Adding, Dropping, and Auditing Courses

Registration is a continuous process at Penn State, beginning with the student's first day to register and continuing until the first day of classes for the semester. Once the semester begins, the process of changing the student's course schedule is referred to as dropping/adding courses (policy 34-87 and policy 34-89). Before registering or making any registration changes consult with your academic adviser.

Adding Courses

Before registering or making any registration changes consult with your academic adviser.

The period of time at the start of each course when the course can be added without incurring a $6 late drop/add fee.

  • The add period for full-semester courses ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on the seventh day of the fall/spring semester and is a calculated proportional length for all other courses.
  • No permission(s) required
  • No fee

Process to Add a Course During Regular Add Period:

  1. Obtain the Class Number from the Schedule of Courses.
  2. In the LionPATH Student Center, click the "Enrollment" tab and then "Add Classes", and select the term for enrollment.
  3. In person using a Registration Add Form. Submit the form to the department offering the course, the advising center or the Registrar's office.

Adding a course that will take a student over 19 credits for the semester.

  • Beginning Fall 2023, will result in a tuition surcharge
  • Cannot process until the first day of classes
  • Approval of the adviser is recommended
  • $6.00 fee for each transaction after the regular add period

Process to Add a Credit Overload:

  1. Obtain the Class Number from the Schedule of Courses.
  2. In the LionPATH Student Center, click the "Enroll" link under Academics, and then choose the "Add" subtab to add a course.
  3. In person using a Registration Drop/Add Form. Submit the form to the department offering the course or the Registrar's office.

Effective Spring 2022, students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 can enroll for up to 24 credits.

The department has restricted registration, department approval to add the course must be obtained.

  • Department approval required
  • $6.00 fee for each transaction after the regular add period

Process to Add a Course that is Departmentally Controlled:

  1. Obtain the Class Number from the Schedule of Courses.
  2. In person using a Registration Drop/Add Form. Submit the form to the department offering the course.

Adding a course after the regular add period ends.

  • Permission is required, must obtain signature of the course instructor
  • $6.00 fee for each course added

Process to Late Add a Course:

  1. Obtain the Class Number from the Schedule of Courses.
  2. In person using a drop/add form, must have instructor signature.
  3. For courses at University Park, contact the department offering the course. For courses at non-University Park locations, contact the appropriate campus registrar's office.

Dropping Courses

There are financial implications to consider when dropping courses. Tuition penalties may apply and financial aid may be impacted. Students who receive financial aid are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Student Aid.

Students who require course drops due to military leave, please follow the instructions on the Military Leave of Absence, Military Withdrawal and Military Drop page.

The period of time at the start of each course when the course can be dropped without incurring a $6 drop/add fee. Dropping a course during this time means that:

  • Length of drop period is 6 calendar days during fall/spring for full-semester courses and is a calculated proportional length for all other courses.
  • No permission(s) required.
  • No fee

Process to Drop a Course During Regular Drop Period:

There are two ways in which a student can drop a course:

Dropping a course after the regular drop period and before the late drop deadline, (policy 34-89). A student can drop a course with certain restrictions and requirements. They are:

  • No permission(s) required
  • $6.00 fee for each course dropped
  • Courses are recorded on the student record

Process to Late Drop a Course:

There are two ways in which a student can late drop a course:

Auditing Courses

If a student wishes to register for a course without earning a letter grade or credit, the course may be taken as an audit (policy 34-68, 48-80).

  • Must be processed prior to the semester/session or during the add period for the course.
  • No permission(s) required.
  • Course will appear on the student's schedule as though it has been scheduled for credit.
  • The course will appear on the student's transcript with the grading symbol "AUS" if attendance was satisfactory or "AUU" if the attendance was unsatisfactory.
  • No credit is earned, and the grade-point average is not affected.
  • A course may be dropped for credit and added for audit or dropped for audit and added for credit by undergraduate students only during the drop and add periods for the course.
  • Credits for a course being audited are not counted in determining the following:
    • full-time status for undergraduate students
    • enrollment status (full-time or part-time) for graduate students
    • calculating semester standing
    • financial aid status
    • full-time status for international students for reporting to SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) under federal requirements.

Process to Audit a Course:

  1. In person using a Registration Drop/Add Form.
  2. Write "AU" in place of credits on the form.
  3. Submit the form to the Registrar's office.