Incoming Cross-Registration FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions About Incoming Cross Registration Petitions

  • How do I apply to take a course at Harvard Law School?

    You must apply via https://my.harvard.edu/ within the timeframe listed in the Cross-Registration Calendar and be eligible for cross-registration at HLS.

    For technical assistance, please contact Harvard IT or visit their website.

  • Where can I get a status update about my petition?

    Any status updates about your petition can be viewed in real time by logging into my.Harvard. The Registrar’s Office staff will not have any additional information about the status of your petition since it is updated in real time.

  • I was approved, why am I not enrolled?

    There are two (2) approvals that students must receive. The first approval is that of the faculty/instructor, after which, the second approval is that of the Registrar’s Office. Students cannot be enrolled unless they have received both approvals.

    The status your petition can be viewed in real time by logging into my.Harvard.

  • I was enrolled, why don’t I have Canvas access yet?

    Please allow 2-3 business days before following up about canvas access; it is granted automatically but can sometimes be delayed per it’s cross-system implementation.

  • Why was I denied enrollment?

    Cross-registration at HLS is not guaranteed. An instructor could deny a petition for a number of reasons and instructors are not obligated to accept cross-registrants into their course(s).

    The Registrar’s Office only denies a petition based on course capacity. If you were denied enrollment by the Registrar’s Office, is means that the course is fully enrolled with a waitlist of HLS students, and there are no available seats for cross-registrants. For the same reason, there is no waitlist option available to non-HLS students.

    If there are limited available seats in a course for multiple approved cross-registrants, student enrollment is processed by date of application until all seats are filled.

  • I want to sit in/listen/audit a course at HLS, what do I do?

    Cross-registration for courses and Auditing courses at HLS follow two separate processes. Non-HLS students interested in auditing a class at HLS should not submit a cross-registration petition and instead submit an audit petition found on the HLS Policies and Forms webpage.

  • The HLS petition dates fall outside of my home school add/drop dates, what do I do?

    Because final enrollment into an HLS course is not guaranteed and is often given notice to students after their Home School’s add/drop deadline, it is recommended that petitioners do not plan their Home School schedule around enrollment into HLS as a cross-registrant. All schools have policies and procedures in place to accommodate late cross-registration enrollment after their add/drop deadline. Please contact your Home Registrar’s Office for their official policies.

  • How will my grade transfer to my home school?

    Your home school will determine how your HLS grade will transfer, please contact your home school Registrar for this information.

    All Harvard Law School academic work—with the exception of specified courses offered on a credit/fail basis—will be graded Honors, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail (H, P, LP, or F).

  • The course I’m interested in is not available for cross-registration, why?

    There is no cross-registration into the first-year basic courses: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legislation and Regulation, 1L International or Comparative, Problem Solving Workshop, Property, Torts, and Legal Research and Writing. There are no exceptions.

  • I missed the cross-registration deadline, what do I do?

    Prospective cross-registrants are expected to abide by HLS policy, dates, and deadlines. If you have missed the deadline to apply this semester, we encourage you to apply next term!