Taking Courses < University of Chicago Catalog

Class Attendance

Attendance at the first class is required in many courses to confirm enrollment. The academic calendar can be found at uchicago.edu/academics/calendar.

Course Load

Students register for three or four courses per quarter. Most courses bear 100 units of credit. Over the typical four-year program (twelve quarters), a student normally registers for at least six four-course quarters and as many as six three-course quarters. Although students may progress at varying rates toward the degree, no student may register for more than fifteen quarters without the permission of the dean of students in the College.

A student is considered full time whether registered for three or four courses; the tuition is the same in either case. Students must formally petition the dean of students in the College for permission to take a fifth course. The petition will be considered in the third week of the quarter, at which time, if it is approved, the student will be registered and billed for the fifth course. NOTE: The charge for the fifth course is the difference between the cost of two and three courses.

Students who wish to register for fewer than three courses must make that request to their College adviser before the end of the first week of the quarter. Because such students have part-time status, their financial aid will be reevaluated and they must request permission if they wish to remain in University of Chicago housing. Part-time students must complete on time all of the courses for which they register with a minimum GPA of 1.75 in order to remain in good academic standing.

Examination Schedule

Students should verify that travel arrangements do not conflict with their final examinations. For the College examination schedule, visit registrar.uchicago.edu/final-exams.

Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals

Students planning a leave should consult with their College adviser and also arrange for an interview with one of the College deans of students. For full tuition refund, a leave of absence must be arranged either at the end of the quarter prior to the leave or by Friday of first week of the quarter that a student is going to be on leave. For the refund schedule, visit bursar.uchicago.edu/tuition-refund-schedule.

In connection with certain leaves (e.g., some medical leaves or leaves taken because of behavioral issues), the dean of students may require, among other things, information from a physician or therapist as a condition for resumption of studies. All conditions are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students who decide not to return to the College must formally withdraw their registration. To do so, students should contact the Office of the Dean of Students in the College. At the time of withdrawal, students are advised of the conditions under which they may resume their studies in the College. For a complete overview of College policies regarding leaves of absence and withdrawals, visit the College website at college.uchicago.edu/policies-regulations/leaves-restrictions-warnings/leave-absence.

Reading Period

Two days of every academic quarter (Thursday and Friday of tenth week) are designated "College Reading and Review Period." Instructors and/or teaching assistants may hold review sessions on these days. However, no new material may be introduced, assignments may not be due, and final examinations may not be given (except as necessary for graduating students) during the reading period. The Reading and Review Period may not be dispensed with by classroom vote.

Repetition of Courses

When a student repeats a course, both courses appear on the student's transcript and both grades are averaged into the student's GPA. However, only one registration for the course counts toward the total number of credits required for graduation.

In the quarter that a course is repeated, students on financial aid must register for three courses in addition to the repeated course unless (1) a failing grade was received in a course that a student needs to meet general education requirements or requirements in their major (2) the student's major mandates a higher grade than was previously received.