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• Academic Calendar - registration and payment dates and deadlines

• Course Schedules

• Registration Info Sheet (RIS) - registration access times and registration holds

• My Tuition Bill | Financial Services

Key Deadlines

Students are responsible for reviewing and complying with registration and tuition deadlines, listed in the University Academic Calendar. Note:

• Late advising can affect course access.

• Late registration or payment may lead to dropped courses or late fees.

Advising Process

Graduate students must complete advising each semester before registering for classes. Advising is the process of planning your classes for the upcoming semester.

Advising Steps:

1. Review your Degree Plan and the UT Course Schedule

2. Discuss your course plans with your faculty mentor and/or Area Chair

3. Submit an EDP Advising Form

4. Your Area Chair will review and approve the form (or request changes)

5. Need to change your schedule? Submit a new Advising Form

Tip: hang on to your approved Advising Form as a reference for when you register for your courses, as it lists the course Unique #s you’ll need for registration.

Registration Holds

Registration holds prevent registration. Check your Registration Info Sheet (RIS) for any active holds.

Common holds include:

• Advising Hold: removed by staff after your Advising Form is approved. 

• Financial Hold: view/Pay balances via My Tuition Bill or What I Owe. The Financial Responsibility Statement (FRS) is also a semesterly acknowledgement required by UT Accounting.

• Emergency Contact Hold: update emergency contact annually via the online update form in UT Direct

• Other Holds: Health Services, Parking, etc. must be cleared through those offices

Registration Access Times

Check your registration access times in your Registration Info Sheet (RIS) well in advance of registration.

Registering for Classes

You will register each semester through UT's online Registration System. Register early! Classes fill quickly, and having a class on your Advising Form does not always guarantee a spot in the class. 

• Out-of-Department (non-EDP) classes: contact the department offering the class for permission to enroll.

• Schedule Changes: if you wish to change the schedule on your Advising Form, submit a new Advising Form.

Note: Check your courses carefully! Graduate students are expected to confirm they are in the correct classes. Some courses have the same course numbers but different topics, slightly different names, etc. 

Pay Tuition & Confirm Enrollment

Remember to pay your tuition bill and confirm attendance before the deadline to secure your classes. Review the Tuition Bill Help Guide for more information about tuition bills.

Late Registration

See the Graduate School policies on Late Registration for more information about deadlines and procedures. Note:

Missed registration? Contact the EDP registration staff as soon as possible. If it’s before the 12th class day (Fall/Spring) or 4th class day (Summer), the Department may still be able to add you to courses. After those deadlines, you must contact the EDP Graduate Program Coordinator, as the Graduate School requires additional paperwork:

• Graduate Add/Drop Form - for schedule changes

• Late Registration Form - needed if you’re not enrolled in any classes

Dropping Courses

Graduate students can drop a class through the last class day of a semester. After the Registration access period closes, a late Add-Drop form is needed to drop a course, and the instructor will assign a symbol of Q (Quit) or F (Fail). The form can be obtained from the EDP registration staff. Because it requires Graduate Adviser and Graduate School approval, you should reach out to drop any classes as soon as possible. More info: Graduate School Add/Drop Policies

Course Load

Full-Time Course Load

Full-time status is necessary to receive most University fellowships, reside in University housing, be employed for an academic appointment (Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Assistant Instructor, etc.), for international student visa status in most cases, and often for student loans or deferment of existing loans (check Texas One Stop or your lender). More info: Graduate School Full-Time Student Status

• Full-Time Status for Fall/Spring: 9 credit hours

• Full-Time Status for Summer (for academic employment): 3 credit hours

Maximum Course Load

The maximum course load for a graduate student during long semesters (Spring/Fall) is 15 hours, and 12 hours for the Summer semester. A heavier course requires approval from the Graduate Adviser and Graduate Dean. Contact the EDP Graduate Coordinator if you wish to take more than the maximum number of hours.