Registration and Schedule

All students must seek their Academic Advisor or Program Coordinator’s input and assistance in the selection of courses. The Academic Advisor or Program Coordinator assists students in planning and scheduling an academic program that meets each student’s educational aims, and in monitoring the students’ progress toward their degree objectives. Students must meet with their Academic Advisor every semester prior to registration, and at least once during each academic year to evaluate their progress toward the degree.

Students shall register for courses during the period announced by the Registrar’s Office, according to the official university calendar. Students may change their academic course schedule during the first week for undergraduate students and during the first two weeks for graduate students of each semester or term. A student must maintain full-time status unless granted special written permission by the Academic Advisor and the Dean of the College.

HBKU Students

HBKU students should consult their academic advisor before registering for any course(s) to ensure the course fits within their degree plan.

Starting from their second (sophomore) year, HBKU students may enroll in courses offered by other Education City universities. Cross-registered courses are intended for academic enrichment; students are generally not permitted to complete core or major requirements at another institution.

To apply for a cross-registration course, HBKU students must:

• Submit the Cross-Registration Checklist, Student Consent Form, the Education City Cross-Registration Request Form, and attach the course description from the host university via email to your academic advisor, Dr. Selma Haghamed at shaghamed@hbku.edu.qa.
• Approval is based on factors such as student classification, submission date/time, and course availability.
• Once approved, you will receive the signed forms via email. You must then forward them to the host university to complete your registration.
• The student and the branch campus will notify the Registrar’s Office about the registration. The Registrar’s Office will then notify HBKU Finance and the student of the successful and completed registration that includes the total credit hours during the semester.

Important:

• Registration at the host university is on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to space availability.
• Approval for cross-registration is determined by the institution offering the course.
• By enrolling in a course at another Education City university, you agree to follow their academic policies and calendar. This includes attending classes even if HBKU is closed. Please be aware that academic calendars may differ between institutions.

Non-HBKU Students

To view available HBKU courses, please visit the Dynamic Schedule and select the appropriate term.

To register, please email registration@hbku.edu.qa with the following documents:

•  Education City Cross-Registration Request Form, completed online with your digital signature and your home university registrar’s signature.
• A valid passport copy.

Please refer to the Academic Calendars for key dates and deadlines.
 

If a student decides to drop or withdraw from a cross-registered course, they must communicate with the Registrar’s Office and email registration@hbku.edu.qa to complete the required steps and ensure the process is properly finalized.

• Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar
• Northwestern University in Qatar
• Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
• Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
• Texas A&M University at Qatar

The student should submit the change of registration records form. Once the approval process is completed, the Registrar’s Office will update the records and notify the student.

The student should submit the change of registration records form. Once the approval process is completed, the Registrar’s Office will update the records and notify the student.

During the registration period or the add/drop period, the student may not be able to register if the capacity of the class is full. When a student tries to register, the system restricts the registration due to the closed section. The Advisor and Program Coordinator need to approve the student’s request for registering in that course. The registration is completed through the Registrar’s Office, and a notification will be sent to the student confirming the completed registration, including the number of registered credit hours for the current semester.

During the registration period or add/drop period, the student may not be able to register for a course if that course has a prerequisite requirement and this prerequisite is not completed by the student. The Advisor needs to approve the student’s request to waive the prerequisite, in order to register for the course. The registration is completed through the Registrar’s Office, and a notification will be sent to the student and Advisor confirming the completed registration, including the number of registered credit hours for the current semester.

Fall/Spring Semesters (Regular Semesters)

(Source: HBKU Academic Load policy)

Maximum load for an undergraduate student is typically 18 hours in a regular semester and 9 credit hours in the summer semester.

Students on Probation

The maximum load permissible for an undergraduate student on academic probation is 9 credit hours in a regular academic semester

(Source: HBKU Academic Load policy)

Fall/Spring Semesters (Regular Semesters)

Maximum load permissible for a Master’s and PhD student is 12 credit hours in a regular academic semester and 6 credit hours in a summer semester. The full-time load to maintain scholarship is 9 credit hours in a regular academic semester or 18 credit hours in an academic year. Students who have already completed the degree requirements, as per their study plan and to maintain their residency, need to register for at least one credit hour. This credit hour would be of the dissertation, thesis, or graduate directed project and/or they could register for dissertation, thesis or Master’s project defense course. The Advisor must attest that such a student is working full-time on the dissertation, thesis, or Master’s project.

Students on Probation

The maximum load permissible for a graduate student on academic probation is 6 credit hours in a regular academic semester.

Students can apply for leave prior to registration in any given semester in line with university policies. Any request to suspend one’s study should be justified, such as health or family matters, study abroad, and/or personal circumstances. Students with approved leave are considered academically “Active” students.

Applications without a justifiable cause will be automatically rejected. Leave of absence disqualifies students from maintaining scholarships and/or financial aid. Approvals from the Supervisor and/or Research Advisory Committee, and the College Dean are mandatory to process the request. The leave of absence time (pre-approved or not) is included in accounting for the maximum time limit allotted for the completion of the degree.

Students can suspend their studies for two consecutive or alternate semesters, a request should be initiated for each attempt. Under extenuating circumstances, the provost may grant exceptions for the maximum allowable leave time. Students must register infor the following regular semester or extend thetheir leave officially. Discontinuing studies without a formal leave request will be counted as one attempt. Students who have registered for courses then submit a leave of absence within the ‘add/drop period’ (During the first week for undergraduate students and the first two weeks for graduate students), will have these courses dropped without any academic or financial penalties.

Students can request a ‘Leave of Absence,’ which would require approval from their Student Advisor, Student Affairs, and Library. The Registrar’s Office updates the records and notifies the student, the Finance department, and the Program Coordinator once the request is approved.
 

Submit a Request

Subsequent to the add/drop deadline, students may withdraw from a course before the final deadline to withdraw from courses as indicated in the university’s academic calendar. A grade of “W” shall be assigned and will appear on the transcript for courses from which the student has withdrawn within the announced withdrawal period. The student must still maintain full-time status unless granted special written approval by the Dean of their respective college. Withdrawal may not be permitted after the announced deadline. Students who stop attending courses and have not formally applied to withdraw from the course(s) shall receive a grade of “F” for the courses.

A student who seeks to withdraw from a semester must secure the College Dean’s approval. Students who stop attending classes, without formal approval to withdraw from a semester, will be assigned a grade of “F” for all courses. This could establish grounds for academic dismissal of a student. Withdrawal from a semester disqualifies a student from scholarships or financial aid. Students must register in the following regular semester. Students may be academically dismissed if they extend their leave beyond the approved period.

Submit a Request

A student who seeks to withdraw from the university with the intention to return, must secure the College Dean’s approval. Failure to secure the College Dean’s approval may result in academic dismissal. Students who withdraw from the university are not qualified to maintain scholarships or financial aid.

Submit a Request