Frequently Asked Questions

If you uploaded your photo to the Yale ID center by the stated deadline, your card will be available for pickup from the YDS Registrar’s office during BTFO. You will need to pick up your ID card in person. If you did not submit a photo, the Registrar’s office can give you a paper authorization card that you can bring to the ID Center, along with a separate photo ID, to have your card made. Check the ID center’s website to see if they are requiring appointments for visits.

Your student ID identifies you as a member of the Yale community and gives you access to campus areas which you are entitled to access (YDS buildings, recreational facilities, libraries, etc). Once you receive your ID you should carry it at all times. Unless you are taking a summer course, your affiliation with Yale begins on the first day of the Fall Orientation. Therefore, we are unable to distribute IDs before that time.

Note that, due to ongoing public health concerns, certain special procedures apply to requests for ID cards for spouses and civil union partners. Check with the Registrar’s office for details.

Normally, access cards for spouses and same sex civil union partners can be obtained beginning toward the end of September. Both the student and spouse/civil union partner should bring a copy of the marriage certificate, J2 visa and passports containing both spouses name, or documentation of the civil union to the YDS Registrar’s office. When the access is approved, the spouse/partner will receive email notice to receive their card at the ID Center. A photo ID must be presented in order to receive the card. Although spouses/partners do not receive building access the card can be used at various Yale venues, including libraries, museums, the Gym (with paid membership), and the Yale transit system.

Your “SID” is your student identification number. It is the unique 9-digit number, beginning with the number 9, found on the lower left-hand corner of your ID card. You will also see it in other Yale sites that identify you as a student and in your student records (like your transcript). It is different from your net ID, which is used primarily in concert with your password to access secure Yale sites. If you have a problem that requires tech support from the Help Center, they will most likely want your net ID. But the forms used for enrollment/registration purposes will ask you for your SID since that is the easiest way for us to access your student record.

Adviser assignments are made in the summer and posted at the beginning of Fall Orientation. You can also view your adviser information in your Yale Hub page. Advisers will have access to your information in mid-August. There will be an opportunity to meet with your adviser during BTFO. Some advisers may reach out to advisees before they arrive on campus; others will look forward to meeting you when you arrive for BTFO and will encourage you to make an appointment for the initial meeting. There is no YDS standard for that first contact so don’t be concerned if you hear that some students have heard from their adviser and you have not.

Care has been taken in making the initial adviser assignment, taking into consideration advising loads and faculty availability. We ask that you stick with your initial adviser for your first semester. If you want to make a change after your first semester you may do so by using the Change in Adviser form.

Your adviser will be very helpful in guiding you in your course selection. There are also course planning worksheets available for each degree as well as a course “grid” for the MDiv degree. The MDiv “grid” sketches out a suggested 3-year course plan which many students find helpful. The MDiv degree does require certain specific courses, and sometimes they need to be taken in a certain order, but there is no requirement that a given course be taken in a specific semester or year.

Students in the concentrated MAR programs should consult their adviser and the concentration Worksheet.

Course registration for YDS students begins on the date published in the YDS academic calendar for each semester. Course registration is through Online Course Selection, which is accessible through Yale Hub. While you may be able to build a Canvas Worksheet prior to the Divinity course registration period, your registration is not final until you complete and submit your OCS worksheet. More detailed information about the registration process can be found here.

Each school at Yale has its own registration dates for its students. These dates are attached to the school of the student’s degree program enrollment, not the school hosting the course. That means that if you are interested in taking an undergraduate course, you are not able to register for it until the day that registration opens for the Divinity school, not the day that registration opens for Yale College.

Most faculty at Yale are eager to have a variety of students in their courses (unless the course is restricted to students within a particular program or school). If the course has open enrollment, the instructor is likely saving seats for students in other programs whose registration period might begin at a later date. If you are interested in registering for a course outside YDS (“Downtown course”), and you are worried about available seats, feel free to email the instructor, introduce yourself and your interest in the course, and ask if there would be a seat available for you.

Course meeting locations are listed on Yale Course Search. If the instructor has uploaded a syllabus, and you just want to check out the course, you will be able to access the syllabus through Yale Course Search as well. Once you are enrolled in the course you will receive access to the course's Canvas site as a student.

Yes and no. YDS degrees are indeed graduate level degrees, but YDS is one of the 13 Professional Schools at Yale, which in addition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Yale College, make up Yale University. By virtue of your enrollment at YDS you are identified as a professional student at Yale and not a student in the Graduate School. You are bound by the policies and procedures of the Divinity School.

YDS has two grading systems: a letter grade system (“Regular”) and a credit/no credit system (“CR/NC”). The grades in the letter grade system may seem unusual to you (Honors, High Pass, Low Pass) but they are roughly equivalent to other letter grade systems (A, B, C). All course syllabi should include a grading rubric that describes how the instructor will calculate the grade and what performance looks like at each grade level.

The “Credit/No Credit” system is similar to a “Pass/Fail” system, except that the standard for passing the course (receiving the grade of “CR”) is a little higher than in much Pass/Fail grading. To receive the grade of “CR”, a student must have performed at the level of HP minus (roughly B minus) or higher. This means that, if you are worried about passing the course, or of receiving an “LP”, you would be better off taking the course for a letter grade. LP level work in the CR/NC system would mean a failing grade; LP level work in the “regular” grading system is a passing grade. If on the other hand you think you will do fine in the course, but do not want the additional worry about the final grade, you may want to take the course “CR/NC”.

Every course has a default grade mode which is designated by the instructor. You can see that grade mode when you register in Online Course Selection. If you do nothing to change it, you will be graded under that default grading system. If you wish to change the grade mode, simply complete and submit the Change in Grade Mode form. The form will be routed to the course instructor for approval. Not all course instructors permit grade mode changes for their courses; if this is not addressed in the syllabus it might be a good idea to approach the instructor about making a change prior to submitting the form. Note that the deadlines for changing grade modes are firm and that the deadline for electing the letter grade system is much earlier than that for electing CR/NC.

There is no limit to the number of courses you can take “credit/no credit”. Some students pursue the degree solely with courses graded CR/NC. Before making this decision, however, you may want to consider some other factors. For instance, if you are receiving an external scholarship it is possible that the funding body wants to see letter grades. If you are pursuing ordination your ordination committee may prefer letter grades. If you are considering applying to PhD programs, you might want to have letter grades in courses in your chosen discipline.

YDS does not have a GPA and there is no formula by which to calculate one. We also do not calculate class rank. This is stated clearly in our transcript key. If you are asked to report your GPA we advise that you do NOT attempt to create one for yourself; If the Registrar’s office is asked at any point to confirm your GPA we will be unable to do so – and that might create a problematic situation for you. If you need verification of our lack of GPA the Registrar’s office will be happy to write a letter for you.

YDS also does not calculate latin honors. The only honors given at graduation come in the form of graduation prizes, for most of which students are nominated and voted by the faculty.

Per YDS policy, a student will be place on warning if the student receives one LP, F, or NC in any course in a given term. The academic warning is not placed on the student’s transcript. A student will be placed on probation if, in any one term, the student receives 2 LPs, 2 incompletes, 2 Fs or NCs, or any combination of the above (view full policy here). Academic Probation is recorded on the transcript. Neither academic warning nor academic probation prevents graduation.

There is indeed a form for nearly all of the academic-related things at YDS. All of the forms related to enrollment can be found in the Forms section of our website. Degree worksheets and some forms to request funding for academic projects can be found on the Academic Affairs website.

The CRN is a five-digit, system-assigned number unique to a particular iteration of a course (in semester and year). You can find that number in Yale Course Search, at the top of the course description page, just under the course number. It is important that you know this number when attempting to add or drop a course.

Once you have sealed your registration worksheet in OCS you must use the Change in Course form to add or drop a course. (Remember that if you are adding a non-Divinity school course you will also need to submit a Downtown Permission Form in addition to the Change in Course form). The Change in Course form will be routed to your adviser for approval first, then it will come to the Registrar’s office for processing. A course may not be dropped after the last day to drop a course as designated in the YDS Academic Calendar. Course “withdrawal” is not an option that can be elected by a student. The “W” is used only in exceptional circumstances, and only by successful petition to the Professional Studies Committee (see how to petition the Professional Studies Committee). Courses dropped within the stated drop period will not appear on the transcript. Note that your worksheet in OCS is static, and changes made after the initial worksheet has been approved by the Registrar will not appear on the OCS worksheet. You can check SIS → Academics → Grades for All Terms to see your current registration.

It is true that Divinity students must take at least half of each term’s coursework through courses at the Divinity School. Exceptions are made for students in MAR concentrations which require language study that is not offered at YDS. Exceptions can be made in other circumstances but in all cases at least one half of the degree must be done through coursework at YDS. Requests for an exception should be addressed to the Academic Dean. If you are taking five courses and want to take three of them “downtown”, the Academic Dean will review the courses you have taken thus far for balance or will seek a commitment from you to maintain or rectify balance in upcoming semesters.

YDS students typically take 12 credits per term, which is the number of credits needed to complete each degree in the typical time period (three years for the MDiv, two for the MAR, and one for the STM). But YDS recognizes the need for flexible enrollment, and students often take fewer or more than 12 credits per term. There is no published “maximum”, but permission of the Academic Dean is needed for enrollment in over 16.5 credits. The minimum number of credits needed for residency is 3 credits, which must include at least one 3-credit course that meets on campus on a regular basis throughout the term. Students in their first term are strongly discouraged from registering for more than 14 credit hours.

YDS’ shortcut name for other parts of Yale is “downtown”. If you wish to take a downtown course, e.g. any course without an REL course number, first do the research and make sure the course enrollment is open to students outside of the school or program offering the course. If it is, use the “Downtown Permission Form” to request enrollment in the course. For undergraduate courses you will need to make an arrangement with the instructor to do additional work in order to bring the course to graduate level standards. The form requires that the instructor describe that work so that your enrollment can be approved by the Academic Dean. Undergraduate courses which are language- or skills-based courses (for instance, studio arts) do not require additional work.

The School of Music offers individual instruction in a variety of instruments. The ISM generously agrees to pay the $200 lesson fee, but if you intend to apply the credits from lessons to your degree as elective credit you may be charged tuition (this mostly applies to part-time students). To request lessons, you must complete the School of Music Music Lessons Request Form and register for the course in OCS along with your other courses. Since we generally receive one list from the Music School with the names of all those approved for lessons, it is not necessary to initiate a Downtown Course permission form for secondary lessons.

Not all Yale Law School courses are open to non-Law students, but the ones which are available will be so noted on the Law School’s course listing. Enrollment in Law School courses by non-Law School Yale students requires permission of the Law School Registrar. More information, as well as the request form, can be found on the Law School’s website here. Since you may not be able to add the Law course to your registration in OCS, you will also need to complete the YDS Change in Course form. When our office has received confirmation from the Law school that you may enroll, we will use the Change in Course form to add the course to your registration. Note: Registration in SOM courses via OCS is restricted to students enrolled in SOM degree programs. If you attempt to add an SOM course (MGT___) to your registration without permission from the SOM Registrar, you will receive an error message and will not be able to complete your course registration.

Yes, as a YDS student you may audit any course at Yale with instructor permission. YDS does not have an official “audit” status nor a way for audited courses – at YDS or elsewhere - to appear on your transcript. As in many things, course auditing is handled differently by different programs at Yale. The Graduate School, for instance, does have an official audit status. So if you are taking a course in the Graduate School the instructor may think you need to have an official status as auditor. You can explain to the instructor that this is not an option for you as a Divinity student.

To audit a course at YDS, obtain the instructor’s permission on a form available from the Admissions office. Return the signed form to the Admissions office. In whichever University course you are auditing, the instructor will be able to add you into the Canvas course site as a “visitor” so that you can have access to course materials. DO NOT add a course that you wish to audit onto your registration worksheet in OCS. If you register for a course in OCS we will assume you are taking the course for credit and we will eventually be seeking a grade for you from the instructor. If you accidently register for a course you intend to audit, you will need to use the Change in Course form prior to the course drop deadline to drop the course from your registration.

No. As a Divinity School student you receive Divinity School grading and follow Divinity school policies and deadlines like drop/add and change in grade mode. However, since not all Yale semesters are the structured in the same way, the meeting schedule of the course itself would be governed by the course’s syllabus (for example, 13 weeks instead of 12. Or course meetings during what might be a reading period at YDS).

Schools at Yale credit courses in their own unique way and the credits are then translated by the student’s home school in accordance with that home school’s crediting policy. And some schools at Yale refer to “units” instead of to “credits”. The credit calculation is often based on the course’s contact hours. In Yale College, a typical course is 1 credit for undergraduates. That same course gets translated by the Divinity School as 3 credits. A typical course in the School of Music is listed as 4 credits for Music students; that too, gets translated as 3 Divinity School credits. This explains why the Music School’s Secondary Lessons, while posted in OCS as 2 credits, are translated for Divinity School students as half of a typical course, or 1.5 credits. In short, all “credits” are not equal!

Unfortunately, no. All of our joint degrees are negotiated written agreements between officials of the respective programs. However, you are free to take coursework in the program of your choice (with the proper permissions) as long as at least 50% of your coursework each term is done at the Divinity School. At the time of registration for a fourth course in the same school or department, your program of study may come under review by the Professional Studies Committee. Most Professional Schools at Yale restrict course enrollment in core professional courses to their own students.

Unfortunately, no. All of our joint degrees are negotiated written agreements between officials of the respective schools with approval from the General Counsel’s office at Yale. You may, at your own discretion and your own expense, take graduate level coursework elsewhere for consideration for transfer credit to your YDS degree but it will not count toward your semester enrollment and YDS financial aid would not apply. You should review the policy regarding transfer credit before considering this option.

Deadlines are final. Regardless of the normal stresses of human and academic life, students are expected to meet the well-publicized deadlines. Please make a note of them.

On the other hand, we understand that students sometimes face extraordinary circumstances (hospitalization, death of a loved one, etc). If you feel that an extraordinary circumstance has resulted in a missed deadline you may petition the YDS Professional Studies Committee for a late action. The Registrar can describe the petition process to you.

If the instructor is willing, they can offer you a Faculty Extension up until the day that grades for that term are due. If you find you need more time, you may apply for a Dean’s Extension from the Academic Dean. The worst thing you can do is not acknowledge that you need more time (we’ve all been there). Per YDS policy, an incomplete grade will automatically be recorded as F or NC unless a petition for a dean’s extension is filed by the day that grades are due for that term.

The default for tuition billing is to repeat the billing type (full-time/part-time) from the previous semester. If you plan to change your enrollment from what it was last term, you will need to notify the Registrar and the Financial Aid Office in writing of your change in plans. When considering a reduction in enrollment, you may want to consult the information about full-time versus part-time enrollment below and consult the Assistant Director of Financial Aid about how the change might impact your aid.

Part-time students (less than 9 credits) are billed a part-time tuition fee. Full-time students (9 credits or more) are billed a full-time tuition fee. Only full-time students receive the additional annual scholarship for educational and living expenses (see the Affording YDS webpage). If in any semester your enrollment category changes (from PT to FT or vice versa) your billing/aid will be adjusted accordingly. This means that if you have told us that you will be a part-time student but register for 9 credits instead of 6 your tuition will be adjusted to reflect full-time enrollment. Conversely, if you told us that you will be a full-time student and register for 3 or 6 credits instead of, say, 9 or 12, your tuition will be adjusted to reflect part-time enrollment and you may become ineligible for the additional annual scholarship for educational and living expenses.

Unfortunately, no. Since CPE is education offered by the clinical site, and not by Yale, we cannot consider your CPE participation when we report your term enrollment to the federal government. CPE is treated as transfer credit, which means it is posted to your transcript as education offered at another institution after it has been completed.

The only way to “skip a term” would be to apply for a Leave of Absence. Leaves can be granted for one, two or three semesters. The types of leave and the policies around each can be found in the YDS Bulletin. Be aware that any student who does not register for a term and has not requested and received a leave of absence for that term will be withdrawn from the University.

Withdrawal forms are available from the Registrar. The completed form should be sent to the Registrar, who will in turn route it to the Academic Dean for approval. If you are able, you may also want to tell your adviser and, if it is in the middle of a term, your instructors. But that is not essential. If you are living in Yale Housing you will also need to notify the Housing office.

Once you have completed the requirements for your degree program, you are not eligible for further financial aid. If you would like to attend part-time, and extend your enrollment in this way, your tuition scholarship can be extended over a longer period of time. However, students enrolled part-time (in fewer than 9 credits) in any semester are ineligible for the additional annual scholarship for educational and living expenses. Please see the Affording YDS webpage for more information.

Please keep in mind that each degree has a time limit. As the Bulletin states, “the total program of study for the MDiv shall not be expanded beyond six years”, for the MAR, four years, and for the STM, two years. International students must complete the STM in 3 terms (Bulletin, Programs of Study).

Residence in Graduate Housing requires full-time enrollment (9 credits or greater).

Eligibility for Yale Health benefits requires enrollment at half-time (6 credits) or greater.

Eligibility for federal loans requires half-time enrollment (6 credits or greater). In addition, most loan deferments require enrollment at half-time (6 credits) or greater.

It is expected that students in the M.Div. program will pay tuition for twenty-four courses in order to receive their degree; students in the M.A.R. program will pay tuition for sixteen courses to receive their degree; students in the S.T.M. program will pay tuition for eight courses to receive their degree. Except in cases of students who are in a joint-degree program, or whose credits have been accepted for transfer, each student must pay at least the full tuition for a degree regardless of the number of terms in which the student is enrolled. (Bulletin, Tuition and Fees chapter)

Students on F-1 or J-1 visas must be full-time enrolled every semester in order to maintain their immigration status. Students with further questions can contact OISS.

Beginning in 2022-2023, students accepted into the extended-year MAR program will be eligible for the same level of aid in their third year as they are in their first two years.

Admission into the extended-year MAR is competitive, so it is never something that a student can take for granted. It is designed for students who are very strong candidates for admission into top doctoral programs, but for whom an additional year of study will be critical for their success. See the Extended M.A.R. page.

Students may apply to transfer into another degree program. The degree change request form can be found here. However, it only makes sense to transfer into the MDiv degree program if this fits your vocational objectives, not in order to extend your time at YDS. The MDiv degree is a highly structured degree program, with many requirements suited to preparation for pastoral and other forms of ministry.