Frequently Asked Questions

You can register for classes in the Student Scheduling Assistant widget in MyPNW. To stay on track for graduation, you’re encouraged to take 15 credits a semester and consult your academic adviser regarding course selection.

See How to Register for Classes Online

Check the Academic Calendar for registration dates.

Please note that this system is not applicable to students in the Online RN-BSN or MSN Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs. These students should contact their registration coordinator or refer to their online nursing handbook for guidance:

• Online RN-BSN Handbook
• MSN-Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive

Priority Registration applies to Fall and Spring semesters – but not Summer sessions – and is a designated time when registration first opens up that students can begin registering for classes based on their classification of Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior.

To find the earliest date and time you can begin registering for a Fall or Spring semester click on View Registration Status on the Registering for Classes page under the Registration and Records area in MyPNW. Then click on the Prepare for Registration link to see your information.

Priority Registration generally follows this order:

• First group – October 28 and 29 – Graduate Students, Undergraduate Seniors, Honors College Students, Veterans, Student Athletes, TRIO Students
• Second group – October 30 and 31 – Undergraduate Juniors
• Third group – November 1 and 4 – Undergraduate Sophomores
• Fourth group – November 5 and 6 – Undergraduate Freshmen
• Final group – November 7 – All Students

Class schedules are typically published online two weeks prior to the first day of registration for upcoming semesters. Review the schedule so you can register promptly and get the class days and times that will work best for you. Some courses fill quickly!

Explore comprehensive class schedules and descriptions in one easy, convenient location here.

You can view your class schedule in Student Scheduling Assistant in MyPNW as soon as you are registered for a course. However, rooms are subject to change. For this reason you should check your schedule just prior to the beginning of the semester to ensure you know where you need to be on the first day of class. In myPNW, click on “View Your Concise Schedule” in the Academics box on the myPNW dashboard or click on “View Your Schedule” on the Registering for Classes page under the Registration and Records area in myPNW.

• Registration Time Ticket: If you are trying to register for a Fall or Spring semester during Priority Registration before your assigned time, you will receive this error. Check your Registration Status in myPNW on the Registration tab and then select Prepare for Registration to find the earliest date and time you may begin registering.
• Holds: Holds on your account may prevent registration, and you will need to take care of any financial obligations or other circumstances (like Respect Boundaries) resulting in a hold before registering for classes. Student athletes have registration holds that need to be temporarily removed for course registration or to withdraw from a course. Student athletes must maintain a full-time status (at least 12 undergraduate credit hours or at least 8 graduate credit hours) or risk ineligibility. For questions about Athletic Eligibility contact the Athletics Department at jarrettn@pnw.edu or stop in FRC Room 129 on the Hammond campus.
• Closed Classes: If you find a class section that you want is full, you may add your name to a wait-list, if one is available for the course. Since there is no guarantee that a space will open up, be sure to register for an alternative as a back-up. When a spot opens up for you in the wait-listed section, you will automatically be registered and will receive a confirmation email.  For courses without wait-lists, you may request approval to be added to the class through the Scheduling Assistant program. Your request will be routed in the Scheduling Assistant system to the appropriate PNW faculty and or staff member. You will be notified of a decision by email. If approved, you will automatically be enrolled in the course. Please note that this system is not applicable to students in the Online RN-BSN or MSN Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs. If you are a student in these programs, you should contact your registration coordinator.
• Restrictions: Certain course restrictions, such as pre / co-requisites or major / level restrictions, may also prevent registration and may require approval by the Academic Department. When you submit your schedule in the Student Scheduling Assistant in My PNW, you will be prompted to request departmental approval. Your request will be routed in the Scheduling Assistant system to the appropriate PNW faculty and or staff member.  You will be notified of a decision by email. Please note that this system is not applicable to students in the Online RN-BSN or MSN Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs. If you are a student in these programs, you should contact your registration coordinator.
• Time Conflicts: When registering for courses, the system will not let you enroll in courses that meet in whole or in part during the same time frame. Review the course schedule and select a different section to continue registering.
• Repeating a Course After 3 Attempts:  Students are permitted to enroll in a non-repeatable course up to 3 times (Withdrawals – W’s – count as an attempt). Additional enrollment in the same course requires approval from the Academic Department. You will not be able to register for the course without permission. When you submit your schedule in the Student Scheduling Assistant in My PNW, you will be prompted to request departmental approval. Your request will be routed in the Scheduling Assistant system to the appropriate PNW faculty and or staff member.

If you find a class that you want to take is full, you may elect to add your name to a wait-list, if one is available, in Student Scheduling Assistant. Not all courses utilize wait-listing. For fall and spring semesters the wait-list option is available until the Thursday before the start of classes.

See the Wait List for a Full Class Video on the How to Register for Classes Online web page

Note: If you have any registration restrictions (like prerequisites), be sure to request departmental approval as you would for an available course.

When a seat opens up for you in the wait-listed section, you will be automatically registered as long as there are no conflicts or restrictions. The course will then be listed on your Class Schedule with a green checkmark and you will receive a confirmation email that you are registered.

This system is not applicable to students in the Online RN-BSN or MSN Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs. These students should contact their registration coordinator or refer to their online nursing handbook for guidance:

• Online RN-BSN Handbook
• MSN-Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive

You can add and/or drop classes in the Student Scheduling Assistant widget in MyPNW.

See the Drop/Add Video on the How to Register for Classes Online web page

Please note that this system is not applicable to students in the Online RN-BSN or MSN Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs. These students should contact their registration coordinator or refer to their online nursing handbook for guidance:

• Online RN-BSN Handbook
• MSN-Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive

For all other students:

Adding a Class

You may add courses by updating your course registration in the Student Scheduling Assistant widget in MyPNW.  Add the course to your Course Request, build your schedule so that you can select the exact class section you want, and then click Submit Schedule to record the addition.

Please not that if you are adding a course after the first week of classes, you will need to request approval.  Your request will be routed within the Scheduling Assistant system to the appropriate PNW faculty and or staff member and you will be notified of a decision by email.

For questions regarding course selection contact your academic advisor.

Dropping a Class

Prior to withdrawing from a class, be sure to discuss this with your academic advisor and financial aid counselor. Check the Academic Calendar for withdrawal and refund deadlines.

You may withdraw by updating your course registration in the Student Scheduling Assistant widget in MyPNW.  When you are on the schedule screen, click on the course you wish to drop. In the dialog box, click on the “Drop (course name)” button in the upper right.  Then click Submit Schedule to record the drop.

Note to Student Athletes: Student athletes have registration holds that need to be temporarily removed for course registration or to withdraw from a course. Student athletes must maintain a full-time status (at least 12 undergraduate credit hours or at least 8 graduate credit hours) or risk ineligibility. For questions about Athletic Eligibility contact the Athletics Department at jarrettn@pnw.edu or stop in FRC Room 129 on the Hammond campus.

Dropping all courses is a serious matter. You are encouraged to meet with your academic advisor to develop a plan for returning to PNW to complete your degree.

If you wish to withdraw from all your courses once the term has already started, you will not be able to drop your only or last remaining class in Student Scheduling Assistant.  Instead, you will submit the Full Withdrawal from Current Academic Term form, which is located on the Registration tab in myPNW.  Review this important guidance for Full Withdrawals prior to dropping all your classes.

Click here for the refund schedule and last days to drop for the current term.

However, if your course registration is for a future term that has not yet begun, you may drop all your classes using the Student Scheduling Assistant widget in myPNW.

Note to Students with Financial Aid and/or loans: Please be aware that making a change in enrollment may revise your financial aid award. Notify the Office of Financial Aid immediately at (219) 989-2301 in Hammond or at (219) 785-5460 in Westville or at finaid@pnw.edu if there is a change in enrollment.

Student Athletes: You must maintain a full-time status (at least 12 undergraduate credit hours or at least 8 graduate credit hours) or risk ineligibility.  Contact your coach as well as the Athletics Department at jarrettn@pnw.edu or stop in FRC 129 on the Hammond Campus.

Note to Military Personnel: Students called to active military service who are unable to complete the semester and need to withdraw from classes should contact the Veteran Affairs Coordinator at (219) 989-1109 in Hammond or at (219) 785-5342 in Westville. A copy of your military orders along with a power of attorney is required.

Online Nursing Students: Contact your registration coordinator or refer to your online nursing handbook for guidance:

• Online RN-BSN Handbook
• MSN-Online Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive

Perhaps, but there are many factors to be considered regarding refunds. Please see the Bursar’s information on refunds for details. You may contact the Bursar’s Office at (219) 989-2560 in Hammond or (219) 785-5338 in Westville or at bursar@pnw.edu with questions regarding refunds of tuition and fees.

In accordance with Academic Regulations, regardless of the grade earned – even if it is lower than the previous time you took the course – only the most recent grade will be included in the GPA calculation.

You may enroll in a non-repeatable course up to three times. Withdrawals (W) count as an attempt.  If attempting to enroll a 4^th time, you will not be allowed to register for the course and must request permission through Student Scheduling Assistant.

Some courses are designed as variable title courses and therefore can be taken multiple times under different titles.  No special permission is needed to repeat such courses. For example, BIOL 59500 is offered with various titles such as Cell Physiology or Conservation Biology or Microbiology Research, etc.

First, let us take this opportunity to thank you for your service. Information on what steps you will need to take to use your VA education benefits can be found on the Veterans Enrollment Certification web page. Contact the Veteran Affairs Coordinator at (219) 989-1109 in Hammond or at (219) 785-5342 in Westville if you have questions about your VA education benefits and certifying your enrollment each semester.

Enrollment certification requests can be filled out and submitted online.

• Enrollment Certification – National Student Clearinghouse (recommended method)
  The place to order your enrollment certification for employment, housing, healthcare or loan deferment. You will receive your certification electronically via email from the National Student Clearinghouse.
• Enrollment Certification Form
  This Office of the Registrar form is only for certifications requiring a GPA. All other requests must use the National Student Clearinghouse.

Enrollment certification request forms are also available to fill out in person in the Enrollment Services Center in Lawshe Hall, Room 130 (Hammond) or Schwarz Hall, Room 120 (Westville). They will be mailed out to students ONLY if they provide a self-addressed envelope.

For further information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (219) 989-2210 or at registrar@pnw.edu.

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Under the purview of FERPA, the institution is required to safeguard your academic record. This means that we cannot share it with a third party without your consent.

• PNW FERPA information
• U.S. Department of Education FERPA web site

In some cases it may be necessary or prudent for you to have a third-party representative able to communicate with us on your behalf. PNW has instituted proxy access to allow a student to grant access to their information to a third party (parent, spouse, SSDP, etc.).

UPDATE:  Due to a recent software upgrade, proxy access may need to be re-established.  Students, if you have a proxy that can no longer access your information, please return to the myPNW Proxy on the Records page under the Registration and Records area in the myPNW portal to reassign permissions.  Updated directions are available in the link below.

• myPNW Proxy Access

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 semester and cumulative GPA to remain in good academic standing. A student will be placed on academic notice if either semester or cumulative GPA at the end of any fall or spring semester is less than 2.0.

Refer to the Academic Regulations section of the Academic Catalog for more information.

To see your academic standing, log into myPNW and click on the Academics bottom.  Then click on “View Unofficial Transcript”.  This will display your academic standing along with your overall hours earned and GPA.

Grade Scale

Instructors have the option of assigning plus/minus letter grades. Quality points are allocated to each recorded grade according to the following scale:

Instructors have autonomy in determining the grading scale they wish to use for their courses.

Points assigned to letter grades and their associated credit hours are used to calculate your GPA. Below are the formulas for calculating a semester and cumulative GPA.

Semester Grade Point Average

To determine your semester grade point average, you will need to determine the total number of semester points earned and the total credit hours attempted.

Semester Grade Points/Semester Credits Attempted = Semester GPA

Semester GPA Calculation Example:

• SOC 10000

3 credit hour course with a grade of A. 3 credits × 4.0 points = 12.0 grade points

• CHM 11500

4 credit hour course with a grade of C+. 4 credits × 2.3 points = 9.2 grade points

GPA Calculation: 21.2 total semester grade points / 7 credit hours = 3.03 Semester GPA

Cumulative Grade Point Average

To determine your cumulative grade point average, you will need to determine the number of total grade points you have earned and the total credit hours you have attempted beginning with your first semester of attendance.

Total Grade Points / Total Credits Attempted = Cumulative GPA

To remain in good academic standing, maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. If you have questions about how to improve your GPA, speak with your academic adviser.

If you see an “NS” grade in myPNW for a class you took in the semester that just ended, your instructor still needs to assign a grade for you in the course.  Contact your instructor promptly to make sure the temporary Not Submitted – NS grade is updated to a final earned grade.

As stated in the Academic Regulations of the Academic Catalog, you must achieve a permanent grade in the course no later than one year after the incomplete is given, or the incomplete will revert to a failing grade.  When you make up the required work, the instructor will submit a form to the Office of the Registrar to update your final grade.  If you fail to complete the required work by the deadline, the “I” grade is converted to an “IF” which will impact your GPA.

For example, when an Incomplete is granted in a Fall 2023 course, the student has no later than the Fall 2024 semester to complete the outstanding coursework.

Once you have been academically separated from a Purdue campus, you must wait one full fall or spring semester before you can be readmitted. If it is your second time being separated, you must wait one calendar year. In either case, you will need to do the following two items:

• Fill out an Application for Readmission and select the “Readmit” application type. Submit by the deadline for the session you are trying to be readmitted. Currently the Readmission Application Fee is $100 (subject to change). You may contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@pnw.edu if you have questions about the application and the readmission process.
• Submit a financial aid appeal, as being academically separated makes you ineligible for financial aid. See the Financial Aid Office’s information on Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals. You may contact Financial Aid Office at finaid@pnw.edu if you have questions about the appeal process and your financial aid status.

You are encouraged to meet with your academic advisor to review your program requirements. If you believe you are a candidate for graduation, you should complete the Apply to Graduate process when registering for your final courses. The link to Apply to Graduate may be found on the Graduation and Commencement page in the myPNW portal as well as in the Task area.  See the Commencement Pre-Graduation Guide for more details about critical deadlines, participating in a commencement and the ceremony dates and times.

The Application to Graduate must be completed by the published deadline whether or not you plan on participating in commencement. Information from this application is used to order your diploma. Failure to notify the Office of the Registrar of your intent to graduate may result in a delayed graduation date.

Purdue Northwest holds in-person commencement ceremonies on the Hammond campus.

See the Commencement Pre-Graduation Guide for more information about critical deadlines and upcoming ceremony dates.

Visit the Commencement Day-Of Guide to know what to expect at Commencement for you and your guests.

If you have declared yourself a degree candidate and it is determined you have not met all of your requirements, you will receive a letter from the Office of the Registrar notifying you that you are not eligible to graduate. You will only be notified if you lack requirements for graduation.

Meet with your academic advisor to determine what you need to do to complete your degree program. Please be aware that you will need to submit another Application for Graduation for the semester in which you will be completing your degree requirements.

The diplomas will indicate the degree is awarded at Purdue Northwest in the state of Indiana. See the diploma web page for more information about diplomas, distribution dates, and how to order a replacement, if needed.

Graduation status is certified following the end of the semester in which you complete your degree requirements.  Therefore, diplomas cannot be given out at the actual Commencement ceremonies.  However, you will receive your diploma cover at that time.

When available, diplomas may be picked up at the Registrar’s Office of your home campus – Hammond in Lawshe Hall, Room 130 or Westville in Schwarz Hall, Room 120.  Please make sure you have cleared up any holds on your account that may prevent you from picking up your diploma.  Bring a photo ID with you.

Diploma pick up dates are published each semester on the Diploma web page.

Diplomas not picked up within the published timeframe will be mailed to the address we currently have on file unless you have given us an alternate address.

If you are unable to pick up your diploma in person and wish for a third party to get it for you, please complete the Permission to Pick Up Diploma form which will be emailed to you when the Diplomas Are Ready! announcement is sent.  The person you designate to pick up your diploma will need to bring this signed form with them along with their photo ID.

Purdue University Northwest now offers Certified Electronic Diplomas and Certificates (CeDiploma/CeCertficate) to graduates starting Spring 2022 and beyond!  Learn more about CeDiplomas here.

Transcripts may be ordered in person in the Office of the Registrar or via an online system. They are provided free of charge. See the transcripts web page for more information about the different types of transcripts as well as brief videos explaining how to use the online transcript ordering system.

Online Transcript Ordering System