Registration

Graduate Student Registration

All students must register for classes prior to the first day of the semester. Newly admitted graduate students are encouraged to arrive early, so they can be on campus to meet with their advisers prior to registration. Registration for the first (fall) semester and for the summer sessions begins in mid-March; registration for the second (spring) semester begins in mid-October.

The Schedule of Classes contains information about procedures and dates pertaining to registration. Additional questions concerning graduate registration procedures should be referred to the Office of Graduate Studies, 1100 Seaton Hall, (402) 472-2875.

Students admitted to UNL Graduate Studies are not required to obtain the signature of the Graduate Dean during registration periods or for drops and adds (refer to “Drop and Add” for additional information), but they are required to consult with an adviser. Non-degree students must obtain the permission of the instructor of the class and may not enroll in masters thesis credits, doctoral dissertation credits, or doctoral seminars without permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy status must be registered every academic semester until they graduate. Failure to maintain registration may result in the termination of the student’s program.

Formerly enrolled graduate students who have not attended classes for three consecutive terms must request a reactivation of their eligibility to register for classes by calling (402)472-2875 or emailing graduate@unl.edu.

Undergraduate students are not permitted to register at the 800 or 900 level except with the permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Undergraduate students interested in this option should request permission online at Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Students http://research.unl.edu/gradstudies/credit/

Auditing a Course

Auditing gives a currently enrolled student (or currently admitted student) the privilege of attending class, but credit is not earned and a grade is not assigned when auditing a class. All persons wishing to audit a course must be admitted and eligible to enroll in classes for the term in which they audit. Courses involving extensive laboratory work are generally not open to auditors.

Students who wish to audit a class must first register for the class. Pick up a Permit to Audit Card at Registration and Records, 107 Canfield Administration Building. Obtain the instructor’s permission to audit the course by having him or her sign the Permit to Audit Card. Turn in the signed Permit to Audit Card at Registration and Records, 107 Canfield Administration Building, no later than the last day to add a class for the term.

Audited classes carry no credit and do not count toward full-time status. All audit cards for a term must be returned to Registration and Records, 107 Canfield Administration Building, no later than the last day to add a class. Audit cards turned in after the deadline will not be honored and the student will be subject to a grade. The fee for auditing a course is the same as the regular resident or non-resident tuition for the term, and both UPFF and other course fees apply to the class.

To have an audit recorded on your academic record with an AU designation, request that your instructor submit a Change of Student Record Form to Registration and Records, 107 Canfield Administration Building, indicating the course was an audit and that you did attend.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fee rates are subject to change at the direction of the Board of Regents. For the current tuition and fees charges in effect, visit the UNL Student Accounts homepage at http://stuaccts.unl.edu.

Refunds

Students who elect to withdraw from the University within the first four weeks of a semester, or within the first two weeks of a summer session, may be entitled to a fractional refund of tuition. The conditions of eligibility for refunds are subject to change. The current conditions are set forth in each issue of the Schedule of Classes.

Residency Status for Tuition Purposes

Regulations pertaining to resident status for tuition purposes are established by the Board of Regents. Initial determination of resident status is made at the time of admission and is noted on the Certificate of Admission. If a non-resident student wishes to change status, it is necessary to file an application with the Office of Graduate Studies, 1100 Seaton Hall. Full information on the requirements for resident status and the application forms are available at the Office of Graduate Studies and can also be downloaded from http://admissions.unl.edu/applications/Residencyapp.pdf

University Staff Exemption

Members of the academic-administrative, managerial-professional, and office-service staffs employed full time may be permitted to register for 15 credit hours each academic year (August through July). Participants are required to be fully admitted and to pay $1 per credit hour plus technology fees.

Part-time staff members and those employed only for the summer session must pay regular fees.

Employment and Registration

Graduate students holding any fellowship(s) are required to be enrolled as a full-time student as defined in the Graduate Studies Bulletin. Students with external or departmental fellowships must follow the specific granting agency requirements.

Graduate students holding a traineeship are required to be enrolled full-time or be full-time certified during the tenure of their traineeship. Other remunerative employment must follow the granting agency requirements.

A student who holds a graduate assistantship may not work more than half time, or 20 hours per week, all jobs considered, including assistantship(s) and paid internships. Internships are considered work in a training environment related to the student’s educational career for which they receive pay. Therefore, an assistantship and an internship may not be held by a student simultaneously if the total hours between the two equal more than 20 hours per week. This applies to fall and spring terms only.

Graduate students who are not employed, or graduate research assistants who are performing duties that are 100 percent thesis related, may register for a maximum of 15 credit hours during an academic year semester, 6 credit hours during one five-week summer session, 9 credit hours during one eight-week summer session, or 3 credit hours during the pre-session.

Graduate students who are employed are advised not to exceed the following registration guidelines established by the Graduate Council.

^*One course permitted for a maximum of 3 credit hours.

These guidelines reflect the fact that graduate-level course work serves mainly as a guide for independent, scholarly study. Graduate students are expected to master subjects and to devote substantial time in independent library and laboratory investigation beyond minimum credit hour requirements.

For courses offered within a summer session, a general guideline is a maximum registration of 1 credit hour per week of instruction.

Summer Registration

Graduate assistants are not required to register for courses during the summer term. Graduate assistants employed in the summer but who are not registered for courses during the summer term are subject to FICA and Medicare taxes; fees for recreation center usage; limited access to libraries and health center fees.

Full-time Status

Graduate students requiring certification as full-time students must be enrolled for at least 9 credit hours during an academic semester or at least 6 credit hours during summer sessions, whether or not the student holds a graduate assistantship. With approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, students in a thesis-option masters degree program (i.e., Option I) or candidates for doctoral degrees, registered for fewer than the minimum hours required for a full program may be granted full-time status provided they are not employed more than 20 hours per week (half time). Form available at http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current.

In order to be eligible to utilize the full-time certification, the student must have been registered at least half time (i.e., at least 4 credits) in the fall and spring terms prior to the initiation of the full-time certification status. Masters students may utilize the full-time certification not longer than 12 months; doctoral candidates may utilize the full-time certification not longer than 24 months.

Full/Part-time Status and Registration

Financial Aid and Registration

NOTE: Minimum registration required for financial aid during the summer is 4 credit hours of enrollment. These credits can be taken in different summer sessions; however, financial aid is disbursed during the session the student reaches half-time enrollment.