Course Selection, Add/Drop

Answers

How do I decide if I should drop a course or not when I am not doing well in it?

In considering whether or not to drop a course you may wish to consider several things.

One thing to consider is that no academic penalty is assigned for a course dropped by the last day of classes (this changed from the fortieth class day effective Fall 2019 see Section III--Schedule of Dates for the appropriate academic year). This is a pro if you are doing poorly in the course and you do not think that you can successfully complete it based on interim grades.

On the con side, after the thirtieth class day no portion of the tuition fees paid will be refunded (see Refunds in Section III--Schedule of Fees in the Dates for the appropriate academic year). Also, at this point you may have completed a significant portion of work for the course that you will have to repeat if/when the course is re-taken.

Money and extended effort should not, however, deter you from dropping a course if continuing in it will negatively impact your academic performance and, consequently, your status under Continuation of Study requirements. If you would like to discuss a drop decision in more detail you may consult your Program Counsellor.

How do I know what courses to select in each semester?

To find out what courses are required for the specialization (major, minor, area of concentration) you have declared you should refer to your Student Planning module on WebAdvisor. To determine if there is a specific order which these courses should be taken you refer to the Schedule of Studies in Section X of the Undergraduate Calendar (or the Diploma Program Calendar if you are in an Associate Diploma Program). For this information use the Undergraduate Calendar for the year provided in your Student Planning module.

How do I know when to select courses for future semesters, do I get something in the mail?

Dates for Course Selection and Add Periods are available in Section III--Schedule of Dates of the current Undergraduate Calendar. Information about the Course Selection Period and specific Course Selection Windows is emailed to students. It is also available on the Registrarial Services website at https://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/courseselectionwindow.

I did not drop my course by the last day of classes can I still drop it?

The last day of class is identified in Section III--Schedule of Dates of the current Undergraduate Calendar as the last day you can drop a course without academic penalty (this changed from the fortieth class day effective Fall 2019). Beyond the last day of class you normally need to make Request for Academic Consideration if you would like to request that a course be dropped. You should consult your Program Counsellor.

The add period ended and I only have 4 courses, can I still add a fifth course?

Course adds are not allowed beyond the end of the scheduled add period without permission from both the instructor of the course and the Program Counsellor. If you have extenuating circumstances that prevented you from adding the fifth course prior to the end of the Add Period you should consult with your Program Counsellor.

What do I have to do to register for a course that has prerequisites I have not taken?

In order to register for a course you are normally required to satisfy its stated requisite(s) -- to have achieved pass standing in a prerequisite(s) and/or to register for a co-requisite in the same semester. An instructor may, at their discretion, sign a Course Requisite Waiver on a Course Waiver Request form to override the published prerequisite or co-requisite requirement. The signed form must be submitted to Enrolment Services for processing (UC Level 3 or as an attachment to an email from your University account to es@uoguelph.ca).

What is the difference between a course in my WebAdvisor course schedule that is “Selected” and “Registered”?

The course status "Selected" and the course status "Registered" are synonymous on WebAdvisor, both indicate that you are enrolled in the section. The difference is the timing of the year that you registered in the course.

What is the maximum number of credits I can take in one semester for my associate diploma program?

Associate diploma program students can select a maximum of 3.00 credits. This limit increases to 3.25 credits on the last day of the add period during the term in question. An approval signature must be obtained from the appropriate program counselling office to register in credits beyond these limits.

What is the maximum number of credits I can take in one semester for my undergraduate degree program?

For most undergraduate degree program students there is a credit limit of 2.75. This limit increases to 3.25 credits on the last day of the add period during the term in question.

Approval must be obtained from the appropriate program counselling office to register in credits beyond these limits.

Students registered in a program that requires a heavier credit load per semester as part of its Schedule of Studies (in Section X--Degree Programs of the Undergraduate Calendar they are following) are exempt from this rule.

What should I do if I am having trouble deciding what courses to take after consulting the Schedule of Studies for my specialization and the elective options?

There are academic advisors at the university to help you decide what courses you can take if you are not sure. The Faculty Advisor is assigned to a specialization (i.e. Major in Philosophy) and the Program Counsellor is assigned to a degree program (i.e. Bachelor of Science). You can learn what the roles of a Faculty Advisor and/or a Program Counsellor in Section VII--Academic Advising of the current Undergraduate Calendar.

When do I select my courses for a future semester?

Students normally select courses one semester in advance during the appropriate course selection window, according to class level and the last two digits of the University of Guelph I.D. number. Dates for Course Selection and Add Periods are available in Section III--Schedule of Dates of the current Undergraduate Calendar. Information about the Course Selection Period and specific Course Selection Windows is emailed to students and available on the Registrarial Services website.

Which elective should I take?

Electives are what you choose to take. Your degree program or specialization may provide you with the opportunity to take free electives (i.e. any course in any subject area), require you to take electives in a specific discipline (i.e. Arts or Social Science electives) or provide a list of elective courses to choose from (i.e. restricted electives). If you think you may pursue graduate studies (i.e. a M.Sc. program) or a professional program (i.e. medical school) in the future you may wish to take electives that will also satisfy entrance requirements for these programs.

Why can I not register in a course?

When a specific course is not an option in the list of available courses to be selected on WebAdvisor it is because it is not offered in the semester you are course selecting or adding for. Full course sections show in the list as highlighted in red, are marked Closed and have a 0/xx showing in the Available/Capacity column.

In order to determine when a specific course is normally offered you should refer to the header line for the course in its course description in Section XII--Course Descriptions of the current Undergraduate Calendar.

Each course entry includes one of S, F, W. These letters indicate the University's intention to offer the course in the Summer (S), Fall (F) or Winter (W) semester during the academic year covered by the calendar. Although courses normally will be offered in the semester indicated, students preparing their course programs are advised to consult the Undergraduate Course Timetable. The University cannot guarantee that all courses will be offered in the exact semester indicated. The letter U in place of S, F, W indicates that an intended offering has not been assigned to the course. Students should consult the Undergraduate Course Timetable posted on WebAdvisor or contact the departments offering those courses to determine the semester offerings.

Temporary Course Restrictions information -- for those restrictions not published in the Undergraduate Calendar -- are listed at https://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/courseselectionwindow