Registration & Choosing Classes
How do I choose courses and plan my schedule?
How do I register for courses?
What should I do if I'm having trouble registering on OPUS or making changes to my schedule?
How do I overload my schedule in order to take more than 19 academic credit hours?
How do I register for a course that is "permission only"?
How can I determine which General Education Requirements I need in order to graduate?
How do I declare a major and when should I do this?
How can I fulfill my writing requirements?
Am I allowed to take classes pass/fail?
Am I allowed to retake a course in which I did poorly?
Academic Concerns (Course Withdrawals, Help Resources, Absences, Probation)
What happens if I want to withdraw from all of my classes after the deadline?
What will happen to my financial aid/scholarships if I change my schedule or withdraw from a class?
What is a WF or WU and how do I obtain one?
Is it possible to withdraw from courses taken in previous semesters?
What should I do if I am having difficulty in a course?
Does Emory have an attendance policy?
My schedule on OPUS does not appear to be correct. What should I do?
Registration & Choosing Classes
How do I choose courses and plan my schedule?
For freshmen, Pre-Major Advising Connections (PACE) advisers will help you decide which classes to take and guide you through the online enrollment process. Enrollment in freshman seminars is done through the PACE Office. Please see the PACE site for more information about freshman advising and registration issues. Your PACE adviser is your official adviser until you declare a major and receive an adviser in your major department. During your sophomore year you will choose a major and be assigned an advisor by your major department.
For transfer students and Oxford Continuees who have not yet declared a major, the academic advisors in the Office for Undergraduate Education (OUE) are your official advisers until you declare a major. You should schedule an appointment with an adviser in OUE as soon as you arrive by calling 404-727-6069. Academic procedures and policies will be discussed with you during your advising appointment and mandatory orientation. During this time you will also have the opportunity to meet with faculty members to learn more about majors and minors.
Prior to pre-registration each semester, time is reserved for academic advising. Faculty advisers will post schedules on their doors and students will be able to sign up for individual advising sessions. Check your adviser's schedule early to find an appointment date and time that is prior to your enrollment date. Please use this time with your adviser to discuss problems and concerns about your graduation requirements, career goals, and other academic issues that concern you. This is not merely a time for you to select courses, but rather a time for serious consideration of your academic plans and goals.
All students are welcome to meet with an academic adviser in OUE for general advising and to discuss academic concerns at any time during their Emory College careers.
How do I register for courses?
Emory students enroll in classes online through OPUS for most classes during regular semesters or summer sessions. For class enrollment instruction videos, click here. After the first semester, students are able to pre-register with their class according to their total number of earned credit hours:
Students with earned credit hours 75+
Students with earned credit hours 45.00-74.00
Students with earned credit hours 15.00-44.99
Students with earned credit hours 0.00-14.99
What do I do if I need to make changes to my class schedule or am unable to register during pre-registration?
After pre-registration the Registrar will re-open registration on OPUS to all students during what is called the drop/add period. This period at the beginning of the semester allows students to make changes to their schedules, enroll in open courses, swap courses, or drop courses. If you are attempting to switch from one class to another open class, it is better to use the ¿swap¿ command instead of dropping and adding so that you do not lose your first class before you are enrolled in the second one. It is your responsibility to review and print a copy of your schedule on OPUS each time you make changes to confirm that your request is processed as you intended. Keep a copy for your records.
What should I do if I'm having trouble registering on OPUS or making changes to my schedule?
All students are given user names and passwords when they first arrive at Emory. If you suspect that there is a technical problem, contact University Technology Services Division (UTS). If your issue is not technical in nature, contact the Registrar at 404-727-6042.
How many credit hours should I be taking? And what is the minimum and maximum course load allowed during a given semester?
Students normally enroll for 16 academic credit hours (4 courses) and often take additional one credit academic electives such as music or dance courses. Health/PE courses count as one credit non-academic credit courses. Students oftentimes, in consultation with their advisers, choose to enroll in fewer credit hours to balance their schedules or more credit hours to achieve a particular academic goal.
Students may not enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours, as Emory does not permit part-time status. However, students who are in their final semester prior to graduating from Emory may enroll in as few as one credit hour. Tuition below 12 credit hours will be charged on a per credit hour basis. In order to take fewer than 12 credit hours, students must complete an underload form in the Office for Undergraduate Education, 300 White Hall.
Students who have Emory grade point averages (GPA) of 3.0 or greater or are in their final semester may enroll in up to 22 total credit hours. Students who have grade point averages of less than 3.0 may enroll in up to 19 academic credit hours plus up to three non-academic credit hours. No exceptions will be made to this policy.
How do I overload my schedule in order to take more than 19 academic credit hours?
If you meet the criteria discussed above you may fill out an overload form and submit it to White Hall 300. If you attempt to register on OPUS for greater than the number of credit hours permitted, classes will be dropped from your schedule by the Office for Undergraduate Education before the end of the withdrawal period so that you are not above the permitted limit.
How do I register for a course that is "permission only"?
If a class is designated "permission only", students will need a permission number from the department, or the departmental secretary will need to register the student for the course. As an alternative, you may also bring a signed letter from the professor to White Hall 300 during the drop/add period indicating the name of the course, the course number, and the grading basis. If the course is a directed study, the number of credit hours should also be included.
How do I enroll in a class that is full, especially if I need it for a General Education Requirement or for my major?
In certain circumstances some departments and professors allow students to overload into a class even if it is full. However, this is not guaranteed and students should make every effort possible to plan their schedules and gauge their academic progress to maximize their choices. If the professor of the course that you want to overload into chooses to let you join the course, you will need to bring a signed letter from him or her indicating the name of the course, the course number, and the grading basis to White Hall 300.
How can I determine which General Education Requirements I need in order to graduate?
Emory students may review their Degree Progress Report in OPUS to determine which General Education Requirements have been satisfied. Your departmental adviser can determine which major requirements you have remaining. If there is a discrepancy between what is indicated on your degree planner and what you believe to be accurate, see degree progress report for more information.
Can I fulfill my General Education Requirements by taking similar corresponding courses at another academic institution?
It depends. If the number of credit hours you will be receiving will not take you above 68 total credit hours on your Emory transcript, then courses taken at another institution may count if you get permission. Please see the section on Transient Study for more information on these procedures. In addition, some students are able to fulfill requirements through Emory-sponsored study-abroad programs; please contact the Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA) for more information. Regardless of eligibility for either option, all writing requirements must be taken at Emory.
Can courses I have taken or AP credits I have received prior to my enrolling at Emory count toward GERs, my major and graduation?
Again, it depends. The Office of Admission evaluates the credits that you have received from another institution as well as Advanced Placement test scores to determine the type of credit, if any, you will receive toward Emory General Education Requirements and whether particular requirements may be waived. Take steps to ensure that all AP and transfer credits are applied to your Emory transcript within your first semester at Emory as credit will not transfer after this time.
For Oxford Continuees, Oxford College will determine how your Oxford credit hours apply toward your Emory requirements.
It is up to your major/minor department to determine which credit hours count toward your major or minor.
How do I declare a major and when should I do this?
You should declare your major during your sophomore year by going to the office of the academic department in which you plan to major. You will then be assigned a faculty advisor who will help you plan courses for your major and discuss plans for its completion. See Majors & Minors for more information.
Can I use an Emory course that does not appear on the list of General Education Requirements to fulfill one of these requirements?
You can use only approved courses, which are updated periodically (see current list), to satisfy GERs. Courses taken at Emory that appear to be similar to courses that have been approved cannot be used to satisfy GERs.
How can I fulfill my writing requirements?
You must fulfill both a freshman writing requirement consisting of one course as well as a continuing writing requirement (CWR) consisting of three courses. For the freshman writing requirement (which is different from the freshman seminar) you must take either ENG 101, ENG 181 or LIT 110 or receive AP English credit as determined by the Office of Admission.
Only courses with the WR designation on OPUS can be used to fulfill the post-freshman writing requirement (see Courses Eligible for Continuing Writing Requirement). This means that courses taken at other institutions (i.e., through transient study or study abroad) generally cannot be used to fulfill a writing requirement even if the courses are writing intensive.
Is it possible to fulfill two GERs at the same time by taking a single course that falls under the listing for more than one general education category?
Yes. Students may use a single course to satisfy two GERs as long as one of the GERs being satisfied is the CWR.
For example, AMST 112WR fulfills a History, Society Culture as well as a CWR because the course is listed in both area III and VI of the GERs.
Am I allowed to take classes on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (pass/fail) grading basis?
Emory College students may take up to a total of 20 credit hours of academic credit on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading basis during their Emory careers and apply the credits toward graduation with the following stipulations:
For any course, students must indicate their grading basis on OPUS and may not change this grading basis after the deadline. Courses that are being taken for general education requirements or toward a major or minor must be taken for a letter grade with the exception of P.E. courses which may be taken sat/unsat. Professors are not notified of a student¿s grading basis unless the student chooses to share this information with the professor. In addition, classes taken with this designation are not factored into the GPA.
Am I allowed to retake a course in which I did poorly?
Students may retake a course only with a dean's permission. Students may not, however, receive credit toward graduation twice for the same course (that is, if they received a passing grade on the first attempt as well as the second attempt). If the student failed the class on the first attempt, he or she may receive credit upon receiving a passing grade on the second attempt.
When students retake a class, both courses along with both grades remain on the transcript and are factored into the students¿ GPA. For instance, if a student fails SOC 101 during fall semester and takes it again in the spring and receives an A, the transcript will show the F in SOC 101 under the fall semester and the A in SOC 101 under the spring semester.
Academic Concerns (Course Withdrawals, Help Resources, Absences, Probation)
What happens if I want to withdraw from all of my classes after the deadline?
You should schedule an appointment immediately with a dean or academic adviser in the Office for Undergraduate Education if you feel that you need to withdraw. Please bring any relevant documentation pertaining to your need. If a full withdrawal is granted, you will receive grades of "W" on your transcript for all courses in that semester. See withdrawals: http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/policy/withdrawal.html
What will happen to my financial aid/scholarships if I change my schedule or withdraw from a class?
In most cases, as long as you are a full-time student enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, your aid will not be affected. However, you should always check with the financial aid office and/or your source of financial support to be sure about their specific terms.
What is a WF or WU and how do I obtain one?
A WF is a withdrawal-failure from a course after the deadline. It is essentially equivalent to an F in the sense that it counts as an F on the GPA, but appears as a WF on the transcript. Students may request and receive a WF up until the last day of classes by making an appointment with an academic advisor. A WU is granted under the same terms, but applies only to classes in which a student is currently enrolled on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading basis. Like the WF, no academic credit is received, but unlike the WF, there is no effect on the GPA in the case of a WU.
Is it possible to withdraw from courses taken in previous semesters?
Students may appeal to the Committee on Academic Standards (CAS) for retroactive withdrawals and waivers of existing academic regulations and requirements in individual cases. This committee of faculty governance (which includes students) is appropriately the defender of the Academic Rules and Regulations of Emory College. For more information, see Committee on Academic Standards.
What should I do if I am having difficulty in a course?
We want to help you! In our advising role, we seek to support students who find they are having difficulty in a course for any reason. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with an academic adviser proactively to discuss strategies for doing well in your courses. Just call 404-727-6069 or stop by White Hall 300. We also encourage you to meet with your professor and teaching assistants and to take advantage of their office hours and mentoring sessions.
There are several resources on campus that may be helpful to you:
Academic Support Programs - As part of Academic Advising and Support Programs, this is the place to go for academic support outside of the classroom. Services include EPASS Peer Tutoring, English as a Second Language (ESL) services (consultations, ESL tutoring and Academic Skills Lab), Peer-Led Mentoring Groups, study-skills consultations, workshops, and international student support. Offices locations are in White Hall, on the 2nd Floor, of Emory¿s main campus and in the Student Activity & Academic Center (SAAC), Suite 310, on Emory's Clairmont Campus. Please call us at 404.727.5300 for more information or go to www.epass.emory.edu for more information.
University Counseling Center - Sometimes personal or emotional issues in life can affect your coursework and your ability to focus on your classes. The Counseling Center consists of a team of professional psychologists and social workers and offers individual and group therapy to help students deal with these issues. The Counseling Center also provides referrals to outside specialists. Call 404-727-7450 to schedule an intake appointment so that they can assess your needs.
Office of Disability Services - If you have a disability, this is the place to register for accommodations. If you break your arm and need someone to provide a note-taker for your classes, go to ODS. If you are suffering from depression or another chronic illness or have a learning disability, this is the place to go to discuss options and solutions. Call 404-727-9877 (voice) or 404-712-2049 (TDD) for questions and more information.
You can contact these offices yourself, or the Advisers can make a referral and work with you in conjunction with these resources.
What should I do if I¿m too sick to go to class or have another conflict or emergency? Can I get an absence excuse or a missed exam excuse?
Sick students should notify their professors of their impending absence and then seek care at Student Health or other healthcare facility. You should always notify your professor in advance if you know that you may be missing a class. The College does not provide absence excuses or excuses for late work or other assignments. It is ultimately up to the faculty member to determine how to respond to missed classes and exams. It is your responsibility to make a conscientious effort to communicate with the professor in a timely manner to make arrangements for making up missed course work.
The College does provide missed exam (midterm and final only) excuses based on any documentation that students provide, if this is requested by an instructor. It is your responsibility to make arrangements with the faculty member for making up any missed exam. In addition, the faculty member may decide to offer an alternate solution.
Students with designated Emory-sponsored activities may go to White Hall 300 to receive an absence excuse. The College will check to make sure that your name appears on a corresponding list of approved Emory-sponsored events. Again, you must notify your professor ahead of time and make arrangements for making up missed work.
What should I do if my professor wants to see my medical documentation in order to decide whether to allow me to make up missed work?
Medical information is confidential. Students are not required to show this information to professors or any other person at Emory who is evaluating them academically. You may, however, choose to provide this information. At the request of the student, advisers in the Office for Undergraduate Education will verify for professors any documentation that we receive and will always attempt to do so in a way that does not violate students' privacy.
Does Emory have an attendance policy?
Emory does not have an official attendance policy. Each professor creates and enforces their own attendance policy. In addition, many departments allow a given number of absences before a student's grade is affected. These absences are to be used for illness or crisis situations that arise.
At students' request, Advisers in the Office for Undergraduate Education will verify the documentation that we receive in order to maintain student confidentiality. When students make this request, Advisers will always attempt to convey the information to professors in a way that does not violate students' privacy.
My schedule on OPUS does not appear to be correct. What should I do?
It is your responsibility to review, print and save a copy of your schedule on OPUS each time you make changes to confirm that your request was processed as you intended. If you do find a course or grading basis error on your schedule, make an appointment with an academic adviser immediately so that we can assess your situation.
My instructor said that he supports my withdrawing from his class or has told me that I should withdraw because I am not doing well and/or have missed too many classes. Can I just assume that he will process a withdrawal for me or that a letter from him will allow me to withdraw?
No, faculty members are unable to remove students from class rosters. If you decide to withdraw from a class before the withdrawal without academic penalty deadline, you must complete the following tasks:
Go to the Office for Undergraduate Education in White Hall 300 to receive a Petition for Partial Withdrawal.
Complete petition and bring to course instructor AND adviser of record (PACE or within major department) for consultation and signatures. The instructor's and adviser's signatures indicate only that you have informed them of your decision to withdraw, not that they necessarily approve of your decision.
Students have the responsibility to return their petitions, completed and with all signatures, to 300 White Hall by 4:00 p.m. on the date of the withdrawal deadline.
The Office for Undergraduate Education will process the petitions. A course from which a student withdraws will appear on the Emory transcript with a grade of "W," but will not count toward the student's GPA.
Students should review their schedules on OPUS to confirm that the partial withdrawal appears correctly.
See the Course Withdrawal Policy for information about how to request a partial withdrawal without academic penalty AFTER the withdrawal without academic penalty deadline. Please call 404-727-6069 or go by White Hall 300 to schedule an appointment with an academic adviser in the Office for Undergraduate Education.
Advising Areas
Academic Advising
OUE Advisors work closely with students to provide individual academic advising, problem solving for academic issues and referrals to campus resources. The goal is to help students create meaningful academic plans and maximize their academic success.
Pre-Major Advising Connections at Emory (PACE)
The PACE program will replace the FAME program as of the Fall 2009 semester.
Majors and Minors Advising
Students must complete requirements for the major in an academic field of their choosing. Students may have a single major, double major, or major and minor, but not more than two areas of concentration. Students must maintain at least a C (2.0) average in any major or minor they complete.
Science Advising and Support
Faculty in science departments are great resources to help guide your science experiences at Emory. To help you get started, you should check with the Director of Undergraduate Study in the department you¿re interested in. Academic advisors from the Office of Undergraduate Education are also available to help. Our office also offers academic support specifically designed for science students in introductory math and science courses.
See also ScienceNet The Center for Science Education (CSE) promotes access, interest and participation in science careers. Our programs bolster science literacy and provide hands-on research experiences for students and teachers at the precollege, college and postgraduate levels.
Pre-Health and Mentoring at Emory (PHMO)
The Pre-Health and Mentoring office at Emory aims to integrate and enhance students' undergraduate pre-health experiences. They offer programs, pre-health advising and reference materials to help students achieve their post-graduate goals. By integrating research, academics, clinical and service experiences, study-abroad, and pre-health advising, their goal is to prepare students with experiences, courses, and the practical knowledge of what it takes to successfully apply to health science professional schools and careers. Students are welcome to visit to visit the PHMO early in their college careers. In addition, PHMO works with the Career Center, the College and the Health Sciences departments at Emory to provide the one-stop shop for all students thinking of a career in the health sciences.