Add/Drop Deadlines & Section Switches

Adding Classes

For undergraduate and graduate students in the quarter terms, the last day to add a course without a Permission to Add (PTA) number is the 12th day of instruction. For students in professional school programs, please partner with your Professional School.

Departments may generate PTA numbers for their courses and each PTA number is a unique, randomly-generated nine-digit number beginning with the Course Registration Number (CRN).  Each PTA number is to be assigned to a specific student using the student's ID number and can be used only once. 

PTAs are provided at the discretion of the instructor and/or the department. PTAs may be assigned:

  • When seating space is available, but the course is closed to registration.
  • To address a time conflict.

PTA–Adding Before the Deadline

PTAs may not be assigned:

PTA–Adding After the Deadline

A $3.00 fee is charged to the student account for late actions.

PTAs may be assigned:

  • When a student has been given permission to add after the 12th day of instruction.

If a PTA has been issued:

  • The PTA is valid for 72 hours from issuance.
  • PTAs issued during the last three days of instruction must be used by the last day of instruction.
  • A student adding the course via Schedule Builder enters both the section CRN and the PTA number.
  • Students on the wait list for the same course should use the PTA and then drop the wait-listed course.
  • Multiple-part courses that do not use the combined schedule (COM) require a PTA number for each part of the course. For example, late enrollment in BIS 101 and BIS 101D would require two PTA numbers.

Students wishing to add a course after the last day of instruction need to submit a Retroactive Change Petition.

Dropping Classes

Drop deadlines for undergraduate and graduate courses scheduled in the quarter terms are designated using the day of instruction as either a 10-day or 20-day drop course. See the Quarter Dates & Deadlines Calendar for the drop dates each quarter. For Graduate programs or Professional Schools that schedule classes in the semester terms, see the program or professional school calendar.

Students who wish to drop a course after the 10-day or 20-day drop deadline must use a Permission to Drop (PTD) issued from their College Dean’s Office for undergraduate students or Graduate Studies for graduate students.

Academic Senate Regulation, 547 (C) regulates course drops.

PTD–Dropping After the Deadline

Each PTD number is a unique, randomly-generated nine-digit number beginning with the Course Registration Number (CRN). Each PTD number is to be assigned to a specific student using the student's ID number and can be used only once. A $3.00 fee is charged to the student account for late actions.

Undergraduate students who wish to request a PTD:

  1. Submit the request to their College Dean's Office using the Late Drop Petition in OASIS.
  2. If granted, the College Dean's Office will authorize the drop using the Late Drop Petition in OASIS and a PTD number will be generated.
  3. The student must log on to Schedule Builder, select "ACTIONS" for the course they wish to drop and then select "Drop with PTD".

Graduate students must submit a Permission to Drop (PTD) Petition form (GS316) form to Graduate Studies.

If a PTD has been issued:

  • The PTD is valid for 72 hours from issuance.
  • PTDs issued during the last three days of instruction must be used by the last day of instruction.
  • A student dropping the course via Schedule Builder enters both the section CRN and the PTD number.
  • Multiple-part courses that do not use the combined schedule (COM) require a PTD number for each part of the course. For example, late enrollment in BIS 101 and BIS 101D would require two PTD numbers.

Students wishing to drop a course after the last day of instruction will need to submit a Retroactive Change Petition.

Add & Drop of the Same Course–Section Switch

Before the add and drop deadlines, students can use the "Swap Section/Course" function to switch from one section to another section of the same course by using Schedule Builder provided the desired section has seats available in the section they wish to add. 

If the course section does not have seats available, or if the section switch occurs after the add and/or drop deadlines, undergraduate students use the Undergraduate Course Change form to request the add and drop of the same course. Section Switches after the drop and/or add deadline should not be processed by obtaining a PTA and PTD number.

Using the Undergraduate Course Change form, students obtain permission and signature of instructor for the course and sections they are attempting to switch, and submit the completed form to the Office of the University Registrar.

Graduate students work directly with Graduate Studies.