Registration Dates and Procedures
Registration for classes will be completed online through myUSF. Students will be assigned specific appointment times when they may register online. The time periods assigned are determined by a student's year of study and division.
Spring 2025 Registration Information
Registration for classes will be completed online through myUSF. Students are assigned specific appointment times when they may register online. The time periods assigned are determined by a student's year of study and division.
Continuing students who do not register during the assigned time periods will be required to "late register". New visiting students may register in person at the time indicated in their letter of admission. Students from the Bay Area Consortium law schools and auditors must register in person and may do so only during the Late Registration add/drop period indicated in the academic calendar.
Spring 2025 Registration Appointments
Registration appointment times are determined by priorities to ensure that students have fair opportunities to enroll in courses. Registration priorities are determined by a student's year of study and division. Please refer to the priority statement for further details.
| Date | Time | Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 | 12:30-4:00pm |
Fourth-Year Part-Time |
All Courses |
| Nov 4 | 12:30-4:00pm |
Third-Year Part-Time |
All Courses |
| Nov 5 | 12:30-4:00pm |
First-Year Part-Time |
All Req'd Course |
| Nov 6 | 9:00am, Open Registration Begins |
All Students. Students can add and drop classes. Students who missed their priority registration appointment time can register now until the registration system closes at 11:59pm on Nov 8, 2024. | All Courses |
| Nov 6 | 10:00am, Preliminary Wait List Seat Offers Made | Wait List seat offers made to students in order of the wait list. See wait list posting and acceptance instructions. | Closed Courses |
| Nov 8 | Wait List Seat Offers End | Last day seats are offered from the wait list during preliminary registration. Wait list seat offers resume Jan 2, 2025. | Closed Courses |
| Nov 9 - Jan 1 | Registration Closed | All Students | All Courses |
| Jan 2 | 9:00am, Add/Drop Period Begins | All students can continue to add and drop courses if already registered. | All Courses |
| Jan 2 | Late Registration Begins | Late Registration for students and non-degree seekers who have not yet registered. | All Courses |
| Jan 2 | 10:00am, Wait List Seat Offers Resume | Wait List seat offers resume; made to students in the order of the wait list. | Closed Courses |
| Jan 10 | Late Registration Ends | Late Registration Ends. Last day for students who have not yet registered for any classes to enroll. | All Courses |
| Jan 17 | Last day to add individual courses | All Students | All Courses |
| Jan 27 |
Last day to drop individual courses and qualify for a partial tuition refund | All Students -- After this date the instructor's permission must be obtained to withdraw from a course. A grade of "W" will appear on the transcript. | All Courses |
Registration Procedure
Class Schedules
- Determine your registration appointment times (see above).
- Review the schedule of classes.
- Note offerings of required courses for each semester.
- Read the "Notes" column, which identifies prerequisites, co-requisites, certificate courses, etc.
- Check day and meeting times of your preferred courses to eliminate time conflicts.
- Review the exam dates/times for your preferred courses.
- Read the explanation below on wait lists—an option available to registering students.
- Students should consult the notes in the current class schedule to determine which courses are required for the semester.
Curriculum and Academic Policies
- Review the Curriculum Guide and appropriate Graduation Worksheet to determine the required courses that you have remaining.
- Review the law school's JD Program Academic Requirements and Policies for information about course limitations, grading policies, etc.
- Check for any university holds on the self-service page of myUSF > Student Registration Tab > Student Records > View Holds. All current students are "eligible" to register as long as there is no University HOLD on their student account. Some holds may prohibit registration and must be resolved before the registration appointment time, in order to register in a timely manner. Lack of registration will delay the financial aid process for borrowers. Please ensure that your account is clear in advance of registration.
- Confirm that your preferred courses are within the mandatory unit range for your division: Full time students: 12–16 units, Part time students: 8–12 units (6 units with approval from Registrar).
How To Register
Read carefully the online registration instructions. If a student does not have web access and/or is unable to register online during the assigned times, they may register by completing a Change of Schedule form and emailing from their USF email account. If registering by form, you are advised to include alternate course selections in the event any of your requested courses are not available.
Wait Lists
If you are unable to enroll in a course because all seats have been taken, you may place yourself on a wait list. Wait-listed course units do not count towards your total class units (i.e. a full time student could register for 16 units and also add themselves to the wait-list for two other 3 unit courses).
Once a course closes and a wait list begins, the course remains closed until seats are offered via the published wait list (even if students drop the course and additional seats appear to be available). Students should not drop themselves from a wait list in order to register for what appears to be an open seat. Consider using the Conditional Add/Drop button next to the Submit button. Adding from wait lists takes place during open registration (Nov 6-8) and during the Add/Drop period, (Jan 2-27). Wait lists are administered by the Law Registrar's Office, which offers available seats to students in the order listed.
Wait lists become final and will be posted after the initial registration appointment times end on Nov 5. During the open registration period (Nov 6-8) and the Add/Drop period (Jan 2-27), students on wait lists will be offered seats via the online posted wait list if and when they become available. Students must check the posted wait list online daily (after 10:00am) to see if they have been offered an available seat. If you are offered a seat, you will have until the date and time deadline indicated on the wait list (no weekends or holidays) to claim the space in the class [and drop any unwanted classes] by contacting the Registrar's Office (via email or in-person) to accept the seat. Students must contact the Registrar's Office by the posted date and time listed on the wait list.
Add/Drop
The assigned online registration appointment times include an opportunity to modify your selections by adding and/or dropping courses during the open registration period. Once the online registration period has closed, schedule changes cannot be made until the Add/Drop period opens beginning at 9:00am on January 2, 2025.
Late Registration
Students who do not register for any classes during the assigned time periods are permitted to late register from January 2-10. No new registration will be permitted beyond the end of the first week of classes absent compelling circumstances and attempts to comply.
Registration Confirmation
Students are responsible for confirming that they are registered correctly by reviewing their semester schedule online through the student portal on myUSF. Please observe the registration, drop/add, and withdrawal deadlines stated in the academic calendar, as these deadlines will not be waived due to registration errors made by the student.
Work Statement
All full-time law students are subject to the law school requirement that full-time students not engage in outside work in excess of 20 hours per week during the regular (fall/spring) semesters. By registering for the term, full-time students are certifying that they are not employed, in aggregate, for more than 20 hours per week.
Class Attendance Statement
Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of their class sessions each semester, unless the faculty member has set a higher attendance threshold (noted on the class syllabus and sometimes in the first assignments). Absences are determined from the start of the semester, not the student's enrollment date. The professor monitors class attendance and determines when tardiness is considered an absence. Please advise the instructor in advance if you must miss a class session. More information on this policy can be obtained in the JD Program Academic Requirements and Policies.
Restrictions on Program of Study
The law school's academic policies impose specific requirements on and restrict the course selection of some students. These include students on academic probation (refer to the JD Program Academic Requirements and Policies) and second year students with a cumulative first-year grade point average of 2.50 or below (refer to the JD Program Academic Requirements and Policies). Students affected by these policies have been notified in a letter from the Registrar. The letter specifies the requirements and/or limitations which you must follow when completing online registration.
Note that your registration will be monitored to insure compliance. If you fail to follow the instructions, you will be dropped from any courses that are not permitted and your registration may be cancelled. If you believe you are subject to such restrictions but do not receive a letter prior to your registration appointment, contact the Law Registrar, Stephanie Darcy.
Courses with the Credit/No-Credit Option
For certain elective courses, designated "Opt" in the grading column of the course schedule, a student may elect to be graded on a credit/no-credit basis instead of a letter grade. The election is made by submitting a grade option form to the Registrar's office by February 18, 2025. The student must earn a letter grade of C+ or higher to receive credit. Once submitted, the election is irrevocable. The election deadline is noted in the official academic calendar for the semester in which the course is taken. A student is presumed to be taking the course for a letter grade unless a credit option form is submitted. A student may elect credit optional grading in only one course per semester and may be precluded from enrolling in a credit optional course or electing to take it for credit by a condition of probation or as the result of other enrollment limitations.
Please note: For any course in which a letter grade is not provided, a "credit" or "pass" must be achieved in order for the course to be applied to meet the law certificate requirements. Thus, any course with Credit Optional grading that you wish to apply towards a certificate must be taken for a letter grade. Credit Optional courses that are taken for credit cannot apply towards the certificate. This information is posted on each certificate’s webpage under Scholastic Requirements section.
Civil Law, Criminal Law, and Judicial Externship Programs
These programs offer upper division law students the opportunity to earn academic credit for positions they secure with government agencies, in-house counsel, law firms, nonprofit organizations, and judges, subject to GPA and other requirements. Participants in the Judicial Externship Program are required to attend a faculty-led Judicial Externship orientation, as well as three additional class meetings, submit evaluations and weekly time sheets, and complete other assignments. The Judicial Externship orientation is an all-day session typically scheduled near the beginning of the semester. Participants in the Civil/Criminal Externship Program are required to attend 3-4 mandatory classes throughout the semester, submit evaluations and weekly time sheets, and complete other assignments. Please refer to the Upper Division Course Schedule for class dates.
In order to be eligible in Spring 2025 to enroll in a civil, criminal, or judicial externship during the add/drop period, students must submit the required application and supporting documents to the Externship Programs Office by December 1, 2024, after having secured a position from the employer/court. Application packets are available on the Externship Programs page. (Please click on the program of interest.) Students must register for classes as if they are not doing the externship, and modify their class schedule during the add/drop period to include the externship course once they receive approval from the Externship Programs Office. All students who have been approved for externships, and students whose applications are pending approval, must attend the first class of the externship program of interest, as attendance of all class dates listed in the course schedule is mandatory. (See the Upper Division Course Schedule for class dates.)
Concurrent Degree Programs
Law students intending to participate in a concurrent degree program must notify the Office of the Law Registrar in writing prior to registration for the fall semester of their second or third year (depending on the program) . These students must have been admitted to the USF School of Management or College of Arts & Sciences and must meet the law school's academic requirements set out in the academic policies. Dual degree students with questions about their degree progress should contact the Law Registrar's Office in advance of the registration period.
Consortium
Students interested in taking an elective course not offered at USF during the 2024-25 academic year may take the course through the consortium program at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Santa Clara University, under certain conditions. There is no additional tuition charge for taking a course through the consortium. (Part-time students pay the USF unit rate.) Advance approval to participate in the consortium program must be obtained from the Law Registrar's Office prior to enrollment. Students should also consult the host school regarding course availability, registration dates, and enrollment procedures. N.B. Students must take classroom, letter-graded classes at the consortium school and must earn a letter grade of C or better in order to receive credit at USF. Letter grades are not transferable.
Tuition Payment/Financial Aid
Information regarding tuition and financial aid information may be found on the website . Once you are registered for classes, a tuition billing notice will be e-mailed to your USF email address for the Spring 2025 semester in early December. Please consult the Student Accounts Office for payment deadlines and to pay your bills online.
In order to utilize financial aid to help with your tuition payment, students must complete a 2024-25 FAFSA and have been awarded aid. In addition, you must be in good academic standing and have “accepted” the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan (if needed) online via your myUSF account and completed all requirements for disbursement associated with this aid. Please note that the PLUS Loan is a credit based loan and you must be credit approved by the Department of Education in order to receive PLUS Loan funds. Students must also be enrolled in a minimum number of units. Although federal guidelines stipulate that full-time students enroll in a minimum of six units and part-time students enroll in a minimum of three units in order to receive federal financial aid, the USF School of Law Residence Requirement requires a minimum of 12 units for full-time students and a minimum of 8 units (6 units with permission) for part-time students per semester.
Law students must be registered in the minimum number of units as mandated by federal guidelines in order to have their financial aid funds disburse to the university on the earliest scheduled disbursement date (TBD for the spring semester). Failure to register for the appropriate number of units may result in a delay in receiving your financial aid. Financial aid will disburse as soon as the required number of units are added during the law school's Add/Drop period for each semester. Classes in which law students are "wait listed" do not count toward the unit requirement for financial aid disbursement.
IMPORTANT: Please note that you must pay your Spring 2025 semester tuition bill with authorized financial aid, personal funds, or a combination of both or enroll in the payment plan by the January 2, 2025 tuition payment deadline. Failure to reconcile your tuition bill will result in the cancellation of your semester class registration by the USF Student Accounts Office and a registration hold will be placed on your student record. If your classes are cancelled for non-payment, you will not be allowed to re-register until your tuition bill has been reconciled.
Please note that students who have an outstanding tuition balance due will have a registration hold placed on their student record and will not be allowed to register for classes until their previous tuition bill has been reconciled and the registration hold lifted by the USF Student Accounts Office. Failure to register for the semester during appointment times will likely result in a delay in receiving your financial aid.
Students who have been approved by the Associate Dean to visit at another law school for the semester should contact the Law Financial Aid Office for financial aid counseling.
Schedule Changes
Course offerings, examination dates, and class schedules, including meeting times and locations are subject to change without notice. Students are advised to check the Course Schedule and the Exam Schedule for the most up-to-date information.