Est. 1887
Sunnyvale, California

Registration

Registration Process

The College has open ONLINE REGISTRATION available for all students through the Student Portal.

Continuing students who register after the deadline are subject to a late registration fee.

Course schedule is available online prior to each registration period for students to select classes and meet with advisors if needed.

All Freshmen and Sophomores should meet with their advisors before they register for classes.

Deadlines are posted on the Student Portal and stated in the Academic Calendar.

It is student responsibility to stay informed about registration and tuition deadlines and to follow the steps below in order to successfully register for classes on time.

STEP 1 (REGISTER):

  • Students select courses for the upcoming term using the following:
  • Meet with Advisor if needed
  • Students register for classes online through Student Portal
  • If registration cannot be done through the portal because of missing prerequisites or degree audit problems, students should see their advisor and fill out a Registration or ADD/DROP form. After the form is signed by the advisor, it needs to be submitted to the Registrar's office in person.

NOTE: Forms without signatures and dates will not be processed.

STEP 2 (go to Financial Aid Office if needed):

Students who are on Financial Aid go to the Financial Aid Office.

STEP 3 (PAY TUITION):

Students pay the full tuition by the tuition deadline. At that time, their registration becomes official. Please see the Financial Information section for a description of tuition amounts, fees and payment options.

Late payment fees are applied after the tuition deadline.

Students who need to make changes to their schedules after they are registered may do so online. In case of a problem, they need to fill out an Add/Drop form signed by their advisor and submitted to the Registrar's office. Students who Add or Drop classes and are on Financial Aid must return to the Financial Aid Office to update their Financial Aid status.

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Add/Drop Procedures

Adding Classes

Students wishing to add a class after the normal registration period must complete an Add/Drop Form, obtain the required signatures, and submit the form to the Registrar's Office. Classes cannot be added after the fifth day of classes.

Dropping Classes

Students are responsible for officially withdrawing from any class or classes in which they no longer wish to be enrolled. Non-attendance does not release the student from financial responsibility and will result in an "F" grade.

Students wishing to drop a class during the semester must complete an Add/Drop Form, obtain the required signatures, and submit the form to the Registrar's Office. The deadline for dropping classes is the Friday of the tenth week of instruction for the fall and spring semesters and Wednesday of the seventh week of instruction for the summer semester. Failure to officially drop classes will result in students receiving an "F" grade. A student's financial aid eligibility or immigration status may be affected by dropping a class.

Grade "W" is assigned to any classes dropped after the end of the second week of each semester.

IMPORTANT: Students receiving financial aid must see the Financial Aid Officer before dropping a class.

Instructor Initiated Drop

An instructor may drop a student from a class during the first two weeks of the term if the student is not academically prepared for the course or does not have the prerequisites for the course. A student's financial aid eligibility or immigration status may be affected by being dropped from a class. After an instructor initiated drop, the student may register for another class with instructor approval.

Fees

A fee is charged for any Drop after the fifth day of classes. Additionally, the student's payment status may change as the result of an Add or Drop.

ADDS AND DROPS ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNLESS ALL FEES ARE PAID AND THE FORMS ARE SUBMITTED TO AND RECEIVED BY THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE. Any exception to this Add/Drop policy requires written permission of the Dean.

Dropping All Classes/Withdrawing From the Semester

Any student wishing to drop all classes before completion of the semester in which he or she is registered must complete the Withdrawal During Term Form, secure the required signatures, and submit the form to the Registrar's Office. This transaction is not official until the Withdrawal During Term Form is received by the Registrar in person. Refunds are given according to the refund schedule in the current catalog.

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Additional Degrees

A student may receive more than one degree from Cogswell College. To enroll for an additional degree, current students must submit an approved Change or Adding of Major Form with the required signatures to the Registrar's Office. A student must complete all graduation requirements for each degree received.

Students eligible to apply for double degrees simultaneously need only pay one fee. The fee for subsequent degrees will be $20.00.

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Change of Major

A student may change majors by completing a Change or Adding of Major Form and obtain the required signatures. All course and admissions requirements for the new major must be satisfied to qualify for the degree sought. A change of major does not change the student's academic standing. The transaction is not official until the Change or Adding of Major Form is received by the Registrar's Office. If a student has been suspended or disqualified, an appeal for re-admittance under the new major must also be filed.

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Course Requirement Substitution

When a required course is not offered, the College may offer another class as a substitute. Please consult your advisor about the availability of required courses. When one course is substituted for another, the student must obtain a Course Requirement Substitution Form from the Registrar's Office, indicate the reason(s) for the substitution, obtain the required signatures, and return the form to the Registrar's Office. The transaction is not official until the Course Requirement Substitution Form is received by the Registrar's Office. A student may submit a maximum of 16 credits of substituted coursework. If a student received an "F" in a course where a prerequisite was substituted, the original prerequisite must be taken and passed. A course in which an "F" was granted cannot be used as a substitute. A course taken as "audit" cannot be used as a substitute.

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Credit by Challenge Examination

Under certain circumstances as determined by the appropriate instructor and approved by the Dean of the College, students may earn course credit by successfully completing appropriate examinations or assignments rather than attending class and meeting the usual course requirements. A maximum of 18 credits may be earned through Cogswell challenge examination or through a combination of Cogswell challenge examinations and CLEP and/or DANTES examination. See page 9 in the college catalog for information on CLEP and DANTES exams. These credits are not counted toward residency requirements. Work experience and other non-collegiate experience may also receive course credit through the challenge examination process.

Challenge Examination Process

  • Students must complete a minimum of one semester at Cogswell College before filing for a challenge exam.
  • Only students in good academic standing (2.00 GPA or above) at Cogswell College may apply for these exams.
  • A required course may be challenged by examination if appropriate department resources are available as determined by the Dean of the College.
  • Challenge exams will not be given for remedial courses (courses below 100 level), or for project courses (General Studies Capstone Project, Portfolio I & II, etc).
  • A course previously failed, or one in which a student has received an Incomplete (“I”) grade, may not be challenged.
  • A course previously taken on an audit basis may not be challenged.

Students must meet with their advisor and request a Credit by Examination for Challenge form from the Registrar's office.

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Encumbrance

An encumbrance is applied against a student's file for owing unpaid fees and/or tuition to the College, and/or library books, equipment or keys overdue. No official documents, including official or unofficial transcripts or diplomas, will be released until the encumbrance is removed.

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Graduation

Students who have completed the requirements for their degree are invited to participate in the spring Commencement Ceremony, held in May each year. Seniors must complete a Participation Form in the Office of Student Life in order to walk in the commencement ceremony.

Graduation Procedure

The graduation check is the official confirmation of the completion of all the requirements for a degree. A graduation check is necessary to ensure all appropriate paperwork has been submitted to the Registrar's office, and to ensure the student's academic file is complete before a diploma is awarded. Students should keep close track of all coursework completed and contact their advisor each semester. A student initiates a graduation check when he/she is within twelve (12) credits of graduation.

To initiate a graduation check a student must:

  • Request an Application for Graduation form from the Registrar's Office
  • Meet with the Registrar and complete the form
  • Submit appropriate fees to the Business Office

Fees

A $100.00 fee is required for processing a graduation check. The fee includes graduation expenses such as cap, gown and diploma.

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Guest Authorization

Freshman may transfer a maximum of 10 semester units from courses taken at another college after their initial enrollment at CPC.

These courses may not be transferred, however, without the completion of a Guest Authorization Form.

In unusual circumstances, additional transfer units may be accepted provided the student has the approval of their advisor, the Dean of the College, and the coordinator of the department in which the coursework transfer will be made.

Transfer students may complete a maximum of 8 semester units from courses taken at another college after their initial enrollment at CPC, provided these courses do not exceed the maximum allowable transfer units. These courses may not be transferred, however, without the completion of a Guest Authorization Form, available from the student's advisor. In unusual circumstances, additional transfer units may be accepted provided the student has approval of their advisor, the Academic Dean, and the coordinator of the department in which the coursework transfer will be made.

The above limits on transfer credits do not apply to students in the Degrees at a Distance Program.

No transfer credits will be accepted during the last 12 semester units of course work.

Only courses taken with grade “C” or higher could be transferred.

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Internship Program

Junior or senior level students may receive credit for pre-approved internship experiences. Internship opportunities are available in local industry under the coordination of the Office of Student Life. In order to receive academic credit, internship experiences must be pre-approved by the appropriate academic department prior to the beginning of the internship placement. Students must complete 150 hours of internship service to receive 3 credits for the course.

For information about how to obtain an internship and the process to be followed to receive credit, contact your advisor or the Office of Student Life.

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Maximum Academic Load

The recommended maximum load for degree students is 18 semester credits, including audited courses. A student who under special circumstances needs to take more than 18 credits must obtain written permission from the Dean of the College.

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Pass/Fail Credit

Students who choose pass/fail credit for a course must request in writing to the Registrar's Office before the last day to drop classes.

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Prerequisites

A student may not enroll in a course for which all prerequisites have not been satisfied. A student may not register for a class and its prerequisites in the same semester. For information on prerequisites and co-requisites, please see the course descriptions that follow the curriculum for each program. An “Incomplete” is not a passing grade, so any course for which a course with a pending “incomplete” is a prerequisite may not be taken.

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Transcripts And Other Official Documents

Three official transcripts of records of coursework at Cogswell College are furnished free upon request to each student or graduate. A charge is made for each additional transcript. A charge is made for any other official document prepared by the Registrar's office. (See Fee Schedule) This fee applies after the first three documents, which are free, and must be paid when the document is requested. Transcripts will be issued only upon written request of the student concerned. Please fill out Documentation Request Form and send it back to the Registrar (registrar@cogswell.edu or fax to 408.747.0179)

Note: The Registrar's Office will not provide students with copies of transcripts of coursework completed at other institutions.

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