor their My UT webpage for confirmation that the course has been dropped. OTEs are a manual process and can take several business days to be completed.
  3. A student may not drop a class if there are any pending investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the course in question. Any drop assigned will not be considered final until any investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the course in question are resolved.
  4. Any drop or withdrawal allowed under the OTE will be subject to the same academic and financial aid rules governing other drops or withdrawals taken during the semester.
Pass/Fail

For the Spring 2024 semester, all Grade Status Change requests (to pass/fail or letter grade) should be submitted online no later than Tuesday, March 26, by 11:59 pm (CST).

This can be done at:  
https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/cola/rtk/student_reg_change

Please note: Courses taken Pass/Fail will only count as elective credit. You may request to change your grading status once. You can only take 2 courses Pass/Fail each semester. If you are an undergraduate student, to take a course Pass/Fail, you must have completed 30 or more credit hours. Grade status of a class may only be changed once. For more information, see the University Catalog.

It is important to keep in mind how classes taken Pass/Fail will be treated by graduate and professional school admissions, licensure requirements, and others. Changing a letter grade to Pass/Fail may have unintended consequences. Please discuss this with your assigned academic advisor prior to submitting your request, as all requests are final.

 

Additional Withdrawal Information

The deadline to request a withdrawal is Tuesday, March 26, 2024, by 11:59 pm CST. If you would like to withdraw from all courses, submit a withdrawal request. If you wish to drop only one course with your OTE, please refer to the “OTEs (One Time Exceptions) for Drops” tab for instructions.

Provisions for OTE Withdrawals – Beginning Wednesday, March 27, 2024, through the last class day Monday, April 29, 2024, at 11:59 pm CST.

  1. A student must request the OTE from the student's dean's office by the last class dayRequest must be submitted via email to CNSInfo@austin.utexas.edu by 11:59 pm on the last class day. Include your full name, EID, and your intent to request a withdrawal for the session with your OTE, subject: “OTE Request to Withdraw, EID.”
  2. Any drop or withdrawal allowed under the OTE will be subject to the same academic and financial aid rules governing other drops or withdrawals taken during the semester.
  3. Students who are requesting to use the OTE for a withdrawal will be allowed to withdraw regardless of current grades in classes.
  4. Pending scholastic dishonesty will be verified by the student's dean's office with the Dean of Students Office. Withdrawal will not be approved if there is a pending scholastic dishonesty case.
  5. Per University policy, withdrawals require a meeting with Non-Academic Coordinator. To schedule an appointment with a Non-Academic Coordinator, please use the bookings links listed on the Non-Academic Coordinator web page here.

If you would like to use your OTE to withdraw from all courses in the current session, please follow the instructions listed above.

Waitlists

Online waitlists will be active through the 4th class day, you can only be added to a course if a spot becomes available and you are next on the list. 

Check your waitlist status often and resolve any errors that may be preventing you from being added. Contacting the professor or your advisor does not help bypass the waitlist process. After the 4th class day the waitlist is no longer used and you must follow procedures listed above for adding a course after the 4th class day.

If you are graduating and still need to get into a course to graduate, please contact your academic advisor immediately.

 

Drops for Spring 2024

The University undergraduate Q-drop deadline for Spring 2024 semester is Tuesday, March 26, 11:59 pm CST.

Q-drops will be considered academic and will count toward your 6-drop limit. Additionally, note that Q-drops may have an impact on scholastic status, financial aid, veteran’s education benefits, athletic eligibility, as well as other implications.

If you would like to drop a course, submit your request. If you have any questions regarding the implications of using your Q-Drop, feel free to contact your academic advisor via email.

Provisions for all Drops
  1. A student may not drop a class in which a final grade has been assigned. This will be verified by the student’s dean’s office.
  2. A student may not drop a class if there are any pending investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the class in question. Any drop assigned will not be considered final until any investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the class in question are resolved.
  3. Drops allowed under the provisions of the OTE will be considered academic drops and will count toward the six-drop limit. Students who have reached the six-drop limit are not eligible to use the OTE to drop a course.
Advising

CNS students can find their assigned advisor. If you don’t have an assigned advisor, one will be assigned to you by the third week of the semester. If you have any questions about advising and don’t know who your advisor is email CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu

Once you are assigned an advisor they will email you to introduce themselves. Please refer to your My UT page and access your "Secure Academic Notes" to check on any messages from your advisor. 

Late Registration Instructions

Late registration is rarely approved. Please email CNSinfo@austin.utexas.edu with your name and EID for more information. 

CNS Departmental Contacts

Department Contact
Biosciences (including biology, biochemistry, medical lab science, and neuroscience) bioscienceinfo@utexas.edu for advising
biology@austin.utexas.edu for course and research credit adds
Chemistry css@cm.utexas.edu
Math mpaadv@austin.utexas.edu
Physics ugaffairs@physics.utexas.edu
Astronomy studentinfo@astro.as.utexas.edu
Statistics stat.admin@austin.utexas.edu
Computer Science under-info@cs.utexas.edu
Human Ecology headvising@austin.utexas.edu
Textiles & Apparels angela.patterson@austin.utexas.edu
Public Health briana.denham@austin.utexas.edu
Human Development & Family Science headvising@austin.utexas.edu
Nutrition jill.lawler@austin.utexas.edu