Visiting ("Auditing") an ME Class

What is Visiting?


"Visiting" is the official University term for taking a class for no grade and no credit toward your degree. This is also commonly referred to as "auditing" a course.

According to the official College of Engineering Bulletin:

With permission of the advisor and course instructor, a student may enroll in a course as a visitor. In such a case, the course will be entered on the permanent record with a "VI" instead of a letter grade. The same fee will be charged whether the student enrolls for credit or as a visitor.

A change in elections from credit to visit must be made during the first nine weeks of a term. Signed petitions are required after this point. Required courses may not be elected as a visit.

If you plan on visiting a class, you must receive the permission the course instructor and negotiate with him/her your responsibilities as a student. This typically involves regular attendance in lecture and optional homework / exams. The amount of time and effort you put into the class is then up to you. You will also need the approval of Sue Gow in the ASO. Courses required for your curriculum may NOT be elected as "Visit".

Keep in mind that the class will be on your transcript with "VI" instead of a grade, but will not be counted toward your degree requirements. In addition, a class that is visited must be paid for just like any other class. This means that if you visit a summer class, or if visiting a class takes you over 18 credits for a term, you will pay extra for it.

During the drop/add period (the first nine weeks of a term), you may choose to change a class from "for credit" to "visit". This requires the signatures of both the professor and Sue Gow on course drop/add/change form, available in the ME ASO.

Why visit a class?


There are several reasons to visit a class:

  • It's a subject you're interested in for your own enrichment.
  • You believe that potential employers would like to see the class on your transcript.
  • You'd like to take a graduate level class but are concerned about the workload.