Application Proccess

Submit an Application
Submit an application to apply for non-degree status. You will first be prompted to create a username, confirm your email address, then create a password. Once these steps are completed, you will be able to log in and start a new application. On the first page of the application, choose the following in order to apply as a non-degree student (each field must be selected before these fields options will populate):

• What type of program are you applying to? Non-Degree

• School: Summer & Non-Degree Programs

• Field of Study: General Study

• Degree: Non-Degree

• Concentration: Not Applicable

• Term: Semester that you wish to apply for

The application will then guide you through the rest of the parts until your application is complete. Please review your application before submitting to make sure the information you've given us is complete and accurate. References, standardized test scores and transcripts are not required for non-degree applicants for general study.

Application Fee
A non-refundable application fee of $25, payable by check or credit card, is required. If you choose to pay by check you will not be processed for enrollment until the check arrives. This fee is waived for:

• GW alumni (those holding a GW degree or graduate certificate)

• Current GW faculty and staff

• U.S. military personnel who have been on active duty within three years of submitting their application for admission

Create a GW NetID and GW Email Account
Once your confirmation email arrives use the GW student ID, or GWID, provided to create your GW NetID and GW e-mail account. The NetID is required to access GW systems, and the GW e-mail will be the address to which the GW sends all official communications, including your student e-bill.

Register for Courses
Basic registration steps will be listed in your confirmation email. For additional details about registration, review the Office of the Registrar’s step-by-step instructions and important dates. For registration questions, contact the Office of the Registrar at 202-994-4900.

Consortium Student Registration
If you are a consortium student enrolled at one of the member institutions of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and you are interested in registering for courses at GW, your registration process is handled through the consortium coordinator at your home university.

You are not allowed to register for courses that are the equivalent of a course being offered in the same semester at your home institution. Additionally, these GW courses are not available to Consortium students:  off-campus courses, Independent Study, Study Abroad, medicine and nursing.

Law students are excluded from participation, except for candidates for the degree of Master of Laws at Georgetown University. Check with your Consortium Coordinator for any further restrictions on enrollment.

Search for a Course
Before you apply to become a non-degree student, search for a course by the location and time of year you’d like to take a class. The Office of the Registrar and the University Bulletin present information about courses, including location, day, time and course-related fees.

Students are eligible to take a variety of the courses in the Schedule of Classes, with the exception of those in the Law School and the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Other school and department restrictions apply. Please contact the school or department directly for more details.

Please note that some courses have prerequisite coursework, and some are open only to GW degree candidates. Non-degree students who do not hold a bachelor’s degree are discouraged from registering for graduate-level coursework (6000 to 8999).

Audit a Course
Faculty permission is required to take courses on a credit/no credit or audit basis. Normal tuition rates still apply to audited classes.  Students who audit a class are not allowed to take the class at a later date for credit.

Credit Limits
You may enroll in up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses or 18 credit hours of undergraduate courses per fall or spring semester.  Only 6 credit hours may be taken per 6-week summer session.

University Policies
If you’re a prospective or registered non-degree student, you are responsible for reviewing the University’s policies provided in the University Bulletin, and in particular the University Regulations, Code of Academic Integrity, and Guide to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

The Student Accounts Office communicates GW’s tuition rates. Review the tuition rates for non-degree students before applying to take a course. Non-Degree students are not eligible for financial aid. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact Office of Student Financial Assistance.  

If you’re interested in taking a Corcoran Continuing Education course, be sure to review the rates per course because they are different. For more details on rates email Cea Adviser at [email protected].

Applying for a Degree or Certificate Program
If you are considering applying for a GW degree or certificate program, please carefully review the transfer credit policies for the school and program in which you’re interested.  Most programs will transfer only a limited number of credits taken as a non-degree student into a degree or certificate program.

If you successfully complete non-degree coursework, there is no guarantee that you will be accepted to a program or, if accepted, that the coursework will apply toward the degree or certificate.

Visiting from Another College or University
If you are visiting from another college or university we recommend that you review your home institutions policies to ensure that the course will be eligible for transfer before applying for non-degree status.

Get Your Student ID Card
To use in on-campus facilities, including the library, acquire a GW student ID card (GWorld) from the GWorld Office.

Submit a Mandatory Health Form
If you are under the age of 26, D.C. law requires that you submit the Mandatory Health Form to Student Health Service, prior to the first day of class.

Pay Your Bill
Once you register for courses, an electronic bill will be generated. No paper bill will be sent. All bills are due prior to the first day of the semester. The Student Accounts Office can help you understand and pay your bill.

View Course Information
Log in to Blackboard, GW’s online course management system, to view information about your course.

Purchase Course Materials
Check the GW Bookstore to see if course materials are available.

Find Your Class Location
Use our virtual tour to become familiar with the location for your class.

Grade Mode Changes, Dropping or Changing a Course, Withdrawals

All GW policies apply to non-degree students, including those on registration, withdrawal, course changes, and other registration issues. The Office of the Registrar has complete details on those processes and policies.

Refunds
Semester tuition charges and fees for authorized withdrawals and changes in schedules will be refunded based upon the University Refund Policy. This includes withdrawals and changes made due to business travel, minor illness or injury and workload increases. In no case will tuition be reduced or refunded because of absence from classes.

Petitions
Exceptions to University policies may be petitioned under these circumstances:

1. Medical emergency (hospitalization or major medical condition). Written documentation from a physician will be required (i.e. Date originally seen, diagnosis, prognosis). Mental Health withdrawal and refund requests follow a process outlined by Mental Health Services.

2. Death of a "close family" member. "Close family" is limited to the student's parents; spouse; same-sex domestic partner; children of the student; grandparents and grandchildren of the student. Official written documentation will be required.

3. A call to military duty. Written documentation will be required.

Repeating Courses
Except for courses that specifically state that repetition for credit is permitted, non-degree students may not repeat a course in which a grade of C−  or better was received, unless required to do so by the department. A written statement, indicating that the student is required to repeat the course, must be submitted to the Office of Non-Degree Students by the appropriate department chair. In the case of a student who is allowed to repeat a course, the first grade received remains on the student’s record and is included in the grade-point average.