Registration
Drop/Add and Withdrawal
How to Drop, Add and Withdraw
The easiest way to add a class is by signing into My ASU, clicking on the Registration link in your My Classes box, and selecting Add. You may add a class to your schedule up until the add deadline for that class.
Adding a class after the add deadline is considered a Late Add and requires instructor, department and college approval.
Policies and procedures for late adds vary by college/school, click here for detailed instructions.
Beginning Fall 2023, the drop deadline and add deadline will be distinct. If you drop a class by the drop deadline, you may be eligible for a 100% refund of your tuition for that class.
How to drop/withdraw from a class
You may remove a class from your current schedule by dropping/withdrawing from it up until the appropriate deadline for that class. You can request a drop/withdrawal from a class by signing into My ASU, clicking on the Registration link in your My Classes box, and selecting Drop/Withdrawal. Please refer to the Tuition Refund Policy to determine if dropping or withdrawing from classes will generate a tuition refund. The timing of when you make your request determines whether it is a drop or a withdrawal.
Before the drop deadline
A drop/withdrawal request made prior to the drop deadline for your class will be considered a drop. A drop will remove the class from your current schedule with no record of your enrollment in the class on your official transcript. Beginning Fall 2023, dropping a course by the drop deadline may generate a 100% tuition refund for that class.
After the drop deadline
A drop/withdrawal request made after the drop deadline but before the course withdrawal deadline for your class will be considered a withdrawal. A withdrawal will remove the class from your current schedule and will result in a grade of ‘W’ on your official transcript. The grade of ‘W’ has no impact on your GPA.
How to Swap Classes
You may simultaneously add a class while dropping another by swapping them. You can swap classes by signing into My ASU [1], clicking on the “Registration” link in your My Classes box, and selecting “Swap.” A swap will not drop you from your original class unless your add request was successful. This is especially helpful when attempting to switch from one section of a class to another section of the same class. A swap must be completed by the appropriate add deadline for that class.
How to completely withdraw from classes
If you no longer plan on attending or completing your classes in a given session, you can remove all of them from your current schedule by requesting a complete session drop/withdrawal up until the appropriate complete withdrawal deadline. This should be viewed as a last resort as there may be serious academic and financial consequences. Please refer to the Tuition Refund Policy to determine if dropping/withdrawing from classes will generate a tuition refund. The timing of your request determines whether it is a drop or a withdrawal.
Before drop deadline
A complete session drop/withdrawal request made prior to the drop deadline for your classes will be considered a complete session drop. A drop will remove the class(es) from your current schedule with no record of your enrollment in the class(es) on your official transcript.
After the drop deadline
A complete session drop/withdrawal request made after the drop deadline for your classes will be considered a complete session withdrawal. A withdrawal will remove the classes from your current schedule and will result in a grade of ‘W’ on your official transcript for each class withdrawn. The grade of ‘W’ has no impact on your GPA.
The process for requesting a complete session drop/withdrawal will depend on whether you are an undergraduate or a graduate student.
Undergraduate Students
Requesting a complete session drop/withdrawal is an important decision as it may result in serious academic and financial consequences. If you have questions about withdrawing or the academic or financial consequences of withdrawing contact your college/school to discuss your situation. The timing of your request will determine the impact it will have as well as the steps you will need to take to complete the process.
- Before the start of the fall or spring semesters (or anytime during a summer session) you may request a complete session drop/withdrawal by signing into My ASU, clicking on the “Registration” link in your My Classes box, and selecting “Drop/Withdrawal."
- After the start of the fall or spring semesters, contact your college/school for more information.
Graduate Students
You may request a complete session drop/withdrawal by signing into My ASU, clicking on the “Registration” link in your My Classes box, and selecting “Drop/Withdrawal.”
Other Types of Drops/Withdrawals
This section covers special types of drops/withdrawals due to extenuating circumstances (such as a personal mental/physical condition, death or serious illness of a family member or close friend, or military duty/activation), lack of attendance or disruptive behavior.
You may be eligible for a medical/compassionate withdrawal if your withdrawal is due to extenuating circumstances such as a serious physical or mental illness (medical withdrawal) or the death/serious illness of a family member (compassionate withdrawal). To request a medical/compassionate withdrawal, you must submit a Request for Documented Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal form along with appropriate documentation to the college of your major. Approved medical/compassionate withdrawals may generate tuition refund if approved within two years of the end of the semester, please see the Tuition Refund Policy for more information.
A student who is a member (or the spouse of a member) of the National Guard, Reserve, or other U.S. Armed Forces branch and is unable to complete classes because of military activation, may request complete withdrawal or course withdrawals, incompletes, or grades, depending on the timing of the activation and the individual student’s needs. Absences resulting from military activation will not adversely affect a student’s catalog year.
To receive consideration under the military activation policy, a student should complete a Military Activation Form and return the completed form, along with a copy of the military activation order, to the Pat Tillman Veterans Center. The Pat Tillman Veterans Center staff will coordinate the processing of the form for the student, including verification of orders, counseling on available options, referrals to academic departments, referrals or notification to offices regarding potential refunds, and initiation of processing administrative withdrawals or incomplete grades.
Instructors have full authority within departmental or other higher-level policies to decide whether or not class attendance is required. If you are unable to attend class it is your responsibility to notify your instructors and/or follow their attendance policy. If you are absent from class through the second week of classes (for a fall or spring semester) or the first four days of a summer session, your instructors may exercise the option to drop you from the class (this is often done to create an open seat for another student wishing to add the class).
Please be aware that nonattendance will not automatically result in you being dropped from a class. Instructors have the right to exercise this option at their discretion. If you are unable to attend or complete a class it is your responsibility to drop/withdraw from the class prior to the appropriate deadline.
Instructor-initiated drops for nonattendance must be based upon concrete evidence of nonattendance and be signed by the Dean or Dean's Designee of the college offering the class. The college will notify students that they have been dropped for nonattendance by mail at the students' currently posted mailing address. Nothing in this policy contradicts any other policy regarding attendance, religious holidays or the students' responsibility to notify instructors in case of their absences.
Instructor-initiated withdrawals are made when an instructor withdraws a student from a class with a grade of "W" or "E" in cases of disruptive behavior.
Add, Drop and Withdrawal Deadlines
Registration deadlines determine the last day you are able to add, drop or withdraw from classes. Each class has its own set of registration deadlines which are based on the length of the class as well as the session in which the class is held. The individual add, drop and withdrawal deadlines drop/add/withdrawal or add deadlines listed on the Academic Calendar apply to classes scheduled in the regular A/B/C sessions. If your class does not follow the A/B/C session timelines, the individual add, drop and withdrawal deadlines drop/add/withdrawal or add deadlines are prorated. The best way to determine the registration deadlines for a class you are registered for is to sign in to My ASU and click on the calendar icon next to the class in the My Classes box. To determine the registration deadlines for a class you have not yet registered for, use the online Class Search and Course Catalog to search for the class and click on the Dates column in the search results.
Add deadline
This is the last day to add a class. Adding a class after the deadline is considered a Late Add [10] and requires instructor, department, and college approval.
Drop deadline
This is the last day to drop a class without receiving a grade of "W" on your transcript. All withdrawals after this date will result in a grade of "W" on your transcript for each class withdrawn.
Course withdrawal deadline
This is the last day to request a withdrawal from a class while staying enrolled in other classes in the same session. A withdrawal from a class after this date is only available as part of a complete session withdrawal (see below).
Complete session withdrawal deadline
This is the last day to request a complete withdrawal from a session. As part of a complete session withdrawal you must withdraw from all of your classes in the session. Beginning the first day of the fall and spring semesters undergraduate students are required to contact their college/school to facilitate the withdrawal process.
Editing a Class
Some classes allow you to select the number of credit hours, grading basis, and instructor for the class. If you are registered for one of these classes you may edit these options by signing into My ASU, clicking on the Registration link in the My Classes box, and selecting Edit.