Adding a Course

You may register for your courses using available self-registration tools or by working with the Office of Student Support. While you should register for courses well in advance, you may make changes to your registration without penalty through the add/drop period ending on the seventh day of the term. ExcelTrack students may add module courses through week nine of the term. Registration changes are subject to course availability.

Requests to audit a course must be approved in advance of registration in the course. If you register to audit a course, you may not decide to take the course for credit after starting the course.

Credit Load Guidelines

Registering for more than the maximum or less than the minimum number of credits, as follows, requires approval from the Dean:

• Undergraduate: Minimum 6 credits, maximum 18 credits per term
• Graduate: Minimum 4 credits, maximum 10 credits per term

Exceptions to these credit loads may result in changes to tuition charges and financial aid awards. Certain programs and enrollment agreements may have specific policies governing student course loads; refer to the individual school sections for more information.

If you are enrolled in an ExcelTrack program, you will be transferred to the traditional version of your program if you earned less than the following minimum total credits across the prior three terms in ExcelTrack, by degree level:

• Undergraduate: Minimum 18 credits earned in three terms
• Graduate: Minimum 12 credits earned in three terms

Note: Posting passing grades in a traditional program will reset this 3-term count if you later return to an ExcelTrack program. Refer to Program Changes for more details on transferring from a traditional program to an ExcelTrack program.

Requesting to Drop a Course

You may drop a course through the add/drop period ending on the seventh day of the term without any financial obligation.   

If you drop a course after the add/drop period, you will incur 100 percent financial responsibility for the course. Withdrawing from a course at any point after the course has begun can affect your financial aid eligibility and the time required to complete your degree. You should determine such impact before making any changes.

You may withdraw from a course at any time during a term. If you withdraw from a module course, you will receive a “W” grade. If you withdraw from a traditional course, you will receive a "W" grade, unless the withdrawal is in the final two weeks of the term in which case you will receive a temporary “IP” grade that will be finalized at the end of the term as defined under Administrative Withdrawal From a Course. 

See Leave of Absence and Withdrawal policies for more information about requesting to withdraw from the University and administrative withdrawal from the University.

Military Service Provision

If you must drop or withdraw from courses due to receipt of military orders or are placed on a special duty assignment and, as a result, are unable to attend class, you will not be responsible for any tuition or fees incurred for the courses in progress when the military order takes effect. Receipt of orders may include deployment, mobilization, activation, training, or a commander letter for special duty assignments. You must notify your Student Advisor of receipt of orders and provide a copy of a valid order of duty. Any applicable waiver of expenses is only valid for the affected course(s) when the military order takes effect. When this request is approved, the affected course(s) will show an “MW” mark. If you are also receiving federal financial aid, please see the applicable Refund Policy.

Administrative Withdrawal From a Course

Any traditional course in which you do not log attendance by the twelfth day of the term will administratively be removed from your schedule. Any module course in which you do not log any attendance during the term will administratively be removed after the end of the term. These courses will not appear on your transcript and removal may have an impact on your financial aid eligibility. 

At the end of the term, each traditional course without a grade posted or dropped with an “IP” grade will be reviewed to determine if you finished the course or withdrew before finishing the course.

• If you achieved an overall passing grade or received any points in the final two units of the course, you will be considered to have finished the course and will be awarded the grade determined by the grade scale. (See Academic Grades and Marks.) 

• If you did not receive any points in the final two units of the course and did not achieve an overall passing grade, you will be considered to have withdrawn from the course and receive a “W” grade.

Assessments of Skills and Knowledge 

Certain course requirements can be fulfilled by achieving a passing score on an Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK). For a complete list of available assessments for credit and to register to take one, contact your Student Advisor.

• You will have one attempt to take an assessment and cannot take one if you have already begun or failed the equivalent course.
• Once you enter the ASK and view the content, the Alternative Credit Center will count this as an attempt to complete the ASK.
• Grades on ASKs are final and do not qualify for the grade appeal process.
• You will receive an academic mark of assessment credit (AC) for a passed ASK.
• Assessments are not available for all Purdue Global courses.
• Students pay a non-refundable fee for each ASK.
• Faculty evaluators for ASKs are assigned by the specific school where that assessment resides and are not chosen by the student. The role of the faculty evaluator is to assess each ASK component according to the rubric criteria. The faculty evaluator does not advise, answer content questions, or instruct students on any ASK assessment components.

Nondegree-Seeking Course Enrollment

In addition to the above policies, please note the following if you are a nondegree-seeking student:

• You must complete financial arrangements for each course before you will be permitted to register into it.
• Not all courses are available for nondegree-seeking enrollment and some will require additional Dean-level approval before permission is given. The Dean may wish to examine your transcripts, work experience, or other evidence of preparedness for the course, especially in situations where the course has prerequisites.
• You may not enroll in a course which is part of a program that has explicit entrance requirements unless you meet the requirements and have approval from the Dean of the school in which the course is housed (e.g., nursing, medical assisting, etc.).

Matriculation into a Degree Program

You are encouraged to consult with an Admissions Advisor to ascertain which courses taken as a nondegree-seeking student will apply to a program of study. Not all courses may be applicable toward a Purdue Global degree.