Adding and Dropping Classes

Northwestern students generally enroll in courses during the registration period preceding each academic quarter. After their initial registration appointment, students may make changes themselves to their schedule in CAESAR by adding, dropping, or swapping courses up to the add or drop deadlines for the term. The deadlines for adding and dropping courses are available on the Registrar’s website.

Note: Deadlines and processes for adding, dropping, and withdrawing from courses are different in Summer Quarter than during the rest of the academic year. If you need to change your schedule during Summer, consult the Registrar's summer registration guidelines.

Initial Registration

All students who plan to enroll in a specific term must be registered in at least one course by the end of the add period (the fifth day of the term) or they will not be allowed to enroll for the term. Consult the Academic Calendar for the add deadline for the term.

If you have a hold that is preventing you from registering, please be sure to have that hold removed in time to register. If you have concerns about this, contact your College Adviser on the first day of the new term.

Adding a Course

You can add or swap classes yourself through CAESAR only through the add period, which generally ends the fifth day of the term. The deadline ensures that you will not join a course too late in the quarter to complete it successfully.

If you are already enrolled in four courses and want to add a fifth course, you should read about overloads.

Late Adds

Weinberg students who wish to add into an additional class after the end of the add period should follow the process below to submit the request to the dean’s office. Please note that requesting a late add does not necessarily mean that it will be approved. No late adds will be permitted after the drop deadline for the term. Please consult the Academic Calendar for the drop deadline for a particular term.

How to request a late add?

Obtain permission to join the class after the add deadline. Permission can be demonstrated via one of the following:

an active permission number issued by the department
an email from the instructor giving explicit, recent permission to join the class (saved as a .pdf)
if it is after the second week of the quarter, you must obtain an email from the instructor that not only gives permission to join the class but also confirms that you have been engaged in the course since the beginning of the term

Fill out and save the Weinberg pdf form Petition for a Late Add
Fill out the Registrar’s online form Request to add/drop/P/N (Undergraduates Only)

Upload the Weinberg Petition for a Late Add to the online Registrar form
Include the proof of permission to join the class, either by entering a permission number on the form or uploading a pdf of an email from the instructor

What do I do if the class is closed or requires a permission number?

Include an active permission number on the online form, regardless of whether you also include an email from the instructor.

I need to add a class that is also a time conflict with one of my current classes?

A completed Time Conflict form approved by both instructors should be uploaded to the online form.

It’s after the second week of the quarter?

After the second week of the quarter, the dean’s office will not approve any request to add a course the student has not been engaged with since the start of the term. The dean’s office will require additional verification of attendance from the instructor.

Dropping a Course

You can drop a course through CAESAR through the sixth Friday of each quarter; no signature or permission number is needed. See the Academic Calendar on the Registrar’s website for exact deadlines. (The deadline for tuition reductions is the end of the first week of the quarter.)

If you are only enrolled in three courses, dropping one of them will mean you are taking an underload; this can have some serious implications.

Withdrawing from a Course

Undergraduate students may request permission from their dean’s office to withdraw from a course or courses after the drop deadline but prior to the withdrawal deadline.

All approved withdrawals result in a W (withdrawal) grade posted to the transcript. Ws do not impact a student's GPA but the course remains on the transcript. The deadline to request a withdrawal is the date listed on the academic calendar or before the final assessment (final exam/paper/project/etc.) for the course is given, whichever date is earlier. For take-home exams the withdrawal request must be submitted before the exam is distributed.

Students may not withdraw from a course after the final assessment. Students who request withdrawal after the final assessment date has been reached will be in violation of the University policy on academic integrity.

Students are prohibited from dropping or withdrawing from courses in which an allegation or a finding of academic misconduct has been made.

Weinberg students who want to withdraw from a course must submit the online "Undergraduate Course Withdrawal Request" found on the Registrar's website prior to the withdrawal deadline listed on the academic calendar for that quarter.

The decision to withdraw from a course is final once the form is submitted. Because a course withdrawal may not be rescinded, we strongly recommend that students consult with a College adviser prior to submission.

Students who want to withdraw from all of their courses need to use a "Term Withdrawal Request" form found on the Registrar website prior to the withdrawal deadline listed on the academic calendar for that quarter. A student who withdraws from all of their classes after the drop deadline will receive Ws in all their courses and will be expected to take the following 2 quarters away from Northwestern.

If the deadline to withdraw has passed, you should consult with your College Adviser about next steps, including whether taking an incomplete is a viable option, or how you can best work to complete the course.