How to register for courses
Use this step-by-step guide to register for courses and manage your schedule at the 荔枝视频.
Step 1. Mark your calendar!
Registration start dates
Note your registration date for your student category. Register on time for the best course selection!
You can start adding courses to your shopping cart when the schedule is available to view.
| Terms | Schedule available to view | New (first-year) students | Continuing students | Transfer students/after-degree | Open Studies students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring/Summer 2026 | Jan. 8, 2026 | N/A | Feb. 26, 2026 | N/A | March 10, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. |
| Fall 2026/Winter 2027 | March 3, 2026 | May 28鈥29, 2026 | March 25鈥26, 2026 and March 30鈥揂pril 2, 2026. | April 7, 2026 | July 21, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. |
Find your enrolment start time
Each U荔枝视频 student has their own enrolment start time when they can begin registering for courses. This helps the course registration process run smoothly. You can. It鈥檚 on the homepage that you see immediately after you login. Learn how enrolment times are assigned.
We recommend registering as soon as your enrolment start time begins. However, you can register until the last day to add courses for the term. See the .
Step 2. Learn about your student registration category
If you鈥檙e a new, transfer or Open Studies student, there are a few key items to consider.
Your First-Year Degree Guide shows the recommended course pattern for your first year. It鈥檚 important to follow this plan. Many first-year courses are prerequisites for second-year courses. Plan ahead to make sure you have the correct prerequisite courses completed for next year.
As a first-year student, you鈥檙e only permitted to register in 200-level courses.
Need help registering for first-year classes?
View our new student registration resource page that can help you learn how to register.
- Choose your first-year courses using the First-Year Degree Guide
- Learn how to build your course schedule
Looking for specific degree advice? Consult with a Faculty Advisor.
Transfer credit reports
Your transfer credit report is available in your . It shows how your previous courses count toward your U荔枝视频 program. Review the report and the comments added below the table for any restrictions.
Courses you鈥檙e still completing won鈥檛 appear in your transfer credit report until they鈥檙e finished and we鈥檝e received official transcripts. Speak to a faculty advisor if you need to use any of the courses you鈥檙e currently completing as pre-requisites.
Generic credits
Think a course has been given generic credit in error? You can get the course outline reviewed by the appropriate department. Do this if:
- You think your generic course has the same content as a required U荔枝视频 course; or
- The course could be used to waive a U荔枝视频 prerequisite
If the department gives you credit for a course they review, make sure they send a memo to your academic advisor. This step is important. It鈥檚 how generic credit rulings are officially applied to your program.
This review process can take several weeks. You should start it as soon as you accept your offer of admission.
If you have questions about your transfer credit report, contact Admissions.
Open Studies credits
As an Open Studies student, your home faculty is the Registrar鈥檚 Office. Contact Enrolment Services for any questions you have about Open Studies academic regulations. Here are some important regulations to note:
- Open Studies students can take a maximum of 36 units overall.
- Open Studies students who don鈥檛 hold a degree:
- You can take up to 12 units per term for the Fall and Winter terms, and up to 6 units per term for the Spring and Summer terms.
- Degree-holding Open Studies students:
- You can take up to 18 units per term for the Fall and Winter terms, and up to 9 units per term for the Spring and Summer terms
Open Studies student categories
U荔枝视频 has four categories of Open Studies students:
- Degree holders and non-degree holders
Students taking courses who aren鈥檛 enrolled in a program leading to a degree/diploma/certificate. - University entrance programs
Students working toward gaining admission to an undergraduate degree program. - Visiting students and visiting research students
Students enrolled at other institutions who are completing academic work at U荔枝视频. - Current high school students
Students completing dual-credit or Young Scientists programs through their high school.
Prerequisites
Open Studies students need permission to register in courses with prerequisites.
- Post-secondary prerequisites:
- You may be able to use courses from other institutions to fulfil a post-secondary prerequisite or to substitute for a high school requirement. Contact the faculty offering the course to discuss prerequisites you may have already taken.
- High school prerequisites:
- If you submitted high school transcripts when you applied, you can usually register without extra permission
- If you didn鈥檛 submit your high school transcripts, email them with your UCID number to Admissions (transcripts@ucalgary.ca). They'll add the transcripts to your file.
Once you have permission to register, you can do so through your Student Centre when your enrolment date arrives. If you have issues registering, contact Enrolment Services.
Step 3. Initialize your registration
You need to complete your registration initialization before you can register for courses. That option becomes available after the course schedule is released.
- Log in to your
- On the Home tab, under Enrolled Courses, select the term you're registering in classes for.
- Click the link in 鈥榊ou have not completed your Registration Initialization. Please click Here to complete.鈥
- Follow the prompts that appear on your screen to successfully initialize your regstration.
Step 4. Make your course list
Watch for multi-term courses
Some courses run across both the fall and winter terms. Multi-term courses are labelled with 鈥淎鈥 for Fall and 鈥淏鈥 for Winter. When registering, make sure to enrol in both terms and choose the same class section for each. Important: You must complete both parts (A and B) to receive credit or a final grade.
First-year student? For course selection information, see the Undergraduate First-Year Degree Guide
Step 5. Build your class schedule with Schedule Builder
Step 6. Complete your course registration
Once your enrolment start time arrives, log in to your . Access your shopping cart and complete your registration for the courses you selected.
Making changes after registration
Before making any changes, check the Most withdrawals can be done through your , but some faculties may require approval.
- Before the drop deadline: The course is removed from your transcript, and you won鈥檛 pay fees for it.
- After the drop deadline: A withdrawal (W grade) appears on your transcript, and you won鈥檛 receive a fee refund.
FAQs
Looking for more answers? Review the Registration FAQs (PDF) for additional guidance on course registration.
If you鈥檙e an undergraduate student wanting to take a graduate-level course, here are the steps to request permission. Permission is not guaranteed.
- Visit the student forms webpage and download the Registration Exception Form.
- Fill out the sections that must be completed by the student.
- Have the department or instructor for the course complete section two of the form.
- Have your home faculty complete Section 3 (if required).
Once you receive permission, the department will post an 鈥渁llow鈥 on your student file. Then, you鈥檒l be able to enrol in the course.
Review the First-Year Degree Guide to see what you should register in for your first year. In your upper years, you can check out the Academics Requirements Tool to view what your required courses are. You can always speak to your faculty advisors for more support.
Typically, 5 courses (15 units) per Fall/Winter term is the standard load to complete a degree in 4 years. However, a minimum of 3 courses (9 units) is considered full-time. We recommend you speak with your faculty advisor to discuss degree progression and course planning.
You can search for a course in Course Schedule Builder or course search to see if it鈥檚 offered for the current terms. You can also check previous terms to see when it has been offered historically. However, course offerings can differ from year to year. Alternatively, you can speak to your faculty advisor.
Students must complete 6 courses (18 units) of 200-level courses before being able to enrol in 300/400-level classes.
You can drop courses without having to pay fees until the drop deadline outlined in the
Dropping a class after the drop deadline is considered a withdrawal. A withdrawal will result in fees owing and a "W" on your transcript.
No, adding a class to your shopping cart or validating your schedule doesn鈥檛 reserve a seat in the class. You need to be fully registered in a course to reserve your spot in it.
If you register for the pre-requisites in the Fall Term first, you鈥檒l be able to enrol in the Winter Term classes.
At the end of the Fall Term, our system will automatically check that you completed the pre-requisites for the Winter courses you enrolled in.
Lab content will usually be the same However, instructors may be different at different times. Multiple labs are scheduled to offer a smaller class size.
You can view the dates classes start and end on in the . It鈥檚 a good idea to mark all the important dates and deadlines in your personal calendar.