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Choose and Enroll in Your Fall Classes

1. Compile your recommended courses

If you haven't already, make a list of required and/or recommended courses.

2. Plan for a full-time schedule

15 credits (or three 5-credit classes) is considered a full-time course load. For your first quarter, your schedule will most likely look like one of the three options below:


Class 1: Cowell Core Course*
Class 2: Major course (or Writ 25 or Writ 26)
Class 3: Major course/GE/Elective course of interest

3. Search for classes

  • Go to your student portal: my.ucsc.edu and navigate to the class search.
  • Begin searching for Fall classes. You can refine your search by using the pull-down lists, and will get better results by constraining your search in multiple ways. For your first quarter, make sure you do the following:
    • Start by searching for “All Classes” (rather than just “Open Classes”). Some introductory courses look closed in June and early July, but open up spaces for Frosh over the Summer.
    • Make sure you are only taking "Lower Division" courses (courses numbered 1-99). Under "Course Number", select "less than or equal to", and type "99". 
    • If you want to search for General Education classes, you can select a GE code and see options for that code. Make sure you look for GEs that apply to you (some older GE codes apply only to current and transfer students). For a list of the GEs that apply to you, see the Navigator. Make sure you limit the courses to lower division options (classes numbered 1-99).  
    • To find the Cowell Core course, use the Subject "Cowell College". 
    • Click on the courses you are interested in. Look at the description. Look at the dates and times it meets. Check for Enrollment Requirements. Many courses have prerequisites, or require placement exams -- if you have not satisfied the prerequisite requirements by the time you are enrolling, you will not be able to enroll in the course.

4. Make a plan, identify back up classes, and use your shopping cart

  • Remember, you might not be able to get your top choice of classes in your first quarter, so it's important to have some options. You should have at least seven (7) possible courses to enroll in (seven classes of interest for major preparation or exploration, etc.)
  • In mid-July, you can add the courses you are interested in to your shopping cart on my.ucsc.edu. This will make enrolling at your appointment time a much faster process).


5. Get Organized and prepare for orientation and enrollment


  • Once you have at least seven courses in your cart, print out your shopping cart list OR write down the class ID (COWL 1-17), 5-digit Class # (21842), days/time for lecture (MWF 9:30-10:40), days/times for discussion sections or labs (M 7-9pm).



6. Enroll


  • Go to your my.ucsc.edu student portal and using these instructions, enroll in your classes.


  • Be sure to print out a copy of your final schedule (to make sure you successfully enrolled).

  • If you aren't able to get into your first choice classes, enroll in a backup class and use the waitlist swap option. For more information on how to waitlist a course visit: https://registrar.ucsc.edu/faqs/students/wait-list/wait-list-swap.pdf


Questions? Contact Cowell College Advising: cowell@ucsc.edu