When do I register?

There are two ways to find out:

  • Look at the list of Registration Priority Times organized by class year and last name.
  • Look under the “Am I Registration Ready” link in the Hub.

For general registration dates, see the Academic Calendar.

What is Sophomore Priority?

Instead of Seniors first, then Juniors, and so on, these courses follow a different order: Sophomores, first-year students, Seniors, Juniors. Sophomores and first-years register for these as normal (and if it is full, waitlist it as normal). However, if you will be a Junior or Senior during the term you are registering for and wish to register for a Sophomore priority course, you must waitlist the upper-class waitlist section of the course (identified by the WL characters following the course number: e.g., WL0 or WL2). This also applies to a Senior, Junior, or Sophomore wishing to register for a first-year priority course.

How can I add or drop a class? When is the last day that I can do it?

For most courses, you can add and drop classes until 11:59 p.m. the Sunday following the first day of classes (if the class begins on a Monday. Otherwise, this period ends at 11:59 p.m. on the fifth day of classes). See the Academic Calendar for specific deadlines.

Don’t wait for the deadline! Make changes sooner rather than later to ensure you make it onto class lists.

For courses with waitlists, you’ll need the instructor’s permission to add the course. The instructor will need to notify the Registrar’s Office of their consent and then you will get an email with instructions on adding the course. You’ll only have one day to add the course. Further details on the drop/add process can be found in the Academic Regulations & Procedures.

Can I register for classes with time conflicts?

No, the registration system will not allow you to register for two courses with time conflicts. You will need permission from the instructors to do that. Visit the Registrar’s Office to discuss how you’ll get those permissions and to obtain the appropriate registration card.

How do I “scrunch” a course?

Students may declare up to six credits per term (and up to 30 in your time at Carleton) as elective S/Cr/NC [Satisfactory/Credit/No-Credit] by completing and submitting a S/Cr/NC form. The six credits per term does not include courses offered only on a S/Cr/NC basis.

The form requires both the student’s and the instructor’s signature and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on:

  • the seventh Friday of the term for ten-week courses, 
  • the third Friday of the term for first five-week courses, or 
  • the eighth Friday of the term for second five-week courses. 

See the Handbook for more details.

What if I will be off-campus during my registration time?

We expect students to do what they can to register online.

However, if you are a student that is off-campus that does not have internet access during registration, you can elect to have the Registrar’s Office to act as a proxy and register you via the electronic Proxy Registration Form.

Your adviser must also grant approval to signify that a conversation has taken place regarding course selection for the upcoming term. Once you and your adviser sign off on the form, it will reach the Registrar’s Office.

The Registrar’s Office will process the forms during the normal business hours (8:00am-5:00pm) following the student’s registration priority time.  The Registrar’s Office will also accept proxy registration forms submitted after the student’s priority time through 4:00pm of the last day of classes of the term preceding the term of registration.

How do I apply for independent study?

Submit your completed independent study forms to the Registrar’s Office during normal business hours. Course numbers 290/390, 291/391, and 292/392 for all subjects, as well as BIOL 394, CHEM 394, PHYS/ASTR 356 and PSYC 300, are all considered independent study courses.

Note that some departments, such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Political Science and Psychology provide their own forms, which are available on their respective department pages. Registration and drop/add deadlines pertain to independent study.

What happens if I experience technical difficulties during registration?

Call the ITS Help Desk at 507-222-5999. You can also register in one of the public computer labs on the first floor of CMC during that time frame – Help Desk staff will be ready to assist you as needed. You can also call the Registrar’s Staff during that time at 507-222-4288. Should general system failure stop your class from registering, you will receive an email from the Registrar providing further information about how to proceed.

What if my class is full?

You can waitlist it, following the same procedure that you would to register for a class. You can drop yourself from a waitlist or check your waitlist number via the “Manage My Waitlist” link under the “Register for Courses” section of the Hub. You may waitlist for a course which conflicts with a registered course. You are not allowed to waitlist for multiple sections of a course or for another section of a course in which you are enrolled. To waitlist a closed lecture/zero-credit lab pair, waitlist the zero-credit lab only.

If you have waitlisted for a course, we encourage you to contact the instructor immediately to signal the level of your interest and to attend the first meeting of this class. If the instructor lets you in via the waitlist, the Registrar’s Office will email you with permission to register for the course. You will have one day after receiving this email to register online, so check your email regularly.

How can I register for a course that I don’t have the prerequisites for?

Contact the instructor of the course; they may be willing to allow you to register for the course. If so, the instructor will notify the Registrar’s Office that the prerequisite can be waived for you.

Can I audit a class?

Carleton will allow you to audit under certain circumstances, but does not post audits to your transcript. Any arrangement to audit a course is between you and the instructor.

How do I register as a “special student?”

Non-degree students may only take courses at Carleton under very particular circumstances, and our policy on special students clarifies who can and cannot qualify. Register through the Special Student Registration Form, which includes additional information and instructions.

What if I need an exception from registration policies?

Special requests such as double majors, self-designed majors, overloading, taking overlapping classes, etc. are handled on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Standing Committee. You will need to fill out the petition form, obtain the necessary signatures, and submit the form to the Registrar’s Office in a timely manner for your request to be considered. Contact Theresa Rodriguez with any questions.

Can I overload?

As a full-time student, you can take between 12 and 22 credits per term. If you want to take more than 22 credits, you will need to petition the Academic Standing Committee for approval. Petition forms are available on the Registrar’s website or at our office.

Can I take courses at St. Olaf?

Degree-seeking students may take up to one course a term at St. Olaf through the Inter-Registration agreement. Please consult the Inter-Registration policies and submit the appropriate form to the Carleton Registrar’s Office.

Still have questions about Registration? Contact registrar@carleton.edu.