Yale College students register for classes in Yale Course Search, during their designated registration period and during the add/drop period.
Before Registration
Prior to the opening of registration, students are encouraged to visit Yale Course Search to determine which courses they are interested in and which they need to complete major requirement milestones.
Key Registration Dates (Yale College & GSAS)
| Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 14 | F | Spring term registration opens for GSAS students, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 17 | M | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2026, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 18 | T | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2027, visiting students, and Eli Whitney students (without a class year), 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 19 | W | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2028, 8:00 a.m. |
| Nov. 20 | Th | Spring term registration opens for Class of 2029, 8:00 a.m. |
| Jan. 5 | M | Add/drop period opens for all GSAS & YC students, 8:00 a.m. |
| Jan. 12 | M | Spring-term classes begin. |
| Jan. 21 | W | Add/drop period closes for all GSAS & YC students, 5:00 p.m. |
1. Log into Yale Course Search
- Search for the course for which you want to register.
- View course details by clicking on a course listed under Search Results. review course information including description, meeting dates and times, distributional designations, instructors, class notes, course resources, and final exam.
2. Add the Course to Your Registration Worksheet
- Open the viewing panel for the course you want to add, click on Add to Worksheet. Be sure to select the Registration Worksheet.
- Once a course has been added successfully to the registration worksheet a black check mark indicates enrollment in the course.
- NOTE: If a message states “Concurrent enrollment in [course name here] is required,” you cannot register for the selected course/section without also enrolling in the course indicated by the message.
- See Courses that Require an Associated Discussion or Lab Section below.
How to Remove or Drop a Course from the Worksheet
Courses may be removed from the registration worksheet at any time during the registration or add/drop periods.
During registration and add/drop, it is easy to drop a course and needs to be done if an instructor has denied permission to register.
- Open your registration worksheet and select the unwanted course.
- Click the Drop button.
- Click Submit Registration to save the change.
Courses that Do Not Require Instructor Permission
These courses are open to students on a first come, first enrolled basis.
If the course doesn’t require instructor permission, you should see a black checkmark next to the course name when you opt to register. The black mark means that you are registered for the course.
If there is not a black checkmark, that means the course is full. Some courses have a waitlist. If so, you can add your name to the waitlist. Establishing a waitlist is at the discretion of the instructor.
Course Requiring Instructor Permission
If the course requires instructor permission, you will see a Request Instructor Permission section open when you try to add the course to your registration worksheet.
Courses Setup with Waitlists
Many courses are setup with waitlists. Waitlisting is a registration feature that allows students to join a queue for enrollment.
Courses that Require an Associated Discussion or Lab Section
During the registration period, students must select discussion/lab sections simultaneously with the corresponding course, typically a lecture.
- After adding the desired lecture course to your registration worksheet, scroll down to the bottom of the information panel to see the list of section options.
- Add the desired section to your registration worksheet by clicking Add to Worksheet.
- In the confirmation box, click OK.
If the desired section is full, you might be able to add yourself to a waitlist.
Registration Expectations
Students are required to register for 3 course credits at a minimum before the registration closes.
Post-Drop Considerations
After dropping a course, it is advisable for students to review how this change affects their overall academic plan and consult with advisers.