Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Registration Services? Please look below to find answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Registering for Classes

How do I obtain a permission number for courses requiring special permission?

If you need a permission number for a course that requires special permission, you can request one by sending an email to lawreg@pitt.edu or stopping by the Registrar's Office. Please make sure to include the catalog and course numbers as well as your PeopleSoft number in your request. The permission number will be emailed to you.

Where can I find all of the various credit limits that apply to JD students?

Here are links to the descriptions on the Law School’s web site of the various credit limits that apply to JD students:

29-credit cap on study abroad

17-credit cap per semester (scroll down to “Credit Limits”)

10-credit per-semester cap on clinic credits

6-credit cap on non-law courses

6-credit cap on summer study at other law schools

4-credit cap on activities for credit (e.g., moot court and journal)

4-credit cap on externships (with the exception of the DC semester)

Please note that these are generally caps on the number of credits that can be counted toward the JD degree. Even if a course cannot count toward the JD degree, it will still appear on your transcript if it was taken at or through the University of Pittsburgh.

How do I obtain a permission number for a closed course?

As described on the Registration Services web page, students who are attempting to register for a course that is full should not contact faculty members for permission to register for the course. In order to register for classes that are full, you must request permission from the Law School Registrar’s Office, as described below. If permission is granted, you will be issued a Permission Number, which you will enter when you add the course.

As a first step in attempting to enroll in a class that is currently full, please monitor PeopleSoft and continue to attempt to add the course if an opening becomes available. Only if you are unable to add the course by noon on the next to the last day of the open enrollment period, because it continues to remain full, should you then contact the Registrar’s Office.

To request a permission number for a course that remains full at noon on the next to the last day of open enrollment, please email the Registrar's Office at lawreg@pitt.edu or stop by the Registrar's Service Window during business hours. If you email your request, please include your PeopleSoft ID, course title and 4-digit catalog number. Requests for permission numbers are issued in the order that requests are received.

How do I withdraw from or drop a course after open enrollment ends?

After open enrollment ends, you may only withdraw from or drop a course with the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. To obtain permission, please send an email to the Associate Dean with a copy to lawreg@pitt.edu. In your email, please explain the circumstances surrounding your request, as permission to drop (as opposed to taking a monitored withdrawal from) a course is granted only in the presence of special circumstances. If a request for a monitored withdrawal is approved, the University charges no fee for processing the request. If special circumstances exist and a request to drop a class is approved, then the University will charge a late add/drop fee.

Why is there an ADV hold on my account?

ADV holds will be placed on all Joint Degree students. This requires students to contact the Law School Registrar's Office before they register for any term so their account can be properly flagged depending on which program is going to be primary for that term. It will ensure that they are registered and billed properly to avoid issues with loans or duplicate billing.

How do I register for non-law courses offered by other schools at the University of Pittsburgh?

You can register for a course by completing the Permission to Register for Non-Law Elective form which can be found here: http://www.law.pitt.edu/files/attached/page/PermissionToRegisterNonLaw.pdf. Once you have filled out the form, please bring it with a course description to the Registrar's Office so we can give it to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for final approval. You will also need to contact the department offering the course to obtain a permission number from them to register for the course.

How do I register for courses outside the University (cross-registration or PCHE)?

Full-time students are permitted to register for a course at a PCHE institution in the fall and spring terms. The course, earned grade, and units will appear on your Pitt transcript but will not be included in your Law GPA. Students who wish to cross-register must obtain the PCHE Form from the Law School Registrar's Office. To begin the process, you must first obtain an authorizing signature from the host institution allowing you to take the course before you submit the form to the Law School Registrar's Office. Once you have done that, submit the form to the Law Registrar's Office which will then give it to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for approval. The registration process takes a few weeks to complete and students should allow ample time for necessary approvals before the registration is processed. Additional information and a list of PCHE institutions can be found at this link: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/cross_registration.html.

What does auditing a course mean and how do I register for it?

Information on auditing a course can be found here: http://www.law.pitt.edu/students/policies/audited-courses. You may register for a course audit during the open enrollment period. The open enrollment period begins two weeks after the registration appointments begin and runs through the end of the first week of class.

Where do I go for help if I'm having trouble with PeopleSoft ?

You can obtain technical assistance anytime by calling the University Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP [4357]. You can refer to the interactive demonstration (iDemo) video posted in My Pitt. To access that, Click Learn More just below the Student Center link on your portal home page. You can also come to the Law School Registrar’s Office during business hours or email the Law Registrar’s Office at lawreg@pitt.edu.

Under what circumstances can I reschedule an exam?

You can reschedule an exam under the two following circumstances: 1) if you have two exams that are scheduled for the same time or 2) if you have three exams back to back. An example of this would be if you had an exam in the morning and afternoon on the same day and then had another exam in the morning the very next day. Take home exams are not included in this rule. If you have extenuating circumstances, you will need to contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to make arrangements.

How will I be accessing my take-home exams?

For “traditional” take-home exams (i.e., those that you are permitted to work on for 24 hours or longer), you will access your exam through Planet SSI, which is a web-based platform for accessing exams provided by Software Secure.
For take-home exams that you must complete in fewer than 24 hours (i.e., those that more closely mimic in-class exams), you will access your exam through the Software Secure’s Securexam software that you normally use when taking in-class exams on a laptop.

How will I use my Exam ID for take-home exams on Planet SSI and Securexam?

For Planet SSI take-home exams, you will include your Exam ID in your answer for the exam, as you would with a take-home exam picked up from and dropped off to the Registrar's Office.

For Securexam take-home exams, you will not enter your Exam ID when working on your exam. After your exam is uploaded, your Exam ID will be substituted for the Pitt email address that you used to log into Securexam. The printed exams given to professors for grading will show only your Exam ID. You will need your Exam ID when you pick up your exam from your professor or if you have questions about your exam.

If my Securexam take-home exam has a page limit, how is that page limit calculated?

All page limits are based on double-spaced pages. You must therefore type all of your exams with page limits double-spaced. On a PC, you do this by clicking on Format -> Paragraph and then choosing 2 in the drop down menu for line spacing. On a Mac, you can set the line spacing in the toolbar at the top of your answer.

If I am taking a Securexam take-home exam, can I take the exam at any time after the posted release time?

Unless specifically indicated otherwise (e.g., Prof. Foreman’s Employment Discrimination exam), the Securexam take-home exams are not self-scheduled take-home exams, but are to be treated as the equivalent of an in-class exam. Thus, if a Securexam take-home exam is scheduled for April 26 at 9 AM, then you must access the exam at 9 AM on April 26 (and complete the exam within the prescribed time frame).

If, for any reason, you are unable to access the exam at the appointed time, you should contact the Registrar’s Office immediately at 412-648-1407 to advise them of the circumstances, just as you would if you were prevented from arriving at an in-class exam on time. If it is a technical issue that is preventing you from accessing the exam on time, then you should contact the IT Department for assistance at 412-624-5699.

If I am taking a 24-hour Planet SSI take-home exam, can I access the exam over the weekend?

All of the 24-hour Planet SSI take-home exams are listed as no Friday or weekend access. So, you may not take these exams over the weekend. Access is restricted due to the unavailability of IT assistance with downloading exams and uploading answers over the weekend.

Do I need to be connected to the Internet during the entire time that I work on my exam?

Whether you are using Planet SSI or Securexam, you do not need to be connected to the Internet during the entire time that you are working on an exam. You only need to be connected to the Internet when you download the exam before you start working on it and when you upload your answer after you finish working on it.
If you encounter difficulties either downloading the exam or uploading your answer, please call the IT Department immediately at 412-624-5699 to seek help with your problem.

Can I exit and re-enter the Securexam software while I work on my exam?

For take-home exams administered through Securexam, you will not be able to exit out of and go back into the software during the exam. You will need to keep the software running and the exam open during the entire time that you are working on the exam. You should only exit out of the software when you have concluded working on the exam.

Am I restricted in any way when writing an exam downloaded from Planet SSI?

No. For take-home exams downloaded from Planet SSI, you will be working on your exam as you would a take home exam that you picked up in hard copy from the Registrar’s Office. In other words, you will be using MS Word or another word processing program to type your answer. When you have completed your exam, you will upload your answer through Planet SSI.

Can I print out a copy of the exam questions and of my answer?

For take-home exams downloaded from Planet SSI, you will be able to print out a copy of your exam and of your answer.
For take-home exams administered through Securexam, it will depend on whether your exam has been designated open or closed book in Securexam.
If your exam has been designated open book, then you can print out a copy of your answer directly from Securexam. To print out a copy of the exam question, you will need to select the text of the question, copy it, and paste it into MS Word or another word processing program in order to print out the question.
If your exam has been designated closed book, you will not be able to print out either the exam questions or a copy of your answer. Your answer will be saved in an encrypted file on your computer with backups.

If I choose to take my take-home exam at the University, will the “clock” be stopped if there is a bomb threat in the building I am located in?

No, the clock will not stop if there is a bomb threat in the building in which you happen to be taking the take-home exam. If you need to find a quiet place away from your residence to take your exam, you might consider working at your local public library. We are also contacting other locations in the area to see if they would be willing to allow law students to use their facilities as a quiet place to work on exams. We will provide you updates regarding those locations as they become available.

Where can I find the video tutorials on using Securexam and Planet SSI?

The video tutorial for Securexam Student can be found here. The video tutorial for Planet SSI can be found here.

Where can I find my PeopleSoft ID?

You can find your PeopleSoft ID on my.pitt.edu in the Student Services Center.

What are activities for credit?

Activities for credit include moot court competition and journal participation. A student may earn a maximum of four academic credits through participation in students activities approved for academic credit. A student may register for only one moot court per semester and may not receive credit for the same moot court activity in more than one semester. Externship credits and TA Training are not activities for credit.

How do I check my class attendance?

For the Law School's attendance policy--including a description of how to check your class attendance, please click here.

What are the procedures for verifying enrollment for health insurance, job opportunities, etc.?

You can stop by the Registrar’s office to request a letter verifying your enrollment for the semester. You can also submit a request to lawreg@pitt.edu. Please be sure to include the information for where you would like the letter to be sent or let us know if you will be picking up the letter. Bar forms are completed by the Dean’s Office and should be submitted to Sue Leroy. Verification of enrollment for loans or loan deferrals can only be completed by the University Registrar’s Office. The University form can be found here: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/Forms/Enrollment%20Verification.pdf.

How do I request a Letter of Good Standing?

Letters of Good Standing can be requested by contacting Sue Leroy in the Dean’s Office either by email at leroy@pitt.edu or by telephone at 412-648-1401.

How do I terminate enrollment for all classes?

If you plan on taking a leave of absence or are transferring out of the Law School, you should drop all of your classes through your my.pitt.edu account in PeopleSoft. Classes can be dropped without penalty through the end of the open enrollment (add/drop) period. You can also drop all of your courses by contacting the Student Appeals Office. Detailed information can be found here: http://www.cfo.pitt.edu/students/resignation.html. You must also complete a Change of Status form and return it to the Law School Registrar’s Office. The Change of Status form can be found here: http://www.law.pitt.edu/files/attached/page/ChangeOfStatus.pdf

Where do I request a copy of my official/unofficial transcript?

You must request a copy of your official/unofficial transcript from the University Registrar’s Office. You can do that by filling out the Transcript Request Form and submitting it to the University Registrar’s Office. The link for the form and additional information can be found here: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/transcripts.html.

Can I have my official/unofficial transcript sent to me via email?

Currently, transcripts cannot be sent via email.

Can the Registrar's Office release a transcript from another school?

No. Federal regulations do not permit the Registrar’s office to release information from other schools even though it is part of your student file.

How do I order a large diploma?

Large diplomas can be ordered by completing the Diploma Reorder Request form. The form can be found here: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/diplomas.html. If you have not yet graduated, please return the form along with a check or money order made payable to the University of Pittsburgh to the Law School Registrar’s office. If you are a recent graduate, you should return the form directly to the University Registrar’s Office at the address noted on the Diploma Reorder Request form.

How do I contact the Registrar's Office?

There are several ways to contact the Registrar’s Office. You can email the general address at lawreg@pitt.edu. You can contact the Registrar, Beth Liberatore, directly by calling 412-648-1409 or emailing btl@pitt.edu. You can also contact her assistant, Jaime Horensky, directly by calling 412-648-1407 or emailing Horensky@pitt.edu.

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