The last Day to Withdraw from one Course is November 4th. 

November 4th is the last day for undergraduate students to withdraw from 1 course or up to 4 credits for the current Fall 2024 semester with a “W”.

Please Note:
You will need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Stickle if:

• You need to drop a 2nd course and you have already dropped a course this semester.
• You are on academic probation or dismissal and would like to drop a course with a W.
• You need to drop a single course that is more than 4 credits (e.g. certain language courses or research/internship that is more than 4 credits)

How do I know I should withdraw from a course?

Is the coursework in the class so heavy, and/or the likelihood of passing it so slim, that it is taking away from other courses?  If the answer is “yes,” then it may be a good idea to drop the course. It is usually better to drop a course to have 4 classes, than 5 classes in order to perform at your best. If you are currently earning a D or F then you might consider dropping that course with a W. 

Be honest with yourself.  Refer to your course syllabus to get a realistic idea regarding what percentage of your grade is already determined and how much improvement is mathematically possible.  Remember that what is “mathematically” possible may not be “realistically” possible.
Speak to your instructor to get his/her opinion.

Last, if you are worried about “getting behind” in your credits, remember that you could take a summer term class to catch up.

Are “W’s” bad?

No, a few W’s over the course of an academic career are not “bad.”  There will be no indication on your transcript whether you were failing or passing at the time of the drop, and W’s are not calculated into your GPA. A course for which you have a “W” is considered an attempt. Which means, taking this course again is a repeat. 

If I drop below 12 credits, does that make me part time?

No – at this point in the semester, it won’t affect your residence hall status or your tuition.  If you had dropped to part-time during the first 5 days of the semester, it would have changed your tuition bill and your eligibility for housing.  At this point, it doesn’t change anything. Please contact OFSA@umd.edu if you have any questions.

What if I need to drop more than 12 credits?

If extenuating circumstances are causing difficulty with your academics, please contact us because there is help available on campus, and academic procedures to be followed, should you need assistance handling the academic consequences of a personal situation.  It is better to “strategize” now, while you have options, than to wait and do nothing, hoping the situation will “right” itself. Please consider meeting with an advisor to discuss this further. 

What if I’m receiving Financial Aid?

Check with a Financial Aid counselor in the Lee Building NOW if dropping a course would put you below 12 credits.  Most aid programs allow this provided you started the semester with 12 or more credits, but there may be a few that do not – and it can be expen$ive to make an incorrect assumption. Please contact OFSA@umd.edu with further questions. 

What if I really don’t want to drop the course?

If you want to hang in there with your course, develop a long-term (final 6 weeks) study plan and stick to it.  Use all available help sources.

Registration for Spring 2025 classes will be Tuesday, November 12.  To have the greatest selection of courses, you should make sure to get all of your blocks removed before this date.  In preparation for registration, you have a few things to do:

**All students should schedule an advising appointment with Marwa.

3. Register for classes on November 12th (click here to view the Spring 2025 course schedule) We have organized the schedule by time as well–scroll through to the second page.  

Interested in registering for courses during the summer 2024?

The Summer session runs from May 28th – August 16th. There are 3-week or 6-week sessions available and courses are offered in-person or online.

Current UMD students can register for summer 2024 courses on Testudo starting today, February 20th with no restrictions by major. Prerequisites are still enforced.

To determine the maximum number of credits permitted for Summer Session registration, see Maximum Load Policy.

If you are thinking about taking a course at another institution, please see the Permission to Enroll at Another Institution (PTE) process details here.

More information regarding the summer sessions can be found here.

UMD CCJS Prospective Graduate Student Information Session

November 8 • 2:30pm – 4pm • Virtual

The University of Maryland Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is holding a prospective student information session for its MA and PhD programs. Learn about the programs and the application process, as well research opportunities with faulty.

Spring 2024 registration is on Thursday, November 9th!

Here is your To Do List:

1. Check Testudo for your specific appointment time.
2. Check your Registration Status on Testudo. Check your registration time and blocks here. Please visit the Registration Restrictions and Blocks webpage for explanations of different registration blocks
3. Schedule an advising appointment
   • All students should schedule an advising appointment with Marwa.
4. Register for classes on November 9 (click here to view the Spring 2024 course schedule) We have organized the schedule by time as well–scroll through to the second page. Let us know if you like this organization!
   • Please note, the course format is included on the schedule. ONLINE means the class will be fully online but may have live components. BLENDED means the class will be in person for part of the time and will also have an asynchronous component. Most classes have returned to fully in-person.

As always, you can email ccjsusg@umd.edu with questions!