Registration FAQs

How do I search for courses in PATH?

Quick answer: PATH provides both basic and advanced search functionality. Basic search includes subject, CRN, and keyword. More advanced search criteria includes searching by course attributes, course level, and an "exclude times" feature.

Related pages for more detail: Class Search & Registration Restrictions

Where do I find information for a specific course like a course description, how many seats are available, registration restrictions, when the course meets, etc.?

Quick answer: Once you search for and select a course, the Course Details panel will display more information about the course.

The Course Details panel for a specific CRN (course reference number) includes credit hours, enrollment (total enrollment and seats available), waitlist size and availability (if applicable), any special approval required (if applicable), and other information like a course description, meeting days and times, and registration restrictions. If there are required co-requisite sections, a co-requisites widget will display. Additionally, scroll to the bottom of the course details panel and a list of any other sections of the course will appear. 

Related pages for more detail: Class Search & Registration Restrictions

How do I know if a course is closed (full)?

Quick answer: At the top of the course details panel for a specific course section, PATH will display the enrollment count and seats available.
Maximum Enrollment: #   /   Seats Available: #  

Courses with zero seats available are closed (full). Space is currently not available in the course. Note that if a course has a waitlist and PATH indicates there is a seat available, that seat will be held for the waitlist process. You may join the waitlist if there is space available on the waitlist.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting, Class Search & Registration Restrictions

What is a Primary Cart?

 
The Primary Cart is the main cart. Think of it as the courses or schedule you want to register for the most. Note that the Primary Cart may not always be available; availability depends on where we are in the registration process for a specific semester.

During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, you will add courses to the Primary Cart and set registration priorities or alternative course options to those courses. Students can build and edit their Primary Cart at any time throughout the cart-building phase because this registration phase is untimed. 

During the add/drop period, the Primary Cart is where students can view their schedule and add or drop courses in real-time.

Graduate student registration is always in real-time, via the Primary Cart.

Related pages for more detail: Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, When to Register

What is an Alternatives Cart?

Quick answer: If you want to select a course as an alternative to one in the Primary Cart, first save it in the Alternatives Cart. Then, add the alternative course via the Registration Options panel for the Primary Cart course.

The Alternatives Cart is a place to store alternative course options. During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, courses that are added to the Alternatives Cart appear in the alternatives drop-down menu when setting Registration Options for courses in the Primary Cart. 

For courses with multiple sections, students may also select "any other section" as an alternate course. This option appears in the alternatives drop-down menu.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure

I logged into PATH but can't find my Primary Cart / Alternative Cart?

Quick answer: Cart availability depends on when and where we are in the registration process for a specific semester. Generally, Primary Carts open to degree-seeking undergraduate students for fall and spring semesters when the cart-building phase of registration opens. Alternative Carts are available for students but will not appear in the carts drop-down menu below the Primary Cart button until at least one course has been saved to the Alternatives Cart (by selecting the "Add to Cart" button and choosing the Alternatives Cart).

Primary Cart
The Primary Cart opens on the first day of the cart-building phase for fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students. The Primary Cart will not be available before that time.

If you create your own cart and call it "Primary," note that it will not replace the true Primary Cart. Make sure to remember to move courses into the true Primary Cart, set registration priorities, and add alternative courses when the cart-building phase for fall or spring registration opens.

Alternatives Cart
The Alternatives Cart is available but does not appear in the carts drop-down menu below the Primary Cart button on the far left side of PATH until at least one course has been saved to the Alternatives Cart. Search for and select a course, select the "Add to Cart" button, choose the Alternatives Cart, and select OK. Once a course is saved in the cart, return to the carts drop-down menu to navigate to it.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, When to Register

When and why do I need to build a Primary Cart?

Quick answer: Without courses in a Primary Cart, PATH will not attempt any registration for you during the first phase of registration. Students who do not save courses to their Primary Cart during the cart-building phase of registration will not be able to register until add/drop opens. 

Registration dates and timelines are posted on the University Registrar's website and on the Academic Calendar. After the cart-building phase has closed, registration is processed by PATH. PATH uses the Primary Cart (and the priorities or alternatives set for those courses) to determine which courses to attempt to register a student for. 

Students who do not put courses in their Primary Cart and clear all registration holds before carts close will not be included in this phase of registration. They will not receive an initial course schedule. Students who miss the cart-building phase will be eligible to add/drop courses in real time when the initial add/drop period opens. 

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, When to Register

How many courses may I put in my Primary Cart?

Quick answer: Put more credit hours in your Primary Cart than the maximum allowed so PATH has course options when processing registration.

Maximum credit hour registration restrictions will still be in place when PATH processes registration (after the cart-building phase has closed), but you should put more than the allowable maximum hours in your Primary Cart when planning registration. PATH is designed to evaluate selections each round until a successful registration is made for a student, or until all of their course selections have been exhausted. Based on course demand, restrictions, and tiered enrollment maximums, PATH may need to evaluate more than one course per round. Remember, each course in the Primary Cart may have up to two alternative selections; for courses with multiple sections, students may also select "any other section" as an alternate course.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure

My Primary Cart is displaying a "Maximum Hours Exceeded" message. What does that mean?

Quick answer: Credit hour maximums are enforced for both undergraduate students and graduate students. PATH will indicate when the number of credits in your Primary Cart exceeds the maximum allowable for you for the semester. 

During the cart-building phase of fall and spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, the maximum hours for Primary Carts is set higher than the maximum allowable credits for registration. After the cart-building phase of registration ends, maximum credit hour limits are returned to the standard number to ensure PATH does not register a student for more credits than allowable. Do not be alarmed if your cart displays a max hours message during this time.

Generally, continuing undergraduate students may register for up to 16 credit hours during the initial registration period and the add/drop periods. When the final add/drop period opens at the start of the fall or spring semester, most undergraduate students may register up to 18 credit hours. 

Please note that some exceptions apply to the outlined maximum credit limits above.

How do I save my carts?

Quick answer: During the cart-building phase, your carts are saved every time you take an action and select the "Save Changes" button or when you select the "Remove from Cart" button. During add/drop, a submit schedule and submit registration button are used to submit changes.

During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, your Primary Cart is saved each time you add a course to it and select the "Save Changes" button on the Registration Options panel, or when you select to remove a course from the cart. (The same applies to courses in your Alternatives Cart or a cart of your own creation.) There is no button to submit your cart during the cart-building phase. Just make sure your Primary Cart has courses in it and you have no registration holds by the time carts close.

During the add/drop period when course registration is in real time, a submit schedule and a submit registration button will appear when attempting changes in the Primary Cart. To attempt registration during this time, you will need to select these buttons.

Related pages for more detail: Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, When to Register

Why would I create my own cart?

PATH provides you the opportunity to create your own cart. Suggested uses include: saving courses of interest to discuss with your advisor, planning which courses to add yourself to the waitlist for, etc. 

Note that if you create your own cart and name it 'primary,' it will not replace the true Primary Cart. When Primary Carts open for degree-seeking undergraduate students, you will still need to move courses from the cart you named 'primary' to your true Primary Cart to take part in the registration process.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, When to Register

What do all the icons in my cart mean?

Each icon is designed to quickly convey information about a particular class. Visit our PATH icon legend and glossary of registration terms for more information.

I missed the cart-building phase and did not build a Primary Cart. Can the University Registrar's Office / my advisor do so on my behalf?

No. Administrative staff (or your advisor) cannot create a cart or set priorities for you. If you missed the cart-building phase of registration, the next opportunity to register will be when the add/drop period opens. Review the When to Register or Academic Calendar pages for term-specific dates.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, When to Register

What is the Registration Options panel?

Quick answer: The Registration Options panel is where students set registration priorities and alternative course options, choose credit hours for variable credit courses, opt into a course waitlist if a course is full, and set up a conditional add/drop. 

During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, the Registration Options panel appears when adding a course to your Primary Cart. This is where you can set registration priorities or alternative course options. Students may also use the Credit Hrs drop-down menu to set credits for variable credit courses. (PATH defaults to the lowest number of credit hours for variable credit courses.) Students can edit the registration options for courses in their Primary Cart by selecting the "Edit Registration Options" button on the Course Details panel at any time throughout the cart-building phase until carts close.

During the add/drop period, the Registration Options panel is where students may adjust credit hours for variable credit courses, add themselves to a course registration waitlist (if one is available), and set up a conditional add/drop (only drop course A if registration into course B is successful). 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Course Registration Waitlisting, When to Register

What are Registration Priorities on courses?

Quick answer: Registration priorities are how students indicate to PATH which course to attempt first, second, third, etc. 

After the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration has closed for degree-seeking undergraduate students, registration is processed by PATH. PATH uses the Primary Cart and the priorities or alternatives set for those courses to determine which courses to attempt to register a student for and the order in which it will process their registration.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure

What is the Auto Registration Priority and how does it work?

Quick answer: The auto registration priority directs PATH to assign a priority based on course demand. Auto is the default priority assigned to courses in your Primary Cart if you do not make changes.

The auto registration priority automatically assigns a registration priority to a course based on demand. The more popular a course, the higher the priority PATH will assign to it. PATH will respect that you may have hard-coded a course selection as first, fourth, or sixth, and will place any auto priority course into that framework. You can use all numbers, all auto, or a hybrid approach. 

PATH also utilizes the auto function as a "tie-breaker" for any courses you assign the same priority number. 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure

What is the purpose of setting alternative courses for a Primary Cart course in the Registration Options panel?

Quick answer: Alternative courses allow you to give PATH more options to attempt when processing registration.

After the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration has closed for degree-seeking undergraduate students, registration is processed by PATH. PATH uses the Primary Cart and the priorities and alternatives set for those courses to determine which courses to attempt to register a student for and the order in which it will process their registration. Students can specify certain sections as alternatives using the drop-down menus. For courses with multiple sections, students may also select "any other section" as an alternate course. This option appears in the alternatives drop-down menu.

Example: Five sections of a course are being offered. Two sections meet at your preferred time, but there is one instructor you prefer over the other.

• You prefer section 01. Section 02 meets at the same time, so you save section 02 to your Alternatives Cart.
• You add section 01 to your Primary Cart. When setting the Registration Options for section 01, section 02 is available to select in the first alternative drop-down (because you have it saved in your Alternatives Cart!). You select section 02 as your first alternative using the drop-down menu.
• Multiple sections of the course exist and you really want to take the course, so you select "any other section of the course" as your second alternative using the second alternative drop-down menu.
• When PATH processes registration it will start with the section in the Primary Cart and then attempt the first or second alternative if unsuccessful. 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure

How do I update the credits for my variable credit course?

Quick answer: The Registration Options panel has a drop-down menu to select credit hours. 

When adding a variable credit course to your Primary Cart, the Registration Options panel includes a drop-down menu for credit hours. Set your desired credit hours with that menu. PATH will default to the lowest number of credits if you make no changes.

Remember that during the initial registration period, students may only be registered for up to 16 credit hours. You may find that registering for the lowest amount of credits initially is beneficial. You can make changes to the credit hours for a variable credit course anytime registration is open up through the end of the final add/drop period at the start of the semester. 

Related pages for more detail: Variable Credit and Auditing

I want courses that have co-requisites (like a lecture and a lab). How do I prioritize those?

Quick answer: Students must put all co-requisite courses in their primary cart. When evaluating a student's priorities during the registration process, PATH will assign the highest priority to the whole co-requisite group and complete the registration for the group at the same time.

Example: A student adds BIOL 203, 203L, and 203D to their primary cart. The student assigns First (Highest) registration priority to 203L, and lower priorities to 203 and 203D. When PATH is processing registration, all three sections will be attempted at the priority set for the BIOL 203L section because it has the highest priority assigned.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities

I want to use a course that has a co-requisite as an alternative course in my Primary Cart. How do I add and prioritize in this situation?

Quick answer: Add one section of the co-requisite group as an alternative to a Primary Cart course. Then, confirm the other section(s) of the co-requisite group is/are saved in your Alternatives Cart.

Example - Using Primary & Alternatives Cart: A student adds GOVT 201 to their Primary Cart and adds AMST 200 & 200D (lecture and discussion co-requisite group) to their Alternatives Cart. In the Registration Options panel for GOVT 201, the student adds AMST 200D discussion section as the alternative course. Then, they review their Alternatives Cart to ensure AMST 200 lecture is saved in that cart.
When PATH evaluates registration, if the student cannot be registered into GOVT 201 but AMST 200D is available, PATH will review the Alternatives Cart for AMST 200 lecture, and then register the student in the co-requisite group.

Example - Using the Primary Cart Only: The student adds GOVT 201 to their Primary Cart, chooses to set it as their third registration priority, and sets no alternative courses. Then, the student adds AMST 200D to their Primary Cart and chooses to set the course as their fourth registration priority. Finally, the student adds AMST 200 to their Primary Cart and chooses to set the course as their ninth registration priority (because PATH will evaluate the whole AMST co-requisite group at the highest priority set for any section of the course; in this case, that is fourth for AMST 200D). 
When PATH evaluates registration, if the student cannot be registered into GOVT 201, PATH will move on to AMST 200D as the next priority. Space is available in AMST 200D, and because AMST 200 is part of the co-requisite group and also saved in the Primary Cart, PATH registers the student in both courses. 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities

Are instructor overrides available?

Quick answer: Yes. Faculty members may award instructor overrides to students. These can override the following restrictions: pre-requisites, field of study (major), student attribute, special approval, college, campus, class, and degree.

Instructor overrides do not: override course capacity, override time conflicts, automatically register a student in a course, or guarantee enrollment in a course.

An instructor override allows the primary instructor on a course to waive some course restrictions for a particular student.  For example, overriding a pre-requisite that has not been met or major restrictions that are on a course. An instructor override DOES NOT override course capacity. If a course is full, an instructor override will not allow a student to register for the course.

Some instructors add instructor permission as a restriction to their courses in order to control who may register. These courses display with "Special Approval: Instructor Approval" at the top of the Course Details panel in PATH. Examples include research courses where students are specifically selected by a faculty member to join their lab or independent study classes in which an individual student or small group works with a faculty member.

Related pages for more detail: Registration Overrides for Students, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms 

Are co-requisite or linked course overrides available?

Quick answer: Yes. Faculty members may award COLINK overrides to students. These override co-requisites and linked courses ONLY. A COLINK override DOES NOT override course capacity. 

Related pages for more detail: Registration Overrides for Students, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms

Are max capacity overrides available?

Quick answer: No. Max capacity overrides are not available.

If a course is full, do not email the instructor to ask for a max capacity override; they cannot award one.

Beginning with the initial add/drop period, many undergraduate Arts & Sciences and Business courses will have a registration waitlist. More information is available in the waitlist section of these FAQs and on the University Registrar's website.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting, Registration Overrides for Students

What is a registration hold?

Quick answer: A registration hold prevents you from taking registration actions (like adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a course), and for degree-seeking undergraduate students, will prevent participation in the initial PATH registration process for fall and spring semesters.

Related pages for more detail: Holds

How do I know if I have a registration hold?

Quick answer: Students can view any holds they may have by reviewing the Holds drop-down menu in their Banner Student Profile. Holds also display at the top of the Primary Cart.

Related pages for more detail: Banner Student Profile, Holds

How do I know what a registration hold means?

Quick answer: The hold should have a general description, but the best way to know exactly why you have a hold or what the hold means is to contact the office that placed the hold. Each hold includes the office and a phone number to call to get more information about the hold. 

What does "Internal reg hold" mean?
This is an administrative hold placed by the registrar's office that does NOT prevent registration. Once the Registrar's Office has individually validated each student's record, the hold will be removed. It is for the internal use of the University Registrar's Office only.

Related pages for more detail: Banner Student Profile, Holds

How do registration holds affect me in PATH?

Quick answer: If you have an active registration hold, PATH will not process your primary cart and will restrict registration actions.

During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, PATH will allow students to build a cart even if they have a registration hold. However, after carts close and PATH is processing registration, students with active registration holds will not be included in the registration process and will not be provided with a schedule. 

During the add/drop period, students with active registration holds will not be able to take any registration actions like adding or dropping a course, adding themselves to the waitlist, etc., until their registration hold has been resolved.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Holds

How do registration errors display in PATH?

Quick answer: PATH will display most registration warnings with a yellow or black triangle icon.

If you add a course to your cart and a yellow or black triangle warning appears, potential issues include: adding a closed course, a time conflict detected, a pre-requisite or co-requisite error, missing instructor approval, etc.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms, Registration Errors & Notes, Registration Overrides for Students

What happens if I have a registration error in my Primary Cart in PATH?

Quick answer: When registration is processed by PATH (or when you attempt to register in the course during the add/drop period) registration will be unsuccessful. 

Students may add any course to their cart; PATH does not restrict what a student puts in their cart or attempts to register for. However, PATH will display registration warnings to notify students of potential issues like missing instructor approval, not meeting a pre-requisite, or time conflicts that have been detected.

Carefully review any registration warnings that display when you add a course to your cart. If you believe the error is incorrect, follow up with the appropriate office or staff member on campus to resolve the issue before carts close. 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms, Registration Errors & Notes, Registration Overrides for Students

How are time conflicts in my Primary Cart handled?

Quick answer: PATH will display the time conflict error on one (or more) of the sections in the cart.

When PATH detects a time conflict, a yellow or black triangle warning icon will display and include language indicating the time conflict. 

During the cart-building phase of fall or spring registration for degree-seeking undergraduate students, you may intentionally choose to put courses with time conflicts in your Primary Cart. When PATH is processing registration it will not register you into a time conflict. 

Example: MUSC 150 and ENGL 150 meet at the same time. Both courses are in your Primary Cart.

• MUSC 150 is ranked higher than ENGL 150, either by setting numbered priorities or by using the auto priority on both.
• When PATH processes registration, you are registered into MUSC 150.
• When PATH attempts registration into ENGL 150, the time conflict is detected and registration into ENGL 150 is not successful. PATH moves to the next course in the cart.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms

What does "You have taken this course" in the Registration Notes section mean?

Quick answer: PATH indicates courses you have previously taken (or have transfer credit for) by displaying "You have taken this course" with a green check mark. Most courses are not repeatable, but some courses are repeatable (for example: some topics courses, ensembles, and music lessons are repeatable).

If a course is repeatable, you may register for it again if you wish. If the course is not repeatable, the registration error "Repeat Count Exceeds 0" will appear in your Primary Cart. 

Related pages for more detail: PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms, Registration Errors & Notes

In what order does PATH register students? Do upperclassmen go before underclassmen?

Quick answer: PATH processes registration in priority group (example: military students, students with accessibility needs) and social class order (seniors, juniors, etc). Social seniors are fully processed before social juniors, who are fully processed before social sophomores, etc. 

Previously at W&M, each group registered in real-time on a different day. In PATH all degree-seeking undergraduate students build their Primary Carts and set registration priorities and alternatives at the same time. However, when registration is processed, it is done in group order. 

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, "Social Class" at W&M

How does PATH process registration?

Quick answer: For the initial fall and spring registration periods for degree-seeking undergraduate students, PATH will register students by priority group utilizing the courses in students' Primary Carts and the registration priorities/alternatives assigned to those courses. Within groups, the registration order is randomized. Registration is processed in 'rounds' using a snake pattern which reverses each round. (The first student in round one is the last student in round two.) 

Familiar with fantasy sport drafts like fantasy football? PATH's rounded registration by group operates in a similar way!

PATH's goal is to provide successful registration in one course (or one co-requisite group of courses like a lecture and a lab) per student, per round. PATH will process one group in its entirety (example, multiple rounds of registration for social seniors) before moving on to the next group (social juniors) and starting again.

Within groups/social classes, PATH will assign each student in the group a random number. Registration is processed in a snake pattern; the order reverses direction each round. The first students in the group to have registration processed in 'round one' will be the last students in the group to have registration processed in 'round two.' The rounds of registration continue until every student in the group has had all of the courses in their Primary Cart (and associated alternatives) evaluated.

Remember that you can build a cart even though you have a registration hold. However, students with active registration holds will not have their carts processed by PATH. Resolve all registration holds before carts close.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, "Social Class" at W&M

Do students who build their Primary Cart earlier in the process get priority over those students who build their Primary Carts later in the process?

Quick answer: No. Registration processing is based on priority group and then randomized within groups. It is not based on when a student built their Primary Cart.

For the initial fall and spring registration periods for degree-seeking undergraduate students, building your Primary Cart is an untimed event. Log in at any time during the cart-building phase to put courses in your Primary Cart, set registration priorities, and add alternatives. 

However, a few things to keep in mind:

• You must add courses to your Primary Cart and resolve all registration holds before carts close. Any actions taken or staged after carts close will not be included when PATH processes registration during the initial registration phase.
• Adding courses to your Primary Cart earlier in the process gives you more time to resolve potential issues like missing instructor approval or pre-requisites. PATH notifies you of potential issues when you add a course to your cart. Use that messaging to your advantage!
• Starting sooner rather than later allows you to take a more relaxed approach. Give yourself enough time to consider your options and priorities, rather than rushing to add courses at the very last second.
• Faculty or administrative staff cannot build a cart or set registration priorities for you.

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, When to Register

How do I find out in what order I was processed?

During registration processing, student information in PATH is anonymized and randomized within groups/social classes. (See "How does PATH Process Registration?" above.) Within groups, W&M does not know the order student carts were evaluated. This protects the integrity of the registration process and ensures no outside influence of registration results.

Do departments still use tiered enrollment?

Quick answer: Yes. Departments may still identify courses to be tiered, and these enrollment maximums are still enforced per registration group when PATH processes registration.

During the initial fall and spring registration period for degree-seeking undergraduate students, some departments choose to enforce enrollment maximums in certain courses for each registration group. A spreadsheet outlining tiered courses and the maximums for each group is posted to the University Registrar's website and is updated whenever changes are made. (See the Tiered Enrollment link in the related pages below.)

Related pages for more detail: Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Structure, "Social Class" at W&M, Tiered Enrollment

When will my schedule be released?

Quick answer: For degree-seeking undergraduate students for fall and spring semesters, the date schedules will be available to view is listed on the online academic calendar and on the When to Register page. Summer registration is always in "real-time" so you will know immediately if your course registration was successful.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, When to Register

How do I know what courses I am registered for?

Quick answer: Courses you are fully registered for display in your Primary Cart in PATH with a black check mark. You may also view your course schedule through your Banner Student Profile.

Courses in your Primary Cart that display with a black check mark in the lower left corner, below the subject and number/to the left of the section number are courses you are fully registered into. Use your cursor to hover over the check mark and PATH will display a "You are registered for this section" message. Additionally, if you open the course details panel for the course and review the Registration Notes widget, a black check mark displays with a "You are registered for this section" message.

Remember that any courses in your cart that you are not registered for display with the blue cart icon. 

Related pages for more detail: Banner Student Profile, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms, Viewing Your Schedule

What does "staging" changes in my cart mean and when can I do it?

Quick answer: During planned registration pauses (for example between releasing schedules to undergraduate students and the start of the first add/drop period), students may "stage" changes in their Primary Cart. Staging means setting up your cart to be ready to submit when the next registration period opens and could include prepping a course to add, setting up a conditional drop, etc. 

Staged changes in your Primary Cart are not automatically submitted. You must log in to PATH when registration opens to submit your Primary Cart and attempt to register for the courses.

Note that the Primary Cart may not always be available for a specific term depending on where we are in the registration process.

Related pages for more detail: Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, When to Register

How do I add a course?

Quick answer: Search for and select a section to open the course details panel. Select the "Add to Cart" button, choose the Primary Cart, and select OK. Then, select the Save Changes, Submit Schedule, and Submit Registration buttons. If your registration is successful, PATH displays a "This class has been added to your schedule" message. 

Detailed instructions are available on the Add, Drop, & Withdraw from a Course webpage. Strict add/drop deadlines apply.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, When to Register

How do I drop a course?

Quick answer: Open your Primary Cart and select the course you wish to drop to open the course details panel. Select the "Drop" button at the bottom of the course details panel or in the Registration Notes widget, then select the Submit Schedule and Submit Registration buttons. If your drop is successful, PATH displays a "This class has been removed from your schedule" message.

Detailed instructions are available on the Add/Drop Classes webpage. Strict add/drop deadlines apply.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, When to Register

What is a conditional drop and how do I use it?

Quick Answer: Selecting conditional drop for a course allows you to drop a course only if registration in a different course (or co-requisite group of courses) is successful. 

Please note: conditional add/drop is not available with waitlisting. Students needing to drop a course to add a course they have received a waitlist notification for will need to do so in two separate registration transactions (add first, then drop OR drop first, then add). Undergradaute students that cannot submit due to corequisite, minimum credit hour, or other errors, should contact the University Registrar's Office before the waitlist notification expires. Law School students should contact the Law School Registrar's Office.

Detailed instructions are available on the Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course webpage. Strict add/drop deadlines apply.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, When to Register

How do I add a course with co-requisites?

Quick answer: Courses with co-requisites must be added simultaneously or the registration will not be successful. Add all the course components to your Primary Cart, then Submit Schedule and Submit Registration.

Detailed instructions are available on the Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course webpage. Strict add/drop deadlines apply.

Related pages for more detail: Academic Calendar, Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, When to Register

How do I register for an Applied Music Course?

Review the information on the Applied Music Courses webpage. 

How do I update the credits for my variable credit course?

Review the information in "How do I update the credits for my variable credit course?" in the Setting Course Registration Priorities & Options section above.

How do I audit a course?

Degree-seeking undergraduate students may not elect to audit a course themselves. Students wishing to audit a course must request to do so through the University Registrar's Office. 

Graduate students should contact their Graduate Registrar's Office.

Non-degree-seeking students and senior citizens should review the Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) Students webpage.

Related pages for more detail: Variable Credit and Auditing

How do I select pass/fail?

Quick answer: The pass/fail grade mode is not selected through PATH. 

Social class juniors and seniors may elect to take up to four courses total in Arts & Sciences and Education as pass/fail. The full policy with eligibility requirements, limitations, and the process for a social junior or senior to elect pass/fail is available on the Pass/Fail page.

Related pages for more detail: Pass/Fail for Undergraduate Students, "Social Class" at W&M

Can an instructor register me for a class?

No. An instructor is not able to register you for a course. The instructor may provide you an override to allow you to register for the class (see the Registration Overrides section above). It is your responsibility to register in PATH once the instructor has granted you the override. Registration must occur during the registration period (cart-building, initial registration, or any of the add/drop periods). 

Related pages for more detail: Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course, Carts & Registration Priorities, Registration Overrides for Students, When to Register

Will I be automatically added to a course waitlist?

No. You must take action in PATH to register onto a course waitlist if one is available. PATH will not add you to a waitlist automatically.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

Is there a limit to how many courses I can waitlist?

Quick answer: Undergraduate students may waitlist no more than five courses (unique CRNs). Students exceeding the maximum will be dropped from excess waitlist registrations. 

Undergraduate students:
Students may only waitlist up to five courses (CRNs). Students exceeding five waitlist courses will be dropped from waitlists until the student is back to the maximum of five. Students are strongly encouraged to stay aware of how many waitlists they are registered for and to make judicious choices. Waitlist courses display with an hourglass symbol in your Primary Cart.

Related pages for more detail (undergraduates): Course Registration Waitlisting, PATH Icon Legend & Glossary of Terms

Law School Students:
Contact the [[w|lawreg,Law School Registrar's Office]] for waitlist guidelines and rules of engagement.

Do the same course restrictions exist for courses I am waitlisting?

Quick answer: Yes and no. You must meet any prerequisites and most other course restrictions to waitlist a course. Exception: You can waitlist a course that may have a time conflict with another course on your schedule, and co-requisite courses are not enforced at the waitlist level.

Even though some course restrictions are not enforced when you add yourself to a waitlist, all course restrictions will be enforced when you attempt to fully register for the course if you are offered a space from the waitlist.

It's important to take action when you receive a waitlist notification so you can resolve any registration issues within the waitlist notification window. Any registration holds on your account will prevent you from registering for a course or an open space that is offered to you from the waitlist. Make sure to clear any holds immediately. Waitlist notification windows cannot be extended.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting, When to Register

How do I add myself to a waitlist for a course?

Quick answer: When registration waitlists are enabled for a course, the Registration Options panel includes "Add to Waitlist if Course is Full?" with a drop-down for yes or no. (The default is yes.) Save and fully submit the changes.

Undergraduate Students: 
Beginning with the initial add/drop period, many (not all) undergraduate Arts & Sciences and Business courses will have a registration waitlist. When add/drop opens and a registration waitlist is enabled for a course, the Registration Options panel includes "Add to Waitlist if Course is Full?" with a drop-down for yes or no. Select yes, then save and fully submit the changes. Detailed instructions are available on the Course Registration Waitlisting webpage.

Related pages for more detail (undergraduates): Course Registration Waitlisting, When to Register

Law School Students:
When a registration waitlist is enabled for a course, the Registration Options panel includes "Add to Waitlist if Course is Full?" with a drop-down for yes or no. Select yes, then save and fully submit the changes. Detailed instructions are available on the Course Registration Waitlisting webpage. If you are a Law School student with questions about waitlisting, contact the [[w|lawreg,Law School Registrar's Office]].

Can I add myself to a waitlist if a course is not full yet? 

No. If a course has not reached capacity, you will not be able to waitlist the course.

I can't add myself to a waitlist. Why?

There could be several reasons:

• Not all courses offer a waitlist option
• Space may still be available in the course
• The waitlist may have reached its capacity
• You may have a hold preventing registration
• You may not meet pre-requisite or other course restrictions
  • Exception: time conflicts and some co-requisites are not enforced at the waitlist level, but will be enforced if you are offered a seat off the waitlist and attempt to register for the course

How do I know my waitlist position?

Quick answer: Your waitlist position is displayed in PATH.

Your waitlist position is available in PATH. In the "Registration Notes" section of the course details for a waitlisted CRN, a message indicating "You are on the waitlist for this section in position: #" will display. Additionally, using your cursor to hover over the hourglass symbol in your primary cart will display the same message. Your waitlist position will update as students ahead of you move through the waitlist process. Detailed instructions are available on the Course Registration Waitlisting webpage.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

How do I know if I have been offered a space in the course from the waitlist?

Quick answer: You will receive an email at your W&M email account. Check your email at least once daily.

When you are offered a space in the course from the waitlist, you will receive an email at your W&M email account. The email outlines how long the space is reserved for you. You must fully register in the course before the notification window closes. Waitlist notification windows cannot be extended. Detailed instructions are available on the Course Registration Waitlisting webpage.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

When and how often do waitlist notification emails get sent?

As of November 2024, waitlist notifications are sent a few times per day on weekdays when the University Registrar's Office is open.

How do I register off the waitlist if I've been offered space in the course?

The waitlisted course will be listed in your Primary Cart with an hourglass symbol. After you receive an email to notify you a space is available, log into PATH, submit your schedule, and submit your registration. Detailed instructions are available on the Course Registration Waitlisting webpage.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

Can I use conditional add/drop with waitlisting?

Quick answer: No. Conditional add/drop does not work with waitlisted courses. (Conditional add/drop is still available for non-waitlist-related add/drop!)

Conditional add/drop may not be used with waitlisting. PATH will initially allow you to stage a conditional add/drop with a waitlisted course, however, upon submission of the cart, the conditional drop will be removed and no drop will be processed.

Students needing to drop a course to add a course they have received a waitlist notification for will need to do so in two separate registration transactions (add first, then drop OR drop first, then add). 

Undergraduate students needing assistance due to corequisite, minimum credit hours, or other errors, please contact the University Registrar's Office before the waitlist notification expires. Law students should contact the Law School Registrar's Office.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting, Add, Drop, or Withdraw From a Course

I missed the email notification and my window expired. Can I get back to the top of the waitlist?

Quick answer: No.

Waitlist notification windows cannot be extended, and students who do not register for the course within the notification window cannot be readded to the top of the waitlist. You must check your W&M email address at least once daily, especially if you have added yourself to a waitlist. If the waitlist is still available, you can add yourself back through PATH, but you will be at the end of the waitlist.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

How do I remove myself from a course waitlist?

If you are no longer interested in the course, you can drop yourself from the waitlist whenever your registration time ticket is active.

• Log into PATH and open your primary cart for the term
• Select the course, then select “Remove from Waitlist” from the course details panel
• Select Submit Schedule and Submit Registration

If you want to get back on the waitlist after dropping from it, you may do so if the waitlist is still active and space is still available. However, remember that you will be placed at the end of the waitlist.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

Am I guaranteed a space in the class if I am on the waitlist?

No. Being on a waitlist for a course does not guarantee that you will be offered a space in that course.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

How is the waitlist prioritized for undergraduate students? Do upperclassmen or majors get priority?

Quick answer: No. However, waitlisting begins on the first day of the first add/drop period when registration opens to upperclassmen first and field of study (major) restrictions are still being enforced. In this way, upperclassmen receive initial access first.

Waitlists open on the first day of the first add/drop period. Because registration opens by social class and major restrictions are still being enforced, upperclassmen majors may access waitlists first, then access opens to juniors, then sophomores, etc. If a department has chosen to have major restrictions on a course, only majors would be eligible to waitlist the course until major restrictions are no longer being enforced. Departments may not have major restrictions on all courses.

However, there is no automatic priority or reordering of waitlists. Once waitlisting starts, waitlists are first-come, first-served. Students seeking to waitlist courses should participate in add/drop when their registration window opens.

Note that course restrictions still apply; students must meet pre-requisites, co-requisites, etc., to successfully register for a course from the waitlist if they are offered a space in the course.

Related pages for more detail: Course Registration Waitlisting

How do I know when it is time to register for classes?

The When to Register page includes the best information about when the registration process for a specific semester will occur. Some dates are also included on the Academic Calendar.

Graduate students may also confer with their Graduate Registrar Office for details.

How do I view my Unofficial Academic Transcript on the web?

Log into Banner Self-Service, select the Student tab, select the link for Student Records, then open your Student Profile. Use the menu link on the left side underneath your photo to access your W&M Unofficial Academic Transcript. Use the drop-down menus to select the level and type of transcript (Web Self-Service).  Your unofficial transcript will display in your web browser.

Is there specific information for senior citizens and employees interested in taking classes?

Senior Citizens
Information about taking courses as a non-degree-seeking student is available on the Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) Students webpage, including specific information for senior citizens who are interested in taking a course for credit or for audit.

Students who are 60 or older and legal residents of Virginia may qualify for a tuition waiver to audit a class regardless of income. Space availability of a class will be determined after tuition-paying students have been accommodated.

Employees
Information for W&M employees about taking courses as a non-degree-seeking student is available on the Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) Students webpage.

Please note that Employees may register for undergraduate courses, as well as graduate courses in Arts and Sciences, Marine Science, and Education. Some courses require permission from the instructor, and many graduate courses require admission to a degree program. Consult the course listings and/or graduate program director(s) for details.

I don't have access to the "Student" tab in Banner Self-Service!

It is possible that you are not set up with the Student Role in Banner. Please contact the [[w|registrar,University Registrar's Office]].

How do I clear my cache and cookies?

W&M IT has instructions for clearing cache and cookies. You may also contact the IT help desk at (757) 221-HELP for assistance.

How do I find my W&M Username and credentials?

Contact the Technology Support Center.