Graduate Petition for Course Drop/Semester Withdrawal

Graduate students must use this online petition to request a course or semester withdrawal either during the semester after the drop deadline or for semesters previously completed (i.e. a retroactive withdrawal). 

Note: Please do not use Safari when filling in this form. To ensure proper signature routing, indicate if you are an international student, receiving financial aid, and/or enrolled in a special session program. Please be prepared to upload your personal statement, additional required documentation and/or the Healthcare Provider Verification of Medical Condition Form (if needed). Fill in your signature using your mouse or touchpad.

What to Know Before Filling Out the Petition 

After the drop deadline, it is rare for individual course drops to be approved. Dropping a course because of poor performance or too heavy a load will not be permitted. The College of Graduate studies will not approve late withdrawal petitions unless both of the following requirements are met:

  1. Presentation of a compelling personal statement indicating why this course withdrawal should be approved following the course drop deadline and was beyond the student’s control. If your reason is health-related, you do not have to disclose specific details; however, you must submit a completed Healthcare Medical Provider form (see below)
  2. Attached documentation (preferably on letterhead with contacts for verification):
    1. Health (physical and mental): Healthcare Medical Provider form [pdf]
    2. Work related: Memo or letter from employer confirming circumstances
    3. Personal Hardship: Any appropriate supporting documentation

Retroactive withdrawals (dropping a course or semester following a completed semester) will only be approved under extraordinary circumstances and only if the student can demonstrate unforeseen factors that justify a compelling reason for delaying the withdrawal request to the extent that it exceeded at least an entire semester.

  1. Requirements for a standard withdrawal petition still hold for retroactive withdrawals
  2. In almost all but the most rare cases, retroactive withdrawals will only be granted if the entire semester is to be withdrawn

Complete a Withdrawal Form

For more information, please contact graduate-studies@ngskmc-eis.net.