Registration

Full-Time Versus Part-Time Status

Full-time students are regular, matriculated students that meet any of the following criteria:

1. Register for a minimum of nine credit hours per semester (six credit hours in summer).
2. Hold university-approved fellowships, or teaching or research assistantships, regardless of the number of credits of registration. Additional restrictions may apply to international students enrolled for less than six credit hours; consult the International Center for more details.
3. Are occupied with an academic activity that mandates an equivalent of full-time study, regardless of the number of credits of registration. (This privilege may be used in a limited number of occasions and requires the written consent of the faculty adviser and the endorsement of the VP for Academic Affairs.)

Note: Full-time international students must fall into categories (1) or (2). International students enrolling less than full-time in the semester of graduation or falling into category (3) must file a petition (less than full-time eligibility) in the International Center by the registration deadline. In order for the nine credit hours of registration to be considered full-time, only one course may be audited. International students may only take one online course per term to count towards their full-time enrollment. The maximum study load for regular students is 15 credit hours per semester except by permission of the Office of Academic Affairs. During the summer session, the normal study load is six credit hours.

Part-time students are those who do not fulfill any of the above criteria for full-time students.

Minimum Registration Requirements

Any graduate student who is using university facilities and/or faculty time must register for a minimum of one credit hour in fall, spring, and summer semesters. In addition, a student must be registered:

1. During the semester of qualifying and comprehensive examination completion
2. During the semester of final thesis defense
3. During the semester in which the degree is awarded

A graduate student who receives any type of stipend must meet the minimum registration requirements for the fall and spring semesters. Occasionally, students may need to complete an internship or thesis or dissertation fieldwork away from the university as part of their academic program; those students may petition to be considered full-time while conducting field research or completing an internship if they previously satisfied the university residency requirements. The full-time equivalent for such students is one credit hour. The Form G701 Graduate Student Petition must be endorsed by the student’s adviser and academic unit head, and forwarded to Academic Affairs for review.

An international student on an F-1 or J-1 visa must register for the full-time equivalent of at least nine credit hours throughout his/her studies at Illinois Institute of Technology. If the student has an appointment as a TA or RA, they may reduce their registration to six credit hours and remain full time. In certain circumstances, including the last semester of enrollment, less-than-full-time enrollment is allowed with the approval of the academic unit and the Office of Global Services. A reduced course load form must be filed with Global Services in such cases.

Course Numbering

000-level (001-099)

000-level courses are developmental or preparatory courses that do not carry academic credit toward degree completion. These courses may be required for certain students based on placement, prior preparation, or program specific requirements. They carry administrative credit solely for purposes such as tuition assessment, enrollment status determination, and compliance with federal and institutional financial aid policies. Completion of 000-level coursework does not reduce the number of academic credits required for graduation.

100-level (100-199)

100-level courses provide introductory and foundational disciplinary knowledge and include introductory components of the undergraduate core curriculum. These courses are designed for students entering from secondary education and do not assume prior college level coursework unless they are part of a defined introductory sequence. 100-level courses do not carry advanced level credit.

200-level (200-299)

200-level courses build upon introductory and foundational disciplinary knowledge and provide deeper engagement with foundational material within a discipline or interdisciplinary area. These courses are typically intended for students with second-year undergraduate level classification or higher. Introductory courses that assume prior college level preparation in another discipline may also be included in this tier.

300-level (300-399)

300-level courses build upon intermediate disciplinary knowledge and emphasize deeper analysis, synthesis, and integration of prior learning within a discipline or interdisciplinary area. These courses are typically intended for students with third-year undergraduate classification or higher. Courses at this level are not eligible for graduate credit.

400-level (400-499)

400-level courses represent advanced undergraduate coursework emphasizing high-level synthesis, specialization, or application within a discipline. These courses are typically intended for students in the final stages of undergraduate study and often represent the highest level of coursework required for completion of a four-year undergraduate degree. Graduate students may enroll in 400-level courses and receive graduate credit subject to university policy and any additional restrictions established by the relevant graduate program.

500-level (500-599)

500-level courses are designed for graduate students and postbaccalaureate professional-degree students and provide foundational graduate-level instruction. Advanced undergraduates are allowed to take these classes for credit on a case by case basis. Undergraduate programs cannot require 500-level classes but can allow them as elective options. This tier typically includes standard coursework for graduate degrees, as well as master’s level research, thesis, or project credit. 

600-level (600-699)

600-level courses are advanced graduate courses intended for specialized study, independent research, dissertation related work, or other advanced academic activities beyond standard graduate coursework and typically require prior graduate-level preparation. These courses are not generally suitable for undergraduate enrollment except by explicit approval. This tier is reserved for coursework and credit structures that support advanced research training or professional development, including research, thesis, or project credit, at the doctoral level, as defined by program and university policy.

700-level (700–799)

700-level courses are graduate-level, credit-bearing courses intended for professionally oriented or practice-focused learning that lies outside the standard graduate curriculum. Credit earned in these courses applies toward degree or credential requirements only as defined by the approving graduate program and does not imply equivalence to standard 500- or 600-level coursework. 700- level courses may not be used for undergraduate degree credit.

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the departmental sections of this catalog and online in the Illinois Tech Portal (portal.iit.edu).

Registration for Fall and Spring Semesters

Specific procedures and regulations for registration are found each semester in the Illinois Tech Portal. Please visit the academic calendar for publication dates for class schedules. Students who were admitted to, but did not attend, the university must be readmitted by the Office of Graduate Admission before they can register. Continuing students may register for classes through regular registration procedures online in the Illinois Tech Portal. All graduate students registering for courses numbered 591, 594, 597, and 691 must receive an electronic permit from their faculty adviser and then proceed to register for the course in Banner Self Service in the Illinois Tech Portal.

For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar website at web.iit.edu/registrar.

Required T.A. Training and Notification

Before the first day of the semester that a T.A. is first employed:

Registration for University Level T.A. Seminar

All new teaching assistants are required to register for a zero-credit hour T.A. seminar (department’s course number 601) given every fall semester.

Registration for Continuation of Residence

Degree-seeking students in the final semester are allowed to register for one semester of non-credit, or a continuation of residence (course number 600), for a fee equivalent to one credit hour. The academic unit provides the permit for this course.

Students who have successfully completed the master’s thesis defense or doctoral oral defense may petition to register for GCS 600 for one credit hour at a nominal charge. The permit for enrollment in this course is approved by the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs after confirmation of the defense result. Form G701 is used to request the GCS 600 permit. This permit will be issued once.

Change of Registration After Initial Registration

The term “change of registration” means adding a course (a “course” includes courses, projects or research courses/hours); dropping a course; shifting from one section to another in the same course; or changing the number of credit hours in a variable-credit course (e.g., research hours). A course may not be added or changed to another section after the second week of course instruction during the spring and fall semesters. Visit the academic calendar for details.

The change of registration may be completed in the Illinois Tech Portal in Banner Self Service. Students requiring assistance may contact the Office of the Registrar (registrar@iit.edu). A course may be dropped during the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or during the first week of the summer semester for 100% refund of tuition and course fees. A course may be withdrawn with no refund of tuition and course fees between the third and the tenth week of the semester. No courses may be withdrawn after the withdrawal deadline; extenuating circumstances must be petitioned for review in the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs. No registration change or withdrawal is official until the form is processed by the Office of the Registrar. Notifying the instructor or merely discontinuing course attendance is not sufficient for withdrawal. The date of the withdrawal form will be the official date of withdrawal. All billing inquiries related to registration changes may be referred to the Office of Student Accounting (sa@iit.edu, 312.567.3794). International students are required to remain full-time (i.e. carry nine credit hours of study) and may not change their registration to become part-time except in the semester of graduation. (Students should refer to the note under Minimum Registration Requirements.)

Undergraduates Registering for Graduate Courses

An undergraduate degree-seeking student who wishes to enroll in a graduate 500-level course must first obtain approval from the course instructor and the faculty adviser. Permission from the academic department may be required to override level restrictions on the course and to allow registration. 

An undergraduate student registering for more than nine credit hours of graduate courses must also obtain written approval from the VP for Academic Affairs (or designee). This approval must be presented prior to registration. An undergraduate non-degree student may be permitted to enroll in a graduate 500-level course in certain instances but will require the permission of the Office of Academic Affairs and the VP for Academic Affairs (or designee).

All undergraduate students who enroll in graduate courses are governed by the graduate grading system for those courses. Failure to obtain the appropriate approvals may prevent transfer of credits earned into graduate degree programs at the university. No credits approved toward the undergraduate degree requirements will transfer into any graduate program at the university without the required and relevant co-terminal program admission or accelerated master's degree program admission. Students should consult the rules for transfer of credit under the Transfer Credit section of the Graduate Catalog.

Note: Students admitted to co-terminal undergraduate and graduate studies should review the Synopsis of Co-Terminal Studies in the Graduate Catalog.