Section 3: Registration

Preparing for Course Registration

The Course Registration Information Page describes the process you should follow to successfully register for classes, under the section titled “Preparing for Course Registration”. These steps involve:

1. Running a DARS to identify which courses to take for an upcoming term.
2. Meeting with your Academic Advisor to confirm plans and progress towards degree.
3. Planning your schedule.
4. Submitting your schedule during the Course Request period.
5. Reviewing Course Request Results.
6. Finalizing Registration for the term through the add/drop period.
7. Verifying your schedule.

Statement of Responsibility for Academic Records

As per the Catalog, you are responsible for keeping and being familiar with your own records and for the accuracy of these records. 

It is your responsibility to check your current schedule of classes by accessing Hokie SPA. Errors must be corrected by the established add deadline stated in the Enrollment Dates Calendar. Registering for courses makes you responsible for paying the associated tuition and fees. You remain responsible for these charges unless you formally resign by the university’s established deadlines. It is your responsibility to complete and return the Withdrawal/Resignation form by established term deadlines if choosing to disenroll for a given term.

You are responsible for meeting with your advisor prior to registration to ensure appropriate curricula planning.

Important Terms 

The Catalog provides a thorough list of policies related to enrollment, grades, and credits. Some of the important terms related to registration follow here:

Program Requirements. The official course and policy requirements necessary to complete a specific minor or major at Virginia Tech.

Roadmap. A sample semester-by-semester plan for when to take each course. Roadmaps are designed to be used as a general guide. All students are highly encouraged to complete a personalized academic plan.

Academic Plan. An academic plan is an outline of how you plan to spend your time at Virginia Tech. It includes major and minor courses, general education requirements, and co-curricular activities. Typically, an academic plan includes 15 credit hours per semester to stay on track towards graduation. Every academic plan is unique to each student and should be used as an adaptable guide to and through graduation.   

Co-Requisite. A co-requisite is a course that must be taken at the same time as, or completed before, another course.

Pre-Requisite. A pre-requisite is a course that must be completed prior to enrollment in another course. Students without the required prerequisite will be prohibited from enrolling. A more detailed explanation of pre-Requisites can be found in the Catalog.

Course Registration Number (CRN). The number your college or university uses to classify a course. This number can be useful to identify a specific section of a course.

Credit Hour. A credit hour is equivalent to one hour of class time per week. Courses are usually measured in credit hours, with most being three or four credit hours. Students may refer to how many credit hours or credits they are carrying for a particular semester. The number of credit hours a student enrolls in determines whether they are a full-time student or a part-time student. During Fall and Spring semesters, students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours are considered full-time students, and students enrolled in fewer than 12 credits are considered part-time.

Cross-Listed. Cross-listed courses are classes listed under two or more departments. For example, HTM 2314/MGT 2314 is cross-listed under HTM (Hospitality and Tourism Management) as well as Management (MGT).

Elective. Electives are courses that students may choose from a range of options, rather than courses specifically prescribed by a degree program. For more information, refer to the section on “Electives.”

Hold. A hold is a restriction that may impact a student’s ability to make changes to their schedule, view transcripts, and more. Holds are placed on a student’s account for a number of reasons. A list of holds, and what actions can be taken to resolve them, can be found on the Viewing Registration Holds page.

Incomplete. A grade of "I" (incomplete) may be given when the requirements of a course other than the final examination have not been completed due to illness or extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control. The "I" grade is at the discretion of the instructor. Refer to the Catalog for more information on the policies related to incomplete grades.

Repeated Courses. Students may only attempt a course three times. An "attempt" is when a student is enrolled in a course on the last day to add courses during each semester.  Courses designated as repeatable credit (to the limit allowed) are excluded from this policy (e.g., independent studies, internships, etc.). Any student who enrolls in a fourth attempt will be dropped from the course. Repeating a course subsequent times may affect financial aid and eligibility for certain programs. All course repeats should be done in consultation with a student's academic advisor.

All instances of the graded course will be computed in the grade point average. Refer to the Catalog for more information on the policies related to repeated courses.