Overview
In late May, each of Vanderbilt’s undergraduate schools mails a course registration packet to their first-time students. Included are the dates for each phase of registration, how and when to contact academic advisers, and detailed instructions for submitting course requests. Please read your registration packet carefully when it arrives and follow the directions and timeline provided.
The following offers a brief overview of the process. Registration occurs in three phases: a Course Request Period, a “Bump and Balance” Period, and a Registration Period.
June 8–26
During the Course Request Period you request the courses you wish to take in the fall semester. At this time, enrollment limits for individual courses are not enforced. Since this is a request phase, students are not guaranteed that they will get every course or the day and time slot they request.
For information about academic advising, see our more detailed explaination: First-Year Academic Advising, which includes links to each school’s academic advising resources.
June 29 – July 20
During the Bump and Balance Period, each school reviews the enrollment requests for their courses and makes adjustments in order to balance enrollments. When there are no other options, students may be “bumped” from over-enrolled courses.
July 27
Registration Period begins for students who have been “bumped” from courses. On August 3, all other students wishing to make schedule changes can begin to do so. During the Registration Period maximum enrollment limits on all courses are enforced. Hence, some courses will be closed because they are full. The Registration Period typically runs from late July until the first day of classes.
For more detailed information, please refer to your registration packet when it arrives.