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Forms & Petitions

Here you will find links to forms and petitions, and related policy and procedure information.

  • Pass/Fail

    Designation of the pass/fail option is available between the third and tenth week of the semester via the Pass/Fail Designation form.

    It's to your advantage to wait until you have a sense of how you are doing in all your courses before you designate one as pass/fail.

    Not all courses can be taken pass/fail, so be sure to check the online catalog; if pass/fail is not an option, it will read:

    "Additional Info: may not be taken on a pass/fail basis"

    Read the Pass/Fail Option policy details.

  • Fifth Course

    Not all courses can be taken as a fifth course, so be sure to check the online catalog. If the fifth course option is not available, it will read:

    "Additional Info: not available for the fifth course option"

    Read the Fifth Course Option policy details.

    Only the course you designate as your "fifth" can be dropped up to the sixth week of the semester via the Drop Fifth Course form.

  • Independent Study

    A petition for Independent Study (e.g., 297, 298, 397, 398, 497, 498) should be submitted before the beginning of the semester in which the independent study will be taken, but no later than the last day of drop/add period.

    1. Once you have discussed plans for an independent study with a faculty sponsor, please submit the Independent Study Request form.
    2. Your proposal will be forwarded to your faculty sponsor; be sure to follow-up.
    3. If approved, make arrangements to pick-up a print copy of the form (with all required signatures) from your faculty sponsor and return the signed petition in-person to the Registrar's Office.

  • Summer School

    Williams students may not earn credit toward the degree for courses taken elsewhere unless the course is being used to make up an academic deficiency (a failure or course withdrawal); an academic course deficiency may be made up by successful completion of a pre-approved summer school course.

    To initiate this process, see our Summer School Approval form.

    If an approved course is passed with a grade of at least C minus, transfer credit will be awarded upon receipt of an official transcript. The grade will not be used when calculating the GPA and the course may not be used toward the distribution requirements.

    A department or program may allow a course taken elsewhere to be a prerequisite or count toward the major or concentration, even if the course is not being used to make up a deficiency. In these cases, the student should check with their department or program, notify the Registrar's Office of the plan, and have an official transcript sent as soon as the course and grade have been recorded.

  • Early Concentration

    During the first two years of study, students are limited in the number of courses they may take in one department or subject each semester:

    • First-year students may take no more than one course with the same course prefix, nor more than two in one department, in a semester.
    • Sophomores may take no more than two courses with the same course prefix, nor more than three in one department, in a semester.
    • Sophomores may take no more than three courses with the same course prefix, nor more than four in one department, during the full year.
    • A student may take no more than a total of five courses with the same course prefix, nor more than eight in one department, during the first two years.

    You may request an exception to this policy by submitting the CAS Petition at the time of registration.

  • Audit a Course

    To audit a course:

    • Contact the instructor during drop/add period.
    • Work out the details of your participation; whether or not you should engage in class discussions, take tests, etc.
    • If you want a formal record of the audit to appear on your transcript, fill out the Audit Validation form before the end of exam period.

    If you decide during the semester that you cannot continue auditing the course, please tell the instructor.