Withdrawal from a Course

Policy

"Withdrawing" from a course differs from "dropping" a course. To drop a course, no permission is required—you drop the course yourself through ACES Web during the drop/add period, and the course does not appear on your official Duke transcript. However, if you wish to withdraw from a course after the drop/add deadline, you must follow a set of procedures that begins at your academic dean's office, and (if the withdrawal is approved) ends when a grade of WE, WP, or WF is recorded on your official transcript.

The deadline for requesting withdrawal from a course is four (4) weeks before the last day of classes. The specific deadline date is published in the Academic Calendar.

Note: the withdrawal deadline is a generous one and consequently strictly adhered to.  It is your responsibility to decide whether to withdraw from a course and to set the withdrawal process in motion through your dean's office no later than 5 p.m. on the deadline date.  If you miss the deadline you should expect to remain in and complete the course in question.

Students are generally permitted to withdraw from a course to an underload only once in their Duke career. (See, however, "Medical withdrawal from a course", below.)

When should you withdraw from a course and when should you persist?

Each situation is unique, and you are welcome to discuss the range of options with your academic dean at any time. If you're having great difficulty in a course such as math, chemistry, or a foreign language where your background is weak or your study habits are not sufficiently developed to permit you to pass the course, then withdrawing from it is a sensible option. A WP or WF on your transcript is preferable to an F. If you are struggling in a course but think you can finish with a passing grade, then persisting might be appropriate.  This is particularly true if you are using available resources (tutors/help room/study groups, Academic Skills Instructional Program, etc.), conferring with the instructor, and believe you are making progress as the semester continues. Have a frank discussion with your instructor about how you are doing in the course.  How are grades determined in the course?  What grades do you have to date?  What is the best- and worst-case scenario at the end of the semester?  Will putting so much time into one course cause you to neglect your other courses, perhaps pulling all of your grades down? 

If you must withdraw from a course, consider it a learning experience. Try to identify the factors that led to your difficulties in the course and determine how to avoid the same problems in the future, whether or not you repeat that course. Consider that if you are struggling with reading, memorization, problem-solving, time management or other basic skills, the same issues could affect some of your other courses, and take appropriate steps to address the problem(s).  Among other strategies, you might wish to consult with an instructor in the Academic Skills Instructional Program to better understand your learning style.

Medical withdrawal from a course.If you experience serious medical problems that interfere with your ability to successfully complete a course in which you are enrolled, you may wish to schedule an appointment with your academic dean without delay to discuss your options, including the possibility of withdrawing from the course. Depending upon how debilitating your medical situation is and when in the semester your health concerns emerge, you may find that other types of relief, such as an incomplete or even a medical leave of absence, are more appropriate.

In order to withdraw from a course on medical grounds, you will need to provide a letter from your doctor or therapist confirming your illness or injury and addressing the limitations that it places on you or your effectiveness as a student. The deadline for a medical withdrawal from a course is the last day of classes. The procedures you must follow to withdraw from a course are otherwise the same as for other withdrawals.

Procedure

Students who have not declared a major--consult your dean in the Academic Advising Center to withdraw from a course.

Students with a declared major--see your academic dean to withdraw from a course.