How do I know what prerequisites are required for a course?
Check: New & Topics Course Descriptions; also, check the College Bulletin, available on line at www.dickinson.edu/bulletin

If I don't have the prerequisite but the professor told me it was okay to register for the class, can I still do that?
If you have permission from the professor to take the course, submit the signed Waiver of the Prerequisite Form to the Registrar's Office by 4 p.m., October 26.  These forms are available in the Registrar's Office or online at Registrar's Office Forms link. If you are abroad, you are welcome to ask the professor of the course to send an e-mail to our office (reg@dickinson.edu) in lieu of the form. You will not be able to select this course on-line, so the only way to get this course is by completing the form.

How do I know what the priorities are that have been assigned by the departments?
Check the course priority information link (click here) for a complete listing of the priority faculty have assigned to student access for courses.

How are these priorities determined?
Each department makes the decision about the category of students with priority in the course.  They take in to consideration the numbers of majors who need the course, other majors who use the course as a requirement and/or elective, etc.

How many people will be allowed to sign up for each course during the initial online course request period?
The computer will accept an unlimited number of requests for each course; we turn off the 'capacity' check during this time period so that everyone who needs to have access to the course has that access. During processing, if demand exceeds capacity, students will be randomly assigned based on priority.

What does "random assignment" really mean?
When there are more students who want to take a course than there are spaces in the course, the computer will first prioritize the students according to those published on the course priority information link (click here).  Then, if there are still more students who want the class than there are spaces available, students are randomly selected from within the category.  In other words, assignment is not based on the first letter of your last name, or by when you entered your course request on-line.

What if my advisor isn't on campus anymore?
You need to get a new advisor immediately.  If you've already declared your major, contact your department chair to have a new advisor assigned.  If you haven't yet declared your major, now may be the perfect time to do that. Complete the Declaration of Major Form and submit it no later than 4 p.m., October 20.  If you aren't ready to declare, that's fine.  You can choose another advisor by completing the Change of Advisor Form. Both of these forms are available in the Registrar's Office or online at Registrar's Office Forms link.

When do I enter my course requests on-line?
Anytime between 9:00am EST, Monday, October 24 and 4:00pm EST, Wednesday, October 26.

Will the college allow me to enter course requests if I have an unpaid bill?
Probably not! The most important thing is to confirm with the Student Accounts office that your account is clear well before October 21.   If you have a hold, the computer will not let you enter any of your course requests.

What if I am unable to go online between 9:00 a.m. EST, October 24 and 4:00 p.m. EST, October 26?
If you encounter an emergency situation and are unable to get to a computer with web access (you can enter your course requests from anywhere in the world with this on-line access), please call our office (717-245-1315) and we will help you.  Otherwise, you will have to wait until the Schedule Adjustment Period to request your courses. (This will be after other students have already requested and been assigned courses.)

What is the wait list?
This is a listing of students who wish to take the course if a space becomes available.  Please note that during the on-line course request period it will appear as if you are on the wait list for all courses.  Do not be alarmed, this is simply the way the computer processes your requests and holds them until we can run the programs that match your requests with the priorities set by the faculty for each course.

What happens if I don't get the course I selected?
If you request a course but do not get it once we've matched the students who've requested that course with the priorities, you will be placed on the wait list for that course.

How does the wait list work?
The Registrar's Office monitors course availability during the Schedule Adjustment and Add/Drop periods.  As spaces open in a course with a wait list, students will be contacted via e-mail.  You can then decide if you want the course or not.

If I am the first person to go on the wait list, am I the first person contacted?
In some cases!  Please refer to the Course Priority link (click here) for information on prioritization of the wait list.  Unless otherwise listed, the priority for the wait list is the same as the priority for gaining access to the course during the initial on-line course request period.

Can I add an Independent Study/Independent Research/Tutorial during the On-line Course Request Period?
Yes.  Complete the Special Course Options Form (available in the Registrar's Office or on-line at Registrar's Office Forms link) and submit it to the Registrar's Office. You cannot enter these courses online.

Can I add an Internship during the On-line Course Request Period?
No.  But, as soon as you take care of all of the paperwork with the Career Center, they will send that paperwork to us and we will add it to your schedule.

How do I let you know that I will be studying Off-Campus next semester?
Complete your required paperwork with the Office of Global Education by the published deadline for your program.  The Office of Global Education will inform the Registrar's Office of all students approved to study off-campus. If you are confirmed and approved for Off-Campus study next semester, you do not need to do anything on-line.

May I also request courses on campus even if I'm approved for Off-Campus Study next semester?
No.