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Policy 2.1: Registration and Enrollment  

Applies to: A/BSN, CIPCT, DNP, Certs, PhD

I. Policy Statement

The University of Washington (UW) requires students to maintain continuous registration in order to preserve student status, access services, and make timely progress toward degree completion. The School of Nursing (SoN) follows these University policies and supplements them with program-specific requirements to support progression, clinical placement, and accreditation standards.

Students are expected to:

  • Register each quarter according to program timelines and University deadlines.
  • Maintain full-time enrollment unless otherwise approved.
  • Remain in full compliance with health, safety, and onboarding requirements as a condition of registration and progression.
  • Resolve any registration holds (compliance, financial, or academic) promptly.

Failure to register without an approved leave or reinstatement may result in loss of student status.

II. Process

A. Enrollment Status

Accessible Accordion

  • Full-time = 12 or more credits per quarter.
  • The A/BSN curricula are designed for full-time study. Dropping below full-time may affect financial aid, clinical placement, and program progression.
  • Summer enrollment is not required in the BSN program but is in ABSN.

  • Full-time = 10 or more credits per quarter during the academic year.
  • Graduate School minimum = 2 credits each academic quarter (excluding Summer unless program-specific requirements apply). The minimum is 1 credit for fee-based programs.
  • In the quarter of degree completion, students must register for at least 2 credits, including dissertation, project, or practicum enrollment. The minimum is 1 credit for fee-based programs.
  • Summer: Graduate students are generally considered full-time with 2 credits, but students on visas, ASE appointments, or fellowships may be required to take 10 credits. Students must confirm enrollment requirements with their program advisor.
  • Courses numbered 400–800 may apply toward graduate degree requirements (with Graduate School approval for 400-level electives). Courses below 300 do not apply.

  • CIPCT: At least 3 credits of project coursework each quarter of project work, with at least 1 credit in the final quarter.
  • DNP: At least 3 credits of NMETH 801 (Doctoral Project/Capstone) each quarter of project work, with at least 1 credit (for fee-based) or 2 credits (for state-funded) of coursework in the final quarter.
  • PhD: At least 3 credits of NMETH 800 (Dissertation) each quarter of dissertation work, with at least 1 credit of NMETH 800 in the final quarter.

Graduate students funded as ASEs or fellows may petition the Graduate School for reduced enrollment (fewer than 10 credits) while maintaining employment eligibility and benefits.

B. Registration Timeline

  • Registration dates are published on the UW Academic Calendar.
  • Students are expected to register during their assigned period to ensure course availability.
  • Clinical courses may require compliance clearance or additional approval before registration.

C. Access to Course Materials and Websites

  • Registration is required for access to Canvas course websites and materials. Access is automatically granted once registration is processed.
  • Tuition exemption students (UW employees: register Day 3; WA state employees: Day 4) may be added to Canvas manually by faculty until registration is complete. For technical Canvas access issues, faculty may contact sonhelp@uw.edu. For compliance-related registration blocks, contact the Curriculum Compliance Team (nscomply@uw.edu).
  • Note, PCE students are not eligible for tuition exemption. They must register prior to Day 1 to access Canvas and avoid late fees.
  • Students registering late for other reasons (e.g., missed deadlines, unpaid fees, holds) may not be added manually. They will only gain access once registration is official.

D. Auditing Courses

  • Students must first register, then submit a Registration Transaction Form signed by the instructor to change the course to audit.
  • Deadline: end of Week 2.
  • Audit enrollment:
    • Allowed only with instructor consent and if space is available.
    • Standard tuition/fees apply.
    • Recorded on transcript without credit/grade.
    • Cannot be changed to credit after Week 2.
    • Auditors may not participate in labs or required discussions.

E. Independent Study Procedures

Accessible Accordion

  • Independent study uses NMETH 499.
  • Student and faculty must agree on objectives, deliverables, and credits (~30 hrs/credit).
  • Student and faculty complete NMETH 499 form and send to absnadvising@uw.edu or bsnadvising@uw.edu who will route for signatures.
  • Signed form required before faculty add code is provided.
  • Summer enrollment requires department chair approval.
  • Faculty and student must complete end-of-quarter evaluation of objectives and file final grade documentation with OSAA (absnadvising@uw.edu or bsnadvising@uw.edu) and faculty submit a credit/no credit grade to the registrar.

  • Independent study uses NURS 599 Selected Readings or NMETH 600 Independent Study or Research.
  • Student and faculty must agree on objectives, deliverables, and credits (~30 hrs/credit).
  • Student and faculty complete the NURS 599 or NMETH 600 form and send to dnpadv@uw.edu (CIPCT and DNP) or phdadv@uw.edu (PhD) who will route for signatures. OSAA will save a copy of the form in the student’s file.
  • Signed form required before faculty add code is provided.
  • Summer enrollment requires:
    • CIPCT: Faculty + department chair approval.
    • DNP: Faculty + department chair + ADAA (sonadaa@uw.edu) approval.
    • PhD: Faculty + department chair + ADAA (sonadaa@uw.edu) approval.

Faculty and student must complete end-of-quarter evaluation of objectives and file final grade documentation with OSAA (dnpadv@uw.edu; phdadv@uw.edu) and faculty submit a credit/no credit grade to the registrar.

F. Courses Requiring Permission

Certain courses require add codes or explicit faculty permission. These are indicated in the UW Time Schedule. Students are expected to follow Time Schedule instructions for securing course permission.

G. Withdrawal and Former Quarter Drop

Withdrawal (W):

Former Quarter Drop (FQD):

  • Students may petition to change a grade in a past quarter to a Registrar Drop (RD) if extenuating circumstances prevented withdrawal.
  • Details are available on the UW Registrar website.

H. Priority for Registration in DNP Courses

Registration in DNP courses is prioritized in the following order:

  • Current DNP students
    1. No permission required
    2. Register through standard program process
  • Other matriculated SoN graduate students (PhD, MS, MN)
    • Instructor permission required
    • Instructor emails approval (course, quarter, student) to sontimes@uw.edu
  • Non-nursing UW graduate students
    • Instructor permission required
    • Same process as above
  • Tuition exemption students
    • Instructor permission required
    • Same process as above

I. Compliance and Registration Holds

  • Students with registration holds (compliance, financial, academic) cannot register until holds are cleared.
  • Holds related to health and safety (HSIP, CastleBranch, Med Proctor, Exxat, onboarding) must be resolved through the OSAA Compliance Team (nscomply@uw.edu).
  • The School of Nursing may place a registration hold if a student is not in full compliance with required health, safety, or onboarding requirements.
  • Students should proactively monitor their MyUW accounts and address holds promptly to avoid delays.

III. Roles and Responsibilities Summary

Task Student Faculty Advisor OSAA/Registrar Curriculum or Compliance Team
Register each quarter R/A C I
Maintain enrollment (full-time or approved exception) R C A
Monitor and resolve registration holds R C A A (compliance holds)
Verify compliance before registration R C I A
Approve independent study forms I R C A (ADAA, Dept Chair); I (Registrar)
Approve course permissions (add codes) I A I C
Manage DNP course registration priority I C I R/A

RACI Legend:

  • R = Responsible: Performs the task
  • A = Accountable: Ultimately answerable
  • C = Consulted: Provides input
  • I = Informed: Kept up to date

Related Policies & References

Last updated: September 2025