Registration

New Students

Students enrolling in their first term at PTS are required to complete New Student Orientation (NSO) prior to registering for classes. An internet link to access this series of videos will be sent to the new students by the Admissions Office. The PTS Academic Records/Registrar’s Office will provide each new student with the instructions needed to receive academic advising and to register for their first semester of courses. New students will be responsible for contacting a new student adviser to complete the registration process.

Current Students

Current students are expected to register at the designated time established by the Seminary and listed in the Academic Calendar. Registration for the summer semester and fall semester is scheduled to commence in April; registration for January J-term and spring semester begins in November.

Late Registration

Students who do not register for classes during the designated time period will be billed a late registration fee. This includes current students who delay registration until the start of the new term. Courses may be added late, up to two weeks after the first day of class; however, a student adding a class late is responsible for completing all delinquent course work. See the Online Learning section of this catalog for more information concerning online course restrictions.

Registration Changes

During the established registration period, a student may add or drop courses without penalty through the registration access in the student database. Once the term begins, a student who needs to change his/her recorded course schedule will do so by submitting a Drop/Add Request form found in the Academics section of PTS Forms.

Master’s students may DROP/ADD a course within the first 2 weeks of class (Fall and Spring), the first week of class for Summer (June-July), or on the first day of class for J-term (January).

Changes in course registration for the Doctor of Ministry (DMIN) and certificate (PTSC and CLS) are explained in more detail in the respective handbooks.

A course dropped prior to the Deadline is removed from the student’s transcript but will still be reflected in the student’s schedule with the “W” (withdrawn) designation. See the Refund Policy located in the Tuition and Fees section of this catalog to determine any financial obligation for dropped courses.

Withdrawal from a class is permitted any time after the drop deadline and before the last day of class. A student will use the Drop/Add Request form to request a course withdrawal. When a student withdraws from a class after the Drop Deadline, a final grade of “W” is recorded on the student’s transcript. Course withdrawal does not affect a student’s grade point average (GPA) but will affect the student’s course completion rate. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress section of this catalog for more information.

Any changes in course registration may have an effect on a student’s eligibility for scholarships and student loans. The student should always communicate with the PTS Financial Aid Office before making any changes in his/her schedule.

Leave of Absence

If a current student finds it necessary to postpone enrollment for a period of time, the student should notify the Academic Records/Registrar’s Office that a leave of absence (LOA) is needed. This will “freeze” the student’s current academic status during his/her absence. (The LOA does not cover the student’s obligation to his/her financial aid or student billing responsibilities. Check with the PTS Financial Aid Office and the PTS Business Office to see how the LOA affects each.)

When the student is ready to return after the LOA, he/she should notify the Academic Records/Registrar’s Office to make sure the student’s record is reactivated and registration can occur. A student with a 13-month or more break in enrollment must apply for readmission with the PTS Admissions Office before registration can occur. Once readmission is awarded, the student may resume his/her seminary studies. See the Admissions section of this catalog for more information concerning the readmission policy.

Canceled Classes

On occasion, it may be necessary to cancel a scheduled class. Most often this is due to low student enrollment in that course. When this occurs the Registrar’s Office will remove the student’s registration from that course and will notify the student of the cancellation. The student may elect to leave his/her registration as is (without the cancelled course) or may need to select another course as the cancellation may affect his/her financial aid eligibility. The student is not responsible for course tuition or drop fees if a course is cancelled by PTS.

Unofficial Withdrawal

Unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student ceases to attend class, does not complete course assignments, and does not notify the Academic Records/Registrar’s Office of his/her action. In this case, the student receives a failing grade for the course. That course must be repeated to remove the failing grade from the grade point calculation. For more information on the effects of unofficial withdrawals, see the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy found in both the Academics section and Financial Aid section of this catalog.