Registration

Registration Steps—New Students

1. Obtain a UMN student I.D. card by visiting the UCard Office located in Coffman Union.

2. All new international students, check in with the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) Office, at 190 Hubert H. Humphrey Center located on the West Bank Campus.

3. Attend onboarding and matching events.

4. Consult with the DGS or provisional advisors for additional questions to determine first semester's courses. It is strongly encouraged to select an area of specialization and take classes based upon the suggested courses for first year students.

5. Follow the registration procedures on One Stop.

Registration Steps—Current Students

Register at One Stop in the Bruininks Hall building or online through the Student Access System (onestop.umn.edu), according to the registration queue published in the Class Schedule.

- Students are charged a late fee if they register after classes begin and may only register after the first week of the semester with special permission.

- Students must register every Fall and Spring term to maintain active graduate status. If a student has not registered, they must apply for readmission and must register before they can resume work on a master or doctoral thesis take written or oral examinations, or file for graduation. The Department of Mechanical Engineering reserves the right to reject a readmission application based on academic performance and other factors.

- The University requires that graduate students holding appointments such as teaching assistants, research assistants, and administrative fellows register for at least 6 credits during each term in which they hold an appointment of greater than or equal to 12.5%. (This rule does not apply to summer terms if registered in the preceding spring quarter.) Each student should check to make sure to satisfy other criteria for full-time status (i.e., some student loan deferrals may require 7-credit registration) that may apply to financial aid.

- Doctoral students must register for 24 doctoral thesis credits (ME 8888) at the University of Minnesota beginning in the semester they have passed the preliminary oral examination. The requirement of 24 doctoral thesis credits cannot be reduced by transfer of master's thesis credits, or thesis credits taken at another institution.

- Students are permitted to register for doctoral thesis credits during the semester they have passed the preliminary oral examination. To convert pre-thesis credits to thesis credits, please make an advising appointment with the Graduate Program Manager.

Registration- Special Categories

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT Overview:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is work authorization that allows international students in F-1 status to gain experience in a job related to their academic field before completion of their degree. CPT work experience is highly encouraged by the department, but there are strict policies that need to be followed.

CPT General Process:

Visit the ISSS CPT process page

To apply for CPT, students need to complete the online application and have it approved by their advisor. Students also need to physically have the course instructor verification form signed. This form can be signed by the Graduate Program Manager rather than the advisor.

To obtain permission to register for ME 8990 and get the instructor verification form signed, You will need to schedule a 15-minute appointment with the Graduate Program Manager through the advising calendar. Please note that an approved GPAS needs to be on file. If you do not have an approved GPAS on file, be sure to bring a GPAS worksheet signed by your advisor with you to the meeting with the Graduate Program Manager.

CPT Requirements (see ISSS website and CPT Application for complete details)

Students must have completed full-time studies for one full academic year and must be pursuing an academic program. CPT is usually only taken once during the summer. Ph.D. and Plan A may take CPT during the academic year as long as it does not interfere with making satisfactory progress in their graduate studies. Plan C students may only work over the summer.

PhD Students are strongly discouraged from taking part time CPT during the academic year while also committing to a GA appointment to ensure satisfactory progress in their graduate studies. PhD Students who intend to hold a GA appointment alongside a CPT internship must have completed all coursework as well as thesis credits. They may then hold a GA appointment while registered for ME 8990, but will be paid the regular rate and not the advanced rate.

If the student is nearing completion of their degree, such as in the last semester, the student cannot apply for CPT, but instead should apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT can take up to 100 days for approval so students should apply early for OPT.

GRAD 0999

GRAD 0999 is a zero credit/no fee class that will maintain a student's active status with the Graduate School. However, it will not maintain full time status for anything else such as a paid appointment (RA or TA), visa status, or deferred student loans. International students can get a waiver from ISSS to register for GRAD 0999, but must check with ISSS before registering. Once all degree requirements have been completed, but active status needs to be maintained to graduate. You may then register for GRAD 0999. After a student's second registration for GRAD 0999 a hold will be placed on their record. To receive permission to register for GRAD 999 beyond these limits, you must submit a motivated request to the DGS. Permission to register for additional semesters of GRAD 999 is only considered if you meet all of the following:

- You are an active student in the ME graduate program;

- You have taken all required coursework, including thesis credits, but have not yet finished the thesis; and

- You have established a written plan for degree completion that is supported by your faculty advisor.

If continuous progress in not being made, a Leave of Absence should be considered.

- Leave of Absence (LOA)

Graduate students are expected to maintain active status through continuous registration from the time they matriculate until their graduation. Students who are not able to maintain active status are strongly encouraged to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), their advisor, and student advising office to determine whether requesting a Leave of Absence is the most appropriate course of action.

In order to apply for a Leave of Absence a student must complete the LOA form and have it signed by their advisor. Then, submit the completed form to the Student Advising Office for the signature of the DGS. A student may request a leave for up to 2 academic years.

Once the student returns from the LOA they need to contact the Student Advising Office (3101 ME) for matriculating back into the Graduate Program. It is necessary that the student returns by the date specified on the LOA form, or earlier. Once the student matriculates back into the program, it will be recognized they never left and there is no readmission fee necessary.