Course Enrollment

Course enrollment begins with a 2-3 week period in the prior term in which continuing students meet with their advisor and make initial selections. Typically, this period occurs in November for spring classes, and in April for fall classes. New students begin enrollment in August before their program starts. 

Students use the Crimson Cart in my.Harvard to make select and enroll in courses. Students must schedule an appointment with their advisor prior to the enrollment deadline to review selections and discuss plans. Students should schedule such appointments in advance to avoid last-minute complications and delays. The student’s faculty advisor must approve their Crimson Cart selections before a student can enroll in courses.

At the close of this period, enrollment closes and no changes can be made until the start of the add/drop period. By the end of the first enrollment period, continuing students must be enrolled in a full courseload (at least 12 credits). The add/drop period begins prior to the start of the term (see the HDS Academic Calendar); during this time students can make changes as courses begin. When considering course enrollment changes, students should be mindful of their degree requirements. 

At the end of the first week of classes, all students must be enrolled in a full courseload. After the initial enrollment deadline, students can continue to make enrollment changes, but changes after this deadline require advisor approval.

Additional information about key enrollment procedures is available on these pages:

Enrollment Confirmation

At the add/drop deadline, students should carefully review their my.Harvard course enrollment information to confirm they are properly enrolled in their desired courses. Courses that only appear in the Crimson Cart and not in the student's enrollment history are not considered finalized. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their course enrollment information is correct. All discrepancies should be reported to the Registrar’s Office immediately. 

Submission of Written Work

Students are responsible for retaining copies of all materials submitted to meet course requirements, with the exception of in-class examinations, until their final grade has been posted in my.Harvard. 

Failure to Submit Course Enrollment

Failure to submit a completed Crimson Cart by the required date for incoming or continuing students will result in a $40 late charge for the first day overdue and a $10 charge each overdue day thereafter. See the HDS Academic Calendar for deadlines.

Students who are not enrolled by the deadline will be considered on unofficial leave from the School. If a student does not take an official leave of absence or withdraw from the program by the add/drop deadline of that term, the student will be withdrawn from the program by the Registrar’s Office and will be required to either petition for reinstatement or reapply to the program. See the section titled Reinstatement for policies pertaining to returning to studies at HDS.

Full Courseload

Full-time students must register for at least three courses (12 credits) and may not register for more than five courses (20 credits) for credit during a given semester. Part-time students may only register for two courses (8 credits) per term.

Incomplete Coursework and Enrollment Limits

Students with incomplete courses from prior semesters have a limit on the number of courses for which they may register. Students with one outstanding incomplete may register for no more than four courses. Students with two incomplete grades may register for no more than three courses. Students with three incompletes may register for no more than two courses. Students with four or more outstanding incompletes are not eligible to register.

Exceptions

Exceptions to these rules require the written permission of the associate dean for faculty and academic affairs.

Cancellation of Classes

Classes as a whole are rarely canceled due to inclement weather. If a class is canceled due to weather, faculty will notify students via email or by posting a message of cancellation on the course website. Information about class cancellations due to weather is also posted on the home page of the HDS website or can be obtained by calling the University Weather and Special Conditions line at 617.496.6397. If an individual class meeting is canceled, a notice will be posted on the course website as well as on the door of the classroom where the class is scheduled to meet.

Course Evaluations

At the end of each term, students are required to complete an online evaluation their HDS courses. Students will be granted access to their grades online only after submitting all their evaluations for the term. Students who do not complete evaluations will not have access to their grades until at least two weeks after grades are due from faculty. Graduating students do not receive their Commencement tickets until all outstanding course evaluations have been completed. Students will receive an email message from the Registrar’s Office informing them when online evaluations are available. Evaluations are shared with the instructors only when grades for the semester have been submitted. To preserve anonymity, evaluations are typically only offered in classes with five or more students.