Courses: Withdrawal from

This policy and form is for undergraduate students ONLY!

You may only withdraw to an underload (fewer than 4.0 credits) one time during your undergraduate career without being required to provide documentation of specific and exceptional circumstances.

NOTE: A withdrawal is not the same thing as dropping a course.

  • Withdrawing from a course entails a particular process, because the drop/add deadline has passed
  • A course withdrawal is noted on your official Duke transcript (as a W)
The deadline to request withdrawal from a course in a fall/spring semester is 11:59 p.m. on the day four (4) weeks prior to the last day of classes - published in the Academic Calendar. 
The withdrawal deadline is strictly adhered to. 
  • To be valid, the completed form must be submitted by the withdrawal deadline! If you miss the deadline, you must remain in and complete the course. 
  • If considering a withdrawal, confer with your instructor, advisor, and/or academic dean about your ability to continue with this class. Consider whether support offices and resources would be helpful.
  • Withdrawal from a course will not be approved by your academic dean if disciplinary action is pending or has been initiated, a Faculty-Student Resolution has been completed, or a sanction has been imposed by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards related to the course in question. 
  • You do not need professor approval for a withdrawal, but all students are urged to talk with professors about their course progress.
*For the process on withdrawing from a course, open the dropdown below titled Procedure for Course Withdrawal, and follow the steps accordingly:

STEP 1: Confer with your instructor, advisor, and/or academic dean about your ability to continue with this class. Consider whether support offices and resources would be helpful.

STEP 2: What you do here will depend on if you are withdrawing to an underload or not…

If you intend to withdraw from an overload to a normal load (at least 4.0 credits), complete the online Request to Withdraw form.

If you are considering withdrawing from a normal load to an underload (fewer than 4.0 credits), schedule a meeting with your academic dean to discuss the policy and implications on underloads.

If and when you are ready, complete the online Request to Withdraw form.

The deadline to request to withdraw from a course is 11:59 pm on the day four weeks prior to the last day of classes in a fall or spring semester. The withdrawal request deadline date during a summer session will depend on the summer term. Deadlines for all course withdrawals are published in the Academic Calendar.  

 

STEP 3: Your academic dean will then process the form, and if approved, will send confirmation to you and the course instructor. A W will be noted in DukeHub and on your transcript in place of a final grade for the course.

 

See also:

  • In making a decision to withdraw, you might discuss your situation with your instructor, for example:
    • How are grades determined in this course?
    • What grades do you have to-date?
    • What is the best- and worst-case scenario at the end of the semester?
    • Does your instructor have suggestions for how you might better study? 
  • You can also talk with your academic advisor and academic dean. You might also consider support offices and resources where you can improve your study skills and time management.
Students often worry that a course withdrawal will tarnish their Duke transcript.  However, students withdraw from courses for a host of good reasons, and consequently receipt of a W grade in a course is not a blemish on a record. 
  • Withdrawing from a course overload to a normal load (4.0 credits) is permitted in multiple fall/spring semesters. Withdrawing from a course during a summer session is also permitted, with the only restriction that the withdrawal be implemented by the withdrawal deadline.
  • Withdrawing from a normal course load to an underload (3.0 to 3.75 credits) is generally permitted only once in a fall or spring semester. However, you may begin another semester in an underload, with certain restrictions. You may also be permitted to withdraw to an underload more than once if there are significant medical reasons (see below).
  • Note that withdrawal to an underload is a serious step that can have implications for your ability to continue at Duke. Beginning in your second semester of enrollment, you must receive passing grades in 3.0 credits every semester to remain enrolled as a student. If you are unable to do this, you would be dismissed for academic reasons. This policy on continuation requirements may have an impact if you are having difficulty in more than one class. Be sure to discuss your situation with your academic dean.
  • Students on academic probation are expected to remain in a full course load during their semester of probation and will be permitted to withdraw to an underload by their academic dean only in compelling circumstances. If the course withdrawal is approved, your probation status will be extended to the following semester.
  • Withdrawal from a course will not be approved by your academic dean if disciplinary action is pending or has been initiated, a Faculty-Student Resolution has been completed, or a sanction has been imposed by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards related to the course in question.
  • If you have a Duke merit scholarship (e.g., AB Duke Scholarship) or other special scholarship that requires you to maintain a normal course load, check with that scholarship office to see if withdrawing from a course might be in breach of the terms of that scholarship.
 If you experience medical problems that seriously interfere with your ability to meet your academic responsibilities, you should schedule an appointment with your academic dean as soon as possible to discuss all of your options.
Before the Withdrawal Deadline:
  • The decision whether to approve a course withdrawal is an administrative one to be made by your academic dean. If you request permission to withdraw from a course for medical reasons, your dean’s decision will be informed by the opinion of your attending health care provider but not driven by it. Beyond the information provided by your doctor, the dean will take into account all that is known about your situation at Duke including such factors as your medical history, your use of resources in the past, your compliance with medical expectations, how you have conducted your academic responsibilities in courses to date, and other such indicators that you have been managing your condition and your academic affairs in responsible ways.
  • Because medical compliance and responsible conduct of your academic affairs are among the factors considered in the decision whether to authorize a medical course withdrawal, it is important for you to continue to attend classes and to keep up with your work in your courses throughout the semester. If due to a serious illness you fall behind in your work, you should contact your instructor, your dean, and health care provider so that you can receive the help that you need and can demonstrate your efforts to manage your illness responsibly.
  • Depending upon how debilitating your medical situation is, it may be the case that other types of relief, such as a medical leave of absence, is more appropriate.

If you need to seek a second or subsequent withdrawal to an underload for a medical condition, this can be indicative of a chronic condition that may make you eligible for accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Accordingly, you should consult with a representative of the Student Disability Access Office (if you are not already registered with that office) to discuss your eligibility for accommodations through that office.

To withdraw from a course for medical reasons, you should follow the procedure below. Your dean may request medical documentation that will enable him or her to understand your medical situation and needs. He/she may ask you to have your health care provider fill a form for this:

Forms: 

Online request to withdraw form

After the Withdrawal Deadline:
  • Students who request a medical withdrawal after the withdrawal deadline will be advised to take a medical leave of absence if the condition negatively impacts multiple classes, or a grade of incomplete may be assigned to the course of concern. The incomplete grade will be determined per policy and in consultation with the course instructor(s). If a medical leave of absence or an incomplete grade is not granted, the student will receive a grade in the course.
  • Students should meet with their academic dean to discuss course completion options after the withdrawal deadline.