Registration

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Registration is conducted via the web at Western Michigan University according to the schedule and procedures given in the Registration booklet, published prior to each semester and session and available in the Registrar’s Office, in advising offices, and on the WMU web site. The Registration booklet should be consulted for details regarding procedures and regulations regarding the adding or dropping of courses, tuition and fee schedules and their methods of payment, final examination week schedules, and all the University regulations that affect the registration process.   Registration by students signifies an agreement to comply with all regulations of the University whenever approved by the University.

Students should be aware that course information, including building, room. instructor, and time may change. The information in the online registration system is the most current.

To begin registration, the student will log in to GoWMU at http://gowmu.wmich.edu and follow the script displayed.

Western Michigan University offers advance registration for each enrollment period as described in the Registration booklet issued prior to each semester and each session. Students are encouraged to take advantage of advance registration but are cautioned that any subsequent change in their schedules should be made before the final day of the drop/add period. See the sections below for more information about changing registration schedules.

Students may enroll in (add) any course through the first five days of classes of a semester or session. The final date for adding courses is published in the Registration booklet. 

Only students who have a class that is not officially scheduled to meet during the five-day Drop/Add period will be given an additional opportunity to drop/add.  See the Registration booklet for details of this procedure.

Students may withdraw (drop) classes during the five-day Drop/Add period (see the Registration booklet and the course will not be reflected on the student’s official transcript. All withdrawals received after the Drop/Add period will be reflected on the student’s academic record as a non-punitive “W” (Official Withdrawal).

Students may drop a course or withdraw from all courses without academic penalty through the Monday of the tenth week of classes in the Fall and Spring semesters and through the Monday of the fifth week of the Summer I and Summer II sessions. A non-punitive “W” will be reflected on the student’s academic record for any classes dropped after the drop/add period and before the withdrawal deadline. The final date for withdrawing is published in the registration booklet.  Students may not withdraw from any class after this date without academic penalty.

Each student is encouraged to confer with the instructor before withdrawing from a class as the student may not re-register for the class.

Students who wish to drop a course or withdraw from all classes officially after the Monday of the tenth week of classes in the Fall and Spring semesters and through the Monday of the fifth week of the Summer I and Summer II sessions because of genuine hardship (i.e., illness, death in the immediate family), must be passing the course and must file a written appeal on forms which may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.

If a student wishes to withdraw from some but not all classes, s/he must obtain the approval of the instructor of record for each course to be dropped. If the student wishes to withdraw from all classes, s/he must obtain the approval of the academic advisor and a financial aid advisor. International students must also obtain the approval of the Office of International Services and Student Affairs.

If the semester has ended, the student must request a grade change to “W” through the Grade Appeal Process, as described in the section of this catalog entitled Student Rights and Responsibilities, Course Grade and Program Dismissal Appeals.

The Registrar’s Office will record the drop or withdrawal if it has approvals as listed above. 

To receive graduate credit, graduate students will register for courses offered at the 5000-, 6000-, or 7000-level. Courses numbered 6000 and above are open only to graduate students; courses numbered 5000 through 5990 are open to both graduate students and advanced upperclass students who meet the course prerequisites. Graduate students enrolling in courses at the 5000-level or higher will receive graduate credit.

All 7000-level courses are graded on a “Credit/No Credit” basis, without exception. 

No graduate credit is given for registration in undergraduate courses, nor for any type of correspondence work, regardless of course number.

Western Michigan University supports a graduate leave of absence policy to assist graduate students who are temporarily unable to continue their programs. The leave of absence may extend consecutively for up to two semesters and two sessions. Extensions of a leave of absence may be possible with a new application. Reasons for requiring a leave usually include bereavement, illness, care giving, maternity, paternity, and call to active military duty. Students requesting a leave of absence must submit an application to their department/school/unit chairperson or director. The policy and form can be found at www.wmich.edu/grad/forms/leaveofabsencepolicy.pdf

Preparing the Application for Leave of Absence

In consultation with the supervising faculty member, an Application for Leave of Absence form is to be completed by the student, and signed by both the student and the advisor or supervising faculty member. The application is to be submitted to the chairperson/director for review and signature before being forwarded to the dean of the Graduate College. Whenever possible, application should be made in advance of the anticipated leave or as soon as possible after commencement of the leave. Whenever possible, it is helpful if the commencement and termination of the leave coincide with the beginning of a semester or session.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the proposed leave is compatible with the regulations of any granting agency from which funding would normally be received during the leave period and that such agencies are informed of the proposed leave. Students on student loan programs should clarify the consequences that such a leave may have on their repayment status. International students are advised to consult with the Office of International Services and Student Affairs regarding their immigration status during a proposed leave.

A student granted a leave of absence will have his or her time-to-completion of degree extended by the amount of time granted in the leave of absence. The continuous enrollment policy will also be held in abeyance during this time.

Graduate Appointees Requesting a Leave of Absence

A graduate student holding an assistantship, associateship, or fellowship who is granted a leave of absence will have his or her salary and stipend (where applicable) suspended during the period of the leave. During the absence, a student replacement will serve usually on a temporary basis. Whenever possible, the remainder of the appointment will be held for the student upon his or her return to the next term. However, in situations were research activity has progressed substantially during the absence, the original appointee may no longer be able to resume the appointment. In situations where the student is returning in the next academic year, efforts will be made for that student to resume his or her appointment if possible.

In the event that a student appointee and chairperson/director disagree on the leave or its arrangements, students may follow the dispute resolution process available under the policy on Adjudication of Situations Involving Graduate Students Rights and Responsibilities.

A student who intends to register for the Master’s Thesis (7000), Specialist Project (7200), or Doctoral Dissertation (7300) for the first time is required to file a completed Permission to Elect form with The Graduate College before registering to ensure that the student is informed about the regulations pertaining to the preparation and submission of the manuscript and to the requirements for research involving regulated subjects and hazardous materials.

Following a student’s first enrollment in the Master’s Thesis (7000), Specialist Project (7200), or Dissertation (7300), the student must have continuous enrollment in that same course until all thesis or project or dissertation requirements are completed satisfactorily and approved by all appropriate bodies. Registration deadlines apply. For students not enrolled in the Summer I and Summer II sessions, pre-enrollment in the subsequent Fall semester is necessary for access to library resources during Summer I and Summer II.

Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in all Fall and Spring semesters from the initial enrollment to the semester in which the student graduates. If the student will graduate in the Summer I or Summer II session, the student must be enrolled in that session. Students who desire to have remote access to WMU’s library databases during the Summer I and Summer II sessions may do so by paying the customary computer fee for each session in which computer and remote library services are desired.

Students conducting research that involves human or animal subjects, biohazards, genetic materials, or nuclear materials/radiation must have prior approval of the research proposal by the appropriate University board, thus assuring compliance with the regulations for the protection of such subjects or for the use of such materials. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Registration for courses in which research is conducted that requires such prior approval should not be attempted until the appropriate University board grants approval. The department requiring the course is responsible for assuring that the student has complied with federal, state, and WMU requirements. The student completing such regulated research for a master’s thesis, specialist project, or doctoral dissertation must include the written approval or exemption letter from the appropriate board as an appendix to the thesis, project, or dissertation, and a student completing such regulated research for a course report, paper, or project must include the written approval or exemption letter from the appropriate board as an addendum to the report, paper, or project. For more information, call the Office of the Vice President for Research, (269) 387-8298.