As most students know, this week is Registration Week at DU. Students are now registering for winter quarter 2009. In this column, we would like to address some common questions that students ask about registration and academic advising in general.
If you have questions, please call 303.871.2455 to make an appointment to meet with an adviser. Also, you may send your questions to advising@du.edu.
Q. I really need to take this course for my major because it’s a pre-requisite for other courses I need to take later on. I tried to register, but the class is full! How can I register for this course so I don’t get behind in my major/minor planning?
A. You cannot register for a CLOSED course online. Registration is closed for a course that has reached its seating capacity. Some courses have additional sections of the same course offered at different times or with different instructors, and you should register for one of them if it fits into your schedule.
If the closed course has an online waitlist, you can put yourself on the waitlist; however, being on the wait list does not guarantee your entry into the class.
Contact the department in which the class is taught to clearly understand how that department manages their waitlists, as they are managed differently from department to department. Most departments do not even have waitlists.
Check the course’s enrollment status on the online schedule of classes. Seats become available when students drop courses.
Always research and prepare your schedules to include alternate classes for each course that meets at the same time or at times that will not disrupt your entire schedule.
The best practice is to work with your major and minor faculty adviser to develop quarter-by-quarter plans that include alternative classes.
Q. I haven’t been able to decide on a major, but I finally think that I know which major to choose. How can I officially declare this major and a minor that I want? When do I have to declare a major?
A: If you are declaring a new major or adding a second major, you would use the Change of Major form, which can be downloaded from www.du.edu/registrar/forms/index.html. This form can also be picked up at either The Center for Academic and Career Development or from the Office of the Registrar.
A signature from each new major department is required on the Change of Major form. You would visit the office of your major department to get a signature-and maybe to make an actual appointment to meet with a faculty adviser.
To change majors, use the same form. You need a signature from the new major department, but no signature is required from the former major department.
To add, drop or change minors, use the Change of Major form, but no signatures are required.
You must first have a major in order to declare a minor. Take your completed Change of Major form to Office of the Registrar.
Students must declare a major by the time they have 75 credits. Most students who start DU in the fall quarter will have 75 credits after the winter quarter of their sophomore year.
Q. I’m really close to graduating and I don’t know if there’s anything that I’m supposed to be doing to make sure that I have met all of my degree requirements. Are there any forms or anything I need to fill out?
A. You need to apply for graduation three quarters before your planned graduation or once your APR shows that you have 120 credits.
You should apply for graduation at www.du.edu/registrar.
After you apply for graduation, the Office of the Registrar will send you a graduation evaluation which gives you an official evaluation of what requirements you have and have not met so that you can do your final planning to complete the rest of your degree requirements.
