Office of the Registrar

Explore the Course Catalog and learn more about the programs and courses at Golden Gate University.

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 identifies the rights of students and their families with respect to student educational records kept by institutions. The following information provides operational procedures for certain aspects of FERPA-related policies at Golden Gate University.

• Confidentiality
• Student Rights Under FERPA
• Directory Information
• FERPA Frequently Asked Questions
• Confidentiality Forms

Golden Gate University recognizes that some students prefer to be known by chosen or preferred names rather than their legal names. The university strives to use and display chosen names wherever and whenever possible in its student records, learning management systems, and communications information systems. To that end, once declared, chosen names will appear in Self-Service, GGU4YOU, eLearning and other information systems where students’ instructors or classmates can see their names. In addition, if students have declared preferred pronouns, they too will appear on instructors’ GGU4YOU class rosters. In addition to declaring their chosen names and preferred pronouns, students may enter their nicknames and gender identities via the Personal Identity form by following the steps below.

To declare chosen names and pronouns, students should complete the following steps:

• Login to myGGU.
• Click on the Self-Service resource icon.
• Click on the User Profile icon, located in the upper-right hand corner of the page.
• Click on the Edit Personal Identity button.

The following policies apply to the declaration of chosen names:

• When entering chosen names into Self-Service, the first letter of each declared name must be capitalized, i.e., all lower-case names are not allowed.
• Students who want to be known by two first names, name (e.g., Mary Beth), should enter them together into the First Name field.
• After students have declared their chosen names by entering them into Self-Service, they may obtain student ID cards showing their chosen names from the GGU Hub, free of charge.
• Submitting a chosen name via Student Self-Service will automatically generate a new GGU student email address. Consequently, it is recommended that students enter their chosen names between academic periods to ensure there is no disruption in communications.
• Chosen names will not be used where legal names are required by law or institutional policy, such as: financial aid records, official transcripts, payroll records, and federal immigration records.
• Chosen names may appear on students’ diplomas so long as they have been entered by the students into Self-Service. However, if students need copies of their diplomas with their legal names, they will be required to pay for additional copies of their diplomas. Notarized copies of diplomas must display the student’s legal name on record.
• Students may change their chosen names or delete them from their records by updating the Personal Identity form via Self-Service.
• The use of chosen names for purposes of misrepresentation or fraud will be considered a violation of the student code of conduct.

Most students can register for most courses online via the myGGU portal.

• Registration for an academic period begins approximately eight weeks before the start of the “A” (trimester) term, per the Academic Calendar.
• Students may be allowed to add courses after the “Last Day to Register/Add Course” per the Academic Calendar, by completing the Late Registration Process. The process requires submission of the following to the Registrar’s Office:
  • Approval of the course instructor
  • Approval of a senior administrator of the school offering the course, such as the dean, program director, or department chair
  • Payment of the $100 Late Registration Fee

Golden Gate University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide an online transcript ordering service. You can order your transcript using any major credit card. Your credit card will not be charged until your order is completed.

• To order an official transcript(s), go to the Transcript Ordering Center site. You can also track your transcript order via the Transcript Order Status page. In addition, you can choose to receive email and/or text communications regarding your order status.
• To avoid having to sign a consent form, start the ordering process from your myGGU or GGU4YOU account. Otherwise, you can sign the consent form using your device.
• The Clearinghouse website will walk you through placing your order, including delivery options and fees. A fee of $10 per transcript copy and a processing fee of $2.90 per recipient will be charged. You can order as many transcripts as you wish in a single order, provided they are all sent to the same recipient.
• Note: when ordering a transcript via the National Student Clearinghouse, if you last attended GGU prior to 1983, you may get a message that says, “Your school was unable to find your record.” If that happens, click on the “No” button and then the “Continue” button to proceed with placing your order. We will research our archived records once the order has been received to produce your transcript.
• Attention Law School JD students: If you are seeking to transfer to another law school, in addition to ordering an official transcript, you will also need to request a letter of “good” academic standing by completing and submitting the Student Status Letter Request form to lawreg@ggu.edu. You may also need to have your Law School Admissions Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report sent directly from LSAC to the school to which you are attempting to transfer.
• If you need to change the legal name that will appear on your transcript before ordering a copy, submit the Student Information Change Request form, and wait until we have confirmed your name change before submitting an order.
• When requesting a copy of your transcript to be sent to WES World Education Services for credential evaluation, it is highly recommended that you select the PDF option.
• Download our Transcript Ordering Fast Facts for general transcript ordering information.

If you need further assistance, would like to order a transcript off-line, or have questions regarding your order, you may contact us at records@ggu.edu or 415-442-7260. If you have requested your order online via the National Student Clearinghouse, please include your order number in your communication to us.

Golden Gate University now offers digital diplomas and certificates. These are certified electronic credentials known as a CeDiploma or CeCertificate (CeDiploma/CeCertificate).

• Learn how it works
• Validate your diploma

You may order an additional or replacement copy of your diploma or certificate via CeCredential Trust. Note, if you want to have your diploma notarized by GGU’s Registrar’s Office, you must submit the “Additional Diploma/Certificate Request” form.

The Records Office will notarized your diploma (and transcripts if needed) in order to be authenticated by the California Secretary of State to become legal in certain countries outside of the United States. Please note that the Records Office does not provide the Apostille or Certification. You must obtain it from the California Secretary of State after you receive your notarized diploma. You may submit your copy of your diploma for notarization or request a new copy using the Additional Diploma/Certificate Request form. There is a charge of $10 for the notarized diploma. If you need to change your legal name-of-record before ordering a diploma, submit the Student Information Change Request form.

If you need further assistance or have questions, you may contact us at graduation@ggu.edu.

Instructions

1. Use the “Select PDF to be validated” button to search your desktop or network for the saved PDF document you wish to validate.
2. Select the document and validate.

Golden Gate University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide verification of our graduates’ degrees and current students’ enrollment information. Outside organizations or persons can obtain a verification using any major credit card. The requestors’ credit card will only be charged if the degree can be verified.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Domestic students may obtain an enrollment verification certificate from the National Student Clearinghouse. (GGU4YOU login required.)

Explore the Course Catalog and Law Student Handbook and learn more about the programs and courses at Golden Gate University.

Explore the Student Handbook Archive here.

The Registrar’s Office coordinates the grading processes. Grades are made available to students via myGGU/Self-Service once they are recorded. Grade reports will be provided to students upon request. To request a grade report, contact the Registrar’s Office. Grades are never released in person or over the telephone. Instructors in most JD courses may select a student to receive the Excellence for the Future Award, sponsored by the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). A notation is made on the transcripts of award recipients.

Fall 2023

• Dean’s List
• CALI Awards

JD students are ranked twice a year, at the end of the fall and spring semesters after all of the grades have been recorded. Full-time and part-time students are ranked together among a group of students with whom they are likely to graduate. Students are notified of their class rank by e-mail. JD graduates are ranked with their entire graduating class for a final time. Graduating class rank is determined once the summer term graduates degrees have been conferred. LLM students and graduates are not ranked.

The Registrar’s Office maintains the Law School’s academic program requirements in the student information system. Academic program requirements include required GPAs (both overall and for the required courses), required total units, required courses, and required number of elective units. These program requirements allow students and administrators to perform degree audits, also known as academic program evaluations, which show how students are progressing toward graduation. Continuing students may view their academic program evaluation reports via myGGU/Self-Service. Students should click on “Student Planning” to view their reports. The academic program evaluation report is a useful tool for schedule planning prior to registration.

The Registrar’s Office reports enrollment status information for all students enrolled in Law School courses electronically to the National Student Clearinghouse. Consequently, most lenders will be notified of students’ enrollment statuses and will update their records accordingly. Students whose lenders do not participate in the clearinghouse, or those who need enrollment verification for other purposes, such as rental agreements, may obtain them free of charge. Enrollment verification letters may be requested with the Student Status Letter Request form. Loan deferment forms will also be processed free of charge. Requests are generally processed in the order received and may take up to three business days to be completed. Consequently, requests should be submitted well in advance of any pending due dates.

To obtain photo ID cards, students must first upload their photos to their myGGU profiles. After uploading their photos, they should email the GGU Hub to request to have their ID cards printed. Students then have the option of picking up their ID cards on campus or of having them mailed to them. Note: In order to enter the building, students must complete the COVID-19 Vaccination Attestation form. A link to the form is accessible via myGGU under the FAQs section. Students may obtain replacement ID cards from the GGU Hub for a $10 fee. Students must present their ID cards to gain access to the Law Library.

The Registrar’s Office confers degrees on behalf of the faculty to students who have completed their academic program requirements. Students must apply for graduation online via myGGU/Self-Service in order to have their degrees awarded. The Law School does not charge a graduation fee, but the application is required for the Registrar’s Office to determine how students want their names to appear in the commencement program and on their diplomas. Applications should be submitted in a timely manner in order to ensure students receive important information relating to the commencement ceremony held every May. Students who intend to participate in the ceremony must submit their applications by December 1 of the year preceding the ceremony. JD students pursuing specialization certificates must also submit JD Specialization Certificate Application forms. The Registrar’s Office also provides degree verification for Law School graduates. Degree verification letters may be requested with the Student Status Letter Request form. Duplicate or replacement diplomas may also be ordered at a cost of $50 each by submitting payment along with the Additional Diploma Request Form.

Every state requires that an individual be licensed in order to practice law. Each state has different requirements for licensure; almost all require an applicant to pass a general examination for competence, pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, and establish his or her moral character and fitness for practice.

JD students planning to practice in states other than California should consult the individual admissions requirements of those states. A list of state admissions offices is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners or most individual state Websites can be located by searching “Bar Exam” for that particular state.

The rules of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California require each law student who plans to take the California Bar Examination to register with the Committee and pay the prescribed fee after beginning the study of law. The registration form is available from the State Bar of California’s Admission Requirements page.

LLM students who obtained their first degrees in law from law schools located in foreign countries who are seeking admission to the State Bar of California should order official transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse to be sent to the Office of Admissions in Los Angeles as discussed on the Guidelines for Applicants with a Foreign Law Degree page. Note: the word “certificate” on the California State Bar webpage means “transcript.” See the Foreign Education page for additional information regarding registration requirements.

ennifer Rupert in the Dean’s Suite schedules rooms for all Law School courses and Law School related activities such as review sessions, student group meetings, and special events. Students and faculty should be sure to schedule rooms before publicizing their events. Detailed room requests should be sent to Jennifer at jenniferrupert@ggu.edu.

Most Law School students may register online via myGGU/Self-Service. Some students will be precluded from using Self-Service to register for various reasons. Students who cannot use Self-Service must submit hard copy Registration Request forms. Even students who cannot register via Self-Service will need a user account to view their grades and program evaluations at the end of the term, so they should make sure they can log in successfully or request assistance.

Entering JD students are enrolled in their first two semesters’ courses by the Registrar’s Office and do not have a choice of courses or sections. Students on academic probation, academic supervision, or who have other registration related holds, may not use online registration until they have received academic advising. JD students who have submitted Waiver of JD Program Rules forms and have been approved to enroll in overload units may not register for the overload units online. Instead, they must submit Registration Request forms to the Registrar’s Office to enroll in the overload units. Students may not register online for courses that require associate dean, program director, or instructor approval for enrollment. Students who use online registration may make schedule changes (add and drop courses) immediately after registering. Students who submit Registration Request forms may not make schedule changes (add and drop courses) until their forms have been processed.

Student Accounting Services (SAS) may place a hold on the records of students whose accounts are delinquent and they will not be allowed to register without having the hold removed or receiving approval from Student Accounting Services. A hold may also be placed on students’ records by other offices such as the Registrar’s Office, or International Student Services, if there are issues that must be resolved before registration. Students whose records have holds may not register until the office that placed the hold has removed it.

Priority registration will be available online via myGGU/Self-Service when the registration period begins for each academic term. Priority registration for JD students is determined by their anticipated graduation dates, as indicated in the table below. Students may update their anticipated gradation dates by contacting the Registrar’s Office.

Students who are precluded from using online registration (or who will not have access to the Internet when their priority registration period begins) may submit electronic Registration Request forms to the Registrar’s Office. Registration forms may be submitted via email or in person at the office. Students requesting a Waiver of JD Program Rules or Petition for Independent Study should submit the forms along with their registration forms to ensure there is no delay in processing. Students should also obtain any necessary approvals prior to submitting any forms.

The Registrar’s Office will process electronic Registration Request forms during the same time periods that online registration is available to each priority group. Forms submitted in person will not be processed before those that are submitted via email. Forms that are received after a student’s priority group period has ended will be processed during the next group’s period or during General Registration, whichever comes first.

Registration Statements are available upon request by contacting the Registrar’s Office.

*Please note: LLM Taxation and Estate Planning courses and MLS courses follow the university’s calendar. JD students seeking to register for LLM Taxation and Estate Planning courses  should contact Assistant Director Jeryl Wilford for assistance.

Students who are not allowed or who do not elect to register during their priority registration periods may register during General Registration. Processing during General Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Consequently, students are encouraged to utilize online registration via myGGU/Self-Service if they are not precluded from doing so.

Students who do not register by the “Last day to register/add,” as specified in the Academic Calendar, will be charged a Late Registration fee of $100 in addition to the $40 registration fee. Courses that start after the first week of the term may be added prior to the second class meeting without the instructor’s approval and without incurring a Late Registration Fee.

Students will be assessed the Delinquent Term Charges fee of $100 per semester/session if all tuition and fees are not paid in-full by the payment deadline for the term, as specified in the Academic Calendar.

Students who are attempting to resolve incomplete courses for which they have received permission to re-enroll should not register for the courses again. Instead, they should submit Notice of Intent to Complete Course forms to the Registrar’s Office. Students will be enrolled in their preferred course section, provided there is room, without tuition charge. Consequently, units for courses students are completing under this policy are not included in calculating their eligibility for financial aid. Students who are only enrolling in courses they are attempting to complete and who are not enrolling in any new courses will be charged the fees for the term, but no tuition.

When a course section is full, students who request enrollment may be placed on a waitlist for that section. Students who are placed on a waitlist are not enrolled in the course and are not charged for it until or unless a seat becomes available and they add the course. Wait-listed students will be notified by e-mail if a seat in the course section becomes available. The notification will be sent to the e-mail addresses on record with the Registrar’s Office. Because there may be other students eager to enroll, a time limit will be set for the notified students to add the courses. Students who are notified of an available seat may either add the course online myGGU/Self-Service, submit Registration Request forms, or send email messages to lawreg@ggu.edu indicating their desire to be enrolled in the courses. If students do not add the courses by their deadlines, the seats will be offered to the next students on the waitlists or made generally available. After the first class meeting the waitlists no longer apply and students may enroll in courses only with the instructor’s approval. Approval is generally given by signing the Registration Request form, but may also be given via e-mail.

It is recommended that students on waitlists attend the first class meeting for the section. Some instructors will not accept students who have missed the first class meeting without an excused absence. Sometimes instructors will allow wait-listed students to enroll if there are additional seats available in the classroom, but other sections may be limited to a certain capacity by other considerations.

Students who are wait-listed for a course and decide they don’t want to enroll in it should notify the Registrar’s Office at lawreg@ggu.edu so they can be removed from the list.

Under a cooperative arrangement entered into by Golden Gate University, University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall), and University of California, Davis, Golden Gate University students may enroll in one course per semester at another consortium school. Since many of these schools do not have a summer session, the consortium is only in effect during the fall and spring semesters. The following policies apply:

• Students must obtain advance approval for transfer of units prior to enrolling at the host institution. Transfer of units forms are available from the Registrar’s Office and on the forms page. (There are different forms for JD and LLM students). A maximum number of 6 units may be taken through the consortium per degree program.
• Students taking consortium courses pay tuition at their home schools. GGU students should register for LAW-701 to be assessed tuition. After registering for the pseudo-course, students should obtain the consortium form from the Registrar’s Office. Students should submit the consortium forms to the host institutions in lieu of payment and letters of good standing.
• Generally, host schools will accept registration requests from consortium students shortly before the start of the term. Students should contact host schools to inquire about registration periods for visiting students and any other limitations or special requirements.

GGU accepts visiting students from other ABA accredited law schools and law schools approved by the California Committee of Bar Examiners who are in good academic standing at their home law schools. Prospective visitors should request the registrar at their home school to send a “Letter of Good Standing” to the GGU Registrar’s Office. Visitors seeking to enroll in courses with prerequisites must also provide proof of having completed equivalent courses, either by inclusion of a statement in the “Letter of Good standing” or by submission of an official transcript. These documents must be received before visitors will be allowed to register. Visitors seeking to enroll in LLM courses also must obtain the permission of the LLM program administrative director.

Visitor registration begins one week after general registration has opened. See the Priority Registration for applicable dates. Visiting students may not register online using myGGU/Self-Service. Instead, they must submit Registration Request forms.

During the fall and spring semesters the Law School participates in a consortium of five bay area law schools, including University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, University of California, Davis, and University of California, Berkeley. Visitors from these schools seeking to take courses at GGU School of Law may submit a consortium form in lieu of the “Letter of Good Standing” and tuition payment. The consortium is not available during the summer session.

Visiting JD students may register for up to a cumulative total of 6 units. Prospective visiting students who want to take more than 6 units should contact the Law School Admissions Office to apply for full-time visitor status.

GGU transcripts for visiting students will not be automatically sent to their home schools. Instead, visitors must order copies of their transcripts from the Registrar’s Office regardless of whether they are visiting from a consortium school or not. Visitors should verify all of their grades have been recorded via myGGU/Self-Service before submitting transcript orders.

Members of the bar, JD graduates of other institutions, or GGU Law School alumni may take courses as non-degree-candidate students. Prospective non-degree-candidate students who are not GGU Law School alumni must present a bar membership card, official transcript, or other proof of having completed a JD degree to be allowed to register. All prospective non-degree-candidate students must obtain the approval of the Registrar, or the appropriate LLM program director, and the permission of their course instructors prior to registration. Courses are typically taken on an audit basis, but may be taken for credit. Non-degree-candidate students who audit courses receive a one-third tuition auditor discount at the time of registration.

Non-degree-candidate students who want to take courses for credit and receive grades must receive approval as described above. However, courses taken for credit prior to a student’s admission into an LLM degree program may be applied toward that program only with the approval of the program director. In addition, courses taken for credit do not receive the one-third tuition auditor discount.

Audit status is not available for GGU Law School degree-candidate students, with the exception of SJD students. However, the permission of the instructor is still required for SJD students to audit courses. SJD students may change to audit status by submitting a Registration Request form by the last day of instruction for the term.

Priority registration is not available to non-degree-candidate students. See the Academic Calendar to determine when “special” registration begins. Non-degree-candidate students may not register online using myGGU/Self-Service. Instead, they must submit Registration Request forms.

Veteran benefits are administered by the University Financial Aid Office. To initiate the certification of your enrollment, please contact GGU’s VA Official at 415-442-7283 or e-mail va@ggu.edu.

JD students are enrolled into two types of academic programs, full-time or part-time. Students enrolled in full-time programs may enroll in a maximum of 16 units per fall or spring semester. Students enrolled in part-time programs may enroll in a maximum of 12 units per fall or spring semester. Students enrolled in either type of program may enroll in a maximum of 8 units in the summer session, except for those enrolled in the Honors Lawyering Program or the Summer Trial and Evidence Program (1st STEP) who may enroll in a maximum of 11 units. Students who want to enroll in overload units based on their program types must first submit the Petition for Waiver of JD Program Rules forms to the associate dean for student services for approval. Registration for overload units will not be processed unless approved petition forms have been received by the Registrar’s Office. Students requiring a waiver of rules may not register for overload units online via myGGU/Self-Service. Instead, they must submit Registration Request forms to the Registrar’s Office to enroll in the overload units. Students should note that these enrollment maximums do not relate to the requirements for eligibility for financial aid. Financial aid eligibility is based on students’ term enrollment status classifications, not their program types.

ABA Standard 304(f) prohibits JD students from working in excess of 20 hours per week during any week in which the student is enrolled in more than twelve class hours. Twelve class hours is the equivalent of 12 semester units. First-year students in full-time programs may not work at all. Failure to comply with this requirement would be considered a violation of the Standards of Student Conduct. Upper-division students in full-time programs who anticipate that they will be working more than 20 hours per week on a long term basis should request to change to part-time academic programs by submitting Petition for Change of JD Academic Program forms.

Students who decided they don’t want to complete courses in which they are enrolled are responsible for withdrawing from the courses either by dropping them online via myGGU/Self-Service or by submitting Registration Request forms to the Registrar’s Office. Students who choose to withdraw completely from the Law School should complete and submit Withdrawal from Law School forms to the Registrar’s Office. See the Withdrawal Policy for information regarding the effect of withdrawal on students’ tuition charges.

• Request to Withhold Directory Information
• Student Information Change Request
• Student Information Release Authorization
• Student Status Letter Request
• Practical Training of Law Students (Note: The Declaration by Dean of Law School form should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office at least one month before the applicant’s first court date.)

• JD/MBA Program Application
• JD Program Upper-Division Writing Requirement Certification – Practice Based
• JD Program Upper-Division Writing Requirement Certification – Scholarly
• JD Student Request for Transfer of Units
• LLM Student Request for Transfer or Application of Units
• LLM US Legal Studies Concentration Application
• LLM Student Request for Waiver of Requirements
• Petition for Change of JD Academic Program

• Intent to Return from Leave of Absence
• Leave of Absence or Visit Away Hiatus Request
• Withdrawal from Law School

• Externship Clinic Application
• Notice of Intent to Complete Course
• Petition for Independent Study
• Petition for Waiver of JD Program Rules
• Registration Request

• Blue Book Claim Form
• Election for Credit No-Credit Grade
• Exam Reschedule Petition
• Petition for Incomplete Course Attempt
• Request for Language Accommodations

• Apply For Graduation (Degree Programs) (via myGGU and Self-Service)
• Certificate Program Request (Graduate Law Certificate Programs)
• JD Specialization Certificate Application
• Additional Diploma Request
• Rush Diploma/Certificate Request