Registration Procedures

Return to: 1300 University Academic Regulations 

Review Enrollment Process Instructions

Students may not attend a course unless they have registered and paid for that course. Each semester students should go online for detailed information concerning the enrollment and registration process. Registration information can be at registrar.gsu.edu and by accessing PAWS (Panther Access to Web Services) at paws.gsu.edu.

Students are urged to become knowledgeable about the entire enrollment process, which includes ensuring financial aid eligibility for the term and ensuring paying of tuition and fees by the payment deadline for that particular term. Information on payment deadlines can be found on sfs.gsu.edu under Tuition and Fees.

Where Registration Takes Place

Registration for courses takes place on PAWS where a list of courses offered for the semester can be found, as well as time ticket information, the registration agreement and student holds that need to be addressed to permit registration for the term.

Preparing and Registering for Classes - Enrollment Process

Registering students should prepare a registration work sheet and ensure they meet all course prerequisites.

Unless approved by the department chair, a student may only register for one section of a given course in a given session/term.

Step 1: Run a Program Evaluation to Review Remaining Course Requirements on PAWS and Schedule Advisor Appointments as Necessary

Step 2: Register for Classes

Step 3: Check Financial Aid Requirements for Eligibility and Accept Aid

Step 4: View and Pay Charges on Panther Pay through PAWS

Step 5: Print your Course Schedule on PAWS

Step 6: Print the Semester Calendar on the Registrar’s page

Any deviation from the prescribed procedure may result in unnecessary delays in registration or errors in the resulting schedule. The Office of the Registrar cannot be held responsible for errors resulting from the student’s failure to follow the prescribed registration and schedule adjustment procedures. Any problems experienced with registration should be reported to the Enrollment Services Center, in person, at 227 Sparks Hall or by phone at 404-413-2900 within 24 hours of the occurrence.

Registration Notifications

All graduate students must notify the Office of Academic Assistance or the Office of Graduate Studies in their college prior to registering if any of the following conditions apply:

• The student has attended another school since last attending Georgia State. The student must have an official transcript of credits sent from the school he or she attended. The student must be eligible to reenroll at the last school attended before he or she returns to Georgia State University. Failure to submit this transcript by the midpoint of the first term after returning to Georgia State could result in the placing of a registration hold on the student’s record.
• The student has disciplinary actions pending at the last institution attended since matriculation at Georgia State.
• The student has been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation since last attending Georgia State. Failure to notify the University of any of the above conditions could result in university sanctions, including expulsion.

Registration Time-Ticket Assignments

Students who are eligible to register will be given a registration time-ticket assignment approximately two weeks before registration begins. Students can find their registration time-ticket assignments by accessing PAWS at paws.gsu.edu.

Students will also receive an email referring them to PAWS where they can view their registration time-ticket assignments.

A student’s time-ticket assignment is valid beginning at the student’s assigned time and continues through the last day of registration. Time-tickets are assigned with priority to students scheduled to graduate during the upcoming term and then to continuing students according to the total credit hours earned. Once a student is allowed access, the student can adjust his or her schedule on a first-come, first-served basis during the remaining registration period. Many classes fill up quickly. It is to the student’s advantage to attempt to register as soon as he or she is allowed access to the registration system.

Late Registration

Registrations are considered late once the semester has begun. During late registration, access is on a first-come, first-served basis. It is important that students register prior to the semester beginning in order to have the best opportunity to enroll in courses needed for degree completion. If a student’s first attempt to register is during late registration, a $50 non-refundable late fee will be charged. This $50 fee will also be charged if a student is dropped for nonpayment of fees and attempts to re-register during late registration.

A student may appeal to add a class after late registration has ended. If the appeal is approved, the student will be charged a $37.50 manual schedule adjustment fee in addition to tuition and fees. This fee is charged for each appeal approved. Appeals should be directed to the department that teaches the course the student wishes to add. If a student decides not to attend the course once the appeal has been approved and added to the student’s schedule, the student must officially withdraw from the course on PAWS, prior to the semester midpoint.

Immunizations

Immunization Office
141 Piedmont Avenue, Suite D
health.gsu.edu

All new students attending regularly scheduled classes on campus or receiving resident credit are required to submit a certificate of immunization prior to registering for and attending such classes.

The immunizations required are Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR), Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap), Varicella (chicken pox), and Hepatitis B. In addition, the Meningitis Law requires students residing in university housing to have the Meningococcal vaccine. For more information, see the Georgia State Clinic website updates at health.gsu.edu.

Every student attending classes on campus must complete the immunization requirements of the University System of Georgia. The requirement varies according to the age of the student as follows:

• Students 18 years or younger at the beginning of the term must show proof of immunity to Hepatitis B, MMR, Tdap, and Varicella (chickenpox).
• Students 19 years and older at the beginning of the term are strongly recommended to be immunized for Hepatitis B, but they are not required to show proof of immunity to Hepatitis B. They are required to show proof of immunity to MMR, Tdap and Varicella.
• Students born outside the United States on or before 12/31/1956 must show proof of immunity to Tdap and Varicella only.
• Students born in the United States on or before 12/31/1956 are required to show proof of Tdap only.
• Students born in the United States on or before 12/31/1980 are exempt from showing proof of the Varicella vaccine. They are required to submit proof of immunity for MMR, Tdap.
• Students born 12/31/1980 or later must submit proof of MMR, Varicella and Tdap.
• Students born outside the United States 01/01/1957 or later must provide proof of MMR, Tdap, and Varicella.

The Immunization Office must receive these records two weeks before the last day of late registration. It will take up to five business days to enter the data into the system. Immunization holds will be placed on student accounts to prevent registration and drop/add until the requirement is satisfied.

Students seeking exemption for religious reasons must submit a completed affidavit form to the Immunization Office indicating their religious exemption request. This form is located on the immunizations website. Students with medical reasons for exemption must submit a doctor’s letter indicating if this is a permanent or temporary exemption, and, if temporary, the date of expiration. When the temporary exemption expires, the student must complete all immunization requirements. In the event of an epidemic or a threatened epidemic of any disease preventable by immunization, and when an emergency has been declared by appropriate health authorities, additional steps will be undertaken to protect the health of the University community. In the event of a declared public health emergency, persons who do not have proof of immunization on file will not be allowed to participate in classes or other activities on campus.

Students seeking military exemptions must show their DD214 form or Military ID proving active within the last 2 years.

Additional information and copies of the immunization certification form may be obtained by contacting the Immunization Office located in 141 Piedmont Avenue, Ste. D, or by telephone at 404-413-1940, or online at health.gsu.edu.

Meningitis: Georgia law requires that students residing in campus housing be provided information on meningococcal disease and vaccination. After reviewing information about the risks for the disease and the benefits of prevention by the meningitis vaccine, students 18 years and older are required to sign a form kept on file in the Housing Office. Students less than 18 years of age must show their parent or guardian’s signature on the form. This “Meningococcal Disease Notification” form documents that the information was reviewed and the option of the vaccine was provided, and/or date the vaccination was elicited. Compliance with the state law is a requirement for residing in campus housing and is part of the housing contract. Forms and further information are available from the Housing Office at 404-413-1800 or by email at housing@gsu.edu.

Classification of Courses

Courses are numbered as follows:

Course Load

Full-time Course Load: To be certified as full-time students, graduate students must carry a minimum of nine semester hours in the fall and spring semesters and a minimum of six hours in the summer semester. Undergraduate courses taken by graduate students may be counted toward their academic load as specified in writing by their graduate college.

A student who is enrolled in less than a full-time course of study at Georgia State may be in jeopardy of:

• losing insurance coverage under his or her parent/guardian’s insurance policy;
• being out of compliance with the Department of Homeland Security if enrolled at Georgia State University on a student visa;
• being placed on a loan repayment schedule by a lender or guarantor if the student is the recipient of federal financial aid;
• losing a scholarship if the guidelines for receiving the scholarship require full-time enrollment; and/or
• losing an assistantship and/or graduate assistant tuition waiver.

Half-time Course Load: Half-time enrollment is a minimum of 4.5 semester hours for graduate students.

International Students: International students in the student visa status of F and J are required to carry a full-time course load as defined by the Department of Homeland Security.

University Policy on Continuous Enrollment

Students in all graduate programs must maintain enrollment totaling 6 hours (or more) over all consecutive three semester periods (including summers). In other words, the total enrollment of the current term plus the two terms preceding it must add to 6 hours or more at all times. The status of all students will be checked by the midpoint of each term for compliance with the continuous enrollment requirement. Any student whose enrollment is out of compliance will receive a registration hold preventing all current and future registration. Those students will be notified by an email message sent to their official Georgia State University’s email account. In order to graduate, students must be actively enrolled in the program of study during the semester in which they finish degree requirements for graduation.

To resume their programs, students with continuous enrollment holds must file for re-entry by the published deadline and must enroll at a level sufficient to satisfy the continuous enrollment criterion. That is, their enrollment in the re-entry term plus the two terms preceding it must total to 6 hours or more. The maximum required enrollment level for the re-entry term is 6 hours. For more information on the re-entry process, contact your college’s advisement/admissions office.