Registration Policies

Registration

Registration at CIA consists of two components: 

• Course pre-scheduling
• Tuition payment

Both of these components must be completed each semester before a student is considered enrolled at CIA. Students who have not completed course pre-scheduling and tuition payment by the end of the late registration period (the period starting with the first day of class through the last day of drop/add) will not be permitted to enroll for that semester. 

Course Reservation

Currently enrolled students have the opportunity to pre-schedule their courses early for the following semester through the Registrar’s Office. Course reservation dates for the fall semester are posted on the Academic Calendar and normally occur in mid-April; for the spring semester in mid-November.  

Course pre-scheduling consists of consulting with an advisor on planning a course schedule for the upcoming semester and processing the course schedule through the Registrar’s Office. Course pre-scheduling gives students the opportunity to pay tuition by mail. Students must pay tuition on the courses they pre-schedule before they are considered registered and permitted to attend classes. All students who plan to return the following semester are advised to participate in the course pre-scheduling process. Students who complete the course pre-scheduling process and who will be in the Cleveland area may use their library cards between semesters.

Independent Study

Any sophomore, junior, or senior may propose a semester-long independent study course, equivalent to three credits of liberal arts or studio elective. In general, the purpose of independent study is to pursue a topic of interest not available in the curriculum. 

• Students are limited to one independent study per semester and to a total of six credits (2 courses) of liberal arts or studio independent study.
• The minimum G.P.A. to participate is 2.5, which will be verified by the student's academic advisor.
• Proposals for independent study need to be approved by a faculty sponsor, department chair and submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval. 
• The faculty sponsor must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Approved proposals must be submitted to the Registrar for proper credit. Independent study is graded and cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis.
•  An independent study application form is available from your academic advisor.

For more information or to begin this process, please email advising@cia.edu or your designated academic advisor.