General Registration Assistance

For academic advising and class selection questions, please contact your major department or faculty adviser.

Have a quick question and want to meet with a CASA academic success coach? Check out our weekly Zoom and in person drop-in hours. *Note that CASA is not able to remove any advising holds; only your major faculty adviser/department can.

 

USF Registration Video Tutorials

 

Registration Overview

Use Banner Self-Service (Student) to review your academic record and register for classes. Please see registration deadlines in the University Academic Calendar and Registration Calendar of the desired semester.

  • Full-time undergraduates are limited to 12 - 18 credits each semester, which is the range of credits covered by the flat tuition rate for fall and spring. Note that exceeding 18 credits will result in additional tuition charges, and requires approval from the dean of your college. Contact your CASA academic success coach for more information.
  • The registration period is from the start of your registration access time until the deadlines listed on the registration calendar of the desired semester to add, drop, or swap classes, change grading options, and make variable unit updates.
  • A class is only officially registered if it appears on the student’s Banner Self-Service (Student) Portal's academic transcript, degree evaluation, view registration information page, and student profile.

Please see the Summer Registration Calendar for information regarding summer enrollment.

 

Eligibility for Classes

Check to see if a class has prerequisites and/or restrictions. Use this document to learn how to do so. If prerequisites and/or restrictions are cited, they are required. If the system does not find the requisites in your academic record, you cannot register without first receiving permission from the department or instructor. Sometimes receiving permission to register may require that you provide proof of having completed acceptable transfer classes or exams. Follow the instructions on how to request permission and/or get pre-authorized.

 

Registration Basics

  1. Check Your Registration Status. You can find this by logging into your myUSF Dashboard >> Banner Self-Service (Student) >> Registration Landing Page >> Prepare for Registration. You can register for classes at any point after your designated date and time.
  2. Go to the Class Schedule. Use the search and filter features to find classes for the term you are planning.
  3. Meet with Your Major Adviser to Plan Your Classes. Schedule an appointment with your major adviser to go over your class schedule and to make sure you are meeting your academic goals and track. Tip: Come to your appointment prepared with a pre-planned schedule to maximize your time with your adviser.
  4. Clear Your Holds. You may view your holds by logging into your myUSF Dashboard >> Banner Self-Service (Student) >> Student Profile >> Holds. Contact the originator of the hold to clear your hold(s).
  5. Register for Classes. Once it is your registration date and time, log into your Banner Self-Service (Student) Portal to start registering.

Recommended Class Loads
If you are an undergraduate, a class load of 16 credits per semester (or 4 classes that are 4 credits each) is the recommended class load, unless otherwise discussed with your major adviser.

Reduced Study Loads
If you are an undergraduate who is also a financial aid recipient, a student athlete, an international student, or who lives on campus, and you anticipate being registered in fewer than 12 credits, you will need to contact your advisers in those areas to ensure you are meeting your academic goals and eligibility requirements.

  • Credits. A credit is the number of earned and completed hours for a class. A minimum of 45 hours equates to 1 credit at USF. It is also referred to as a unit or credit hour.
  • Section. A section is a group within a class. It can offer alternative times, days, and instructors in which a class can be taught.
  • Class Standing. This is based on the number of credits you have earned, which is reflected under 'Earned Hours' on the academic transcript. Class standing is defined as:
    • Freshman: 0-31
    • Sophomore: 32-63
    • Junior: 64-95
    • Senior: 96+
  • Registration Access Time. The registration access time determines what date and time you can start registering for classes. It is based on the number of credits a student has earned, which is reflected under 'Earned Hours' on the academic transcript. It does not include the credits a student is currently registered in.
  • Registration Error. A class may have certain restrictions and/or requirements placed on by the department/school/college offering the class. You can view the list of registration errors here. We recommend following the instructions on how to add a class if you come across certain registration errors.
  • NR. This stands for "Not available for Registration". If you see NR on the class schedule when you try to register, it means that registration for courses is not available.
  • SR. This stands for "Student Restrictions". If you see SR on the class schedule when you try to register, it may be for the following reasons:
    • Your Registration Access Time has not started yet. You will need to wait until your assigned registration access time to register.
    • You have a hold. It can be a Student Accounts hold, a Gleeson Library hold, a Disciplinary hold, an Advising hold, an Academic Probation hold, an AEM hold, etc. You will need to clear this hold before you can register. The contact information of the office will be listed next to your hold along with the reason for the hold.
    • Your account has been deactivated. If you were on a Leave of Absence, you will need to contact the Office of the University Registrar (registrar@usfca.edu) and inform them to reactivate your account.
  • Waitlist. This means the course has a waiting list. If you see a second set number under a course's status in your class search results, this indicates that there is a waitlist for the class. You may add yourself to that waitlist but you will not be officially registered unless an instructor or administrative staff manually registers you.
  • Cross list. This indicates that two different course sections are combined into one class (or "cross listed"). The number under Cross List Actual refers to the actual number of students registered for the class compared to the number allowed (Cross List Maximum).

You can add/drop classes within your Banner Self-Service (Student) Portal.
Visit University Registrar's site on registration.
The registration calendar includes dates for Continuing Student Registration, Late Registration, Census Dates, and more.


Register for a Class
If you want to register for a class, keep in mind:

  • Departments may reserve seats in classes for students who meet certain criteria, based on major, level, etc.
  • If you qualify for a seat reservation category but it is full, you will receive the message: "Reserved Closed."
  • If you attempt to add a class and you do not meet the restrictions, you will not be allowed to register and you will receive one of the listed registration error messages.
  • You have until the end of the first week of classes to add/drop classes online without instructor or major adviser approval.
  • You have until the Census Date deadline to change the unit value of a variable unit class, change the grade option of a class, and late add a class.
  • After the Census Date deadline, any requests to late add and/or change credits or grade options for a class must be petitioned. Petitions are subject to the dean’s review and can be denied.

Time Conflict Process
If you attempt to register for classes with overlapping days/times, you will only be able to do so if at least one of the conflicting classes allows for time overrides with other classes. You must complete a Registration Add/Drop form and receive instructor permission for the time conflict.

If both conflicting classes do not allow for a time conflict override, you will be unable to register for both classes while the times conflict. You must choose one or the other or find alternatives that allow time conflict overrides or do not conflict.


Closed Class Process
Depending on the class you are trying to register for, please follow these steps:

  • Check to see if there is a waitlist for that class. If there is, place yourself on the waitlist to save yourself a possible seat in the class.
  • If the class is under the following College/School and there is no waitlist (or the waitlist is closed), follow the respective steps:
    • For the College of Arts and Sciences classes, you need to email the instructor of the class and see if s/he is willing to sign you into the class. You may just have to wait until the first day of class to talk to the professor.
    • For the School of Management, you need to find another section that is open or another class that works with your schedule. Please consult with your major adviser or somundergrad@usfca.edu if you need assistance.
  • Register for a back-up class.
  • Speak with your major adviser (for College of Arts and Sciences students) or somundergrad@usfca.edu (for School of Management students) to see what alternative classes you can take that will help you fulfill your major or degree requirements.

Drop a Class
To drop a registered or wait-listed class from your schedule, go to your myUSF Dashboard >> Banner Self-Service (Student) >> Registration Landing Page >> Register for Classes. Next, select "Dropped webbed" from the dropdown option of the class you wish to drop. You must confirm the transaction by selecting the "Submit changes" button at the bottom of the screen before the class can be dropped from your schedule.

When dropping a class, keep in mind:

  • Some classes have early drop deadlines (as known as Census Date). The Census Date for dropping these classes can be viewed on the Registration Calendar. Choose the relevant semester for these classes and click on "Course Registration Deadline" to download a list of census dates for each class offered in that semester.
  • You have until the census dates to drop class(es) without it staying on your record or receiving a "W". The Census Date on the University Academic Calendar and Registration Calendar applies to the majority of classes offered for the standard semester term.
  • After the Census Date, classes dropped will receive a "W" symbol representing the fact that the class was dropped after the census date.
  • You have until the Last Day to Drop Classes or Withdraw deadline to drop classes with a "W" for each semester.
  • Some classes may have earlier withdrawal deadlines. You must drop these classes before you take the final and/or receive a grade.
  • Dropping below 12 credits may affect you if you fall into one or more of the following groups: financial aid, on-campus housing, international student, student athlete. Please contact the appropriate office or staff for more information.
  • You are liable for the tuition for all classes withdrawn after the census dates.
  • Always check your course schedule and your academic transcript to ensure these transactions went through.

If you do not plan to attend/register for the semester, you will not be able to drop your last class. You must submit a leave of absence or withdrawal form. Contact registrar@usfca.edu for all inquiries.

If you are unable to register for a class because it is full, there are two ways you may be added to a waitlist if it is available. Waitlists are not offered for every class. The waitlist is an optionable feature that is enabled on the department's or instructor's request. If the waitlist column through the Banner Self-Service Class Schedule has a set number of seats available under waitlist capacity, the class has a waitlist. See this document for more information.


Adding to a Waitlist

  1. You can place yourself on the class's waitlist within the Banner Self-Service (Student) Portal. Check out how to add yourself to a waitlist.
  2. Some instructors and departments have their own separate waitlist. You can reach out to the instructor/department to see if they have their own separate waitlist that you can be added to.

Registering from a Waitlist
The instructor/department can either add students by the sequential order in which they registered or selectively choose to add students from a waitlist based on certain criteria (e.g., major, level, etc.). Instructors and departments will instruct students how to register from a waitlist, which may take place from two weeks after the initial registration phase until Census Date.

Note: If you are already registered for a class that conflicts with the scheduling of a class you are waitlisted for, it is considered a time conflict. You will not be registered from a waitlist if there is a time conflict in your schedule and both classes do not allow for a time conflict override. See Add/Drop a Class section for more information on the time conflict process.

For Business Class Waitlists
The School of Management (SOM) has a specific process for all of its classes that have a waitlist, termed "Business Waitlist". The way it works is as follows:

  • You register into an open waitlist of a business class. NOTE: Make sure you are eligible to take the class. Otherwise, you will receive a registration error and be blocked from placing yourself on the waitlist.
  • After the week of registration, the Associate Dean of SOM, who manages all the business waitlists, will review and determine who on the waitlist will be offered a seat in the class. NOTE: Graduating seniors have priority.
  • Two to three (2-3) weeks after registration week, CASA (casa@usfca.edu) will send out seat offers to students on the waitlist. If you receive an email offering you a space in the class, please respond immediately and follow the instructions given in the email.

Dropping from a Waitlist
Waitlisted students usually receive first priority for registration. However, there is no guarantee that you will be registered for the class. Being registered from a waitlist depends on a number of factors, such as your position on the list, the size of the class, and whether enough space becomes available (through drops or an increase in seats).

Credits for waitlisted classes are not counted as part of your credit total. You need to be actually registered (i.e., not on the waitlist) for the class to be considered officially "registered".

If you no longer wish to take a waitlisted class, you are responsible for dropping yourself from the waitlist, preferably by the end of the first week of classes. If you have already been registered from a waitlist, you are responsible for dropping the class.

You have until the Census Date deadline to late register for classes. The end of the first week of classes is the deadline to register for classes online without instructor or major adviser approval (unless the class requires it). From the second week of classes to Census Date, students must complete a Registration Add/Drop form, obtain instructor and major adviser written approval (either a signature of the form or an email confirmation), and submit all materials to CASA on the University Center 3rd floor or via casa@usfca.edu to be officially registered for the class.

NOTE: Access to the class's Canvas class does not mean you are or have officially registered for the class. The class must appear on your academic transcript and course schedule to indicate official registration.

You must be enrolled in at least one class to be considered a registered student at USF (in addition to having paid registration fees). However, to be at full-time status, you are expected to be registered for the minimum number of credits approved by your college or school. Minimum credit requirements are as follows:

  • Undergraduates: 12 credits
  • Graduates: 6+ credits

Depending on the program, graduate students may have different minimum credit requirements. Consult your department.

If you wish to register for more than 18 credits in a semester (the maximum), you must seek approval from your college or school dean's office.

  • For College of Arts & Sciences, you must go to your department/major adviser for approval first. Then, contact Associate Dean Luey at lueym@usfca.edu with proof of approval and copy your department/major adviser.
  • For School of Management, you must contact Associate Dean Pachinger at pachinger@usfca.edu.
  • For School of Nursing and Health Professions, contact nursing@usfca.edu for more information.

If approved, you will need to pay for every credit over 18. Refer to the Academic Tuition & Fees to see what the cost per credit is.

NOTE: You must have taken at least one (1) semester at USF and have a 3.5 GPA or above for consideration.

A class may be canceled by the dean of the college or the department offering the class at any time before the class starts. When a class you registered for is canceled, you will be notified via email.

If you need assistance with finding another class or fixing your schedule, contact your department or major adviser.

 

Add/Drop Frequently Asked Questions

There are three important dates on the Registration Calendar for each semester to remember for adding and dropping classes:

  • Last Day to Add - This deadline signifies the last day you are able to add classes online without the instructor's and your major adviser's approval.
  • Census Date - This deadline signifies two things.
    • The first is the last day you can late add class(es) manually using a Registration Add/Drop form
    • The second is the last day you can drop class(es) online without the instructor's and your major adviser's approval. Dropping your class by Census Date also removes the class from your academic record.
  • Last Day to Drop Classes or Withdraw - This deadline signifies the last day you can drop your class manually using a Registration Add/Drop form.

View the How to Add/Drop Classes page for more information on the timeline and procedures. For detailed instructions on manual registration, see our How to Submit an Add/Drop Form page.

The deadline to make credit changes for variable credit classes is Census Date. Variable credit classes are classes that offer a range of credits (e.g., 0-4) a class can be taken for.

The deadline to make grade option changes (e.g., Audit, Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit) is Census Date. You must obtain the instructor’s written approval (either a signature on a completed Registration Add/Drop form or an email confirmation with a completed Registration Add/Drop form attached).

All students, staff, and faculty are required and expected to adhere to all University set dates and deadlines. Please see the How to Submit an Add/Drop Form page for information on policies and procedures or make an appointment with your success coach about possible options available to you.

The drop deadline does not impact aid policies. However, if you are registered for less than 12 credits in a semester or plan to be, talk to the Financial Aid Office to understand how that may impact your financial aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please review USF’s SAP policy for more information.

You must add your lecture and lab at the same time. For example, Physics (PHYS) 120 has a co-requisite of PHYS 120L. If you do not add the lecture and lab sections simultaneously, you will not be able to register for the class.

To find both the lecture and lab for a science class, make sure you select the correct subject in the 'Subject' section and ALL in the 'Attribute' section.

NOTE: If you choose Core B2 Sciences in the 'Attribute' section, the lab section will not show.

CORE classes are a part of the core curriculum, a collection of six required areas totaling 44 units, and are required for all undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor's degree. You can tell what CORE (as well as major and minor) requirements a class counts towards by looking carefully at the class's attributes. For example, if you want to know if a class counts towards a CORE B2 Science requirement, the class's attributes will specifically list "Core B2 Science" as an attribute. If it does not explicitly list "Core B2 Science", it does not count towards that particular CORE requirement.

Find a CORE Class
Go to myUSF Dashboard >> Banner Self-Service (Student) >> Student Services Landing Page >> Registration Landing Page >> Register for Classes. From there, choose the 'Term', click on 'Advanced Search', then go down to the 'Attribute' section and choose the CORE class category you would like to see classes for.

NOTE: For some core classes (like for science and foreign language), there is a lab or practicum component attached that requires you to simultaneously register for both the lecture and lab/practicum.

 

Additional Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: It is important that you speak with the department of the major you are interested in switching to. Many departments require students to speak with them prior to filling out the form. Failure to do so will result in your COAP form being denied.

You can change your major by completing the Change of Academic Program form online: https://myusf.usfca.edu/registration/change-academic-program-instructions.

Make sure you read the instructions to the COAP form carefully before you proceed with filling it out.

No, it will not. The form takes about 1-2 weeks to process after you get the necessary signatures. We advise you to change your major at least 2 weeks before your registration time.

You would need to fill out the Transfer Credit Request form. Once the form has been submitted, the Office of the Registrar will review your request and respond back to you.

In the meantime, it may be advisable to not register for classes you think you may receive credit for.

 

Contact Us

Have other questions? Contact our office at casa@usfca.edu or call (415) 422-5050.