Registration Tips

These tips may help ease your registration concerns. You are encouraged to meet with your academic advisor as often as you need or want to, and as early as possible in the semester before you intend to graduate. Call 471-4920 to set up an appointment.   The Biological Sciences Advising Center (BSAC) is open year-round.

The on-line course schedules come out in October for Spring registration, and in March for Fall and Summer registration. However, you do not have to wait until these are available in order to be advised. Your advisor will have a tentative list of the biology courses that will be offered.

If you are unable to get an advising appointment prior to your registration time, register as best as you can by following the progression plan on the back of your degree checklist and based on your degree audit. You can verify your course selection during your next advising appointment.  Remember that you can make any necessary schedule changes during adds and drops.

If you have an advising bar, seek academic advising as soon as possible. Your advisor will not lift your advising bar until you have been advised.  If you submit an advising worksheet, be sure to let your advisor know!

The closer it is to registration, the fewer advising appointments are available. You can email your advisor with a "quick" question, but during busy times, you may not get a "quick" response!  Your advisor will respond to your email as soon as possible, but will give priority to students with advising appointments.

If you have completed all your entry level courses, and intend to declare biology as your major, make sure you view things you need to know and set up an appointment prior to October in the fall and March in the spring. Prospective students will not be seen during registration.

Each semester, high demand biology courses and labs are restricted to accommodate the needs of graduating seniors. Refer to the Spring List and the Fall List for courses that are typically restricted to biology majors. Please note that courses are similarly restricted during the summer, although less so than during the fall and spring. As registration proceeds, some restrictions may be lifted. Be sure you meet the prerequisites so you aren't dropped!

Advisors can not add you to closed courses, but you can add yourself to the electronic waitlist.  Although being on a waitlist is not a guarantee that you'll be added to a class, it the only way to be added to closed courses.   Each department has its own procedure; in BIO, you can be added from the waitlist up through the 4th class day.  Be sure to attend the class you want to add and let your advisor know if you "have to have" a particular course, especially if you are a graduating senior!

Your registration is complete once payment has been received. In order to avoid being "zapped" (losing your schedule and having to register all over again), be sure your bill is paid by the deadline.  Even if your tuition bill is Zero, you have to confirm your schedule.

Good luck!

Be Wise, Be Advised