While the Graduate School has no centralized course requirements, the Academic Affairs unit oversees grading policies, course enrollment procedures, and grade change requests. General Information and Requirements Semester Hours Princeton University's Graduate School does not operate on a credit-hour system. However, because our graduate programs require full-time enrollment, Princeton considers graduate students to be taking the equivalent of at least 12 semester hours for each semester enrolled. This may include coursework and/or supervised research, not all of which may appear on the transcript. Transfer Credit Because the Graduate School does not operate on a system of semester-hour credits, no provision exists for satisfying any portion of Graduate School degree requirements by transferring credit received for work at other institutions. Ph.D. students who have completed graduate-level work elsewhere, however, should be able to present themselves for the general examination in a correspondingly shorter time, after meeting the Graduate School residence requirement and departmental requirements. Course Requirements Course requirements are set by the department, not by the Graduate School. Graduate students are urged to confer with their DGS if they have questions regarding departmental course requirements. Incomplete Coursework Academic work should be completed during the academic term in which the course was taken. A grade of incomplete should only be awarded in exceptional circumstances when there are compelling reasons discussed in advance between the course head and the student. According to the Graduate School’s Policy on Incomplete Coursework, the coursework for an incomplete course must be completed by the extended deadline given by the course head, but in no case later than one year after the course began. If incomplete work is not submitted by the deadline, the incomplete (INC) grade will be changed to an administrative F by the Graduate School. Guidance on Guests in the Classroom Attendance in graduate classes is normally limited to enrolled students. Other classroom guests may accompany a student only with the instructor’s prior approval. The presence of infants and children in the classroom may disrupt the learning environment, and certain educational contexts (for example, laboratory classes) may be dangerous for the minor. Thus, minor children should not accompany graduate students in classrooms and other academic settings. Course Enrollment Graduate students may enroll in courses at Princeton throughout the length of their regular program provided they have completed semester sign-in and are not registered in absentia. (Students enrolled in DCE status are not eligible to enroll in courses.) Courses are selected with guidance from the DGS or adviser(s) and are selected before the start of each term. Students enroll in courses using TigerHub. Course Selection Procedure Graduate students should meet with their DGS or designated adviser(s) before the start of the term to select courses. It is recommended that students print two copies of the course enrollment worksheet. After courses are selected, the DGS or adviser(s) signs both copies: one for the student’s records and one for the department or program office. Certain departments have their own program-specific processes for course selection and review of courses; students are advised to check with their department and DGS for information about program-specific processes. NOTE: New students are encouraged to speak with their DGS before selecting fall term courses. Auditing Courses Graduate students eligible to enroll in courses are permitted to enroll in a course on an audit basis if this option is allowed by the instructor(s). There are no limits set by the Graduate School on the number of courses that may be audited in a single term. However, students who wish to audit a course should review their course enrollment with their adviser(s) and must discuss with the course instructor(s) the requirements for receiving audit credit on the transcript. Requirements for audit credit may vary from course to course and from instructor to instructor. If the requirements for audit credit given by the instructor(s) are not met, the course is automatically dropped from the student's academic record. Proposed Independent Reading Courses Independent Reading Courses may be offered during specific semesters to help students fulfill a particular interest or requirement. Generally, one to seven students may be enrolled in a given course, which must first be approved by the deputy dean for academic affairs or the deputy dean's designee. Courses are proposed on behalf of students by departments through an electronic form submission process that is administered by graduate program administrators. Reading courses should be approved before the start of the semester in which they will be offered. Students in DCE status are not eligible to enroll in these courses. Cross-registered students from other institutions may participate only if a Princeton graduate student is already enrolled in the course; a reading course may not be created solely for a cross-registered student. Course Enrollment Changes Normally, graduate students may make changes to their course enrollment record through Friday of the twelfth week of the semester. Such changes include dropping a course and changing the grading basis of a course (for example, from graded to pass/fail or audit). All allowed changes may be made via TigerHub up until the deadline. Students should consult with their DGS and/or adviser(s) before making any changes. Princeton School of Public and International Affairs The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs sets its own deadlines for graduate students to make changes to their course enrollment record; graduate students in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs should consult with administrators there for guidance on their deadlines and processes for changes. Exceptional Requests for Enrollment Changes Graduate students may, with appropriate permissions, be approved to enroll in a course with a grading option not otherwise allowed by the instructor and therefore not available as a choice in TigerHub. This occurs most commonly in two situations: Courses outside the department: Graduate students are approved by their adviser to take a graduate-level course outside their department and need the approved course to be graded in a way that satisfies requirements within their program. Course conflicts: A course conflicts with a course in which they are currently enrolled. Changes require the permission of a student's DGS as well as the course instructor; these permissions are indicated by signatures on the Graduate Student Request for Enrollment Changes. The completed form must be submitted in person to the Office of the Registrar, according to the normal deadline for course enrollment changes. 2024-2025 Course Enrollment August 1Fall term course enrollment for continuing graduate students reopensAugust 23Fall term course enrollment for new graduate students beginsSeptember 3First day of fall term coursesNovember - JanuaryMeetings with DGS or adviser(s) to select courses for spring termDecember 5Last day for fall term course enrollment changesDecember 6Spring term course enrollment for graduate students beginsJanuary 27First day of spring term coursesApril 25Last day for spring term course enrollment changes Curricular Practical Training Curricular practical training (CPT) allows enrolled graduate students within their regular program lengths to hold off-campus employment that is directly related to their field of study. Students approved by their departments and the Graduate School to participate in CPT are enrolled in a program-specific CPT course. Learn more about External Opportunities. For more information on curricular practical training and a full list of CPT courses available, please see the Davis International Center. Resources Learning, Teaching & Research SupportOffice of the RegistrarCourse Book Discounts