Advising
In order to register for courses, you must first clear your advising bar by making an appointment with the graduate advisor to discuss and receive approval for your proposed schedule of courses. Please prepare for your meeting with the graduate advisor not only by preparing a list of possible courses, but also by writing down a list of goals—e.g., skills you want to acquire, bodies of knowledge you want to learn, projects you want to undertake, etc.—so that the graduate advisor will be able to help you identify coursework that will support you in achieving those aims.
Course Schedule and UTDirect
The course schedule for each semester is published at www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/schedules shortly before the advising and registration periods begin. The course schedule provides important information about registration and payment procedures; course times, locations, instructors, prerequisites, and special fees; and the academic calendar. Students are responsible for following these procedures. After clearing their advising and financial bars, students self-register online using UT Direct.
Registering for Courses in Other Departments
University rules allow you to include a maximum of three upper-level undergraduate courses in your degree program if you so desire. Graduate students are able to take both upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in other departments with instructor permission and with approval of the Design graduate advisor. Note that undergraduate upper-level courses are those whose last two digits are between 20 and 79; graduate-level courses are those whose last two digits are between 80 and 99. (The first digit of the course number indicates the number of credit hours of the course.)
To enroll in classes outside the Department of Art and Art History, you should first contact the professors who offer the classes of interest. Tell them you are a Design graduate student, and that you are seeking permission to take their class. Even if classes are listed as closed or restricted, a professor may allow a graduate student to enroll, or “add.” Once you have permission to enroll in the class, ask that department’s graduate coordinator about their registration procedures. Generally, graduate coordinators need to register you because most graduate classes have restricted enrollment. For a current list of graduate coordinators and their email addresses, go to https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/programs.
Enrollment in an interdisciplinary Graduate Portfolio Program can sometimes facilitate registration in graduate courses in other departments. With the approval of the graduate advisor, M.F.A. in Design students may apply to and complete an interdisciplinary Graduate Portfolio Program in tandem with their degree requirements in Design (see https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/programs/portfolio-programs for a current list of GPPs). Please consult individual GPP program websites for application information and procedures.
Late Registration
Late registration extends from the first through the fourth class day in a long-session semester and from the first through second class day in a summer term. After those dates, you will need the assistance of the graduate coordinator to register. A late fee is charged for late registration, and permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies may be required. Avoid late registration if at all possible. The graduate coordinator can answer questions regarding late registration.
Add/Drop Procedures
The deadlines and UT Direct access periods for adding and dropping courses can be found on the academic calendar at https://registrar.utexas.edu/calendars. After the first four class days of the semester, schedule changes must be made by the graduate coordinator in the department in which the course is offered. Adds and drops after the 12th class day must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and must be accompanied by a persuasive rationale for the late add or drop.