Registration

On this page:

1. Know your registration responsibilities
2. How to register:
   2.1 Plan your registration;
   2.2 Declare your programs; and
   2.3 Register online.
3. Add/Drop period
4. Registration issues/errors
5. Record verification
6. Cancelling your registration
7. Proof of enrolment

1. Know your registration responsibilities

Familiarize yourself with your degree requirements and course requirements, and plan your course selection accordingly.

Consult with academic advisors if you need help understanding these requirements.

Be aware of prerequisites, corequisites, restrictions, and faculty regulations that apply to the courses for which you register. Minerva will not prevent you from taking courses you should not take.

Verify your course registration record to ensure there are no mistakes or conflicts.

2. How to register

2.1. Plan your registration

Before registration opens, you should plan your course selection for both the Fall and Winter terms. Planning begins by looking at the requirements for your degree and program(s) and making a course selection that helps you fulfill these requirements:

• Newly admitted students should consult First-year course selection for guidance on planning their course selection. Once you have read through these instructions, contact a Degree advisor if you have questions.
• Current students who plan to return to McGill are encouraged to plan in the spring (before registration opens in May) and meet with Program advisors if they need help with their course selection. Note that all courses have enrollment caps. If you do not register until you return to campus in August, the courses you want (or need for your program) may be full.

Once you have a general idea of the courses you want to take for the year, use the Minerva Class Schedule to view the actual course offerings for the Fall and Winter - this tool tells you which courses are being offered, on what day and time, the instructor, the location and the capacity.

Registration tips:

• The normal course load is 4-5 courses (12-15 credits) per term; a full year is normally 30 credits - consult our Course Load webpage for full details and implications for full-time/part-time status.
• Make a plan that includes more than 4-5 courses. That way you will have alternatives lined up if some of your preferred choices are full.
• You are advised against registering for courses that are scheduled at the same time in the Minerva Class Schedule. There will be no accommodations in the event of any course, conference or exam conflicts.
• IMPORTANT: Advising offices do their best to accommodate as many students as possible in the weeks leading up to registration. However, due to the high demand during this peak period, appointment availability is limited. The best strategy is to plan early and meet with an advisor before the rush begins. If you're unable to book an appointment before registration opens, don’t worry. You should still register for your courses. You will have the entire Add/Drop period to meet with an advisor and finalize your course selection.

2.2. Declare your program(s)

• U0 students: this step does not apply to you. You will be in the Foundation Program. You cannot declare any (other) program until U1.
• U1 students: you should declare your program(s) before registration opens.
• Decide on the program(s) you wish to pursue within your B.Sc. or B.A. & Sc. degree, and declare them on Minerva by the listed periods for making program changes.
• You are encouraged to meet with a Program advisor for each of the programs you wish to pursue to ensure you have a plan to complete all your program requirements.
• Failing to declare your program(s) on Minerva may lead to registration issues as some courses are restricted to students in a particular program.
• Honours programs: if you have departmental approval to register for an Honours program, select the Honours Degree Program first, and then select the appropriate honours discipline(s) from the drop down menu.

2.3. Register online

Register online using Minerva, McGill's central information system.

• How to register? Consult Registering for courses.
• When to register:
  • Check registration dates on When to Register and Key Academic Dates.
  • Register for both the Fall and Winter terms when registration opens in May/June.
  • Avoid late registration fees! Register for at least one course by the deadline to register without penalty, which is typically mid-August.
• You can still adjust your schedule until the end of the Add/Drop period each term.

3. Add/Drop period

During the Add/Drop period (also referred to as the Course Change period) at the start of each term, you can modify your course registration without penalty - up until the Add/Drop deadline.

• Follow the step-by-step instructions to add or drop courses in Minerva.
• Course spots are limited, so register early if you can.
• Courses dropped during Add/Drop are deleted from your record. Your record will show only the courses in which you are registered after the Add/Drop deadline.
• Provided you drop a course within the Add/Drop deadlines, 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 for the courses listed in your final schedule.
• If you neglected to add a course, and if the Add/Drop deadline has passed, refer to Registration issues/errors below.

In Fall and Winter, dropping or withdrawing from all courses constitutes a university withdrawal. Please consult Cancelling your registration below for more important information.

For Summer courses at McGill, make sure you are aware of the Summer Studies requirements and deadlines.

4. Registration issues/errors

Problems with Minerva functionality:

• Contact Service Point.

Registration Holds:

• Consult these explanations and instructions.

Problems registering for a specific course or courses:

• Consult Handling registration issues, 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.
• Pay particular attention to "NOTES" that may appear directly below courses in Class Schedule as they may help explain error messages that occur.
• If you still need help, copy the error message and contact the Department offering the course to determine if registration is possible.

Late course additions; late course withdrawals:

• Correcting course registration errors after the deadlines have passed costs money and takes time.
• This might require approval from the respective instructor and department, and in some instances may not be possible at all.
• You must be able to explain why you were unable to add the course(s) during Add/Drop, or withdraw before the deadline.
• If your request is approved, a fee applies for each change.
• Requests may be denied if similar errors were approved previously.
• Corrections must be requested within one month of the term's end; late requests may not be approved, even with valid justification.
• Late Course Additions request form
• Late Course Withdrawal request form

5. Record verification

6. Cancelling your registration

Cancelling:

Before term starts, if you have already registered for classes, and decide not to come to McGill, you must drop all your courses on Minerva by the deadline to cancel registration.

• Please check the Key Academic Dates for the current academic year.
• If you cannot drop your last course on Minerva, contact Service Point.
• Cancelling your Fall course registration will also cancel your Winter registration. Your Winter term courses will be dropped by the end of September because your student record in the Fall is not active.

Dropping or Withdrawing:

After Fall or Winter classes start, if you are thinking of dropping some or all your courses, please refer instead to our Withdrawals/Leave of Absence webpage.

• Note that dropping all courses or withdrawing from all courses (in Fall or Winter) constitutes withdrawing from the university.

Returning:

Your record will be deactivated if you cancel registration, drop all courses, or withdraw from all courses, for either or both of Fall and Winter terms. You will not be able to return to your studies unless you take further action.

For current or returning students, to return, you must request readmission on Minerva

For newly admitted students, to return:

• If you cancel your registration (before term starts) or drop all courses (before the end of the Add/Drop period), you cannot apply for readmission. You may be able to defer your offer of admission or you may have to apply for a later term.
• If you withdraw later in the term, you must request readmission on Minerva.

7. Proof of Enrolment

If you need confirmation of your student registration at McGill, you can download a proof of enrolment letter from Minerva, where you’ll also find other enrolment forms, Registrar letters, and additional information. Instructions can be found at this website.