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The GHD program is a two-year, full-time program. The curriculum requires 48 credits, at the 5000 level and above. Exceptions can be made for courses at the 4500-4990 level if they provide unique and relevant content (courses in this range are considered "over-under" classes that are geared towards both undergraduate and graduate students). Please email Kristen Robinson at keb65@georgetown.edu if you are considering a course that falls in this range in order to get that course approved. If approved, you should register for a back-up course and should attend the first meeting of the 4500-4990 level course to gauge the course's level of rigor (some courses at this level are more geared towards undergraduate students, so we may ask that the faculty member provide you with additional readings and assignments). If you are satisfied with the level of rigor after the initial class meeting, you may drop your back-up class.
If a course is to be counted toward the 48-credit requirement, it must be taken for a letter grade. Students take 12 credits of GHD coursework per semester with the option of taking 3-6 additional credits for language proficiency. Students are expected to complete the program in the allotted two year period. There are no accelerated or part-time options.
Of the 48 credits, 27 credits (nine courses) are for core courses and 21 credits are for elective courses. At least 9 credits should be in a student’s identified specialization. If a student is enrolled in the SIGD Certificate or a certificate offered through another program for their specialization, this may require a significant number of the 21 elective credits (most likely 15 credits).
As a condition of GHD's STEM certification, all GHD students, regardless of nationality, must complete 3 credits worth of STEM-compliant electives. GHD has a list of pre-approved, STEM-compliant courses here. If you have not, or do not plan, to take 3 credits worth of courses from that list, please set up a meeting with Kristen to propose other courses that could potentially satisfy the requirement.
Getting Started:
Brainstorm potential courses:
Consult the Schedule of Classes and the GHD Certificate Approved Electives list to come up with a preliminary list of courses you're interested in (Note: GHD students are not eligible to complete the GHD certificate, but this list is a helpful starting point for classes that are development-focused)
Review your Degree Audit to determine which degree requirements you are still required to complete
Use an Excel doc (or Coursicle) to build a potential schedule. Be sure to take note of the course numbers and CRNs for each course (more on that below!)
We recommend identifying a few back-up courses in case you don't get into your first-choice classes. You should monitor the seats remaining in the courses that you're interested in (more on this below in the "How to Tell if a Course is Restricted" section)
Watch the Registrar's Office's How to Register video prior to registration day. This short video walks you through the mechanics of course registration in GU Experience. You can also find more information about how to add, drop, and add yourself to the waitlist for courses here.
Collect the CRNs (course registration numbers), which are five-digit numbers that appear between the course title and the course number in the Schedule of Classes. You will need to input these numbers in MyAccess when you are registering for classes, so you should have these numbers beforehand.
CRN format: XXXXX
Course number format: four-letter department name (i.e. GHDP) XXX-XX (this includes the course number and section number). An example is GHDP 5001-01.
If you can't find an SFS course in the Schedule of Classes, chances are that it is under the "International Affairs" subject. Some departments, like GHD, MSFS, Arab Studies, and Security Studies, have their own subject entries, but others are contained under the International Affairs umbrella.
Ensure that you don't have any registration holds on your account by logging in to GU Experience in advance of your registration window. Registration holds could result from an outstanding balance on your student bill greater than $2,000, a mandatory training that you have not completed, library fines, etc.
You should plan to identify a few back-up classes in case you don't get into your first-choice courses. You can absolutely register for more than 12 credits (plus any language classes), but will need to drop down to 12 credits before the end of the Add/Drop period. However, you're welcome to over-enroll initially to buy yourself more time to make a decision.
Keep in mind that, as of Fall 2023, all students must complete three (3) credits worth of STEM-eligible electives in order to comply with GHD's status as a STEM-certified program. You can find a list of pre-approved courses here or write to the Associate Director of Academic Programs at keb65@georgetown.edu to petition for a course to be added to the list.
Getting Input on Your Schedule:
Before you register for classes, we recommend consulting with the Associate Director of Academic Programs, the Program Director or Deputy Director, your faculty advisor and, for first-year students, your second-year mentor.
If you are interested in potentially pursuing a certificate, you should consult with the Certificate Director to determine when you should get started with your certificate requirements (especially since there may be a gateway course involved).
Modules:
Modules are 1.5-credit courses that meet for half of the semester (as opposed to 3-credit classes that meet for the entirety of the semester). Each department has different standards for how they number their course sections for modules, so you should click into each course in the course catalogue to see when the course meets. Module 1 classes will meet from late August to mid-October (fall semester) and January to mid-March (spring semester), and Module 2 classes will meet from mid-October to early December (fall semester) and mid-March to early May (spring semester). In GHD, module courses with a section number of 10 generally meet in the first half of the semester, while second-half courses generally have a section number of 20 (the numbering is not necessarily the same in other departments).
While modules operate on a more condensed timeline, and can therefore be quite intense, they are also a great opportunity to take more courses while at GHD. You can absolutely take more than one module per semester, provided that the class meeting times don’t overlap.
Taking Courses Outside of GHD:
A few departments, like the MSFS Program, will allow you to register for their courses directly through GU Experience. Nearly all others will require that the Associate Director of Academic Programs enter a request into the university-wide Course Exchange. In order to submit a request, please submit the Restricted Course Request Form. After you submit the form, Kristen will enter that information into the Course Exchange document, and, once the department determines that its students have had sufficient time to register for their classes, they may decide to open up their courses to students outside of their program.
It may take several weeks after the add/drop period begins for programs to make final decisions about how many students to admit into their classes, so we recommend registering for a back-up course in case you are not able to get into the course. Kristen will communicate with you as soon as she hears from the department whether or not you have been offered a seat.
NOTE: You are not allowed to register for Law School classes during your last semester in GHD. The Law School operates on a different academic calendar that is shifted later than the Main Campus one, so you would not receive your final grades in time to graduate.
How to Tell if a Course is Restricted:
Search for a course in the Schedule of Classes. This schedule is updated each semester, prior to the opening of the registration period.
You'll then be directed to the results page for the course, where you'll see the course description, meeting times, etc.
Click on the title of the course, which will be highlighted in blue. This will take you to a page that will specify any restrictions. If the only restriction is MC Grad, you will be able to register for the course directly in GU Experience. (Note: you'll also be able to see on this screen how many seats are still available in a class, as well as how many students are on the waitlist. This is important to consult on registration day!)
If the course is, in fact, restricted, you can fill out the Restricted Course Request Form. Kristen will then let you know once she hears about whether or not you have been awarded a seat in the class. Depending on the department, this decision could be made either right after course registration or on the very last day of Add/Drop. PLEASE do not email faculty members directly if you are trying to get into their class. They have very little insight into how the course registration process works or how many seats are still available, so Kristen's counterparts in other departments have the final say in who is and is not granted a seat. We ask that you please respect the process and allow it to play out. Kristen checks the database daily (sometimes multiple times a day) to check on the progress of updates, so please trust that she will let you know as soon as she has any news.
Generally speaking, 5000-level courses are core courses for programs, while 6000-level and above are Master's electives. This is not always the case, though, so just ask if you're wondering about a specific course!
Tutorial Courses:
Students may register for Reading or Research tutorials (special arrangements by which an individual student receives instruction outside the posted Schedule of Classes), which require permission and registration by the faculty member and the Office of the University Registrar. This typically occurs with over/under or undergraduate courses that need additional rigor or assignments to qualify as graduate-level courses. Tuition for tutorials will be assessed at the appropriate tuition rate for the student’s degree program.
You should send a copy of the completed Graduate Tutorial Form to Kristen, who will then forward their tutorial form to the appropriate decanal contact.
Continuous Registration: 9991/9992, Section 1:
This section is for students in non-thesis master’s programs who a.) aren’t registered in other courses and are studying for comprehensive or language proficiency exams, or b.) who are working on master’s research or capstone papers. This section is also for students awarded external fellowships that require active enrollment in graduate programs while the recipient is studying or researching abroad (for example, the Boren Graduate Fellowship.) If you are registered in Continuous Registration 9991/9992 Section 1, you are classified as a half-time student.
You cannot self enroll in 9991/9992 Section 1; instead your department or program must communicate your need for the enrollment to the school dean’s office before the end of Add/Drop.
You are limited to no more than two semesters of Continuous Registration - 9991/9992, Section 1. For the 2025-26 academic year the registration fee is $1,475 per semester.
If you fall under the category described above and need registration during the summer period, you should register for Continuous Registration - 9991, Section 1; no registration fee is charged for Continuous Registration during the summer.
Registering for Language Courses:
Some language departments may allow you to register directly on GU Experience, while others have their own systems for processing language course registrations. Be sure to check with the language department in which you're planning to study to see what their preference is (for example, the French department asks students to complete this form if they are interested in taking a class in the French department).
Time Conflict Overrides:
If you are trying to take a class that has a small conflict with another class (10 minutes or so), please email Kristen Robinson at keb65@georgetown.edu, and she will work with the Registrar's Office to get this change approved. However, the most common conflicts that we see are significant conflicts between a language class and another class. Since language classes meet more than once per week, very often, language faculty are open to having students miss one class session per week (the one that conflicts with the other class) and scheduling a make-up session. If you are interested in pursuing this option, you should take the following steps:
Email the faculty member whose course you would miss one session of per week to gauge their willingness to accommodate the conflict.
If they are, please forward the email confirming that they are okay with the arrangement to Kristen.
Complete an Add/Drop form with information about the class that you are trying to add but currently cannot because of the time conflict. Send the completed form to Kristen, along with the name, course number, and 5-digit CRN for the course that that course conflicts with. She will then send this information to the Registrar's Office, where they will process the time override, allowing you to register yourself for the second class in GU Experience.
Registration Day:
Log in to GU Experience during your registration window (the Associate Director of Academic Programs will send you the registration schedule in advance).
Add the CRNs for the courses that you're interested in.
If you're not able to add into a course, it is either because you need to add yourself to the waitlist, or because the course is restricted. If the latter, follow the procedure outlined above.
It is a good practice to over-register for classes if you're undecided about your schedule (especially if there are restricted courses that you're hoping to get into). It is better to over-register and then narrow down your schedule later on. HOWEVER, effective for the Spring 2026 registration period, you are not able to allow for more than 18 credits at a time (meaning that you cannot massively over-enroll, even during the registration period); and you must drop any courses that you do not intend to enroll in prior to the Add/Drop deadline, or you will be charged for all of your courses! At the end of the Add/Drop period, you should be registered for 12 credits (not including language courses) each semester.
Please check this troubleshooting guide for solutions to common registration problems!
If students are experiencing any technical issues, please ask them to follow the steps listed below.
Disconnect and reconnect to the VPN
If you are accessing the Internet from the Hilltop or Capitol Campus, students should ensure they are connected to SaxaNet when accessing GU Experience. GuestNet and other on campus networks will have limited functionality and slower access speeds.
Students should also disable any ad blocking software on their devices which might also affect functionality and performance.
Clear your browser cache and cookies
Use the incognito window if you still experience issues accessing GU Experience
The Add/Drop Process:
The Add/Drop period for the fall and spring semesters generally begins the first day of classes and lasts for ten days. Courses cannot be added after the Add/Drop period.
After the Add/Drop period, students may withdraw from one or more courses only by submitting an Add/Drop form. Students may withdraw from courses up to the last date of withdrawal noted each semester on the academic calendar, published on the website of the University Registrar at http://registrar.georgetown.edu .
While students are encouraged to notify the instructional faculty or the sponsoring department or program when they stop attending a course, such notification alone is not considered an official withdrawal from a course.
Students wishing to make any registration changes after the Add/Drop period should contact their academic program. Failure to withdraw properly will result in a failing grade and full tuition charges.
Withdrawal and Refund Schedule:
Should a student voluntarily withdraw from a course, a tuition credit will be calculated according to the Withdrawal Deadlines & Refund Schedule on the Office of the University Registrar’s website. The official withdrawal date will be the date the academic program or school dean’s office receives written notification from the student, requesting withdrawal from the course(s).
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