Students who decide to drop one or more courses from a term must follow the appropriate steps in order to officially exit the course(s).  Students who do not complete these steps will remain enrolled in their courses and will be billed and graded accordingly.  

Students who wish to drop ALL of their courses for a given term (including Summer Term) should review policies and processes for ​withdrawing from UW-Madison.  

If dropping a course will move a student below full-time status (12 credits), students are strongly encouraged to ​meet with relevant offices before completing the process.  This is particularly true for students on a F-1 or J-1 visa status, student-athletes, students in university housing, and students receiving financial aid. Academic advisors are important resources for helping a student decide whether dropping a course is the best option.  

The steps to drop a course will vary depending on the timing of the request.  

• From first day of term through drop deadline: Drop course using Course Search and Enroll in Student Center. 

• • In Summer Term, students who do not wish to complete any Summer Term courses should answer “No” when asked if they plan to register for other courses. This drop may be converted to a withdrawal.  

• After drop deadline: Submit ​​application for late drop and seek permission from L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services.   

• • NOTE: approval is not guaranteed for applications submitted after the deadline. Lack of knowledge about or attention to the deadline are not considered valid reasons for approving a late drop application.  

• • Students will be asked to provide documentation that unforeseeable nonacademic circumstances emerged on or after the deadline which prevented the student from dropping the course on time OR prevented the student from completing the semester.  

• • Students may also be required to meet with an academic dean.  

• • Permission to drop a course after the deadline can only be granted by an academic dean.  Instructors or advisors may recommend students consider dropping a course after that date, but UW-Madison policy stipulates that approval of an academic dean is required for enrollment actions after the posted deadline. Students may share others’ recommendations with academic deans in their late drop application.   

Students should consider themselves enrolled until they are notified that the late drop application has been approved or until their Student Center reflects the change.   If deadline is approaching and you are uncertain, talk to an ADS dean.

For drops approved after the “DR/W Notation Deadline,” courses will appear on the transcript with a DR notation per UW Policy.  The DR is a neutral grade and is not factored into a student’s GPA.  It does not communicate failure or irresponsibility — it reflects that a student made a choice to discontinue a course. L&S does not backdate drops to remove this notation for cosmetic purposes. Students with questions about the impact of drops on graduate school applications are encouraged to review current guidance and consult with staff in the Center for Pre-Health Advising, Center for Pre-Law Advising, or admissions representatives in the Graduate School.   

Late drop applications will be denied if: 

• The primary reason for the delay is lack of awareness of the deadline. 

• The applicant cannot demonstrate that unforeseen nonacademic circumstances prevented them from dropping the course on time or completing the course.  

• The applicant clearly intended to complete the course but is disappointed by the grade earned.  

• The applicant is unable to clarify how the circumstances affected one course but not others.  

• The applicant was waiting to hear from their advisor, instructor, or parent.  

• The applicant has been found responsible for academic misconduct in the course(s) they wish to drop.