Course Withdrawal

The grade of W (Withdrawal without Penalty) is assigned when a graduate student officially withdraws from a course through the CUNYfirst Self-Service Student Center by the published withdrawal deadline for the term. Withdrawals must be initiated and completed by the student. Faculty members and program advisors are not authorized to withdraw students from courses.

After the published withdrawal deadline, students may request to withdraw without academic penalty only by submitting a formal appeal to the Office of Graduate Studies. Refer to the “Appeals” section of this bulletin for further guidance.

Students who stop attending class without officially withdrawing will be assigned a grade of WU (Unofficial Withdrawal). The WU grade is equivalent to a failing grade and is calculated in the student’s cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).

The grade of WA (Administrative Withdrawal) is assigned when a student fails to comply with immunization requirements as mandated by New York State Public Health Law. This grade is issued by the Office of the Registrar and is not initiated by the student. The WA grade does not impact the student’s GPA.