Auditing a Course

Auditing is a course enrollment option available to current UNC students and non-UNC students (such as campus employees, community members, and students of other institutions). Audit enrollment is processed by the University Registrar’s Office contingent on required approvals and successful completion of registration forms.

A course is not permitted for auditing if it meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Is a laboratory or recitation
• Focuses on the development of written or oral communication skills
• Relies heavily on class participation
• Is an independent study, internship, special topics, directed readings, or similar

Participation

Auditors do not:

• Submit assignments to the instructor
• Request review or receive feedback of written work
• Take quizzes or examinations
• Participate in class discussions unless otherwise directed by the course instructor

Records and Grades

• Auditors will appear on the instructor’s class roster and an AU will be inputted on the grade roster, but no record of the course will appear on a transcript.
• Undergraduate students who audit a course may not subsequently enroll in and receive course credit for the same course they have audited.
• Graduate students may later enroll in and receive academic credit for a previously audited course; however, retroactive academic credit for an audited course is not permitted.
• No course credit is awarded to audited enrollment.

Registration and Fees

The process and fees for auditing a course vary depending on the prospective auditor’s classification. Please direct any registration questions to registrar@unc.edu for guidance.

Current UNC Students

• Approval: students must receive permission from the instructor and department chair to audit their desired course. Once confirmed, additional approval from their academic program is required.
• Registration Form: an academic advisor of the student’s program will complete the audit registration form if the course is eligible for audit enrollment and appropriate approval from the teaching department is received. “AUD” for audit must be indicated on the form.
• Fees: no tuition or fees are billed to the student for audit enrollment.
• Request Submission: the audit registration form must be submitted to the University Registrar’s Office by an academic advisor of the student’s program. Requests will not be accepted directly from the student.
• Timeline: Requests to audit a course may be submitted only after the end of the official registration period (Last Day for students to add a course or late register) when it has been determined that there is still space available in the class. Important registration dates can be found on the Academic Calendar of the term.

Non-UNC Students

• Approval: non-UNC students must receive permission from the instructor and department chair to audit their desired course.
• Registration Forms: the Student Services Manager (SSM) of the teaching department may provide an audit registration form to the prospective auditor. Signature of the course instructor and department chair are required. “AUD” for audit must be indicated on the form.
  • Non-UNC students are required to additionally complete the Non-UNC Auditor Form with all required biographical information. This allows the University Registrar’s Office to create a PID, which will be used for registration and billing purposes. A new form must be submitted for each term an auditor wishes to attend the university.
• Fees: audit registration is $20 per course. This fee is waived for auditors 65 years or older.
• Request Submission: the audit registration form and Non-UNC Auditor Form may be accepted by the University Registrar’s Office from the teaching department of the course or the auditor directly via email or in person by appointment. Registration forms will not be accepted without appropriate signatures.
• Timeline: Requests to audit a course may be submitted only after the end of the official registration period (Last Day for students to add a course or late register) when it has been determined that there is still space available in the class. Important registration dates can be found on the Academic Calendar of the term.

Course Resources

Course Catalog: view courses along with their descriptions offered by UNC-Chapel Hill.

Class Search: search for courses offered in a specific term. Class section information such as meeting dates/times, instructors, and seat availability is included.

UNC Directory: locate the contact information for audit request approvers, such as the instructor and department chair.

Student Services Directory: identify the Student Services Manager contact of the teaching department in which your desired course is offered (*for non-UNC student audit procedure only).