McGill.CA / Arts OASIS / Academic Planning

Registration

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On this page: How to register: Tips and Important Information | How to declare your programs | When to register for your courses | Management courses | Tips on handling registration issues | Cancellation of registration

How to register: Tips and Important Information

  • Waitlists: Some courses offer waitlists that may improve your chances of getting into a desired course section. Not all courses have waitlists.  Please refer to the Waitlist information webpage for more details. 

  • Course Conflicts: Avoid registering for courses, including online courses, that are scheduled at the same time in the Minerva Class Schedule. There will be no accommodation in the event of any course, conference or exam conflicts. 

  • Course Restrictions: Minerva does not always prevent students from registering for courses they should not take. It is your responsibility to be aware of prerequisites, corequisites, restrictions, and faculty regulations before registering. 

  • Degree Planning: Returning students are encouraged to meet with an advisor before registration to discuss their degree requirements. 

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How to declare your programs

  • Declare your program: Once you have selected your program(s) of study, you should declare them on Minerva following the instructions and deadlines for changing programs. 

  • Meet with a Departmental Advisor: It is recommended that you meet with a Departmental Advisor for each of your programs to ensure your course selection meets your program requirements. 

  • U0 students: U0 students are not permitted to declare a program of study until they become U1 students.

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When to register for your courses

Fall/Winter term Registration 

  • Register for both the Fall and Winter terms when registration opens in May/June. 

  • All students should familiarize themselves with the Course Catalogue. Students are responsible for adhering to the course change and withdrawal deadlines. 

Note: The BA degree allows for a relatively flexible course distribution. As long as you have successfully completed any required prerequisites with a grade of C or better, you can take a mix of required and complementary major, minor, or elective courses in the same term. You are not required to complete one set of program requirements before moving on to the next. 

Summer Session Registration 

Registration for the McGill Summer Studies opens in early March. Please consult the summer studies website for details. 

Course change period 

A course change (Add/Drop) period is offered during the Fall, Winter and Summer terms. During this period, students may explore courses of interest and make changes to their course registration before the registration deadline.  

  • Explore courses: From the beginning of the term until the end of Course Change Period, you may attend courses you are considering.  

  • Register Early: All courses are subject to enrolment limits. Do not wait until the last minute to register. 

  • Dropped Courses: Courses dropped during the Course Change Period are deleted from your record.

  • Fees and Refunds: If you drop a course within the Course Change Period deadline, you will receive a refund for the course. If you add a course during this period, you will be charged for the course. You will only be charged only for the courses listed in your final schedule. 

  • Cancelled Courses: Courses cancelled by the University are not automatically deleted from your record; you must access Minerva and delete the course(s). 

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Management Courses

Students registered in programs requiring courses in the Faculty of Management (Minor in Management, Minor in Entrepreneurship, Joint Honours Economics and Accounting, Joint Honours Economics and Finance, Faculty program in Industrial Relations, etc.) may be able to register early in specific courses. See the Course Catalogue and key dates. 

All Management courses have enrolment caps. Students in the above programs are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the early registration dates. Although registration in Management courses opens to the general student population at a later date (other course controls may continue to block registration (e.g., pre-requisite controls, faculty restrictions, etc.). You may have to consult with the Faculty of Management to obtain permission to register.  

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Tips on handling registration issues

Problems with MINERVA: Call the Minerva Help Desk at 514-398-7878, or contact Service Point. 

Problems registering for a specific course: 

  • Consult the Registration support page for students for a list of the common registration errors that you may encounter with an explanation and suggestions for problem-solving. Especially for registration error messages such as Closed Course; Reserve Closed; Class/Major/Program/etc. Restriction; Departmental/Instructor Approval Required; Link Error; Prerequisite or Test Score Error; Maximum Hours Exceeded. 

  • In most instances you should contact the units/departments offering the course since registration is controlled by them.

    • For Arts course registration issues, please refer to our list of Departments.  

    • For Science course registration issues, please refer to their program advisors list. Please note that Faculty advisors cannot help you register for courses that are full or restricted, or have other issues. 

  • Always pay attention to "NOTES" that may appear directly below courses in Class Schedule as they may help explain error messages that occur. 

Late course additions/withdrawals (after the course Add/Drop period): 

  • To late add or withdraw from a course, you must be able to explain why you were unable to do so by the deadline.  

  • If your request is approved, you will be charged an administrative fee. 

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Cancellation of registration

If you decide not to return to McGill in September or January after you have registered, please refer to the withdrawal page. 

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