Emory University OPUS: A Comprehensive Guide

Emory University's Online Pathway to University Student (OPUS) system is a vital resource for students, faculty, administrative staff, and alumni. It provides access to a wide range of academic and administrative functions. This article will explore the various features of OPUS, its role in academic life, and related university policies and resources.

Accessing Student Information and Services

OPUS provides current and prospective students with access to student information. Students can also sponsor accounts for guests in OPUS to perform functions such as paying bills, viewing grades, or signing up for the Emory Payment Plan. The service allows students to view information and perform functions related to financial aid, admission, academics, enrollment, student finances, advising, and personal biographical information. Faculty and staff can access this student information on a need-to-know basis, following federal regulations.

Registration Through OPUS

OPUS is the primary tool for course registration at Emory University. The registration process varies depending on the student's degree and year. First-year JD students, for example, are block registered for required courses in the fall and spring semesters by the Law Registrar. They self-register for one elective course in the spring semester during their assigned enrollment appointment. Returning JD, LLM, MLS, and SJD students self-register during their assigned enrollment appointment. MCL students are block registered for the terms (spring and summer) they are in residency.

Returning students (other than first-year JD and MCL students) enroll via a series of enrollment appointments scheduled by the Registrar. Accommodated students with priority registration enroll first during their 24-hour appointment window. JD students register next and are broken into categories by class year and/or special circumstance - 3L and joint degree students first, followed by 2L students, and 1Ls (if enrolling for Spring semester). After the JD class year appointments have ended, all students (including LLM, MLS, and SJD) may add courses or modify their schedule during Open Enrollment 1 (OE1), which typically lasts 1-2 weeks. Waiting lists also become active during OE1. Once exams are finished each semester, Open Enrollment 2 (OE2) offers a final opportunity for students to modify their schedule before the add/drop period during the first week of classes. Students enroll in courses through OPUS. Clinics, externships, and co-curricular activities are managed by the instructor. Course schedules are also available through the Course Planning and Enrollment tile in OPUS.

The Registrar reserves the right to cap the number of students by pedagogical requirements, class category (i.e., 2L, 3L, LLM, JM), and room capacity. Such decisions will be made in consultation with the faculty member and Associate Deans. The schedule is subject to change, including the addition and cancellation of classes.

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Important Dates for Registration

For example, Fall 2026 registration dates include:

Wednesday, March 25: Shopping cart feature opens in OPUS (Students can add courses to their cart and check for conflicts but cannot enroll until registration opens)
Tuesday, April 7: Fall 2026 Priority Registration Begins
Thursday, April 9 -Tuesday, April 14: Registration for classes (Waitlists are not available during this period). Students can verify their specific enrollment dates and times in OPUS self-service.
Wednesday, April 15: 1st Open Enrollment for Fall 2026 Begins (All Programs). Waitlists are available
Monday, April 20: 1st Open Enrollment for Fall 2026 Ends (All Programs). Waitlists are available
Friday, May 1: 2nd Open Enrollment for Fall 2026 Begins (All Programs)
Friday, May 29: 2nd Open Enrollment for Fall 2026 Ends (All Programs)

Holds and Clearances

It is crucial to check the Holds and Clearances section in OPUS to avoid any registration delays. Any enrollment delays or complications due to account holds are the student’s responsibility.

How to Register Using OPUS

For detailed instructions and user tips on registering for classes in OPUS, consult the Registration Guide PDF. A waitlist guide is also available for step-by-step instructions on placing yourself on a class waitlist in OPUS. Using the Shopping Cart feature is optional but requires logging into OPUS. Once the system processes your request, enrolled classes will be indicated by a green check, while unsuccessful enrollments will be marked with a red X. This information can be verified on the Student Center tab.

Non-Standard Course Enrollment

Certain courses require a different enrollment process than the standard first-come, first-served method. These include:

Clinics: Approved students enroll themselves during their appointment window. Reference the bulletin or ask for more information.
Doing Deals (LAW 659A and B): Transactional Law Program students are given permission to enroll during their assigned enrollment window. During Open Enrollment II, all students except second-semester first-year students may enroll in open courses.
Doing Deals Capstone Courses: Transactional Law Program students complete a pre-selection form indicating their preferences. Chosen students receive notification and enroll themselves during their assigned enrollment window. Open seats are available during Open Enrollment II.
Directed Research, Directed Study, Supervised Research: Students must complete the required form after speaking with their supervising professor. Once the form is complete with all permissions, the Registrar’s Office enrolls students in the appropriate course.
Externships: Work with the externship coordinator to accept externships through Symplicity and be assigned to a seminar course and fieldwork. The Externship Coordinator will work with the Registrar for enrollment.
Journal (ECGAR, EILR, ELJ, EBDJ): 2L and 3L students enroll themselves. Students are responsible for self-enrolling in additional course requirements dependent on the type of journal.
Writing Seminars: Complete the pre-selection form by the stated deadline. Participants chosen by the professor are notified before the enrollment appointment begins. Once notified, students are responsible for enrolling themselves. Any open seats will be made available during Open Enrollment !, if approved by the professor.

Overload Requests

JD students who anticipate needing permission to take more than 16 credit hours in a semester must fill out a Credit Overload Request form. It is recommended to seek approval a minimum of 48 hours before the start of the enrollment window. The Law Registrar’s Office will not process requests until approval has been received.

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Non-Law Courses

JD students who started their program as a 1L at Emory Law can take graduate-level courses outside the law school with the professor's written permission. Complete the Request To Take A Non-Law Course form after satisfying these conditions. The Registrar’s Office will notify you if your request was approved and will enroll you in the course. The grade earned will appear on your transcript but will not be calculated into your law school GPA.

Emory University's Copyright Policy

Emory University requires all students, faculty, and employees to adhere to U.S. copyright law, which restricts the reproduction, distribution, and other uses of copyrighted materials. This applies regardless of the intent or purpose of the research. The noncompliance issue stems from the method used to search the database's content. If Emory does not own the title, an Interlibrary Loan will be processed. All academic journal databases allow you to set up eJournal alerts and saved search alerts.

Resources for Research

Emory University provides access to many resources for research purposes. These include:

SSRN (Social Science Research Network): Includes working papers, forthcoming papers, and abstracts covering Leadership, Management, Marketing, Finance, and a broad range of business topics.
Sage Knowledge: SAGE eBook and eReference content containing over 4,600 titles. Content includes reference works, academic books, professional development titles, and more. Primarily strong in social science content (methods and reference).
CFDE (Center for Faculty Development and Excellence): Supports faculty in teaching, research, and professional development, offering programs and resources designed to assist faculty at every level of their professional careers. CFDE’s programs include writing groups and teaching consultations.
ECDS (Emory Center for Digital Scholarship): Works with Emory faculty and students to provide expertise, consultation, and technical assistance in creating digital projects. Expertise includes statistical analysis, GIS and mapping, data visualization, text analysis and electronic text encoding, digital publishing, and hybrid and online pedagogy.
Emory's Scholarly Communications Office: Services include assistance with author agreements and book contracts, copyright questions, electronic theses and dissertations support, open access publication, permissions, and research data management.

Library Access

You will need your EmoryCard to pass through the Woodruff Library Building’s turnstyles; download this EmoryCard app as back up in case you don’t have your EmoryCard with you.

Education Abroad Program Finances

Fees and Deposits

Education Abroad applications have a $75 application fee due during the application phase. Semester Abroad applications have a $300 program deposit, also due during the application phase. Accepted Summer Abroad applications must submit a $350 program deposit within 1-2 weeks of acceptance to secure their space in the program. Students with demonstrated financial need should inquire about the waiver and deferral process for these costs. The application fee and program deposits are non-refundable. Submitting the program deposit or receiving approval for a program deposit deferment means the student agrees to enroll in the applied program.

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Program Budgets

Each Education Abroad program has a Budget Sheet explaining all program costs. The Budget Sheet separates Billable Costs (costs paid to Emory) and Non-billable Costs (out-of-pocket costs). This information helps students develop an accurate program budget.

Billable Costs

After registering for study abroad courses in OPUS, billable costs are visible in the Emory student account. Program deposits paid to Emory appear as a credit. Emory sends a bill before the term starts, due according to the Student Accounts and Billing Office regular due dates for fall (August), spring (January), or summer (May) terms. Education abroad bills can be paid via OPUS or by contacting Student Accounts and Billing. No paper bills are sent; students must access their student accounts through OPUS. The guest access program allows parents or trusted persons to pay bills online.

Questions about financial aid, loans, scholarships, payment methods, or account balances should be directed to the Student Accounts and Billing Office.

Non-Billable Costs

Some programs require additional fees paid directly to the host institution or program provider. Non-billable expenses may occur before or during the program, including airfare, visa applications, and housing. Personal spending habits vary, so out-of-pocket expenses can differ widely between students. Studying abroad on a budget is possible.

Accessing Budget Sheets

To access Budget Sheets:

Open your program's brochure page through the program search page.
Navigate to the Costs and Funding section on the program brochure page.
Select the appropriate semester's Budget Sheet.

Payments

Registration and participation in an Education Abroad program depend on satisfying all financial obligations. Prior term balances must be paid in full before payments will be applied to Education Abroad program fees, deposits, and/or tuition. Payment is due by the Education Abroad program payment deadline. Failure to meet the payment deadline results in cancellation of the student's enrollment in the Education Abroad program. Students can view their accounts on OPUS or contact the Student Accounts and Billing Office for questions about their account balance.

Refunds

The $75 application fee is non-refundable. The $300 deposit for Semester Abroad is non-refundable unless a student is not accepted into their chosen study abroad program. The $350 deposit for Summer Abroad is non-refundable. No refund is issued if a student is dismissed from the program. The Office of International and Summer Programs often undertakes substantial financial commitments on behalf of students before study abroad programs begin. Students are responsible for any unrecoverable expenses incurred by Emory on their behalf. Such expenses incurred by Emory will be deducted from any refund that a student is otherwise entitled to receive in connection with a semester/year study abroad program. The refund amount will be adjusted to reflect financial obligations Emory has incurred on behalf of the student.

Cancellation Penalties

Summer Abroad Programs:
- On or before March 15: Students forfeit only the deposit
- Between March 16 & March 31: Students forfeit the deposit and 25% of the program fee
- Between April 1 & 2 weeks before the program start date: Students forfeit the deposit and 50% of the program fee
- Between 2 weeks before the program start date & the program start date: Students forfeit the deposit and 100% of the program fee
- After the program start date: Students forfeit the deposit and 100% of the program fee; tuition refunds are also subject to the Emory College tuition adjustment schedule.
Semester Abroad Programs:
- After the Semester Abroad program start date, tuition refunds are also subject to the Emory College tuition adjustment schedule.

Financial Aid

Students enrolled in a semester (Fall/Spring/AY) education abroad program can utilize all the same financial aid for the semester that they would qualify for on campus. Since students in Emory College Education Abroad programs remain fully registered at Emory, they may receive institutional, state, and federal financial aid, along with internal/external scholarships. For summer abroad, the Financial Aid Office will reassess a student's need based on the actual cost of the summer study abroad program. Students are also eligible to apply for additional scholarships internally with Emory or outside scholarship opportunities.

Grants

Grants are usually money that does not need to be repaid, based on talent, financial need, or affiliation. Examples include:

Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
Emory University Grants
Georgia Tuition Equalization/HOPE Grant
Georgia Student Incentive Grant
Georgia Governor's Scholarship
United Methodist Ministerial Scholarships
Student Courtesy Scholarships
OISP Federal Work Study Replacement Grant.

The determination of the OISP Federal Work Study (FWS) Replacement Grant will be based on the term award amount of the student’s Federal Work Study award. The OISP FWS Replacement Grant will swap out dollar for dollar of the Federal Work Study for the term. Students must be awarded Federal Work Study in order to qualify for the OISP FWS Replacement Grant. Please contact your financial aid advisor for further details about your eligibility.

Loans

Loans are available from various sources, including federal and state governments, the University, and private lenders. Student loans must be paid back - even if the student does not complete their education. Examples include:

Federal Perkins Loans
Emory University Loans
Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan
Emory Eagle Loan
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
United Methodist Student Loans
Federal PLUS Loans

Students intending to use a loan to finance their summer education abroad program should start the application process as soon as possible after acceptance to the program. Approval of the loan must be received by the Office of Financial Aid no later than the summer payment deadline; otherwise, participation on the program may be jeopardized if the program is not paid in full by this deadline.

Scholarships

Extensive funding opportunities are available for study abroad, including both internal Emory scholarships and external study abroad scholarships. It is recommended to plan ahead and apply for scholarships to support education abroad plans.

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