Late Actions

The information provided below applies to published Quarter Dates & Deadlines. 

Deadlines for registration actions differ during Summer Sessions. For deadlines and refund dates, see the Summer Sessions Academic Calendar.

Late Schedule Adjustment Actions

Adding and dropping courses is governed by Davis Division Regulation 547¹.

Section Switch After the Add/Drop Deadline

Undergraduate Students

If you are attempting to switch sections of the same course after the add/drop deadline, but on or before the last day of instruction, do not use a PTA and PTD; submit an Undergraduate Course Change form.

  1. Obtain instructor permission/signature for the course you are attempting to switch enrollment.
  2. Submit the completed form to the Office of the University Registrar.
  3. A $3.00 late schedule adjustment fee will be assessed to your account.

Graduate Students

If you are attempting to switch sections of the same course after the add/drop deadline, approval from the instructor is required to add the new section.  To drop the old section of the course, approval from your program graduate advisor with signature authority and the Dean of Graduate Studies is required.

Request approval to add the course for the new section from the instructor. If permission is granted, the instructor or department will issue a PTA number.

To drop the course of the old section a graduate advisor with signature authority must endorse the Permission to Drop Petition Form. Submit the petition to drop form to the Graduate Studies for Dean's approval. If permission is granted, Graduate Studies will issue a PTD number.

With both valid PTA and PTD numbers, drop and add the course using Schedule Builder:

  1. Select Actions for the course to be dropped.
  2. Select Drop with PTD.
  3. Enter the 9-digit PTD number.
  4. Search using the CRN to be added.
  5. Select Actions and select Register with PTA.
  6. Enter the 9-digit PTA number.
  7. Check and confirm enrollment
  8. A $3.00 fee for the late add will be charged to the student account.

Late Course Add Information

Late Add of a Course with a Permission to Add (PTA)

Adding a course after the 12th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, requires instructor approval. If permission is granted, a permission to add (PTA) number will be issued by the instructor or the department. A PTA number is valid for only 72 hours after it is issued and will be revoked after the third day. PTA numbers issued within the last three days of instruction must be used by the last day of instruction. 

With a valid PTA number, add the course using Schedule Builder:

  1. Search using the CRN.
  2. Select Actions and select Register with PTA.
  3. Enter the 9-digit PTA number.
  4. Check and confirm enrollment
  5. A $3.00 fee for the late add will be charged to the student account.

Note: If waitlisted for a section of the course to be added, this section must be dropped before using the PTA. To drop a waitlisted course after the 10-day drop deadline, come to the Office of the University Registrar to drop the waitlisted course and process the PTA.

Late Course Add After the PTA Deadline

To add a course after the PTA deadline, submit a Retroactive Change Petition.

Late Course Drop Information

To drop a 10-day-drop course after the 10th day of instruction, or a 20-day-drop course after the 20th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, college dean's office approval is required.

A PTD number is valid for only 72 hours after it is issued by your college dean's office representative and will be revoked after the third day. PTD numbers issued within the last three days of instruction must be used by the last day of instruction.  

Note: Students who register for a 10-day drop course or are moved from the waitlist into a 10-day drop course after the drop deadline have a 72-hour grace period to come to the Office of the University Registrar, in 3100 Dutton Hall, to drop the course. This grace period is only for students who register or are added from the waitlist into a 10-day drop course after the drop deadline.

Registered students or those rolled from a waitlist who do not show up or who do not submit any work for a class will receive a failing grade.  All students are responsible for reviewing their course schedule and should check and adjust their schedule accordingly during the designated registration and schedule adjustment periods.

Schedule Builder will not allow you to drop your last class. If you are withdrawing from the University, you must file a Cancellation/Withdrawal Form with the Office of the University Registrar.

Undergraduate Students

College of Biological Sciences students can initiate the process to request permission to drop a course by accessing the Late Drop Petition available in OASIS. Students from the other colleges must initiate this process by first meeting with an advisor in their college dean's office. These forms must be submitted to the college dean's office and approved by 4 p.m. (PT) on the last day of instruction.

If permission is granted, the college dean's office will issue a PTD number that is viewable on the approved Late Drop Petition.

With a valid PTD number, drop the course using Schedule Builder:

  1. Select Actions for the course to be dropped.
  2. Select Drop with PTD.
  3. Enter the 9-digit PTD number.
  4. Check and confirm enrollment
  5. A $3.00 fee for the late add will be charged to the student account.

Graduate Students

To drop a course after the deadline 10-day or 20-day drop deadline, approval of a graduate advisor with signature authority and the Dean of Graduate Studies is required.

A graduate advisor with signature authority must endorse the Permission to Drop Petition Form. Submit the form to Graduate Studies for Dean's approval. If permission is granted, Graduate Studies will issue a PTD number.

With a valid PTD number, drop the course using Schedule Builder:

  1. Select Actions for the course to be dropped.
  2. Select Drop with PTD.
  3. Enter the 9-digit PTD number.
  4. Check and confirm enrollment
  5. A $3.00 fee for the late add will be charged to the student account.

Late Drop of a Course after the PTD deadline

To drop a course after the PTD deadline, submit a Retroactive Change Petition.

Late Enrollment After the 12th Day of Instruction

Students without existing enrollment by the 12th day of instruction will not be able to register for courses on Schedule Builder. The Schedule Builder registration system shuts down at this time for students not enrolled in any courses for the current term.

Undergraduate Students

To register in courses after the 12th day of instruction without any prior existing enrollment for the current term, submit a General Appeal Petition to the Office of the University Registrar. For inquires, contact the Office of the University Registrar.

Graduate Students

To register in courses after the 12th day of instruction without any prior existing enrollment for the current term:

  1. Acquire a memo from the Graduate Program Faculty Advisor approving late registration, including:
    1. A PTA number for one or all courses to be registered, obtained from the Graduate Program Coordinator.
    2. Include the number of units if the course is a variable unit course.
    3. The reason for the late registration and a statement regarding how fees will be paid (either personally or by the department).
  2. Take the memo to Graduate Studies for their approval. If approved, Graduate Studies will authorize the University Registrar's Office to enroll you in the course associated with the PTA. This enrollment will assess fees and reinstate your access to Schedule Builder registration for other schedule adjustments.

Please note that only Graduate Studies has the authority to allow graduate students late registration.

Variable Unit Course Change After the 25th Day of Instruction

Undergraduate Students

To change the unit value of a course after the 25th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, obtain an Undergraduate Course Change form.

  1. Obtain instructor signature. 
  2. Submit the completed form to the Office of the University Registrar.
  3. A $3.00 late schedule adjustment fee will be assessed to your account.

Graduate Students

To change the unit value of a course after the 25th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, approval of a graduate advisor with signature authority and the dean of Graduate Studies is required.

  1. A graduate advisor with signature authority must approve and endorse the Variable Unit Change Petition form.
  2. Take the form to Graduate Studies for the Dean's approval.
  3. Submit the completed form to the Office of the University Registrar.
  4. A $3.00 late schedule adjustment fee will be assessed to your account.

Late S/U Grading Options After the 25th Day of Instruction

Graduate Students

To modify the grading option of a course after the 25th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, approval of a graduate advisor with signature authority and the Dean of Graduate Studies is required.

  1. A graduate advisor with signature authority must approve and endorse the Grading Option Change Petition.
  2. Submit the form to Graduate Studies for Dean's approval.
  3. The completed form will be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar.
  4. A $3.00 late schedule adjustment fee will be assessed to your account.

Professional Program Students

To register in courses after the 12th day of instruction without any prior existing enrollment for the current term, contact your program office for assistance:

Late Pass/Not Passed Option After the 40th Day of Instruction

Undergraduate Students

To opt for P/NP grading of a letter-graded course after the 40th day of instruction, but on or before the last day of instruction, you must obtain approval from the college Dean's office.

Late P/NP petitions submitted by College of Engineering students after the 40th day of instruction will be denied.

  1. Students must initiate this process by first meeting with an advisor in their Dean's Office.
  2. Obtain permission and approval from your college Dean's Office.
  3. If your form is approved, it will be forwarded to the Office of the University Registrar.
  4. A $3.00 late schedule adjustment fee will be assessed to your account.

Retroactive Actions After the End of the Quarter

For information about making adjustments to your schedule after the last day of instruction, see Retroactive Actions.

¹ Davis Division Regulation 547

Davis Division Regulation 547

547. Adding or Dropping a Course

(A) The deadline to drop a course is the twentieth day of instruction, except for courses that a department or program has noted in the Class Search Tool to have a ten-day drop deadline. The deadline to add a course is the twelfth day of instruction. Courses may be added or dropped at any time before these dates by any method mutually agreed upon by the Registrar and the Chair of the Davis Division of the Academic Senate. (Am. 5/27/93; Eff. 9/1/93; Am. 6/8/98; Eff. 9/1/99)

(B) At any time after the add deadline and before the close of business on the last day of instruction for the term, or, for summer sessions (excluding special session) the close of business on the last day of instruction in the fifth week of the session, approval to add a course may be granted upon petition by the student and certification by the appropriate authority. Approval of such petitions may be granted only in cases where substantial evidence indicates that the student did attempt to add the course prior to the deadline, but was prevented from doing so by clerical error or other situation beyond the student’s control. The petition must be approved by the appropriate dean and, in addition, by the appropriate committee of the faculty of the student’s college or school or the appropriate subcommittee of the Graduate Council. The faculty committee may authorize an administrative officer to act on its behalf, but at least once each quarter the committee should receive and review a summary of the actions taken in its name. (Am. 9/1/2013)

(C) At any time after the drop deadline and before the close of business on the last day of instruction for the term, or, for summer sessions (excluding special session) the close of business on the last day of instruction in the fifth week of the session, approval may be granted upon petition by the student and certification by an appropriate authority that, due to unexpected circumstances beyond the student’s control, one or more courses should be dropped. The circumstances may include illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a death in the immediate family, a large and necessary increase in working hours, or other situations deemed to be of equal gravity. The petition must be approved by the appropriate dean and, in addition, by the appropriate committee of the faculty of the student’s college or school or the appropriate subcommittee of the Graduate Council. The faculty committee may authorize an administrative officer to act on its behalf, but at least once each quarter the committee should receive and review a summary of the actions taken in its name. An undergraduate student is permitted to drop a course subsequent to the drop deadline even if doing so would reduce that student’s study list below 12 units, but such a student no longer can be certified as a full-time student. (Am. 9/1/2013)

(D) To drop a course or withdraw from the University after close of business on the last day of instruction for the term, or, for summer sessions (excluding special session) the close of business on the last day of instruction in the fifth week of the session, the student or an appropriate faculty member must submit a petition to the Davis Division Grade Changes Committee or, for professional faculty or students in professional courses in their own professional schools, to the grade change committee of that school. Approval will be granted only in the most unusual circumstances and only in those cases where it is clear that by not approving the petition the student would be treated unfairly. (Am. 9/1/2013)