Cross-Registration
Related Pages
Cross-registration constitutes taking a class in a School other than the one in which a student is enrolled. This includes Schools within Columbia University, along with affiliates such as Teachers College, Union, and Jewish Theological Seminary. When cross-registering, the host school's rules apply to registration deadlines and policies. Columbia students who cross-register will be graded on the A-F grading scale only.
Examples of students who cross-register typically include the following:
- Undergraduates who take graduate-level (4000 or above) classes
- Graduate students who register for language classes (level 3000 or below)
- Graduate or professional school students who take a class at a different graduate or professional school
Students who wish to cross-register within Columbia University must submit a request in Vergil to obtain necessary approvals. First, review the bulletin (if available) and/or cross-registration policies at the course host school. Some schools, such as the Graduate School of Business, the School of Nursing, Mailman School of Public Health, the Columbia Journalism and Law School, have specific guidelines for cross-registration into their courses.
Students should also contact their Student Affairs office and/or academic advisor for cross-registration guidelines and procedures, including tuition and fee information. University tuition and fees can be reviewed by visiting the Student Financial Services website.
Special Considerations
A student’s ability to register for courses in other divisions and schools depends on the following:
- Enrollment status of the course;
- Regulations of the School hosting the course; and
- Student’s own academic standing and their School’s regulations
Students can find information about each Columbia University Course in Vergil Course Search, including:
- Which department is offering the course;
- Whether approval is required; and
- Class rules governing who receives priority registration
Required Approvals may include:
- The Course Instructor
- The Course’s host school or department’s administrative approver
- Your Advisor and/or Student Affairs Officer
Each School has a pre-configured approval structure. Once a cross-registration request is submitted in Vergil, the appropriate parties will be notified to review the request. More information on this process can be found on: https://sishelp.sis.columbia.edu/content/course-appeals-and-adjustment-requests
Information by School (Morningside/Manhattanville)
Barnard students register for both Barnard and Columbia University courses in Vergil following the same protocol outlined above.
Note: Summer registration at Columbia University is treated as transfer credit and is subject to some additional policies. If you wish to receive approval to transfer the course back to Barnard, please use this form. Please click here for further information on Columbia summer registration as a Barnard student.
Columbia Business School manages all cross-registration. When taking classes at the Business School, host school rules apply related to registration deadlines and policies. Non-Business School students should be directed to the Business School registration page for instructions on how to cross-register. Students with registration appointments will be able to use Vergil to add select courses noted on the Business School pages as not every class is available.
To Add a Course
- Review the JTS course schedule, available on their website, for important course information.
- CU students must complete a Cross-Registration form to register for JTS courses (at the 4000-level or above only).
- Adhere to your home school’s own cross-registration procedures and approvals. Consult your advising office if you have questions about cross-registration.
- After obtaining the appropriate signatures/approvals on the Cross-Registration form, scan and email the form to [email protected]. For Medical Campus students, email to [email protected]. Allow 2-5 business days for processing. Once the Student Service Center has processed your cross-registration, the course will appear on your Schedule in Vergil.
- The Office of the University Registrar will then forward your registration information to the JTS Registrar for entry into the JTS Student Information System.
Columbia Student Financial Services will handle billing and payment for these cross-registered courses (both tuition and associated fees).
Note: if a course is canceled, you may be administratively dropped from the JTS course.
- The grades for the cross-registered courses will be available as they are received from the host school. Priority is given to graduating students to make their grades available as soon as possible (within two weeks after the end of the semester).
- Once registered in the JTS system, CU students will receive emails from the JTS Registrar and the IT department with instructions on courses, email access, library access, and JTS ID card privileges.
To Drop a Course
- CU students must complete a Cross-Registration to officially drop a JTS course at any time during the semester.
- Depending on your home school’s procedures, submit the form to your advising office or email the scanned copy to the Student Service Center at [email protected]. For Medical Campus students, email to [email protected]
- Please check the JTS academic calendar for guidance on the financial and academic implications of dropping a course, as host school rules apply to cross-registration.
- All requests to add or drop a course will be processed first by the Columbia University Registrar's Office. The course transaction will appear as processed in Vergil within 2-5 business days. The Office of the University Registrar will then forward your updated registration information to the JTS Registrar, who will update it in the JTS Student Information System within 2-5 business days.
To Add a Course
- Review the Columbia schedule for important course information.
- You will need the complete course details (e.g., ECON1265W001), to register for that particular course. Please note it while browsing the course schedule.
- All CU courses require cross-registrant students to obtain the CU instructor’s approval to register. You should secure written, signed approval from the instructor or an email from the instructor noting the instructor’s approval and the course details. If you are unable to reach an instructor directly, contact the academic department office.
- Follow the registration procedures of your home school, and use the JTS-provided cross-registration form, which can be obtained on the intranet.
- Once you have completed the necessary CU course details, submit the cross-registration form, along with a copy of your instructor's approval, to the JTS Registrar, who will then forward your registration information to the Office of the Columbia University Registrar.
JTS will handle billing and payment for these cross-registered courses.
Access to online CU course content:
- Your grades for cross-registered courses will be made available to the JTS Registrar as they are received. Priority is given to graduating students to make their grades available as soon as possible (within two weeks after the end of the semester).
To Drop a Course
- For cross-registered courses, JTS students must follow the Drop deadlines listed in the JTS academic calendar.
- JTS students should contact the JTS Registrar to drop a Columbia course.
- The drop will first be processed by the JTS Registrar, who will then forward your registration information to the Office of the University Registrar at Columbia.
Note: All TC registrations for Columbia students are to be completed and processed through Vergil.
To Add a Course
- Cross-registration for Teachers College (TC) courses can be done in Vergil and begins 1-3 weeks after TC registration opens for the term.
- Fall cross-registration typically begins mid-August
- Spring cross-registration typically begins mid-December
- Summer cross-registration typically begins mid-May
- Review the TC schedule for important course information.
- CU students must contact TC instructors individually to secure written, signed approval. If you are unable to reach an instructor directly, you should try contacting the appropriate academic department office.
- Be aware of your home school’s cross-registration procedures and approval process and obtain any necessary approvals. Speak to your advising office if you have questions regarding cross-registration.
- After securing appropriate approvals, submit a registration appeal request through Vergil Course Search. The instructor's approval must be attached to the request. Teachers College courses can be found by searching for “Teachers College” under Offering School(s).
- To verify enrollment in the course(s): Check CourseWorks to ensure you have access to the TC class. If not, contact the CU Registrar.
- Columbia’s Student Financial Services will handle billing and payment for your Teachers College courses.
For access to online course content at Teachers College, click here.
Note: If a course is canceled or you do not meet the required prerequisites for the course, TC may administratively drop you from the TC course.
To Drop a Course
- Follow the instructions for Add/Drop to drop a course in Vergil.
- Please check the TC academic calendar for guidance on the financial and academic impacts of dropping a course, as host school rules apply for cross-registration.
Information for TC students on cross-registering for Columbia courses can be found on the Teachers College website.
To Add a Course
- Review the schedule for important course information. UTS course information is available here.
CU students must fill out a Cross-Registration form to register for the UTS course.
***Note: all UTS cross-registrations are to be completed with the Cross-Registration form, and are not processed via SSOL.***
- Be aware of your home school’s own cross-registration procedures and approvals as well. Speak to your advising office if you have questions regarding cross-registration.
- After securing appropriate signatures/approvals, scan and email the form to [email protected]. For Medical Campus students, email to [email protected]
- After processing your Registration, the course transaction will appear as processed in SSOL within 2-5 business days.
- The Office of the University Registrar will then forward your registration-add information to the UTS Registrar, who will enter it into the UTS Student Information System within 2-5 business days.
Columbia’s Student Financial Services will handle billing and payment for these cross-registered courses (both tuition and associated fees)
***Note: If a course is canceled, you may be dropped from the UTS course administratively. ***
- The grades for the cross-registered courses will be available as they are received from the host school. Priority is given to graduating students to make their grades available as soon as possible (within two weeks after the end of the semester)
- Once registered on the UTS end, CU students will receive an email from the UTS Registrar with instructions on course access, library access, and UTS ID card privileges.
To Drop a Course
- CU students must complete a Cross-Registration form to transact an official drop of a UTS course at any time during the semester.
- Depending on your home school’s procedures, submit the form to your advising office or email the scanned form to [email protected]. For Medical Campus students, email to [email protected]
- Please check and verify the UTS academic calendar for guidance on the financial and academic impacts of dropping a course, as host school rules apply for cross-registration. UTS Academic Calendar can be found here.
- Similar to adding a course, dropping a course will first be processed at the Office of the University Registrar. The course transaction will appear as processed in SSOL within 2-5 business days.
- The Office of the University Registrar will then forward your registration-drop information to the UTS Registrar so that it can be updated in the seminary’s Student Information System within 2-5 business days as well.
To Add a Course
- Review the Columbia schedule for important course information.
- You will need the complete course details, for example, (ECON1265W001), to register for that particular course, so please make a note of it while browsing the course schedule.
- All CU courses require cross-registrant students to obtain the CU instructor’s approval to register. You should secure written, signed approval from the instructor. If you are unable to reach an instructor directly, you should try contacting the academic department office.
- Follow the registration procedures developed by your home school, including any UTS specific cross-registration rules. (https://utsnyc.edu/academics/registrar/course-registration-grades/cross-registration/)
- Once you have completed the necessary CU course details, the cross-registration form should be submitted to the UTS Registrar, who will forward your registration information to the CU Office of the University Registrar.
- UTS will handle billing and payment for these cross-registered courses (both tuition and associated fees)
- The grades for the cross-registered courses will be made available to the UTS Registrar as they are received. Priority is given to graduating students to make their grades available as soon as possible (within two weeks after the end of the semester)
To Drop a Course
- For cross-registered courses, UTS students must follow the Drop deadlines listed in the UTS Academic Calendar. A link to the calendar is available here.
- Similar to adding a Columbia course, dropping a Columbia course should be taken to the UTS Registrar.
- The drop will first be processed by the UTS Registrar, who will then forward your registration drop information to the CU Office of the University Registrar.