Registration Information and Procedures
The basic requirement for enrollment in a given course is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field of science or engineering. Although those with management backgrounds may enroll in graduate management courses, no prior management study is required. Persons who have been admitted to graduate study at WPI are given first priority in course registration. Persons not holding a bachelor’s degree, but who might qualify through training or experience, may be allowed to enroll on either a credit or audit basis with permission of the instructor. Registration for graduate courses is on a space-available basis for nonadmitted students.
Graduate students are expected to enroll in graduate courses or thesis credit on the registration days designated in the WPI academic calendar. Registration on days not designated will result in additional fees. Registration is not complete until tuition has been paid in full.
Enrollment in a course or courses, and satisfactory completion of those courses, does not constitute acceptance as a candidate for any graduate degree nor does it indicate admission to any graduate program. For students seeking advanced degrees, or graduate certificates, formal admission to a graduate program is required.
Graduate Student Classifications
- Full-time Degree Seeking
- Part-time Degree Seeking
- Graduate Certificate or Advanced Graduate Certificate
- Student on Graduate Exchange or Internship
- Nondegree Seeking/non matriculated
Degree-Seeking Student Registration
Graduate students must be registered for the semester in which degree requirements are completed. For master of science programs requiring a thesis, the student must register for a minimum of 1 semester credit hour. For a Ph.D. program, the student must register for a minimum of 1 semester credit hours.
Students seeking degrees not requiring a thesis are not required to maintain continuous registration.
Non-degree Student Course Registration
Nondegree-seeking students register for courses in the same manner as all other students. However, degree-seeking students have preference in registering for courses with limited enrollments
Audit Registration
Students primarily interested in the content of a particular course may register as auditors. Audit registration receives no credit and receives no grade. Audit registration is controlled in limited enrollment courses. Thesis and project work cannot be taken with audit registration.
Audit registrants are encouraged to participate in the courses, but typically do not submit written work for evaluation. Often professors will accept written work of audit registrants, but this is left to the discretion of the instructor.
A student may change from credit to audit registration, but may not change from audit to regular credit registration. To change to audit registration for any graduate course, the student must complete an audit form (available in the Registrar’s Office) within the first three weeks of class. No tuition or fees will be returned to students who change to audit registration, i.e., the full tuition rate applies.
Definition of Full-Time and Part-Time Status
If a student is registered for 9 or more credits, the student is deemed to be a full-time student for that semester. If a student needs fewer than 9 academic credits to complete degree requirements, registration for the number of credits required for completion of the degree gives the student full-time status. A student pursuing a master’s degree, whose Plan of Study shows completion of all degree requirements within a single two-year period, retains full-time status so long as the student complies with that Plan of Study. A student officially enrolled in a graduate internship program has full-time status during the internship period. If a student has completed the minimum number of credits required for a degree, and is certified by the department or program to be working full-time toward the degree, enrollment in 1 credit of dissertation research for a student seeking the doctorate establishes full time status. For students seeking a master’s degree, 1 credit of thesis research establishes the student’s full-time status with department certification. For the purposes of this rule, the semesters are fall and spring.
Summer Semester
The Summer Session schedule will be available on the web by February of the same calendar year. Most graduate summer courses meet in the evening hours from mid-May through the beginning of August. Many graduate students work on their research during Summer Session. For information on summer registration, billing, and payment policies please call +1-508-831-4900 or view online summer school website.
Transcripts
WPI will issue one transcript of record to a student without charge. Additional transcripts are issued upon receipt of a fee of $4 per copy.
Course Change Policies
Graduate course change (add/drop) without penalty may occur prior to the third meeting of the course. A $100 late fee will be charged for course changes made after the 3rd course meeting and before the 4th. Course changes after the 4th course meeting will result in a grade of W (withdrawal) and will be issued until the 10th week of the term. No tuition or fees will be refunded during the withdrawal period.
Withdrawal after the 10th week must be petitioned to the Registrar’s Office. Notice to the instructor or discontinuance of attendance does not constitute withdrawal. Such notice must be submitted in writing to the Registrar’s Office. Incomplete grades are transitional grades and must be changed by the instructor within 12 months. If coursework is not made up by this time, the grade automatically becomes an F.
Military Leave of Absence
WPI graduate students who are called to active duty by the United States military shall receive a 100% refund for the uncompleted semester at the date of the notice. If such students have a loan obligation to WPI they will be granted an in-school deferment status during the period of active duty service, not to exceed a total of three years. To initiate the process to be classified “on leave for military service,” a student must indicate in writing that he/ she is requesting school deferment status while being called to active duty. A copy of the official call to active duty notice from the military must be included with this request and be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
If the student has paid a tuition bill with proceeds from either a subsidized or an unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan and has received a refund for either or both of the loans, the student shall be responsible for any overpayment of funds. It is therefore necessary for the student to contact the lender(s) upon withdrawal.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition Rate
Tuition for all courses taken by graduate students is based on a $1198 fee per credit hour for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Audit Rate
A 50% reduced tuition rate per semester hour for the 2011-2012 academic year is available for those who wish to audit a course. Audit registration cannot be changed to credit once the semester has started.
Tuition Payments
Tuition must be paid in full at the time of registration. The following forms of payment will be accepted: check payable to WPI, American Express, MasterCard or Discover.
Withdrawal Policies
The University makes a substantial financial commitment at the time a course is scheduled for instruction. However, students who officially withdraw from a course before the first 10 days of the semester have passed (not including weekends) will receive a refund of 100% of the tuition and fees paid, minus a $300 penalty. No tuition and fees paid by the student will be refunded after day 10 of the semester.
Monthly Payment Plan
A monthly payment plan is available for each semester. Payments will be divided into equal monthly payments. There is an annual enrollment fee for use. However, there are no additional charges or interest. For more information, visit afford.com or contact the Bursar’s Office at +1-508-831-5203.
Health and Accident Insurance
All graduate students must be covered by health and accident insurance equivalent to that offered under the WPI Student Health and Accident Insurance Plan. Students must complete a waiver form annually if they wish to not purchase the WPI offered plan. Optional coverage for a spouse or dependent is available. Please contact the Bursar’s Office (+1-508-831-5203) for further information.
