Graduate Studies Frequently Asked Questions

Registration for the spring semester occurs in November, and fall registration opens in April.  Summer registration opens in late March or early April.  Always review the Academic Calendar to familiarize yourself with important academic dates.

Starting in the second semester, degree students can enroll in classes using TCOnline unless they are registering for theses, research projects, independent studies, or internships.  Students must use their TCOnline login ID and passwords to register. If you have lost your password, you must contact the Help Desk to have it reset. Information regarding accessing TCOnline and instructions on how to register for classes, view class schedules, and view grades can be found here.

New students, nondegree students, and students registering for theses, independent studies, research projects, and internships cannot register online.  To register for classes, these students must submit the online Graduate Studies Registration form.

Student Accounts and the Health Center can place holds on your account that can block both your registration and graduation.  Each of these offices sends out notices when the holds are placed, and it is your responsibility to contact them for instructions on clearing the hold.  You can view your holds by logging into TCOnline and reviewing them in your Student Center.  Your holds are displayed on the right side of the Student Center page.  The hold will list the appropriate office to contact for additional information.

Add/Drop starts shortly after registration ends, and continues through the first six class days of the next semester.  The last day to drop a class is the 6th day of classes.  Always review the Academic Calendar to familiarize yourself with important academic dates.

Students may withdraw from a full semester through the mid-term of the semester.  Always review the Academic Calendar to familiarize yourself with important academic dates.

Withdrawing after the mid-term is only permitted under extraordinary circumstances.  If you are considering dropping after the midterm, you must discuss your decision with your advisor.  You must then submit a written petition to [email protected].

To view the courses being offered in any given semester, visit the Schedule of Courses.

To buy books for classes visit the Trinity College Bookstore.  Once there, click on the “Textbooks” link on the top menu, and follow the steps to view the textbooks assigned for the class.

Moodle is the course management software used at Trinity College. Trinity faculty may use Moodle for remote, hybrid and in-person instruction, which includes sharing resources (PDFs, links, e-books, and more) with students;  posting quizzes; participating in discussion forums; collecting and grading assignments and papers; and much more. If your professor will be using Moodle, please visit the Moodle Resource Center to learn more about it.

You can find access to several citation guides by visiting the Citation Guide webpage hosted on the Library and Information Technology Services website.

First, make sure that your professor will be using Moodle for the class and that you have been added.  If so, and if you still have issues accessing Moodle or any Trinity system, please contact the HelpDesk. They will assist you with any access issues you may have.

Students need to complete and submit a Graduate Degree Application.  Once submitted, a copy will be sent electronically to both the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students completing their programs in the summer should submit the Degree Application at the start of the summer.

Students completing their programs in the fall or spring should submit the Degree Application by November 6.

Students must have completed their capstone, be within two credits of fulfilling their degree requirements, and submit a plan of completion during the summer to [email protected].  This plan should include a transfer credit application if the required coursework will not be taken at Trinity.

Caps and gowns are automatically charged to your student account when you submit your graduate degree application.  In April, graduating students will receive an envelope with a cap and gown order form, as well as four extreme weather tickets and non-personalized announcements for guests.  Caps and gowns can then be picked up at the Trinity College Bookstore.

In April, students will receive an in-absentia form requesting the mailing address where diplomas can be sent after Commencement.  If you will not be attending graduation, please complete and submit the form.  Once submitted, a copy will be sent electronically to both the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Graduate Studies.  If you have been charged for the cap and gown, the charge will be removed.

Information regarding Commencement can be found on the Trinity College Commencement Weekend site.