Registering for Classes and Appointment Times

Appointment Times

Registration for each term occurs within designated periods. Within these periods, you will be assigned specific registration appointment times. For continuing students, your appointment times will generally be available on Student Services Online (SSOL) two weeks prior to the registration period, but specific registration instructions are announced by each school in advance of each registration period.

Students often register by hierarchy during registration periods as established by each school. Some schools determine appointment distributions by class standing, others by random selection. Certain cohorts of students may receive priority registration appointments when deemed appropriate by their school or program.  The Office of the University Registrar adheres to each school’s guidelines for setting registration appointments.

You must be registered for at least one class prior to the first day of classes each term. Otherwise, you may be charged a late registration fee.

Holds

You will not be permitted to register if a hold has been placed on your student account. To find out if you have a registration hold, check Holds on SSOL.

Registration Instructions

All students may register on Student Services Online (SSOL) during their assigned appointment times. You will need your UNI and UNI password.

If you are not able to register through SSOL, check with your school for the proper procedure.

Some classes may be blocked for web registration and require approval, written or electronic. SSOL will indicate this when you try to register. Registration Adjustment Forms submitted to the Student Service Center in 210 Kent Hall or registrar@columbia.edu must have proper approval signatures and will not be accepted if the class is available for registration using SSOL, or if the request is to bypass a Wait List without instructor approval.

Online Class Wait List

The Wait List feature for course registration in SSOL went live for participating schools and departments on the first day of classes, Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

Students may choose within SSOL to place themselves on course Wait Lists, which are of two varieties: either autofill or self-managed by Faculty and departments. 

  • Students who add their names to a Wait List will either be handled first-come, first-served, or will be asked to provide evidence they meet an instructor’s custom criteria.
  • Once a student is admitted to the course, he or she is notified by email that course registration is successful and removed from the Wait List overnight.
  • Our Student Quick Guide (PDF) shows the brief, step-by-step process for using the available Wait List options.
  • The Wait List tool will close the Thursday evening prior to the last day of the Change of Program Period at 9:30p.m. 

Change of Program Period

During the Change of Program period, students can add and drop courses using SSOL. Online Wait Lists continue to be available during this period.

Students must use the last day of the Change of Program period to resolve any course conflicts and point overages. If a schedule overlap is created through registration using the Wait List, the student must resolve the overlap in SSOL by the end of the Change of Program period, or submit a petition to the home school according to its established policies.

Following the Change of Program period, the Post-Change of Program Add/Drop Period begins for students in some schools. Students may add or drop courses in SSOL, with Faculty or departmental approval, until the drop deadline. Once Faculty or departmental approval is granted, students will be sent an email to that effect and then must complete the registration action in SSOL by officially adding the course to their schedule using SSOL.

By completing registration actions, students acknowledge responsibility for the accuracy of their schedule and assume responsibility for associated financial and academic penalties.