Yale College students now register for courses during the term prior to the term for which they are enrolling. This means that returning students register for the fall term in the spring term of the previous academic year. Students register for the spring term during the fall term of the same academic year.

First-year students register for the fall term the day before the add/drop period opens, typically the day before classes start. They register for the spring term during the fall term of the same academic year, with all the returning students. See registration dates on the registration website.

First-year and returning students often take part in Preference Selection. Preference Selection is a random registration tool for multi-section courses, including several language courses and first-year seminars. Preference Selection takes place before registration, typically in early August for the fall term and in late October for the spring term.

As DUS, it is important that you review your course listings in Yale Course Search prior to the opening of registration. You will want to make sure all the courses you intend to offer for a specific term are appearing, including senior essay and independent reading and research courses. Once registration opens, instructors may no longer add distributional designations or cross-listings. Before registration opens, Canvas sites are automatically created for all offered courses for which instructor names are listed. Remind your faculty that they should post their syllabi on Canvas as soon as possible after Canvas opens. For Canvas-related questions, contact Canvas directly. 

You will also want to make sure that your faculty understand the importance of working with your department registrar to make sure they have set a maximum enrollment number and have decided whether they want to grant enrollment permissions or allow students to enroll on a first-come basis. They should also consider whether they want to establish a waitlist for courses that don't require instructor permission, based in part on the number of available, qualified teaching fellows. During registration, faculty should check their email frequently and if they arranged to grant enrollment permissions, they should log in to the registration system to respond to student requests. For information about managing enrollment, see Managing Enrollment for Your Course on the registration website.

You might also want to set up meetings with your majors prior to the end of the registration period. Students do not require DUS or advisor permission to submit their course schedules, but it is important that they discuss their academic path periodically with a knowledgeable representative of your department. See Advising for Advisers on the Yale College Dean's Office website.

For Courses with Labs or Discussion Sections

During registration, students must select discussion/lab sections simultaneously with their corresponding lectures. When registration closes, students will be removed from the lecture if they haven't enrolled in a discussion section or removed from the discussion section if they haven't enrolled in the lecture. If students have questions about the process, direct them to the registration website. 

Add/Drop Period

During the add/drop period, the registration system reopens for a period of about seven days for students to add and drop courses for which they enrolled during registration. The changes to schedules at this time should be minimal. Refer to the registration website for the opening and closing dates of add/drop period.

For more targeted information about registration, see the registration website. There are several step-by-step guides as well as FAQ's, and process explanations. If you still have questions, email registrar@yale.edu.