Environmental Health Sciences

Continuous Registration Policy: RSRH P0001

While preparing the dissertation, a candidate must be continuously enrolled at the University and within the program of study. Students must register for one tuition point in all fall and spring semesters in which they are not otherwise registered for course credits. This 1 tuition credit point is satisfied in EHS through P9370 Journal Club, which DrPH students should be enrolled in every semester except the semester of dissertation defense. In addition to registering for Journal Club, all DrPH students that have completed course work AND are working on their dissertation must enroll in the Continuous Registration Course.

If you require full-time student status (and thus automatically receive health insurance), you should register for RSRH P0001 Section 003. This section provides full-time registered student status but will NOT charge you a point of tuition.

If you are a full or part-time student who does not want to be enrolled in university health insurance, please register for PUBH9980 which charges you 1 point of tuition. NOTE: If you enroll in this section you need not register formally for Journal Club; you must still attend but you will avoid incurring the additional 1 point of tuition. This remains the same every semester you are enrolled with the exception of the semester you defend. In that semester ONLY, should you register for RSRH P0001 Section 001 which will give you full-time status and charge you 1 point of tuition. You need not register for or attend Journal Club that final semester. Please see the Academic Program Manager if you have any questions.

For more information about the Continuous Registration policy, please refer to the Office of Student Affairs Academic Handbook .

Candidates are expected to complete the dissertation in two or more semesters. (The entire Doctoral Program must be completed within seven years.)

Registration Procedures

To view the latest registration information, please see the Mailman School course listings This site also typically includes prior semester course history. Using an assigned PIN number at designated times during the semester, students are able to register through Student Services Online [SSOL] for their classes the following semester.

Change of Program

The first two weeks of each semester are designated Change of Program period. During this time, students are permitted to add any new class to their program without penalty. A late registration fee is charged for any class added after the change of program period has passed.

Cross Registration Policies

Mailman School students interested in cross-registration at another Columbia University school need two types of permission (approval). First, they must obtain their advisor’s signature verifying approval to apply this course to their degree program. Second, they must obtain permission from the school that offers the course in order to secure a space in the class. Please note that the process of obtaining permission to cross-register is overseen by the other school (not the Mailman School). Often, though not always, a physical form at the other school tracks this permission. Permission may be required from the instructor or the student affairs office at that school, or both. It is important for the student to contact that school about their specific process and what permission(s) is/are required to enroll in the course.

After obtaining permission, they must bring this information, along with a registration form to the CUMC Registrar during the change of program period. The form is available from Student Academic Affairs, however registration must be done in-person in the registrar’s office, since students cannot add or drop non-public health courses online.

Add/Drop

After the add/drop period ends typically about two weeks into the semester - students will need approval from both their advisor and the Office of Student Affairs to drop courses. Approved forms must be brought in person to 1-141 Black Building to be processed. For individual courses dropped after the change of program period, no adjustment of tuition will be made. There is also a cutoff date in the Academic Calendar after which courses may not be dropped.

NOTE: Failure to attend classes or unofficial notification to the instructor does not constitute dropping a course and will result in a grade of UW (unofficial withdrawal). Courses can be dropped only through the change-of-program procedure described above.

School Policy on Incomplete Grades

Students who have a grade of incomplete (IN) have one year from the end of the semester of registration to complete the work. Additionally, a form must be completed and filed with the Academic Program Manager to confirm the incomplete status (see more about incompletes). Unless there is notification of a grade change from incomplete to letter grade, the incomplete will automatically be converted to unofficial withdrawal (UW), defined as "student did not complete attendance and/or assignment, but failed to withdraw." Under very special circumstances an instructor may grant an extension, usually for a specified period, and usually not more than six months. A grade of "UW" will not be changed to a passing grade. In most cases a student will have to register again for the course to complete the requirement. UW results in no grade or loss of credit, and is not subject to a tuition refund.