Registration/Scheduling Classes

How can I find out when I can schedule for next semester?

Your scheduling date will be posted in your LionPATH Student Center. Registration timetables are also available at http://www.registrar.psu.edu/Reg_Timetable/RegTimetable_Main.cfm. Your  scheduling date is based on the number of credits that you have completed. Students should schedule on their assigned date since classes may fill up.

How can I schedule more than 19 credits?

You can schedule up to 19 credits before the first day of class for the semester. During drop/add week you are able to add more credits to your schedule and do not need permission to do so. However, before adding more credits, you are encouraged to carefully consider your likelihood of success with a heavy credit load. An adviser can help you determine whether this would be a good choice for you.

Can I take a course that I don’t meet the prerequisites for?

This decision is up to the course instructor. Ideally, you should talk with the instructor before scheduling the course since students may be dropped from classes if they do not meet the prerequisites. If the course is offered by the EME Department and the instructor gives you permission to take it without the prerequisite, he/she may ask you to fill out a petition form indicating that permission has been granted for you to take the class. Permission to take a course without the prerequisite is more likely to be given if you have learned the prerequisite content through another course (for example, if the prerequisite listed is the EME fluid mechanics course but you have completed the CE fluid mechanics course).

I am trying to register for a course but it says I don’t meet the requisites. What should I do?

A requisite is different than a prerequisite (“prerequisite” means the courses you must have completed before taking this course; “requisite” means criteria you must meet to enroll such as being in a specific major or semester standing). If you are not in the specific population that a course is reserved for,  you will get a message saying that you do not meet the requisites.

In some cases of a course that has multiple sections such as ENGL 202C, some sections may have requisites while others do not. If you are trying to schedule a section that you do not meet the requisites for, check to see if there are other sections that might be open to you.

Occasionally a course will have seats saved until a specific date and any seats remaining after that date will become available to anyone. In that case, you should put yourself on the waitlist (if one is available) right away to increase your chances of getting into the course if seats become available.

If the course is taught by the EME Department, check with the adviser for your major (Molly (Nulty) Hanna for EBF or PNGE, Samantha Suk for  ENENG, ENVSE, or MNGE) to see if the course may be opened up to other students at some point. If the course is not within our department, you can contact the department offering the course to see if there are any exceptions to the requisites. The link below contains a list of contact information by department.

http://www.registrar.psu.edu/departments/

How can I add a class after the regular add period has ended?

Students need to have instructor permission to late add a class after the regular add period has ended. You will need to print the form from http://www.registrar.psu.edu/student_forms/dropadd_form.cfm and get the signature of the course instructor. An instructor is more likely to agree to a late add if the request is made soon after the regular add deadline since you will not have missed as much of the class. Keep in mind that if you have not been attending and have not been completing the course work, you will be still held responsible for all material taught and all assignments from the beginning of the semester. The later you enroll, the more difficult the course could be for you.

How can I tell which semester classes for my major are offered?

The best way to know when a course for the major will be offered is to talk with either Alisha Simon (ENVSE or EBF) or the Ryan Family Student Center (ENENG, PNG or MNGE majors). They can give you a sheet that lists when courses for the major are offered and their prerequisites. These sheets are also posted on a bulletin board outside of 115 Hosler. It is recommended that you do NOT use the information in LionPATH about which semester a course is typically offered because it is sometimes incorrect.

How can I make sure the classes I scheduled will count for my major?

It is recommended that you meet with your assigned adviser each semester before you schedule courses to make sure that your planned classes will keep you on track with your major.

After you have scheduled your classes, you can run a degree audit (if you are officially in your major) or what-if report (if you are in pre-major status). If you have classes appearing in the “Courses Not Used” section of the audit, these courses are not counting toward your degree requirements. Unless you have confirmed that you will be able to petition a course that is showing up in Courses Not Used to count (such as if the course is on an approved electives list for your major or you have been given permission to take it as a substitute for a requirement), you should avoid taking classes that show up in Courses Not Used if you do not want to take classes that will not count for your degree. If you have questions about whether a course in Courses Not Used could be usable, check with your adviser.

How do I sign up for summer classes?

You can register for summer classes at any Penn State campus using LionPATH. In summer, you do not need any special permission to take classes at a campus other than your home campus unless the class section is reserved for a specific group of students.

How do I take a class at World Campus while I’m taking other classes at University Park?

For fall or spring semester, you will need to follow the procedure described at https://handbook.psu.edu/content/multiple-campus-registration. Be aware that some World Campus classes do not permit any UP students to enroll, and some others only allow enrollment if seats remain at the beginning of the semester. For that reason, it is best to plan for an alternative class in case you cannot get into your desired World Campus class. In summer, students can register for classes at other campuses on their own through LionPATH (without following the multiple campus procedure) as long as the class section is not reserved for a specific group of students.