General
To enroll in courses at Catholic U, students must complete the registration process on the Cardinal Students registration system. Registration for the upcoming semester begins approximately 6 weeks before the end of the current semester. Registration appointment times are staggered: continuing graduate students may register first, followed by seniors, then juniors, etc. The current schedule can be found one the Enrollment Appointment Schedule page on the Enrollment Services website. For registration purposes, class standing (senior, junior, etc.) is based on number of credits completed. Note that students in the University Honors Program and students registered with Disability Support Services will be given an early enrollment appointment (they need not wait until their scheduled day/time based on credits completed). To access the Cardinal Students registration system a student uses their University username and password. Before logging in to register, a student should have their choice of courses for the upcoming semester (including alternates in the event that their first choices are not available) listed on the Graduate Student and Undergraduate Student Advising Forms and worked out in consultation with their academic advisor.
Waiting Lists
While students should try to register for courses as soon as they are able, occasionally during registration, some of the student’s chosen courses may be filled or otherwise unavailable. For some courses, students may place their names on a waiting list within Cardinal Students. Should space become available as a result of another student dropping the course, the student can be auto-enrolled provided no other registration requirements block registration. Joining a waiting list does not register a student for a course. When on a waitlist for a course, that course’s credits are not included in determining full-time status or eligibility for financial aid. In general, students should never assume they will be allowed into a closed course, even if they are on the waiting list. Students are encouraged to make alternate choices and register accordingly.Completing Registration
The University requires students to complete registration by the date designated in the Academic Calendar. Registration is not complete until tuition and other charges are paid in full or satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Office of Student Accounts. Students with incomplete registration will be dropped from class lists. The university will not retroactively register individuals who attend classes in which they are not officially registered.
Verifying Registration
Students can verify their registration at any time by checking their schedule in Cardinal Students. It is important for students to verify their course registration early in each semester. This is the student’s responsibility, not the responsibility of the advisor or the course instructor. A student will not receive a grade in a course for which he/she is not properly registered, and will receive an F* if registered and does not attend.
Because verification of enrollment is available to each student at any time, there is no valid justification for mistakenly attending a class without being properly registered. A student who is not registered may not attend a class, with or without the instructor’s knowledge or permission.
Other Policies and Deadlines
- Dropping without Penalty https://enrollment-services.catholic.edu/register/add-drop/index.html
- Auditing a course https://enrollment-services.catholic.edu/register/audit/index.html
- Withdrawing from a course - Students can withdraw from a course with a grade of W after the add/drop date but before the withdrawal deadline for that term.
- Pass/Fail - Students from the School of Engineering cannot take a course Pass/Fail unless the course is designated for that grading scale.
- Holds - Students maybe find that they have holds on their account in Cardinal Students. Not all holds prevent registration. Students should click on the hold to see whether or not it prevents registration and who to contact to resolve the issue.