The Registration Process

Complete registration instructions and deadlines are listed for each semester or term on the web site http://registrar.byu.edu.

Registration is based on a priority system (fall and winter semesters only) that allows students to begin registration according to the number of credit hours completed. Priority begins with graduate students and seniors, then juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Post-baccalaureate non-degree-seeking graduates will be given access after continuing freshmen. All newly admitted freshmen will register in a separate priority (fall semester only). New freshman beginning Winter semester will be assigned to the last registration date, regardless of college credit.

Students can determine their priority registration for fall and winter semesters by logging into MyMAP, clicking on the "Register" tab, then looking under the appropriate semester. These dates will be posted 2-3 weeks before registration begins. Students may begin registering for fall semester in late March and for winter semester in late October by following the instructions on the web site.

Spring and summer registration is not based on a priority system. The spring and summer class schedules become available in December, and eligible students can register beginning in February.

Adding and Dropping Classes

Students may use the MyMAP registration system to add and drop classes until the add/drop deadline of each semester or term. Each class has a registration method assigned by the academic department that determines whether or not a permission-to-add code is required. The options are 1) add online anytime without code ("O"); 2) add online until the first day of class, permission-to-add code required thereafter ("F"); 3) always requires permission-to-add code ("S"). MyMAP will notify students if a permission-to-add code is required. For instructions on how to add a class that requires a permission-to-add code, visit registrar.byu.edu.

If a student is enrolled as of the first day of a semester or term and subsequently drops all of his or her classes by the add/drop deadline, a withdraw date will be posted on the transcript. To withdraw from individual classes after the add/drop deadline, see "Withdrawal from Classes" below.

Note: A student cannot be registered for more than one section of the same class in the same semester or term, unless it is a R-suffix class (e.g. Music 160R), in which case the student must drop any unwanted sections.

Full-, Three-Quarter-, or Part-Time Status

A student who registers for 12 or more credit hours a semester or 6 or more credit hours a term is full-time. Registration for 9 to 11.5 credit hours per semester or 4.5 to 5.5 credit hours per term is three-quarter-time. Registration for 0.5 to 8.5 credit hours a semester or 0.5 to 4 credit hours a term is part-time status. International students and students receiving financial assistance may be required to be enrolled full-time. (Please note that credit hours for spring-summer semester length classes count in spring term enrollment.)

Verification of Full-Time Status for Graduate Students

Graduate students (masters and doctoral students) who are enrolled for at least 2 credit hours per semester and who can be certified by their department as being engaged full-time in pursuit of their degrees can petition for graduate full-time status. Requests for such an exception should be directed to the Office of Graduate Studies (gradstudies.byu.edu or call 801-422-4091).

Withdrawal from Classes

Students who choose to withdraw from a class must do so officially. Students who do not officially withdraw before the published deadline will receive a failing grade.

To withdraw from a class:

1. During the withdraw period (seventh through fiftieth day of a semester or seventh through twenty-fifth day of a term) students may use MyMAP to withdraw from classes. A $10 fee per class will be charged to the student's account and a W will be posted on the student's transcript (a "W" does not affect GPA).
2. To withdraw from classes for extenuating circumstances after the withdraw deadline, students may petition for an exception to university policy through the Registrar's Office (B-150 ASB). There is a $10 fee per class if the petition is approved.

The university reserves the right to assign a failing grade for academic dishonesty reasons even if the student is able to withdraw him/herself from the class before the failing grade has been assigned.

Class Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend classes for which they are registered. Each class instructor may determine the relationship of class attendance to the final grade for the course. Faculty should tell students what relationship attendance has to the final grade for the course, but students must take responsibility for their actions. Notification to teachers of emergency absences (death in the family, serious illness, etc.) is the student's responsibility. Students must be officially enrolled either for credit or audit to be eligible to attend class.

Auditing Classes

Students who wish to audit a class (take a course without receiving any credit for it) must add the class with a permission-to-audit code within the first six class days of a semester or term. Audited classes do not appear on transcripts for completed semesters, do not count for enrollment verification purposes, and do not count towards financial aid or scholarship eligibility. However, audit hours do count toward maximum hours per semester and tuition charges. Students must be officially enrolled either for credit or audit to be eligible to attend class.

Independent Study

Indepdendent Study courses can be taken at any time, can take up to a full year to complete (i.e., crossing over standard semesters/terms), and can be applied toward graduation requirements. However, these courses are not eligible for federal financial aid under any circumstances. This does not apply to semester/term BYU Online courses, which do qualify for federal financial aid and which must be completed within a single semester/term. (See Independent Study for further information.)

Class Preparation Time

The expectation for undergraduate courses is three hours of work per week per credit hour for the average student who is appropriately prepared; much more time may be required to achieve excellence. These three hours may include one hour of lecture plus two hours of work outside class, three hours in a laboratory with little outside work, or any other combination appropriate to a particular course.

Maximum Hours per Enrollment Period

An undergraduate student in good standing may register for as many as 18 credit hours in any one semester (9 per term). College advisement centers may authorize a student who has demonstrated superior academic ability to register for a maximum of 21 hours per semester (11 per term). This authorization is given by the advisor flagging approval on a student's record. The student will not be able to register for the additional hours until the first day of the semester/term. Registering for classes through Continuing Education or auditing classes constitutes a part of the total registration. Through a petition process after the first day of school, exceptions to these rules may be granted by the university registrar (B-150 ASB).

A graduate student may take up to 22 hours/semester (11 hours/term). For exceptions to go over hours, graduate students must consult with the Graduate Studies Office (105 FPH, 801-422-4091).

Credit hours for spring-summer semester length courses count in spring term enrollment.

Final Examinations

The university schedules exam preparation and examination periods. An examination period occurs at the end of each semester and term. The examination period is preceded by exam preparation days, which give time for conscientious review, study, and synthesis of the semester's work. The exam preparation and the examination periods are firmly scheduled parts of the semester; students must not make plans that interfere with these important academic activities. Students may not take final examinations early. If illness or other uncontrollable circumstances prevent a student from taking an examination at the scheduled time, that student is responsible to inform the class instructor as soon as possible.

The instructor may give the grade Incomplete for nonacademic extenuating circumstances occurring after the discontinuance deadline. The incomplete cannot be given unless the student and instructor together prepare a contractual agreement (see Grading and Records for further information.)

In cases where a student has conflicting examinations or three or more examinations in one day, individual arrangement for alternative test times may be made by the instructor.

Registration Holds

The university may place a hold on a student's records that will block registration privileges. The hold will be indicated on the MyMAP registration system. It is the student's responsibility to contact the appropriate office to clear any holds before attempting to register for classes. A student may see if they have any holds by going to the Register tab in MyMAP.

Academic Standards Hold:

Academic Support Office (801) 422-2723

Ecclesiastical Endorsement Hold:

Honor Code Office (801) 422-2847

Financial Hold (past due balance):

Student Accounts (801) 422-4104

Collections Office (801) 422-7648

Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (801) 422-4104

Graduate Studies Hold:

Office of Graduate Studies (801) 422-4091

Advisement Centers (CAC holds):

Education (801) 422-3426 
Engineering and Technology (801) 422-4325 
Family, Home, and Social Sciences (801) 422-3541 
Fine Arts and Communications (801) 422-3777 
Humanities (801) 422-4789 
International and Area Studies (801) 422-3548 
Life Sciences (formerly Biology and Agriculture) (801) 422-3042 
Marriott School of Management (801) 422-4285 
Nursing (801) 422-4173 
Physical and Mathematical Sciences (801) 422-2674 
University Advisement (Open Major) (801) 422-3826

To see more common holds that block registration, go to http://registrar.byu.edu.