Information on Auditing Courses for L&S Undergraduate Students
The following section discusses the rules for the College of Letters & Science (L&S) undergraduate students who wish to audit a class.
Auditing a course allows a a student to take a class without the benefit of a grade or credit for a course. An L&S undergraduate student who audits a course does so for the purposes of self-enrichment and academic exploration. The course is offered ONLY on a space-available basis with the approvals of both the instructor of the course and an academic dean in the College of Letters & Science.
A student who wishes to audit a course is expected to attend classes on a regular basis as an observer. Auditors do not take exams or submit class work. Auditors will receive a final grade of Satisfactory (S) or No Report (NR). AU will appear in place of a number of credits. Audit courses do not satisfy any credit, coursework, or degree/major requirements. Also audit courses do not satisfy any minimum or maximum credits required in each term. Information about submitting a formal request to audit a class can be found at course change request on the Registrar's Office website.
Please note that auditing a course is not free. A course taken for audit costs the same as a course taken for credit. If a student is not paying full-time tuition and fees, they will be assessed per-credit fees for an audit course.
A Course Change Form requesting to audit a course must be completed with the appropriate signature(s) and returned to the L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans' Office located in 101 Ingraham Hall or via email by the last day to request Pass/Fail if you are an L&S undergraduate student. Non-L&S degree-seeking candidates should work with their academic dean's unit in their school/college for more assistance in auditing courses on the UW-Madison campus.
- The deadline to request to convert a course from credit to audit (or to convert a course from audit back to credit) is the end of the fourth week of the fall or spring term.
- The deadline to request to convert a course from credit to audit (or to convert a course from audit back to credit) for a modular course or summer course is the end of the one-quarter of the session, extended to the following Friday. Exact deadline information for modular or summer courses can be found at session dates. The following rules apply to L&S undergraduate students enrolled in a summer term/session or modular course on the UW-Madison campus:
- For a student enrolled in a modular course or a summer session/term less than two weeks, the audit deadline is the end of the 1st week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in a four-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 1st week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in an six-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 2nd week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in an eight-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 2nd week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in a nine-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 3rd week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in a ten-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 3rd week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in a twelve-week modular course or a summer session/term, the audit deadline is the end of the 3rd week on Friday.
- For a student enrolled in a modular course or a summer session/term of more than twelve weeks, the audit deadline is the end of the 4th week on Friday.
- An auditor is considered a passive learner and may not recite in class or take examinations.
- An audit is a silent observer in the course and may not be allowed to actively participate in synchronous or asynchronous discussions.
- Auditors also may not recite, perform, or take examinations.
- Auditors may not submit assignments for review or grading. Professors may not respond or provide feedback to your direct communications as their priority is focused on degree/credit students in the course. All exceptions are at the discretion of the instructor.
- A change from an audit to a credit basis must be made by the deadline for adding courses and receiving 100% tuition adjustment on dropped classes.
- A change from a credit to an audit basis must be made by the end of the fourth week of classes.
- For a student who does elect to audit a course, the letters "AU" are entered on the transcript under credits and the course does not earn credit or impact the GPA.
- Students who audit a course are required to pay fees as though the course was being taken on a credit basis.
- A student will receive a grade of S (Satisfactory) or NR (No Report) for an audited course.
- A student should not audit a course if they have already taken the course or plans to take the course at a future date.
- Students may not audit courses in their major or major department.
- Students may not audit courses in their major or courses they wish to take at a future date in their major department.
- Students may not audit:
- Directed Study or Independent Study courses (e.g, 299, 399, 699, etc.)
- Physical education activity classes
- Language classes
- Studio and performing arts classes
- Writing, computer, and lab courses
- Seminar, research, and colloquia courses
- Online courses
- Math courses (Normally students are not permitted to audit elementary and intermediate level mathematics courses. Exceptions for L&S undergraduate students will only be made on the recommendation of the Department of Mathematics by the Chair, Associate Chair, Undergraduate Advisor or placement advisor to L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans' Services (ADS). Students are permitted to audit advanced level mathematics courses.)
- Students may not register for Audit after the 4th week of classes during the fall and spring terms or the appropriate deadline for modular courses or summer term classes.
- Wisconsin residents age 60 (as of the first day of class) and older are eligible to audit classes tuition-free. For more information about this opportunity, please refer to Senior Learning and Senior Guest Auditors at Adult Career and Special Student Services.
- For non UW-Madison degree-seeking students who are interested in auditing a course as a special student, please refer to guest auditors.
For more information on auditing a course, see Audit in the Guide under Courses and Enrollment.
You may contact the L&S Academic Dean's Office with further questions:
Phone: (608) 262-0617
Email: lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu