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Enrollment Information

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of your enrollments. Your instructors, academic advisers, and the Office of the Registrar cannot enroll on your behalf. Be sure to verify your classes and grade options prior to the enrollment deadlines listed in the Academic and Administrative Calendar.

Get Prepared

Use the following helpful hints to assist you in completing your enrollment. It is recommended that you consult with your academic preceptor (college adviser) or major adviser prior to selecting your classes. Review the Enrollment FAQs.

  1. Check the listing of courses offered this quarter in this Schedule of Classes, and make some preliminary selections.

  2. Use MyScheduler or the Schedule Planner found in this Schedule of Classes. Complete the planner with your preliminary selections of classes, making sure the classes you have selected do not conflict with each other or with any other time commitments (i.e., work or extracurricular activities).

  3. Enter the five-digit class numbers into the Schedule Planner. Make sure to have class numbers for mandatory sections and alternates in case the section is full.

Completing the above steps will help you to complete your enrollment.

Holds on Enrollment

A hold may be placed on your enrollment for various reasons, including unpaid debts, junior standing without a declared major, and others. When you attempt to enroll in MyUCSC, a hold creates an error message. Students may view their holds by logging on to the MyUCSC portal and clicking on the Student Center. Information on how to remove each hold is included.

Appointment Times

Students may view their priority enrollment appointment time by logging into the MyUCSC portal and clicking on the Student Center.

Appointment Time Problems

If you are not eligible to enroll, consider the following circumstances:

  • verify your appointment time;

  • if you were anticipating transfer credit to change your academic level, or if you check your credits and still believe the academic level is wrong, contact the Registrar’s office;

  • if you planned to study abroad with the Education Abroad Program (EAP) but your plans have changed, contact your EAP adviser;

  • if you applied to graduate and your plans have changed, reapply to graduate. For more information, see Apply/Reapply to Graduate;

  • if you are barred or disqualified, contact your college; or

  • If you cannot determine the reason for your appointment time problem, contact the Registrar’s office.

Minimum/Maximum Credits

Standard course loads for UCSC students

Undergraduate students are expected to take a minimum of 15 credits and may enroll in up to 19 credits. Graduate students are expected to enroll in at least 10 credits and no more than 19 credits. Undergraduates who have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average may enroll in up to 22 credits beginning the first day of instruction. If you wish to take a nonstandard course load, meet with your college academic preceptor or graduate adviser who will update the system if the nonstandard courseload is approved so that you can complete enrollment.

When minimum credits are enforced

Minimum credits are not enforced until a few days prior to the start of instruction. (For the date, see the Academic and Administrative Calendar.) Once minimum credits are enforced, you will not be able to drop below the minimum unless you obtain approval from your academic preceptor or graduate adviser. To drop a course and add another, use the swap function. Financial aid recipients should be cautious; certain aid will not be disbursed if enrollment is less than full-time.

When maximum credits are enforced

Students may enroll in no more than 19 credits prior to the first day of instruction.

Class Numbers

Every course has a five-digit class number which is used for enrollment. The class number appears in the MyUCSC Class Search. The course description on the Class Detail page of a Class Search indicates whether the course is an Interview Only course requiring instructor consent. To enroll in one of these classes, obtain a permission number from the instructor or department.

To enroll in independent study, you must first pick up a petition for independent study at the department, college, or division office and obtain the approval of the UCSC instructor who will supervise your study. Next, the sponsoring agency will assign a class number for you to use to enroll online.

Requirements (Prerequisites and Restrictions)

  • A class that has a prerequisite means that other courses must be completed or a placement exam must be satisfied before the course can be taken. Classes for which a C-, D+, D, D-, F, NP, W,” or “I” is received do not satisfy prerequisite requirements.

  • A class that has restrictions is available only to certain categories of students.

Refer to the Courses section of the UCSC General Catalog to determine the prerequisites or restrictions of a class.

Prerequisites satisfied at other institutions

If you believe course work completed at another institution satisfies a prerequisite, contact the department sponsoring the class.

Secondary Discussion Sections/Labs

What is a secondary discussion section/lab?

A section is a smaller discussion group or lab class which is taken as part of a credit course, but no credit is awarded. Secondary sections/labs are listed below the main lecture in Class Search. Not all lectures require enrollment in a secondary section.

Swapping Sections

To swap sections it is not necessary to drop the class. Use the edit function. For more information, see How to Change a Grade Option or Secondary Section. Swapping into a waitlisted section will waitlist you for the lecture as well.

When the lecture or sections are closed (full)

If there is space in the lecture, but you cannot find an open section, you cannot enroll in the class. If you have a permission number for the lecture and all the sections are full, contact the department offering the course.

Concurrent Enrollment

The Enrollment Information box in a MyUCSC Class Search will indicate previous or concurrent enrollment in another class is required. For example, if you enroll in BIOL-130L-01, you should concurrently enroll in the associated class, which is BIOL-130-01.

The term, “concurrent enrollment,” can be confusing. Please note:

  • it is not the same as a discussion section (see Secondary Discussion Sections/Labs above);

  • it is not the same as concurrent enrollment through UC Extension, in which a person enrolls in a regular Open University course as an Extension student.

Waitlist Appointment

During your second pass, if a class is full, you may sign up for up to 10 waitlist credits. You should see a Waitlist Appointment period on MyUCSC with your other enrollment appointments.

For more information, including instructions and participating departments and classes, please visit the Office of the Registrar’s frequently asked questions on waitlists. Be sure to check the FAQ web site for updated waitlist information.

Class Permission Numbers

A class permission number is an assigned number that can override restrictions and/or prerequisites if a class is full. It is specific to a class and can be used only once. After an unsuccessful attempt to add a class, the number may be used again. Permission numbers are required to enroll beginning the eighth day of instruction.

To obtain a class permission number, contact the instructor or department.

What a class permission number can override

A class permission number overrides course restrictions/prerequisites and/or overrides the closed (full) status of a class.

What a class permission number CANNOT override

Class permission numbers cannot override time conflicts, your maximum allowed credits or holds.

Time Conflicts

Why you might have a time conflict

Courses which have the same start and end times are considered a time conflict. Check the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date class information.

How to resolve a time conflict

If your classes overlap but you and your instructors believe that you can complete both classes in spite of the conflict, you should call the Office of the Registrar at 459-4412 for assistance.

Retaining Enrollments

To retain a seat in your classes or remain on the waitlist for a class, you must attend the first class meeting. Instructors may administratively drop anyone from the roster or waitlist who does not attend.

Enrolling After Instruction Begins

Attend the first class meeting of any classes you want to add. Permission numbers are required for all classes after the seventh day of instruction but may be required earlier. If necessary, the instructor will issue a class permission number.

Verify Your Enrollments

It is important that you verify your classes and grade options, via MyUCSC, after you complete your enrollment transactions. It is also recommended that you verify your enrollments and print your Class Schedule before the end of the Add/Drop/Swap period. Print your Class Schedule from the Student Center by clicking on Enroll and then clicking on the My Class Schedule tab.

Appointments are randomly assigned.

Enrollment Appointment FAQs available here.

Determining Your Academic Level

Frosh: 0-44.9 credits

Sophomore: 45-89.9 credits

Junior: 90-134.9 credits

Senior: 135+ credits