Enrollment Information

Changes in Class Schedules

Adding Classes
Students may make changes to class schedules using self-enrollment in MyCentral through the Drop and Add period*. Fall and spring full-semester courses (16-week) may be added through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday of the first week of classes. Fall and spring half-semester courses (8-week) may be added through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday of the term. Courses may not be added after the Drop and Add period*, unless a late add is approved by the instructor and school chair of the course.

Dropping Classes
Students may make changes to class schedules using self-enrollment in MyCentral through the Drop and Add period* (through the first four days of the semester for full semester fall and spring courses; through the first three days of the semester for half-semester fall and spring courses). Courses dropped during this time will be given a full refund and will not be entered on the permanent record (transcript).

During the Withdrawal period* (fifth day of the semester through the 10th week of fall and spring semesters for full semester courses; fourth day of the semester through the 5th week of the course for half-semester fall and spring courses), a student may drop any class using self-enrollment in MyCentral.  Students who have a hold on their account will not be able to process course drops in MyCentral and should see their success advisor, school, or the Registrar’s Office for assistance with the drop.

A grade of W will appear on the permanent record (transcript) if the course is dropped during the Withdrawal period* (fifth day of the semester through the 10th week of fall and spring semesters for full semester courses; fourth day of the semester through the 5th week of the course for half-semester fall and spring courses). A grade of W has no impact on grade point average but is reflected on the transcript. In the event that a student has been found guilty of academic dishonesty, a grade of F will be recorded and will impact the grade point average.

Students may wish to consult with a success advisor and/or the course instructor prior to dropping a course. International students must seek approval from International Student Services (WDE 1800, 660-543-4092) prior to dropping below a full course load of 12 semester credit hours during any semester. Withdrawal from a course during a Study Abroad program is not permitted during the last one-third of the period.

After the published last day to drop a course, a late withdrawal must be approved by the Registrar’s Office. If the student is petitioning to withdraw late from all courses, the petition should be directed to the Office of Student Experience and Engagement. Late withdrawals are by petition only and are only approved for documented, extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization, death in the family) that prevented the student from completing the course(s). If a late withdrawal petition is approved, a grade of LD will be assigned. If a complete withdrawal petition is approved through Student Experience and Engagement (ADM 214, 660-543-4114), a grade of LW will be assigned for every class. The instructors of any courses receiving a grade of LD or LW will be informed of the petition’s approval. Grades of LD and LW will not impact the grade point average, but will be reflected on the transcript.

*Some courses are offered on a variable schedule and are not on the half semester or full semester schedule. Course-specific add, refund, and withdrawal dates may be found in MyCentral. These dates can be found in the Student tab in the section Records and Registration, under Registration using the “Check Refund and Withdrawal Dates” link. 

Waitlisting a Class

Students who wish to enroll in a course that is full may opt to waitlist the course in MyCentral. Not all courses at UCM offer a waitlist option. For those classes that do not offer a waitlist, see the school chair over the course regarding enrollment. For full semester classes, the waitlist ends on the last day to add a class, this is the fourth day of a class. This is also the same day as the last day for a 100% refund for a class. The waitlist for half-semester classes ends on the third day after the start of classes. During the summer semester, the waitlist ends on the last day to add a class for each of the unique summer sessions.

The waitlist is first-come, first served. If a seat becomes available in a waitlisted course, the first person on the waitlist will automatically be enrolled in the course. An email is sent to the student university email account if a course is added from the waitlist. The waitlist will not enroll a student beyond the maximum allowed hours (typically 18 or 19). Nor will the waitlist allow a student to enroll if a time conflict exists between the student’s schedule and the waitlisted course.

Students waitlisting a course assume responsibility for taking themselves off the waitlist if they no longer want to enroll in the course. Students are responsible for payment and grades in all classes in which they are enrolled. Find detailed instructions on how to use the waitlist online.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who wish to withdraw from all classes in a semester after the last day to make schedule changes must contact the Office of Student Experience & Engagement (660-543-4114 or experience@ucmo.edu) for assistance.  Staff will assist the student with tying up any loose ends with the university (housing, parking, fees, book returns, financial aid, etc.).  International students must notify International Student Services (WDE 1800, 660-543-4092) prior to beginning the process of withdrawal from the university. In the event a student fails to initiate this process, his/her withdrawal is not considered complete, grades of F will be recorded for failure to attend classes, and the student is responsible for all charges to their account.

Students seeking a complete withdrawal after the published last day to drop a course must petition Student Experience and Engagement (ADM 214, 660-543-4114).   Late withdrawals are done by petition only and are only approved for documented, extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization, death in the family) that prevented the student from completing the courses(s). If a late withdrawal petition is approved, a grade of LW will be assigned. A grade of LW will not impact the grade point average, but will be reflected on the transcript.

Regulations governing credit for room and board payments are found in the housing agreement. See the Refund Policy for information on the credit of fees.  A financial aid recipient who officially or unofficially withdraws from UCM may be required to repay some or all of the grant and loan assistance credited to his or her UCM account, based on the date of withdrawal and last date of attendance/participation for the semester, as reported by his or her instructors.

Students Called to Military Service

When a military student is called to active service or training, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, prior to the completion of the semester, that student must submit documentation to the Office of Student Experience and Engagement (660-543-4114, ADM 214) and will be eligible for either:

1. The awarding of a “W” in one or more courses and a complete refund of all tuition and incidental fees charged for those courses withdrawn for that semester, or
2. The awarding of a grade, including a “U”, in the course or courses by completing assignments away from class that meet course objectives. For a grade, course assignments must be completed by the end of the semester.

If the student has been awarded a scholarship to be used to pursue an academic program and such person is unable to complete the academic term for which the scholarship is granted, that person shall be awarded that scholarship at any subsequent academic term, provided that the person returns to the academic program at UCM at the beginning of the next academic term after the completion of active military service.

If the student chooses the option described in subsection (1), such person may request that the official transcript indicate the courses from which such person has withdrawn and the reason for the withdrawal, or such person may request that all course titles be expunged from such person’s record. Choosing the option of a refund shall not affect the person’s official academic record or standing at UCM.

If the student chooses the option described in subsection (2), such person shall complete the course work to the satisfaction of the course instructor and UCM. The grade of “U” shall be converted to a failing grade if the person does not apply to complete the course work within six months of discharge or release from active military service. In the event the person cannot comply for medical reasons related to the active military service, such person shall apply to complete the course work within three months of the end of the period of convalescence. Choosing subsection (2) shall not affect the person’s official academic record or standing at UCM, unless the person fails to complete the course work.

Holds

Holds may be placed on student records when the university needs a student to meet particular requirements. Holds can prevent registration (course adds and drops) and block the release of transcripts, grades, or diplomas. Common holds include those for academic advising, financial issues, testing, and health center holds.

Students can check for holds on MyCentral in the Student Profile and should contact the office that placed the hold to learn how to resolve the issue. Students should plan to have hold(s) removed prior to their enrollment access date.

Enrollment Validation Policy

Central Missouri enforces an enrollment validation policy. This policy applies to all online, hybrid, and face-to-face classes that begin the first week of classes. The policy also includes any online, hybrid, and face-to-face classes that begin during the first week of second-half semester classes and any of the classes during the five different summer sessions. Dual credit, 0-credit hour classes, internships/practica, thesis/special projects classes, and classes that are off-schedule are not included in this policy. For face-to-face classes, students must attend the first day of each class or have made prior arrangements with their instructors to secure their seat in the course. For online and hybrid classes, students must indicate their intent to attend the course in Blackboard. Students whose instructors report first-day absences will have those classes dropped from their schedule. Students who are not reported absent are responsible for their enrollment in courses including any fees incurred and grades earned. Financial aid recipients who do not attend classes may be required to repay some or all of the assistance credited to their UCM account for the semester.

Enrollment Verifications

Central Missouri has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide enrollment verification certifications for students through MyCentral.

Student Self-Service enables Central Missouri students to print official enrollment verification certifications on demand via a secure student portal, MyCentral, at no charge. These certificates can be sent to health insurers, housing providers, or other organizations requiring proof of enrollment. Students can also check deferment forms and electronic notifications sent to lenders, view their enrollment history, obtain a list of student loan lenders and link to real-time loan information, and view enrollment verifications provided to student service providers at their request.

International students who require an Enrollment Verification should contact the Registrar’s Office for assistance.

Repeat Enrollment in Courses

The repeat policy that is applied to repeated courses depends on the date of the final course attempt. Information on prior repeat policies can be found here. For courses repeated during the 2015 and future school years the following policy applies:

Students may repeat courses regardless of the original grade earned in the course. However, the most current grade earned will be the only one calculated in the grade point average, even if it is not the highest grade. For the repeat policy to be implemented, the UCM course must have the same prefix/number and course content. Courses which are repeatable for additional credit (as noted in the course description) such as Special Projects/Topics and Internships/Practica are not eligible for the repeat policy because the course content varies each semester.  For courses repeated at transfer institutions, the course must articulate to the original UCM course that was completed.

All previous attempts will not factor into either the grade point average or earned hours (only the most current grade and hours, if applicable, will count), although all prior grades will remain on the transcript as a matter of record. Students should check with school policies regarding course repeats which may be more stringent than the university policy.

The following specific stipulations apply to the above repeat enrollment policy:

1. The UCM GPA includes only courses taken at UCM, however it can be impacted by courses originally taken at UCM and then repeated at another institution. For courses taken at Central Missouri and then repeated at another institution, the UCM GPA is not impacted by the new grade earned but will be affected by the discounting of the original UCM grade earned. Transfer course work does impact the cumulative GPA.  In order for transfer coursework to be considered as a repeat for a UCM course, the transfer course must be articulated to the UCM course.
2. For the UCM repeat policy to be applied to transfer courses taken at two or more transfer institutions, each course from each institution must articulate to the equivalent UCM course.
3. Credit hours for repeated courses will be counted only once (from the most recent attempt) in the number of course hours earned toward a degree or certificate.  If a student receives a passing grade followed by an F grade, no credit is given for the course and the course must be repeated again if needed for the degree.

In accordance with federal financial aid regulations, a student may receive federal assistance to repeat a class once for which a passing grade (defined as a “D” or better) has been previously earned. However, there is no limit on the number of times a student may receive federal assistance to repeat a class (if otherwise eligible to do so) for which a grade of “F” has previously been received.

The Pass/Fail Program

Pass/fail is a grading option that may be available to students instead of a traditional letter grade (A-F) under certain circumstances. One objective of pass/fail is to encourage students to experience courses they usually might avoid because of lack of confidence or initial competence. Students may not opt to take courses in general education, major, or minor as pass/fail. The following rules apply to courses taken for pass/fail:

1. Students may choose to take up to nine hours of free electives for pass/fail credit towards the hours required for graduation. A free elective is a course which is not a requirement or elective for the student’s major or minor and is not used to satisfy General Education requirements. Study abroad credit and classes which are taught only as pass/fail are an exception to this and may count towards the major and minor credit if approved by the major/minor school.
2. Courses which are only offered as pass/fail and study abroad credits taken as pass/fail do not count toward the maximum of nine credit hours.
3. Upon enrollment students may designate the course or courses to be taken as pass/fail using self-enrollment. If pass/fail is not selected during the initial enrollment, students must designate pass/fail by the end of the fifth week of classes or within the first 13 class days for half semester classes. A course designated as pass/fail may not be changed to a graded course after that date.
4. Students who take a class as pass/fail and earn an A, B, C or D will have a P (Pass) recorded on the transcript and the grade will not be calculated in the grade point average, but the credit hours will count towards earned hours. A student who fails will have an F (Fail) recorded on the transcript, and the F will be calculated in the grade point average. In cases of academic dishonesty, an F will be recorded at the discretion of the instructor.
5. A school may elect to offer a course for pass/fail credit only. Courses which are only offered as pass/fail do not count towards the maximum of nine credit hours. Courses that are offered only for pass/fail credit are designated in this catalog.
6. Students who plan to study at an institution outside the U.S. (UCM-sponsored Study Abroad) may elect to take all or none of the courses completed abroad as pass/fail credit or letter grade credit.  Pass/fail credit must be approved before the study abroad experience.  Students need permission to do study abroad coursework as pass/fail from their success advisor for general education requirements or from their school chair for major/minor requirements. Courses taken for free choice electives do not require approval for pass/fail credit.  If the student elects to take any courses (general education, major/minor, free choice elective) for pass/fail credit, he/she must provide written notification to the Study Abroad staff in the International Center before beginning the Study Abroad program.  For enrollment changes while abroad, students have until the beginning of the fifth week abroad to notify the International Center of their intent to complete a course as pass/fail.
7. Study tours through Online Learning and Engagement are not exempt from the nine-hour maximum.

Auditing Courses

A student may audit a class for no grade and no credit. Acceptable performance, attitude and attendance as determined by the instructor in charge are expected. Regular fees and enrollment procedures are required. Courses taken as an audit must be so designated prior to the final date for changing class schedules as announced in the official calendar. Audited classes do not fulfill requirements for load consideration, nor do they count as part of a student’s enrollment status for receiving federal or state financial aid, or VA educational benefits. Courses taken as an audit will not fulfill degree or certificate requirements and are noted on the transcript with a grade of NC (no credit). Students may audit a course for which they have already earned credit. Students may also audit a course and later take the course for credit.

Course Numbers

Courses offered at the undergraduate level are divided into five categories. In general, the following may be considered guidelines:

Graduate-level courses cannot be applied to an undergraduate degree or certificate programs.

Co-Listed Courses

Co-listed courses are linked 4000- and 5000-level courses with different course numbers, but same course name, for either undergraduate credit or graduate credit and offered by the same instructor at the same time, place, and format. While students in both courses have distinct course objectives, assessments, and grading expectations, much of the course content is similar and both classes are functionally combined.

Co-listed courses taken for undergraduate credit may not be used to fulfill graduate degree requirements.  Co-listed courses taken for graduate credit may not be used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements unless the course is part of an accelerated degree program and is identified as such in the undergraduate curriculum.  Graduate students should not enroll in a graduate dual listed course if they have previously completed the undergraduate course unless advised to do so by their graduate program coordinator.  

Course Prerequisites

A student is expected to have satisfied prerequisites required of any course in which he/she is enrolled. Students without prerequisites should not enroll in these classes and may be dropped from the class if they do enroll.

Course prerequisites may be found within the course descriptions here  and also in MyCentral when searching for courses. In MyCentral, click on the five-digit course reference number (CRN) of the course and then the course title. Any prerequisites will show at the bottom of the page.

Students who wish to seek enrollment in a course without the prerequisites should contact the School Chairperson over the course for permission and/or enrollment assistance.  Only the academic area offering the course may waive prerequisites.

Concurrent Enrollment for Seniors

(Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses)

NOTE: This policy does not apply to those students accepted into an accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree program.

Undergraduate students may take courses for graduate credit with the following stipulations:

• Must be within two semesters of degree completion

• Must have a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours earned

• Must have a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00

• Limited to two semesters of enrollment in graduate courses before completing an undergraduate degree

• Maximum of 12 hours of graduate credit may be completed before admission to graduate program not to exceed 9 hours of graduate credit in one semester

• May enroll in a maximum of 16 credit hours per fall or spring semester and a maximum of 12 credit hours during the entire summer semester, including both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses

• Must submit an undergraduate application for graduation in MyCentral

• Must submit a graduate application for admission to the Graduate Studies

• Must complete a Petition for Concurrent Enrollment each semester

If approval is granted from the program and Graduate Studies office (WDE 1900, 660-543-4729), the student will be enrolled in the requested graduate courses. If a student enrolls in graduate credit courses during the last year of the baccalaureate degree, the student should be planning to complete the baccalaureate degree that year. A third semester of graduate enrollment while an undergraduate student will not be allowed.

Graduate-level courses cannot be applied to an undergraduate degree or certificate program (different rules apply for students in accelerated degree programs). Students will not be fully admitted into a graduate program until their undergraduate degree is completed and graduate program admission requirements are met.

NOTE: For the purpose of qualifying for federal financial aid, the student will be classified as undergraduate at the senior level. Students receiving financial aid should be aware that only those classes taken for undergraduate credit can be included when determining the student’s enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.) to qualify for federal and state financial aid. A student may not receive financial aid to pay for graduate credit hours until they earn a Bachelor’s Degree. Tuition for graduate courses will be at the graduate fee rate. Contact Student Financial Services (WDE 1100, 660-543-8266) for further information.