Explore Academic Options

The Office of the University Registrar handles the registration process for Main Campus undergraduate and graduate students. Detailed instructions on how to add, drop, or withdraw from a course can be found on the Registrar’s website. 

A full course load for an undergraduate exchange student is 12–15 credits (4–5 classes) per semester. This minimum course load is also required to be in compliance with the terms of the J-1 visa. Due to the academic rigor and intensity of Georgetown courses and related course work, a 12 credit course load is recommended unless your home institution requires you to take 15 credits.

You may notice that registration for certain courses is restricted. It may be that the course has a prerequisite requirement, only be open to certain majors, or require the professor’s signature. If you can demonstrate that you have taken a prerequisite, please indicate this in your Course Proposal Form in your Georgetown application. We can inform the Registrar’s Office that you have met any prerequisites. For any other restrictions, you will have to wait to add the class after you arrive on campus.

Students should not register for courses with the designation of -61, -62, -70, -71, -90, or -91 as they are not taught on the Main Campus.  


Course schedules include the day of the week that the class meets, indicated as follows: 

  • M = Monday
  • T = Tuesday
  • W = Wednesday
  • R = Thursday
  • F = Friday

A class that runs MWF is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A class that runs MTWRF meets every day of the week. 

Course Requirements

Students must take between 12-15 credits per semester, and may take courses in a variety of disciplines across the university. All courses must be taken for credit, and students are not eligible for research tutorials, independent studies, or taking a class pass/fail.

Course numbers at Georgetown reflect the type of course and not what year they are normally taken; a first year student may take a 400 level class and a fourth year student may take a 100 level class. Classes numbered 001–99 are introductory classes; 100–299 are lecture classes that may require prerequisite knowledge; 300–499 are small to medium size departmental seminars that require prerequisite knowledge and prior coursework in the subject matter.

Business students 

Students who wish to take business classes while at Georgetown must attend a university that has an exchange agreement with the McDonough School of Business. All other students are not permitted to take business courses while at Georgetown, unless those courses are normally open to students outside of the business school. Economics is not part of the business school so all students are eligible to take economics courses should they wish to do so.

Business students must be aware that they will most likely be able to take only two business classes each semester due to limited class size.Therefore, students should not plan to take all of their classes in the business school. 

Academic Accommodations

If you are currently receiving any academic accommodations at your home university, such as extra test time, that you would like to receive at Georgetown, please notify OGE exchange coordinator, Sarah Mournighan, as soon as possible, and she will refer you to the appropriate office. OGE will work with the Academic Resource Center to try to provide similar accommodations. 

Registration

Students will receive instructions from OGE on how to register for classes after being accepted.