Once enrolled in courses, you are responsible for all enrollment changes, tuition payments and other charges on your u-bill. The University of Iowa does not drop students from a course(s) or withdraw a student for nonpayment or nonattendance. 

Adding or Dropping a Course

The Office of the Registrar provides information about adding courses, dropping courses, or withdrawing from all of your courses.

Office of the Registrar, Registration Changes

If you need assistance with registration changes, please call 319-335-2852 or email
doe-reg@uiowa.edu for assistance.

Fall/Spring:  You can add or drop semester-length courses on MyUI for the first five days of the fall and spring semesters. On the sixth day of the semester you will need permission to make changes to semester-length courses.  For off-cycle courses, you can add or drop courses up to the first day of the class. On the first day of the class you will need permission to make changes to off-cycle courses.

Summer/Winter:  You can add or drop your courses on MyUI up to the first day of the class for summer and winter sessions.  On the first day of the class you will need permission to make changes to your course.

Registration change instructions when MyUI is closed for student-initiated changes:

  • Dropping courses when permission is required
    You may drop courses in MyUI after you have obtained required permissions. To drop online:
  1. Initiate the request in MyUI by pressing the drop link next to the course you wish to drop.
  2. Make note of the permission(s) required to drop the course and proceed with obtaining permissions.
  3. Once all required permissions have been entered into your student record you can finalize the drop in MyUI.
  4. You will also receive an email and MyUI message letting you know that you can finalize the drop.
  • Adding courses when permission is required
    You may add courses in MyUI after you have obtained required permissions. To add online:

1. Initiate the request in MyUI by pressing Initiate Add Request
2. Review permissions required and press Continue
3. Review acknowledgements (deadlines and warnings)
4. Press I agree to obtain required permissions
5. Once steps are completed press Go back to Dashboard
6. Contact each permission needed
7. After the last permission is authorized online, you will receive an email and MyUI message letting you know that you have 24 hours to complete the add
   Only one set of messages will be sent at the beginning of the 24-hour time period.
8. Press Complete Add in MyUI, review warning, press Continue, press Add
9. You will then see a message that states you have successfully added the course
    You are able to cancel the add at any step in the process or remove the pending add if you         no longer want to add the course

Advisor and instructor permissions are required for adds when MyUI is closed for student registration. 

After the last day to add without dean's approval, students must also obtain the appropriate dean's authorization. You will request permission from the dean of college that the course is offered in. The Course Deadline Look-Up provides course specific deadlines.

Withdrawing Registration

Termination of enrollment in all courses for a semester, even if only one course, constitutes withdrawal of registration. Withdrawal from an entire session is noted on the transcript with the date the withdrawal was processed. Students in good standing who withdraw from an entire session receive no credit, but are not assessed any academic penalty.

ONLINE WITHDRAWAL    

  • You can withdraw your entire registration online, through MyUI.
  • Navigate to your course schedule in MyUI.  Begin by clicking the Withdraw Entire Registration link at the bottom of your course schedule.
  • You will be informed of the various permissions you will need to obtain.  Permissions might include: your academic advisor, Collegiate Dean's Office, ISSS, or Athletics.
  • You will then be asked to fill out a Withdrawal Information Form in which you fill out a few required fields and some optional items.
  • You will then see that you have a pending withdrawal and there may be a list of additional permissions needed. Once you have been granted all permissions you can complete the withdrawal process. You will receive a MyUI message and an email once all permissions have been obtained.
  • Return to your course schedule to Complete Withdrawal.

Consequences of Adjusting Registration

It is a student’s responsibility to understand the financial and academic consequences of dropping or adding a course. Please consult the following: