Common FAQs

Placement test results for Spanish/French/German/Italian can take two weeks to come in, so you can leave space in your schedule for the language class once you receive your results.

If you want to start a new language, you can simply register for the 101 level of that class with the practicum associated with it. No need to take a placement test. The placement test is for students who wish to register for a higher level of language course.

No, not necessarily. The DSP makes a suggestion, but you may select any course that you want. For instance, you may wish to take a more advanced course or one that goes at a slightly slower pace than the one recommended. However, once you select the course in the DSP process, you will be cleared only for that course. For example, if we suggest 110, you may select 110 OR another course -- say, 106N. You will be cleared to register for whichever you select at that point in the self-placement process.

For first year students and transfer students without prior college composition credit, it is required. (It is strongly encouraged for transfer students with prior credit.) Also, please know that it is not a test. It is a process to help you select a course that you think best fits your needs. You will answer survey questions, practice some writing, hear about our course offerings, and reflect on your decision. Then you will select which course you think is best for you.

You may be able to satisfy Core requirements with AP or IB credits. You can find more information here: https://www.usfca.edu/admission/undergraduate/first-year/ap-ib-college-credit

Students typically take 16 units per semester, though you can take up to 18 units for the same price. You should register for 12 units to be considered a full-time student.

You should have watched the videos for your major to understand your graduation and major requirements, and which placement tests to take before your registration time.  

If you need support or have any questions regarding class registration, please contact:

College of Arts & Sciences:

Tonya Miller at miller@usfca.edu or call (415) 422-4932 during business hours.

School of Management:
Ben Bottorff at bbbottorff@usfca.edu during business hours.

School of Nursing and Health Professions:

Public Health Students: Ainsley Shallcross at atshallcross@usfca.edu
BSN (Nursing) Students at San Francisco Campus: Transfers: Stacey Kohut at sekohut1@usfca.edu, FTFY: Devan Robertson at drobertson3@usfca.edu or Vandon Nelson at lnelson5@usfca.edu
BSN (Nursing) Students at Sacramento Campus: Amanda Chavez at atchavez2@usfca.edu

It depends on your major. Most majors require a foreign language except for School of Nursing and Health Professions and most School of Management programs.

You will need to complete the Core Curriculum, all required and elective courses for your major, and any other elective courses needed to reach minimum units to graduate.

It is generally recommended to focus on your Core A2: Rhetoric and Composition requirement on the earlier side since some majors require the Core A2 fulfillment before students are eligible to take certain courses in that major. We encourage you to take courses that interest you. 

It depends on the class that you want to register for. Many School of Management and School of Nursing and Health Professions classes have restrictions for only students in those schools/majors to register. If you would like to take one of those courses, you would need to reach out to the professor directly for permission.

Yes, they are considered lower-division courses.

You are not required to start your foreign language class during your first semester. It may be recommended if you are testing into a higher level or your major sequence recommends it.

You’ll need to take up to the Third Semester level in the language to fulfill the foreign language requirement. For example, if you take Spanish for your language, you’ll need to complete First Semester Spanish, Second Semester Spanish, and then Third Semester Spanish to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

Those questions are all addressed in the directed self-placement process. It explains the different courses and pathways. Completing that process should provide the information you are looking for. You can also write to rhetoricandlanguage@usfca.edu (before or after completing Directed Self-Placement). Briefly, most first-year students start with RHET 110 (this is our "standard" first-semester course). 110 must be followed by RHET 120 or another course carrying A2 credit. So the process of completing A2 typically requires two semesters for first-years. Transfer students typically complete A2 in one semester, usually taking RHET 250 (among other options). There are a few other less common options, but again, they are all covered in directed self-placement.

Some classes do fill up quickly but all students end up with classes they need. You will find a schedule that works for you!

Go to myUSF >> Dashboard >> Banner Self-Service (Student) >> Registration Landing Page >> Register for Classes.

From there, choose the "Term" and click on "Advanced Search". Go down to the 'Attribute' section and choose the CORE class category you would like to see classes for.

NOTE: For some core courses (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. To do this, you will need to choose the appropriate 'Subject' and "All" in the 'Attribute' section to see all the lectures and their corresponding co-requisite.

You can tell what CORE/major/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.

Typically, no. The maximum amount of units you can take is 18 credits because the flat tuition rate for USF only covers 12 to 18 credits.

If you would like to take more than 18 credits, you will need to speak with your major adviser and College Dean first. If they approve of you taking more than 18 credits, you can do so.

Keep in mind that you will have to pay for every credit over 18. Refer to https://myusf.usfca.edu/billing-tuition/tuition-fees to see what the cost per credit is.

Depending on the course you are trying to register for, please follow these steps:

1. 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.
2. 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 classes, you need to find another section that is open or another class that works with your schedule. Please consult with your major adviser or Ben Bottorff, Director of Undergraduate Advising, at bbbottorff@usfca.edu if you need assistance.
3. Register for a back-up course.
4. Speak with your major adviser (for College of Arts and Science students) or Malloy Hall 113 (for School of Management students) to see what alternative classes you can take that will help you fulfill your major or degree requirements.

Your individual registration date/time was sent to you via email. You can also find it by navigating the Registration Access Times instructions on this webpage. 

Most incoming first-year students will be eligible to register starting June 25, 2025.

Your USF CWID is located on your admission letter. You can also find it on your Degree Evaluation and Unofficial Transcript once you’ve logged into myUSF. If you’re unable to locate your CWID, please contact Admission at appservices@usfca.edu.

When you browse for classes, click on the course title, which is hyperlinked, and then click on Prerequisites to view any prerequisites needed.

You can call (415) 422- 4932 or the CASA Front Desk (415) 422-5050 for assistance.

MWF stands for Monday, Wednesday, Friday. R stands for Thursday. TR means the class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. S stands for Saturdays. 

If you see SR (Student Restriction) on the schedule, it means that you are not eligible to register yet. This message will automatically disappear once your assigned registration date and time arrive.

When you browse for classes, click on the course title, which is hyperlinked, and then click on Course Description to view the description.

It really depends on the courses but there are always plenty of options for incoming first-years, especially if you’re willing to wait to take some classes at a later date.

You will be registering for your first semester. For students starting in the fall, spring semester registration will happen in November. For students starting in the spring, fall semester registration will happen in April.

Fall 2025 classes start on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Our continuing students have already registered for classes.

You can add and drop courses throughout the summer. Courses on your schedule on June 30th will be reflected on your first tuition bill in July.

Several languages require practicums, but not all languages. You can find if the language course requires a co-requisite by clicking the hyperlink of the course.

To register for classes, please log into your myUSF account and go to Banner Self-Service Student under your Top Apps on the main page.

The deadline for registration is 6/30 in order for your term bill to reflect the correct amount in July. However, you can continue to register/drop for classes up until the start of the classes. 

If you are receiving this message, it means you do not have the appropriate prerequisite course and/or test score to register for the class.

If you are receiving this message in error or you really want to take the class, you need to speak to or e-mail the professor to get permission. A signature on a Registration Add/Drop form or a hard copy of instructor's approval via e-mail along with a Registration Add/Drop form will suffice. Click here for more information on the process.

Typically, no. Prerequisites are there to ensure you have the knowledge necessary to perform well in the course.

If you truly believe you are ready to take the course despite the prerequisite, then you can contact the professor. If the professor is willing to add you in the class by waiving the prerequisite or take the prerequisite concurrently, you would need to have a Registration Add/Drop form filled out with the professor’s signature. Click here for more information on the process.

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 course.

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.

Class Restriction (formerly Student Classification Restriction) means that the course offered has a set number of seats available for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. If you are unable to register for a class due to this reason, it is because the number of seats reserved for the class standing has been filled.

Class Standing Defined:

• Freshman: 0-31
• Sophomore: 32-63
• Junior: 64-95
• Senior: 96+

Reserve Closed means that the course offered is restricted to certain majors and/or minors. This is not to say that you can't register for the class at all; you just can't register during a certain time frame. Students in that major who need that course are given priority. After a certain period of time, the restriction is lifted and you will be able to register in the class if there are still seats available.

Field of Study means that the course offered is restricted to a specific major, minor, or, concentration. You will need to have that field of study in order to register for the course.

Campus Restriction means that the course offered is at one of the additional campuses under USF. These classes are not part of the main campus (or Hilltop campus).

NOTE: You will not be able to take courses offered at a different campus if you are not enrolled in the programs offered at those different campuses.

You can change your major using the Change of Academic Program form (https://myusf.usfca.edu/registration/change-academic-program-instructions) to change your major. This does not have to be done prior to registration, but it does mean that you will continue to receive information from your current major until you do change your major. Please note: You can’t change your major to nursing if you were admitted as another major.

Here’s a helpful link on declaring a minor. You can also talk with your academic success coach if you want to explore further:
https://myusf.usfca.edu/casa/explore-your-path/declare-major
 

No, it will not. Please allow for at least 3 business days to process your major change request.

If you’ve taken AP exams that you believe may apply to your major or core curriculum requirements, I would recommend holding off on taking possible repeats until the scores come in and we know for sure.

If you have questions about AP or IB credit, please refer to this website: https://www.usfca.edu/admission/undergraduate/first-year/ap-ib-college-credit

Those courses may count towards core classes and may count towards elective credits, allowing you to advance to the minimum total units required quicker.

Please follow steps in section 2, “Important Next Steps,” slide 6/19 - “Submit Final Documents”

If your AP/IB credits are not appearing on your record, follow these steps:

1. Make sure you sent your scores over to USF's Office of Admission.
2. Contact the following emails to see if your scores have been received and if you have other questions:
   • For AP questions: appservices@usfca.edu
   • For IB questions: international@usfca.edu

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

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.

They are different. Major advisors are typically faculty members and they advise you on course selection and graduation requirements. Academic Success Coach supports you with your transition to college, helps you explore other majors/minors, and connects you with campus resources.