Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC)

The Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) provides eligible Arts and Sciences doctoral students the opportunity to cross-register for graduate-level courses at member schools.

Eligibility

PhD students in good academic standing, in registration years two through seven in eligible Arts and Sciences doctoral programs (listed under “PhD and DMA Programs”), are able to participate in the IUDC.

First-year PhD students are not eligible to participate in the consortium.
Master’s students are not eligible to participate in the consortium.

Registration Deadlines

Spring 2025 IUDC registration for all students will begin on Monday, December 2, 2024.

All students participating in the IUDC must submit Columbia’s online IUDC application by Friday, January 31, 2025. Students wishing to drop Columbia classes must do so by Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

Note: IUDC is limited to the fall and spring semesters. Eligible IUDC students may take up to two courses per semester. Summer session and intersession courses are not eligible for the IUDC.

Courses taken through the IUDC must be taken for a letter grade or Pass/Fail. R credit and Audit are not permitted. 

Queries may be directed to the Columbia IUDC Coordinator, Sophia Cheng, at [email protected].

Columbia students register for the course(s) they plan to take at the host school by submitting both the IUDC Registration Form and Columbia’s online IUDC application. Our students are also required to register at the host school for any course(s) taken through the consortium, and should thus familiarize themselves with the registration deadlines and academic regulations of the host school.

Please complete the following steps in order.

  1. Complete all sections of the IUDC Registration Form, including the “Host School” section. After obtaining your advisor’s signature, email your form in a PDF format to [email protected]. The GSAS coordinator will sign the IUDC form within two business days after certifying that you are an eligible Columbia PhD student in an Arts and Sciences program and that any courses you wish to take at the host school are IUDC-eligible.
     
  2. Obtain the signatures of the host instructor and host school IUDC coordinator. If you receive permission from the host instructor via email, this electronic approval is acceptable in place of a formal signature. Send the host school IUDC coordinator a PDF of the instructor’s email with your paper registration form.
     
  3. Submit Columbia’s online IUDC application by the registration deadline (January 31, 2025). Upload to this online application the paper form containing all four signatures (i.e., Columbia advisor, Columbia IUDC coordinator, host school instructor, and host school IUDC coordinator), as well as a PDF of the instructor’s permission email, if applicable.
     
  4. Register with the host school. For instructions, visit the host school’s IUDC website, linked below in the “Member Schools” section, or contact the host school IUDC coordinator, listed on the second page of the IUDC registration form.
     
  5. Obtain an ID card at the host school. You will need to bring either a passport or a state-issued ID. Confirm with the host school whether you will also need to obtain a semester sticker.
     
  6. Set up an email account at the host school to ensure that you receive information regarding your course(s) there. 

Next Steps:

The Columbia IUDC coordinator will have the Columbia Registrar’s Office add the respective course(s) to your roster of classes on SSOL once you have submitted the online application with the completed IUDC registration form.

The host school will send GSAS your grade(s) after they have been posted, in February for the fall semester, and June for the spring semester. The GSAS IUDC coordinator will submit the grade(s) to the Registrar’s Office to be updated in SSOL. Retain the original IUDC registration form until a grade appears on your transcript.

If you receive an “Incomplete,” or if your grade remains blank or incorrectly listed in SSOL, contact the host school IUDC coordinator and request that a copy of your transcript be sent to the attention of the GSAS IUDC coordinator. Be advised that it is your responsibility to ensure any grade changes at the host school are communicated to GSAS.

Immunization Requirements and Student Health Insurance

All visiting students to Columbia must comply with the University’s immunization requirements. Visiting students must submit documentation for MMR, and make a decision regarding the meningitis vaccine. Visiting students who do not satisfy the immunization requirements will not be registered for the course(s) listed in their IUDC application.

Please visit Columbia Health’s Immunization Compliance page for more information.

All visiting students taking courses at Columbia through the IUDC are not eligible for the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan. Visiting students should contact their home school regarding health insurance.

Please complete the following steps in order.

  1. Confirm here that the course(s) you intend to register for are offered by an eligible Arts and Sciences program. Next, check the specific course in Columbia’s Directory of Classes for any additional eligibility requirements noted by the instructor of the course. Courses eligible for IUDC registration begin with either GU- or GR- (e.g., AHAR GU4741, AHAR GR6408).

    Note: If the course you wish to take is not offered by an Arts and Sciences program, you may not register for the class, despite having received instructor approval.
     
  2. Complete Columbia’s two-step application process by the registration deadline (as noted above in “Registration Deadlines”). 
     
    1. First, fill out the paper IUDC Registration Form and obtain the signatures of your home school advisor, home IUDC coordinator, and the instructor of any Columbia course you wish to take. If the course’s instructor grants permission to take the course via email, a PDF of the email is acceptable in place of a formal signature.
       
    2. Second, submit Columbia’s online IUDC application. Upload a PDF of the signed paper IUDC form, as well as a PDF of the instructor’s approval email, if applicable, into the online application. You do not need the signature of the Columbia IUDC coordinator before uploading the paper registration form or submitting the online application.
       
      Note: The paper IUDC form must be submitted through the online application. Do not submit it via email or in person. 
       
  3. Allow five business days for processing. You will receive an email notification of the status of your application, including instructions to activate your UNI (University Network ID) and Columbia email address (also found on the CUIT website); how to submit your immunization records, and to obtain an ID card.
     
  4. Activate your UNI (University Network ID). Please follow the instructions in the confirmation email.
     
  5. Submit your Immunization Records to the Immunization Office. Documentation should be uploaded to the Columbia Health Patient Portal as soon as your UNI is activated. Columbia’s immunization requirements can be found here.

    Note: You will be registered for the approved course(s) listed on your online application after you have satisfied all the immunization requirements and the immunization hold is lifted. You may check your registration status through Student Services Online (SSOL).
     
  6. Obtain a Columbia ID card, which confers access to the Columbia library system and other services.
     
    Once you have been registered for your course(s), you must submit a photo online to be used for your Columbia ID card. You will receive information via email about where to pick up your ID card.

    If you already have a Columbia ID card, you should obtain a semester sticker for that card. Stickers are available at the GSAS Student Affairs Office in 107 Low Library.
     
  7. Follow relevant Columbia policies and deadlines (e.g., for dropping a course, or submitting required course materials to replace an Incomplete with a letter grade).
     
    Note: Visiting students are responsible for paying all class or material fees associated with the class in which they are registered.  

    If you decide to drop your course(s), you must email the Columbia IUDC coordinator by the drop deadline listed above.

  8. The Columbia IUDC coordinator will inform your home school of your grade(s) after the end of the semester. Grades are sent in February after the fall semester, and in June for the spring semester. If your grade is incorrectly listed or is blank at your home school, log in to Student Services Online (SSOL) using your UNI and password to request an updated copy of your transcript be sent to your home school IUDC coordinator. Be advised that it is your responsibility to ensure any grade changes at Columbia are communicated to your home school IUDC coordinator. You should retain the original registration form until a grade appears on your home school transcript.

Students from other universities who wish to take a TC course submit all paperwork directly to TC and not through Columbia’s online application.