PATH Class Search & Registration
PATH is here! Continuing degree-seeking undergraduate students can view their schedule on April 15. Undergraduate Arts & Sciences courses offering waitlists will be updated in PATH on April 17 at 3 p.m. When the initial add/drop period open on April 18 at 7 a.m., major restrictions will be removed and waitlists will be available. All times listed are Eastern Time zone.
Got questions? Visit us in the Sadler Center the week of April 15 or stop by our main office in Blow Memorial Hall during our business hours. We are also available at [[w|registrar]] and phone.
Students can review the When to Register pages and the PATH Registration Timeline for specific information about course registration. The Registration Structure page provides detailed information about changes to the undergraduate registration process, including how to build a cart and set registration priorities. Additional how-to resources are available.
PATH Class Search and Registration
Registration Structure
Select the heading below to expand for more information.
How does PATH Change W&M's Registration Structure?For degree-seeking undergraduate students, there are a few key changes to the structure of registration. For fall and spring semesters, registration begins with building a cart and setting registration priorities and alternative course options for those course selections. After the cart-building period closes, PATH will register students into courses, taking into account priority group, social class, and registration priorities they assigned to their courses. Student schedules will not be immediately available to view; the date schedules will be released to students will be listed on the When to Register and Academic Calendar webpages. Following this, an add/drop period will open for students. More information is available on the Registration Structure page. For graduate students, there are no significant structural changes to how registration operates, but all students will utilize PATH as their registration system. |
How-To Resources
Select the headings below to expand for more information.
[New!] Add and Drop CoursesUndergraduate students will add and drop courses in "real-time" through PATH starting with the initial add/drop period. Graduate student registration events are always in "real-time." Information and videos about how to add courses, drop courses, and use the conditional add/drop feature is available on the Add/Drop Courses page. |
Course Registration WaitlistStarting with the add/drop period for the Fall 2024 term, undergraduate students may be able to add themselves to a course waitlist in PATH if the course is full. Waitlists will be available on most, but not all, undergraduate Arts & Sciences course subjects. When a seat becomes available in a course with a waitlist, the first student on the waitlist receives an email to let them know that they can register for the course. If that student takes no action within the notification window or decides to remove themselves from the waitlist for the course, the next student on the waitlist will be offered the open seat. More information and a PATH Waitlisting Guide can be found on the Course Registration Waitlisting page. |
Build Your Cart & Set Your PrioritiesFor degree-seeking undergraduate students, PATH allows you to select courses and assign a registration priority to those courses in a non-timed environment. After the cart setting period has closed, PATH will evaluate student course selection priorities in multiple "rounds" of registration while maintaining existing social class and priority groups. Review the Carts & Registration Priorities webpage for more detailed information. A PATH Quick Start Guide (pdf) for building a cart and setting registration priorities is available, as well as a Primary & Alternative Carts How-To Video and a Setting Registration Priorities How-To Video. Please note: For information about when carts will open and add/drop periods, please review the When to Register page. |
Navigating PATH Course SearchThe Course Search function is live and ready for you to explore. Familiarize yourself with the system and its features. Note that PATH Course Search replaces current course search tools at W&M. The Open Courselist and Banner Search for Classes have been retired. Try out the new PATH Course Search to learn the parameters and functionality. You can search for courses using any of the following criteria:
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Connect With Us!
Students may email, call, or visit the main University Registrar's Office in Blow Memorial Hall.
Past Events: The University Registrar's Office offered events and pop-up locations during the weeks of March 27-April 2 and April 15-18. Below is a brief outline.
- During the cart-building phase of registration (March 27-April 2), the University Registrar's Office and registration partners offered pop-up events in the Sadler Center, the 3rd Floor of Blow Memorial Hall, the Starbucks on Richmond Road, and via Zoom.
- During the week of schedule release and the start of add/drop (April 15-18), the University Registrar's Office was available in the Sadler Center daily to assist students.
PATH Registration Timeline
Milestones and Registration Events |
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February 14 | PATH Course Search official launch Try it out! Search for classes in current and previous terms |
February 26 | Summer and Fall 2024 classes searchable in PATH |
March 4-7 | Fall 2024 continuing UG business major and minor carts open in PATH (BUAD courses only) |
March 18 | UG academic advising begins Fall 2024 continuing UG business major and minor BUAD student schedules available to view in PATH |
March 18 - April 2 |
Summer 2024 registration opens in Banner Self-Service for degree-seeking UG students |
March 27 - April 2 |
Fall 2024 carts open in PATH for all continuing UG students |
April 15 | Fall 2024 continuing UG student schedules available to view in PATH and Banner Student Profile |
April 16 | Fall 2024 continuing graduate student registration begins in PATH Summer 2024 registration reopens for UG and begins for graduate students in PATH (12:00 p.m.) |
April 17 | Waitlists added to (most) UG Arts & Sciences courses at 3:00 p.m. |
April 18 | Fall 2024 UG add/drop period begins, major restrictions are removed, and waitlists active in PATH (7:00 a.m.) |
Community Communications
Email to Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Students 5/3/2024Subject: Registration Next Steps Dear students, As you navigate the end of the semester, I write today to share what to expect next in your registration experience.
You have my sincere best wishes for a successful final exam period and a restful summer. |
Email to Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Students 4/17/2024Subject: Add/Drop Opens April 18 at 7:00 a.m. Dear Students, As you know, add/drop opens in PATH tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. By design, PATH includes a Shock Absorber when elevated registration activity is detected. Students are placed in a queue in the order of course submission. It may take several minutes for path to process your registration due to high volume. Do not refresh or exit the page. This lag is designed to preserve your registration order. Student registrations will be processed in the order they were submitted to PATH. Add/Drop video tutorials are available demonstrating the two-step submission process, as well as information about course registration waitlisting. To provide additional support this evening (Wednesday, April 17) and answer questions related to add/drop and registration waitlisting:
Additionally, we know that you have questions and concerns following the transition to the PATH registration system. We are scheduling an open forum for students to meet with representatives from the University Registrar’s Office, Information Technology, and Arts & Sciences. We will provide additional information about the open session once the details are finalized. Thank you, Alana Davis |
Email to Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Students 4/15/2024Subject: Initial Schedules Now Available in PATH Dear Students, Initial fall schedules are now being loaded into PATH. The Office of the University Registrar offers our sincere appreciation for your cooperation as we transitioned to this new system. Your participation in our educational outreach, incredibly thoughtful questions about the process, and overall careful construction of initial registration carts helped to make this as smooth a transition as possible. What will you see in PATH?
Why didn't I get all of my requested courses?
What if I want to see my schedule in a traditional format?
What are my next steps?
Did we meet initial PATH goals?
Alana R. Davis (she/her) Associate Provost and University Registrar William & Mary |
Email to Degree Seeking Undergraduate Students 3/21/2024Dear students, There’s a new registration process for Fall 2024 so please take a few minutes to become familiar with this information: Add Classes to your Primary Cart in PATH March 27-April 2. The schedule of classes will not change during this time so you can build your Primary Cart on March 27 (and set it and forget it!) or closer to April 2. If you do not build a Primary Cart by April 2 the next registration opportunity will be on April 18 (beginning of add/drop). Administrative staff do not have the ability to create or adjust your registration cart. Do Not Use the ‘Create a New Cart’ Function and create one called ‘Primary’. When you log into PATH on March 27 a Primary Cart will appear. Resolve holds and Primary Cart registration errors by April 2: PATH will allow you to add classes to your cart if you have a hold or are missing the required pre/co requisites, the course requires instructor permission, or there is a time conflict with another course in your Primary Cart. You must resolve your holds before carts close otherwise your cart will not be processed. If you do not resolve course errors those courses will not be processed. Connect With Us! UReg staff will be available in our office (Blow 240) along with pop up locations (and zoom). Look for dates and times in the ‘Connect With Us’ section on our PATH page. View Your Schedule April 15: Your fall schedule will not be available to you until April 15. Starting April 3, PATH will evaluate student course priorities from Primary Carts. UReg staff will work with A&S dean’s office staff to add additional seats and possibly move classrooms to maximize student priorities. Your schedule will be available in PATH on April 15. Registration Waitlist: Max capacity overrides will no longer be used (Instructor overrides are still being used). You will be able to see A&S courses with a waitlist starting on April 17. Add/Drop Begins in PATH on April 18 at 7:00 am ET. Major restrictions will be removed at this time. This will be the first time you can add yourself to a waitlist. Max Hours: You will be able to add up to 30 credits to your Primary Cart but will only be able to register for up to 16 credits now. Most students may register up to 18 credits beginning August 27, 2024. Graduating in May or August 2024? You will not be able to build a Primary Cart for fall if you have submitted your candidacy for graduation in Spring or Summer 2024. Contact us if your intention is to graduate and take additional courses in the fall (registrar@wm.edu) or if you need to change your date of graduation (degreeaudit@wm.edu). Find Your Resources: Refer to the PATH information page for detailed information about the overall process, PDF instructions on cart building, course prioritization strategies, the registration waitlist and new features of the PATH course search tool. We know this is a lot of new information so please let us know if you have any questions. |
Email to Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Students 2/27/2024Subject: Summer and Fall Registration Update Dear Undergraduate Students, You recently received an email from me about the new PATH registration system. I am excited to follow up with more details about how cart building and course registration will work. Summer Registration Update Undergraduate degree-seeking students will have two weeks to register for summer 2024 courses in Banner Self-Service. You will be able to register for summer courses beginning 8:00 a.m. on March 18 through 11:59 p.m. on April 2. Summer course registration will reopen in PATH at noon on April 16. If you are planning to register for a fall course that requires a summer prerequisite, be sure to register for the summer course during this two-week window. New PATH Registration Beginning in spring 2024, all students will register for fall 2024 courses via PATH. This registration system is not part of Banner and allows you to build a registration cart and prioritize your course selections outside of a timed environment. An introduction to the PATH registration system and resources about building a registration cart can be found on the University Registrar PATH webpage. PATH is available to use now to search for courses. Summer and fall classes are now viewable. Registration Carts You will begin by creating a registration cart between March 27-April 2. Instead of registering for your courses individually, you will build your preferred and alternative schedules by placing courses in a registration cart and prioritizing the options. You are not limited to a particular timeslot during this cart building period; the same course options will be available whether you build your cart on March 27 or April 2. After the cart building period closes, the PATH system will process registration selections in priority group and social class order. Registration processing will take place April 3-April 12, and you will not have access to your schedule during this time. Your schedule will be available to you in PATH on April 15. Add/drop and waitlist availability begin on April 18. Interested in Learning More? A registration timeline, a guide to building your registration cart, and a guide to automated waitlist are now available on the University Registrar PATH webpage. Video tutorials will be added before cart building begins on March 27. Additionally, the Office of the University Registrar will hold in-person and online sessions for demos and questions in advance of and during the cart building period. The session schedule will be posted on the University Registrar PATH website by March 6.
Alana R. Davis (she/her) |
Email to Undergraduate Business Majors & Minors 2/22/2024Subject: UG Business Student Registration for Fall in PATH Dear Undergraduate Business Students, You recently received an email from me about the new PATH registration system. I am excited to provide more details about the specific registration period set aside for all business majors and minors. New PATH Registration Beginning in spring 2024, all students will register for fall 2024 courses via PATH. This registration system is not part of Banner and allows you to build a registration cart and prioritize your course selections outside of a timed environment. An introduction to the PATH registration system and resources about building a registration cart can be found on the University Registrar PATH webpage. PATH is available to use now to search for courses. Summer and fall classes will be viewable on February 26th. You will be able to log in to PATH beginning March 4th. BUAD Course Subjects Business majors and minors will be the first cohort to use this new system. You will begin by creating a registration cart between March 4th – 7th. You are not limited to a particular timeslot during this cart building period. After the cart building period closes, the PATH system will process registration selections in the order listed below, as determined by the School of Business, during the week of March 11th. Only BUAD course selections will be processed during this time. Any non-BUAD course selections you add to your cart will be ignored during the BUAD registration process. You will not be able to see your schedule until your BUAD course schedule becomes available to you in PATH on March 18th.
Please note:
A&S Course Subjects March 26th – April 2nd will be your opportunity to create a registration cart and prioritize your course selections for non-BUAD subject courses. That schedule will be viewable in PATH beginning April 15th, with add/drop starting on April 18th.
Alana R. Davis (she/her) |
Email to All Students 2/14/2024Subject: Introducing PATH for Course Registration Dear Students, Welcome back to campus for the spring semester! I hope you enjoyed the break and that your semester is off to a smooth start. The Office of the University Registrar recognizes that successful course registration is essential to navigating your academic career and that it can sometimes be a stressful process. We are pleased to announce that this spring we will introduce a new registration platform and enhanced processes that will improve your registration experience. Introducing PATH Registration
Waitlist for Undergraduate Arts & Sciences Courses |
PATH OverviewWilliam & Mary has selected PATH by CourseLeaf as its new course planning and registration system. PATH is a web-based, mobile-friendly platform that seamlessly integrates with Banner and will fully replace the existing student registration system for undergraduate and graduate students. This innovative tool enables undergraduate students to rank their preferred courses in a flexible, non-timed environment during registration. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into students’ prioritized course data, benefiting the whole university by empowering departments with information and facilitating informed scheduling decisions. PATH provides a similar registration experience that students are already familiar with but with the benefit of an updated look and feel, improved search functionality, additional features, and enhanced messaging. PATH is configured with the unique needs of W&M in mind. The course search interface includes W&M specific filters and keyword searches. Course details like the description, instructor information, related sections, and restrictions are clearly outlined and easy to navigate. When a student adds a course to their cart, they are notified of any potential conflicts or restrictions immediately, making it easy to resolve issues before they attempt to register. Additional features include the option to create a link to easily share search results with an advisor and a tool to “exclude times” from search results that will be especially beneficial for students planning their schedule with family, work, and other obligations in mind. In PATH, undergraduate students will be able to review and request courses and select their course preferences in a ranked order during registration. After students have selected their preferences, registration will occur in multiple “rounds,” while maintaining the existing priority groups and social classes. A student's first preference is referred to as "round one," followed by their second preference as "round two," continuing until all undergraduate student preferences and alternates have been evaluated. This approach is designed to help students achieve the most optimal schedule possible. |
Questions?
Contact the Office of the University Registrar at [[w|registrar]].
Dates and times listed are subject to change. Times listed are in Eastern Time Zone (ET).