Consider your options before you drop
You're in charge of managing your own courses. There are potential financial and academic record impacts depending on when you drop a course.
You can review academic deadines listed in Academic Calendar to help understand the implications of dropping your course If you miss a deadline, you won’t be able to drop a course so it’s important to understand what that means before making any decisions.
Don't just stop showing up
If you want to drop a course, you can't just stop attending classes—you'll need to officially drop it. Otherwise, you will receive an F or an Incomplete (INC), which counts as 0 in your GPA
Know your deadlines
- Academic deadlines are listed in the Academic Calendar (right-side menu in each calendar under Academic Dates).
- Visit the Important dates page to check the Add/drop dates for each term.
- For courses that don’t follow set term dates (courses that don’t have a number/letter in brackets before the date range on the Academic Timetable), view the Non-standard (Open Learning) Drop Dates.
- Check the refund schedule to see if you’re eligible to receive money back for the dropped course.
Questions to ask before you drop
Dropping a course may have many implications.
If you drop a course, will you need to make up the credit later? Run your degree audit before dropping, and review your program requirements to determine whether you need that course to remain on track to graduate.
- Dropping a course might affect your student loan eligibility. Make sure you check the rules for your loan.
- If you drop a course by the last day to cancel your registration, you'll receive a full refund.
- If you drop a course after the last day to cancel your registration, you'll only receive a partial refund.
- The amount of the refund decreases as the term progresses. If you wait too long, you won’t receive a refund. View the Student Accounts refund schedule.
Many scholarships require you to take a minimum number of courses.
Ask the Registrar’s Office about your scholarship rules before dropping a course and meet with an academic advisor for help in deciding what to do.
Dropping a course may affect your student visa. Before dropping a course, talk to an international student advisor.
Your eligibility to play could be affected.
Ask your coach for information before finalizing your decision.
Depending on the number of courses dropped, it may affect your eligibility to live in residence.
Check before finalizing your decision.
Can I drop courses after the deadline?
Sometimes, yes—if you have a valid reason. You might get special permission for a late withdrawal if:
- You made a registration error but didn’t notice until after the deadline had passed.
- You thought you had dropped the course but later realized that you didn’t.
- You registered for the wrong course or section.
- You’ve been attending a different section than the one you’re registered in.
- You’re switching sections to accommodate another course.
- You’re dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as illness, a family emergency, or other situations beyond your control that are impacting your studies.
If any of these apply, talk to an academic advisor. They'll help you figure out your options and next steps.
How to drop a course in Dal Online
- Go to the Register for Classes page.
- In the Summary pane, use the Action drop-down menu. Depending on the date you are dropping the course, your options will change.
- Before the withdrawal deadline: Option will be “Drop - Web"
- During the withdrawal period: Option will be “Dropped Course - with W”
- Click Submit to save your changes.
- Your Schedule Details will update automatically.
