Office of the Registrar

Registration Guidelines

Breadcrumb

Registration Guidelines

All enrolled students are required to register for courses in order to maintain their standing as actively enrolled students at the University.

Failure to pre-register and/or register by the appropriate deadlines will result in late fees and may affect your standing with the institution. Each student is responsible for his or her own course schedule and students are cautioned against giving their ID and password for online registration to anyone.

All students register themselves and make changes to their course registration online with the exception of the following, who must register on paper in person at the Office of the Registrar: 1) all categories of non-degree or visiting students 2) Brown students taking courses at Rhode Island School of Design.

During those occasions when paper course change forms are used, the Registrar's Office will not accept registration materials from one student on behalf of another.

Tampering with an official university document and/or information systems is a serious violation of the academic code, and penalties for such violations are severe. Cases of suspected alteration or falsification of registration documents/systems are referred to the academic code committee for investigation.

Registration Basics

All students should familiarize themselves with Brown's registration resources and tools.

When to Register & Late Fees

Stay informed on registration guidelines and timing, include pre-registration for Fall & Spring Semesters, advisor approval for first-year students, the add/drop period, grade options, course dropping and specific registration processes for medical students and summer/winter sessions.

RISD Cross-Registration

All undergraduate and graduate students of Brown University may elect certain courses at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Visitors to Brown Classes

Attending classes is generally restricted to Brown students or officially enrolled non-degree students who are registered participants. A student who has requested and been granted the instructor's permission for "vagabond" status in a course is an exception. With permission/invitation from the instructor, a visitor can attend class with a Brown affiliate, a current student or faculty member. Any other visitors to the campus who would like to sit in on a class must register with the Office of Admissions in advance and seek permission from the individual instructor. This permission is granted at the discretion of the instructor.