Coursework and Registration

You will take many rewarding, inspiring, fascinating--sometimes nervewracking, hair-rending--courses in your years at Harvard. The number of courses you take will be determined by the specific requirements of your department or program. The quality of the courses you take will depend heavily upon how carefully you plan, pick, and choose. Familiarize yourself with Harvard's guidelines and deadlines, and prepare yourself for some amazing classes.

Two publications are essential in orienting yourself for classes: first, the Courses of Instruction, a catalog of courses to be taught in FAS (the Faculty of Arts and Sciences) for the year (web version at http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/Courses), and second, the Supplement to the Courses of Instruction, a flimsy booklet found in your registration packet that lists the locations and revised meeting times of all courses, as well as cancellations and additions.

GSAS Registration Day: Monday, September 10, 2001
This is when you must come to Dudley House to register for the academic year. You will receive several forms to fill out. Only after you complete and sign these forms will you be considered a registered student. At this time, you will also receive your student identity card and your study card. Congrats. You are now officially a Harvard student.

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Study Cards and Shopping Period
At the beginning of each semester, you will be given a study card. This is a white and orange bubble-sheet that has to be filled out in pencil for optical scanning. Completing it properly, accurately, and on time is the only way to sign up for courses. Study cards are not due until September 19 in the fall or February 6 in the spring. In other words, registering is different from choosing your courses, unlike at many institutions. The time in between the first day of class (September 12 for the fall term) and the day study cards are due (September 19) allows you a "shopping period," a period in which you can visit classes that seem interesting to you and "shop" for the best fit.

Courses in the 300s and those marked with an asterisk in the Courses of Instruction require the instructor's signature on your study card. Get it in class during shopping period. Most first and second year students will also need the signature of the director of graduate studies in their department. Graduate students beyond the general exam stage will generally need the signature of their advisor. If you receive resistance to your desired plans for the semester, recall that (a) your elder's advice is probably right and (b) if you are persistent enough, you can usually get your signatures eventually.

A late fee of $40 for every week late, turned in to Graduate Records at the Registrar's Office, is charged for late study cards.

Drop-Add Period
Adding or dropping courses after Study Card Day may be done by filing a petition to change a course during the term with the Registrar's Office. There are several deadlines to keep in mind:

A student wishing to register or add a course after Study Card Day may do so for a small processing fee by obtaining a petition form, getting the appropriate signatures, and filing the form at the Registrar's Office by the fifth Monday of the term. After this date, a student may add only "time" (i.e., research or teaching).

A student may withdraw from a course until the seventh Monday of the term. A student wishing to drop a course after these dates must file a petition with the Dean's Office at Byerly Hall. In addition, if the course being dropped is not a fifth course, the student must add "time" (research or teaching) to maintain the proper registration level.