When does registration open?

 

Fall 2026
The schedule of classes is published on Monday, March 16
Registration opens on Monday, March 23
Please complete your Fall 2026 registration by Wednesday, April 1

Classes will begin on Monday, August 24 and end on Saturday, December 12

Here is the current Add/Drop Deadline Calendar:  https://www.purdue.edu/registrar/calendars

Here is useful information from the Registrar including frequently asked questions.

 

• Go to your myPurdue page and click on the Registration tab located along the top in myPurdue. 
• Under Register for classes, click on Use Scheduling Assistant. A new window will open. 
• Click “new course”, enter the course number, and select your class.
• Enter the courses in which you wish to register. All of your planned classes will appear in your Course Requests list of the Scheduling Assistant. 
• After your courses are entered, click on Build Schedule in the bottom right corner

 Please visit the registrar's website for further instructions

 

• Please see this YouTube video for instructions. 
  TLDR: Choose the "add variable title course" button, rather than entering a CRN.
• Note the PWL is Purdue West Lafayette.
  
• Complete an Agreement on Deliverables 590 form, obtain your instructors signature, and submit the form to the graduate coordinator.
• Only one POL590 course may be taken each semester.

How to register for research credits (POL699):

• First, work with your major professor to complete the Agreement on Deliverables POL699 form. Blank forms can be found in the "Forms" folder in Box. Check to be sure you are using the correct CRN for your professor.
• When it is signed, upload it to your Box folder.
• Contact the graduate coordinator and request your registration.

How to avoid problems
- Complete your registration early (before the previous semester ends)
- Fix any holds (see below for examples)
- After entering your course(s) wait a day and take another look at your schedule to confirm that it is correct
- Don't mark yourself as "Candidate" unless you want to be on the graduation list! A late graduation fee of $200 will be charged to students who are on the graduation list for more than two consecutive semesters but do not graduate.

 

 

Requirements for Graduate Students:

 

During the Fall and Spring semesters, the Department of Political Science requires 9 credit hours for full-time graduate students. Students are expected to register each fall and spring semester, continuously, until they complete their degrees.

Students who are funded by the department quarter-time (.25FTE) or higher for graduate research assistantship, graduate teaching assistantship, or a graduate professional assistantship are required to register for courses full-time.

Students receiving a Purdue fellowship are required to register for courses or research full-time.

Students who are applying for financial aid must meet specific registration requirements as mandated by the Federal Government. Contact the Financial Aid office to confirm eligibility.

 Students who are funded by an external fellowship must refer to the Fellowship Office for registration guidelines.

 Additional registration requirements apply in the final semester, for students seeking Federal financial aid, and when students return from a Fellowship.  Refer to the Purdue Catalog for information and guidance.

Registration for International students

International students must refer to the International Students & Scholars (ISS) office for guidelines including:

• Restrictions on audited course credits
• Restrictions on distance course credits (residency requirement)
• Minimum registration credit requirements
• Visa travel limitations
• Registration requirements for CPT, OPT, and academic training
• Employment restrictions during the academic year and summer

 

Summer Registration

Students are not required to enroll over the summer semester, except as required as a condition of a fellowship, grant, or employment at Purdue:

• During the summer session, students who are employed by the department must enroll in at least 3 credits of coursework or research, which is eligible for tuition fee remission.
• Students enrolled in the summer session are eligible for an Adler tuition fee remission regardless of summer employment at Purdue if they held a teaching assistantship in the prior spring semester and will also be appointed to a teaching assistantship in the following fall semester.

Students who are employed on campus in a non-academic capacity over the summer, for example as a Purdue camp counselor, are not required by the department to enroll in courses.

 

 

Some standard holds, and what to do about them:

These holds will prevent you from registering, so please take a few minutes to complete these two very important tasks. 

Action needed – Acknowledge Your Financial Obligations:

Review and update your annual agreement by visiting the Bills & Payments page via My Purdue and click the link “Acknowledge Your Financial Obligations” found within the Student Account section.  Doing so will automatically release the hold on your account.  Lack of compliance will result in your inability to register for classes, including the ability to drop or add courses.

Action needed – Emergency Contact:

Add or validate an existing emergency contact by visiting the Academics page via My Purdue and click the link “Emergency Contacts” found within the Personal Information section.  Doing so will automatically release the hold on your account. Lack of compliance will result in your inability to register for classes, including the ability to drop or add courses. If an emergency contact exists, you must click the Verify/Submit Changes button at the bottom of the page even if there are no changes made. This will trigger the automatic release of the hold.   

Need more detailed instructions? No problem.