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Students are expected to complete registration activity online through MyUNLV. MyUNLV also includes registration instructions and the class schedule. Each student must complete registration during the registration period, as specified on the academic calendar. Registration is not considered complete until all tuition and fees have been paid. Go to www.unlv.edu/registrar/registration for more info.
Unit of Credit
The unit of credit is the semester hour. One semester hour is generally defined as one hour of faculty instruction plus two hours of out-of-class student work per week for a 15-week semester. Two or three laboratory hours per week, depending on the amount of outside preparation required, usually carry the same credit as one lecture semester hour. Certain courses (e.g., studio courses) may require more or less in-class time than lecture-based courses, but the overall amount of time spent must be three hours per week for each unit of credit regardless of the mode of instruction (e.g., face-to-face, online, blended). Departments and colleges are responsible for monitoring their class schedules each semester to ensure that their offerings meet appropriate minimums for instructional time, as defined by this policy and by prevailing standards in their academic disciplines.
Credit Hours of Enrollment Per Semester (Credit Load)
- Full-time - 12 or more credits
- Three-quarter-time – 9-11 credits
- Half-Time - 6-8 credits
- Below Half-time - 5 credits or less.
For summer semester, credit hours of enrollment are evaluated comprehensively.
Students who will claim veterans’ educational benefits should check with the Military and Veteran Services Center at https://unlv.edu/veterans for information on how their enrollment status is reported to the VA.
Maximum Credit Hours of Enrollment
For undergraduate degree-seeking, the maximum credits allowed during a fall or spring semester are 17 for freshmen level and 18 for sophomore, junior, and senior levels.
Undergraduate non-degree seeking students are limited to a maximum of 8 credits per semester with the exception of those students enrolled in UNLV-affiliated study abroad programs, in which case the maximum is 18 credits per semester.
The dean of a college or the Faculty Senate Academic Standards Committee may reduce the maximum credits allowed for a student’s registration to less than the normal maximum credit hours if the student failed to earn credit in any course the previous semester. Late registrants may also be subject to credit limitations.
Credit Hours for International Students
An international student is required to register for and complete a full credit load (12 credits for undergraduates, nine (9) credits for graduate students, and six (6) for graduate assistants) each fall and spring semester to maintain their legal status as F-1 visa students with the Department of Homeland Security. International students may use only three (3) credits of online coursework towards the full credit load minimum. Federal regulations governing the full course load requirement also apply to the summer semester if it is the student’s first semester at UNLV.
Summer Credit Hours
Each summer session has its own maximum credit hours limit: four (4) credits in term I and seven (7) credits each in term II and III.
Credit Overload for Any Semester
A student who wishes to register for more than the maximum credit hours of enrollment must have the approval of their academic advisor and dean. A non-degree student seeking to enroll in more than eight (8) credits must have the approval of the Academic Success Center or Associate Vice Provost for Student Success.
A student may obtain the credit overload petition forms online from the Office of the Registrar. Completed forms must be filed with the Office of the Registrar prior to registration.
Requisites
Conditions to enroll in a course stipulated by the faculty and approved by the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee.
Prerequisites
Course prerequisites are conditions that must be met before a student can register for a particular course. Prerequisites may include successful completion of another course, a satisfactory test score, a particular standing (junior, senior, etc.), and/or having declared a particular major. Prerequisites can also include the condition that students have not exceeded a specific repeat limit for a particular course. Prerequisites are approved by the appropriate faculty curriculum committee and listed in the course catalog and class schedule before they take effect.
Corequisites
Course corequisites are conditions that need to be met during the same semester that a course is being taken. In most cases, the corequisite is a lab or a discussion section for a particular course. A students should enroll in the corequisite, if one exists, at the same time they are enrolling in the course itself. Corequisites are approved by the appropriate faculty curriculum committee and listed in the course catalog and class schedule before they take effect.
Cancellation of Registration
The registration of a student who is ineligible to attend the university is subject to immediate cancellation.
Pursuant to federal regulations, the university may make ability-to-benefit determinations using federally approved tests and passing scores to receive federal student aid. The university reserves the right to cancel the admission or registration of any individual whose attendance at the university, in the opinion of the appropriate administrative officer and the President, would not be mutually beneficial, as determined by the ability-to-benefit test, to that individual and the university.
Cancellation of Courses
The University reserves the right to cancel any course in which the enrollment is insufficient to warrant the offering of the course or for reasons beyond the university’s control. The academic department offering the course will notify those registered of the cancellation.
Undergraduates Taking Graduate-Level Courses
An undergraduate student who wishes to enroll in graduate courses must have accumulated a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit (see unit of credit above), with a grade point average of at least 3.00. An undergraduate student admitted to the Honors College must have accumulated a minimum of 45 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of at least 3.00. All undergraduate students who wish to take a graduate-level course must complete an “Approval for an Undergraduate to Enroll in a Graduate (500 and above) Level Course” form, obtain the necessary signatures, and have it approved by the Graduate College prior to registration. The form may be found at the Grad Rebel Gateway. No more than six (6) hours of graduate-level courses will be allowed during one semester.
Administrative Drop
A course instructor may initiate an administrative drop of any student for various reasons, including a student’s failure to comply with established requirements or obstruction of class functioning. A student who fails to attend a class should be dropped under the terms of the Class Attendance Policy, also described in this section of the Catalog. Instructors who initiate administrative drops will document the circumstances for the administrative drop and submit it to the dean of the college offering the course for approval. Prior to reaching a decision, the dean will consult with the student and other parties as appropriate. A request for an administrative drop must be reviewed and processed by the Office of the Registrar. It is the instructor or department’s responsibility to notify the student. If the request for an administrative drop is not received by the last day to drop or withdraw, the student will be subject to a grade for the course. The deadlines and grades for an administrative drop are the same as for a drop initiated by the student and based on the date that the Office of the Registrar receives the drop request.
Students may appeal the administrative drop to the Faculty Senate Academic Standards Committee and the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Late Registration
Late registration period begins on the first day of the semester and ends on the last day of the third week. There are two different kinds of enrollment during the late registration period:
- Late Enrollment: Students who did not enroll prior to the beginning of the semester and are enrolling in their course/courses during the late registration period.
- Changes to Enrollment: Students that change their enrollment during the late registration period.
A student will accrue late payment fees under the conditions:
- If students wait until the late registration period to pay tuition/fees.
- Starting midnight on the Saturday before the first day of the semester, if students’ total number of credits enrolled exceeds the number of credits paid.
Late payment fees will accrue daily if not paid by midnight each day of the first week of school.
In addition, a one-timelate registration fee will be added for students who enroll for the first time on or after the first day of the semester.
For more information on the late registration fee or late payment fees please visit the Cashiering Tuition-Fees site.
Changes to Enrollment during first week
Students may freely add, drop, or swap courses and/or sections until the end of the fifth business day of the semester.
Changes to Enrollment during second week through third week
Students may withdraw from classes or they may add or swap courses if they have time period permission through the third week of the semester. Swapping during this time must be done by the Office of the Registrar. Instructors, departments, and colleges are not obliged to grant time-period permission, even if students make requests for permission by the published deadlines.
Enrollment After Late Registration
Adding or swapping courses after the late registration period is generally not permitted but in extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control the University may deem it sufficiently extraordinary to warrant an exception. Students should submit petitions to Faculty Senate for approval.
Auditing Courses
Auditing a course allows a student to continue attending the lectures and/or laboratories and discussion sessions associated with the course, but the student will not earn a grade for any component of the course. A student who audits a course may receive the same educational experience as students taking the course for a grade but will be excused from exams, assessments, and other evaluative measures that serve the primary purpose of assigning a grade. A student may change from credit-earning to audit until the last day to drop or withdraw for the semester, as published in the academic calendar. Additionally, a student may change from audit to credit-earning up to and including the end of the fifth (5th) business day of the semester. A student should use their MyUNLV to opt for either audit or credit.
Swapping Courses
A student may choose to switch an enrolled course/section for a different course/section without penalty through the end of the fifth (5th) business day of the semester.
Beginning on the start of the sixth (6th) day of the semester, a student seeking to swap a course/section will need to be processed by the Office of the Registrar and with approved time-period permission. Any requests for swapping a course/section will only be approved for courses with the same number of credits (switching from three (3) credit course to another three (3) credit course), and the same time type (modular to modular, regular term to regular term, etc.).
Dropping Courses
A student may drop a course up through the fifth (5th) business day of the semester (excluding modular/midsemester courses) without penalty.
Withdrawing from Courses
A student may withdraw from a course up to the date identified on the academic calendar (which is 60% into the course). No student’s withdrawal will be allowed after the last day to withdraw per the academic calendar. A student who withdraws will be assigned a withdraw grade “W” which will appear on your transcript but will not be calculated in your GPA. A student remains responsible for the tuition and fees associated with the withdrawn course. However, a student may qualify for a partial refund of the tuition and fees if the student withdraws from all classes for the term by the 50% refund date identified on the academic calendar. Students who drop or withdraw from classes are ineligible to further attend and/or participate in those classes. Students who stop attending and fail to officially drop or withdraw from classes will receive grades of “F” in those classes.
Withdrawal from University
A student who wishes to withdraw from the University must drop or withdraw from all courses prior to the last date to withdraw for the semester per the academic calendar. Any student who does not properly drop or withdraw from courses will be subject to failing grades for those courses. A student who wants to re-enter the University during a subsequent semester must go through the admissions process.
Cancellation of Withdrawal
Students may petition to cancel a withdrawal from the university prior to the last day to drop or withdraw for that particular semester. A petition form for this purpose appears on the Faculty Senate Website.
Identity Verification in Online Courses
Students must use their own campus-issued ACE ID and password to log in to WebCampus. Any student enrolled in online or hybrid course(s) is expected to read and adhere to the Student Academic Misconduct Policy, which defines, “acting or attempting to act as a substitute for another, or using or attempting to use a substitute, in any academic evaluation or assignment” as a form of academic misconduct. Intentionally sharing ACE login credentials with another person may be considered an attempt to use a substitute and could result in investigation and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Academic Misconduct Policy.
Additionally, Any student enrolled in online course(s) are expected to read and adhere to the Acceptable Use of Computing and Information Technology Resources Policy, which prohibits sharing university accounts with other persons without authorization.
In general, all graded assignments and assessments for University online courses should be hosted in WebCampus or another University managed platform that requires ACE login credentials for access. The University’s current policy is at: https://www.unlv.edu/policies/identity-verification-online-courses-policy.
Institutional Procedures for Student Distance Education Complaints and Appeals
Any current or former student (defined as being within one year after discontinuing enrollment at the University), may file a complaint about their online education concerning deceptive trade practices or other acts of fraud as defined in the NSHE Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 14, Section 25. The University’s complaint process can be found at: https://www.unlv.edu/learn-online/state-authorization/nv.
Classroom Conduct
Students have a responsibility to conduct themselves in class and in the libraries in ways that do not interfere with the rights of other students to learn or of instructors to teach. Use of electronic or potentially disruptive devices such as pagers, cellular phones, or recording devices are permitted only with the prior explicit consent of the instructor. Students are specifically prohibited from recording classes without instructor authorization, including online/remote classes (either audio only, or video and audio). The instructor may rescind permission at any time during the class. If a student does not comply with established requirements or obstructs the functioning of the class, the instructor may initiate an administrative withdrawal of the student from the course.
Instructors who record their classes (audio only, or video and audio) should inform the class in advance. Recorded lectures may not be broadly released to anyone, but made available exclusively to those students enrolled in the class during the particular academic term. Recorded lectures must be stored securely, and are subject to NSHE’s Records Retention Policy, meaning that the recordings can only be deleted 120 days after the end of class (i.e., after grades are posted). Once this requirement is met, the recordings should be deleted. Class recordings are protected from disclosure, as they are deemed part of an educational record under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Copyright
The University requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves with, and to follow copyright and fair use requirements. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The University will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability, as well as disciplinary action under University policies. Additional Copyright Policy information is available at the Provost website.
Class Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend classes in which they are enrolled unless absent for institutionally approved activities or other reasons allowed under institutional policy. Instructors may set course attendance requirements for their class, which may include consequences for absences, but such requirements must not conflict with institutional policies governing student absences. Students, who without previous arrangement with the instructor or department, fail to attend the first two (2) class meetings of a course that meets multiple times per week or the first (1st) meeting of a class that meets one (1) time per week may be administratively dropped from the course. Non-attendance for an online course shall be defined as failure to log onto WebCampus or other instructor-designated websites within one (1) week of the course start date without prior arrangements be made with the instructor or department. A student may be dropped from a course(s) for nonattendance per this policy.
The Office of the Registrar will process administrative drops under the Class Attendance Policy according to the standard deadlines for dropping and withdrawing per the academic calendar. Drop requests should not be initiated for a student who adds a class during the add or drop period. Drop requests received after the end of the add/drop period will be recorded as course withdrawals, with a “W” grade. Instructors and departments who seek to drop students from their courses for non-attendance will make at least two (2) written outreach attempts to the student to be dropped and include a warning that the student may be dropped for non-attendance if they fail to respond. Any request to drop a student for non-attendance must be approved by the dean of the college or school offering the course.
While instructors and departments may request a student be dropped for non-attendance, the University is not obliged to drop a non-attending student. An instructor who requests a student be dropped for non-attendance is required to track and report the student’s last day of attendance if requested by the Office of the Registrar.
A student who does not wish to attend a course(s) should drop the course(s) on their own. As failure to drop the course(s) and/or non-attendance does not release a student from the responsibility to officially drop any course(s) as failure to do so may result in a failing grade and/or financial penalties.
Missed Classwork
It is the student’s responsibility to consult with the course instructor as soon as possible regarding absences from their class. Except as noted in this policy, the instructor shall make the final determination on allowing alternate assignments or whether missed work can be done at a time other than during the regularly scheduled class period.
Absence Due to Religious Holy Day Observance
It is the policy of NSHE to be sensitive to the religious obligations of its students. Any student missing class, quizzes, examinations, or any other class or laboratory work because of observance of religious holidays will be given an opportunity during that semester to make up the missed work. The make-up opportunity will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor within the first 14 calendar days of the course for Fall and Spring courses (except for modular courses), or within the first seven (7) calendar days of the course for Summer and modular courses, of their intention to participate in religious holidays which do not fall on state holidays or periods of class recess. This policy shall not apply in the event that administering the assignment at an alternate time would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the institution that could not be reasonably avoided.
Any student who is denied a make-up option after appropriately notifying the instructor shall have the right to appeal that decision through the Department Chair/Unit Director, College/School dean, and/or the Faculty Senate Academic Standards Committee.
Absence Due to University Approved Extracurricular Activity
For absences due to university-approved extracurricular activities, it is the student’s responsibility to consult with the instructor as least one (1) week prior to the missed class(es) and provide official written notification regarding the absence to arrange for the completion of all missed coursework. For purposes of policy, extracurricular activities may include, but are not limited to: fine arts activities, competitive intercollegiate athletics, science and engineering competitions, liberal arts competitions, academic recruitment activities, and any other event or activity sanctioned by a College/School dean, Athletic Director and/or by the Executive Vice President and Provost.
The spirit and intent of the policy for missed classwork is to offer fair and equitable assessment opportunities to all students, including those representing the University in extracurricular activities. Instructors should consider, for example, that in courses which offer a “drop one” option for the lowest assignment, quiz, or exam, assigning the student a grade of zero for an excused absence for extracurricular activity is both contrary to the intent of the Faculty Senate’s policy, and an infringement on the student’s right to complete all work for the course.
This policy will not apply in the event that completing the assignment or administering the examination at an alternate time would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the University that could reasonably have been avoided. There should be a good faith effort by both the instructor and the student to agree to a reasonable resolution. When disagreements regarding this policy arise, decisions can be appealed to the Department Chair/Unit Director, College/School dean, and/or the Faculty Senate Academic Standards Committee.
Go back to the Academic Policies page.
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