This page contains general registration information for fall, spring and summer as well as international student eligibility and requirements. If there are degree-specific registration requirements, they will be listed on the Navigate Your Degree page.
Fall and Spring semesters
All MINES graduate students must have continuous registration (minimum of 1 or more credits)
- Students must register by the registration deadline (see academic calendar).
- Students may add/drop courses through the posted deadlines for full term (16 week session) or 8 week sessions (see academic calendar). Any changes to a schedule after the drop deadline must be made through the Registrar’s Office and are typically not eligible for refunds.
- Only courses for credit count towards full time status. Although students pay for audited courses (No Credit or NC), those courses do not count towards full time status.
- Students who need to be absent for a semester (fall or spring) must submit a Leave of Absence form prior to the add/drop deadline in that semester.
- Students who do not submit the leave paperwork and do not register for the fall and/or spring semesters will be inactivated. To resume studies, inactivated students will be required to re-apply for admission.
- RA’s, TA’s and Graduate Hourly employees must be registered full-time (9 or more credits).
Dropping Last Course/Credit in Fall or Spring semesters
Students wishing to drop their last class/credit for the fall or spring semesters must submit to the Office of Graduate Studies either: Withdrawal from Courses form or Leave of Absence form (prior to the drop deadline.) For withdrawals, please review MINES’s refund policy.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
REGULARLY ENROLLED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
- In Fall and Spring, international students must be registered full-time with a minimum of 9 credits.
- In the Summer, international students do not need to be registered unless it is a condition of a certain appointment or contract type, or they are using campus resources, or working on a thesis, or in their final semester.
- Note: The above academic definition of full-time for fall, spring, and summer applies to International Students (F and J) for status maintenance purposes.
- International students may start in the Summer with appropriate approvals. Please reach out to the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISSS) for specifics on that process.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THEIR LAST SEMESTER
Contact ISSS to inquire about eligibility and approval for part-time registration in the final semester for international students.
Contact
Office of Graduate Studies
1600 Jackson St. Suite 380
gradcontracts@mines.edu
grad.services@mines.edu
Summer Registration
Unlike fall and spring registration, which is required, summer registration is optional unless a student is in their first semester at Mines OR in a category that requires registration, described below.
STUDENTS STARTING IN A SUMMER TERM
- All students who start at Mines in a summer term must register for at least one credit.
- Domestic students may only need to register for one credit unless they are on a summer graduate contract requiring more (see below).
- International students typically start their degree program in Fall or Spring semesters, but may contact ISSS to determine if they are eligible for summer start.
Students on a Summer RA, TA or Hourly Contract
| STUDENT SITUATION | REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT | |
|---|---|---|
| STUDENTS on a SUMMER RA CONTRACT | Must register for research (707) credits in the Summer if on an RA contract. Additional guidance will be available in 2027. | |
| STUDENTS on a SUMMER TA or HOURLY CONTRACT | Additional guidance will be available in 2027. | |
| STUDENTS NOT on a SUMMER CONTRACT & NOT GRADUATING (see below for details) | Do not need to register for the Summer, unless using campus resources* in the Summer or working on thesis research (registration in at least 1 credit is required). |
Students Graduating in August
Students Graduating in August must register for at least 1 credit in the Summer. If on an RA contract, registration in research credits is required.
Examples of campus resources (other examples may apply) include working:
- in a campus lab
- with an advisor or committee members (research, thesis content, defending)
- with other students (on research)
- with MINES staff (formatting thesis, checking out)
*Financial Aid: Students receiving certain types of financial aid may need to maintain a specific level of registration in the Summer; please contact finaid@mines.edu for more information.