• The average course load for Columbia College students is 15 points/credits (4-5 classes).

• Students are required to register for a  minimum of 12 points to maintain full-time status, and may register for no more than 22 points.

• All courses must be taken for a letter grade (for grading policies, click here).  However, students may select 1 course for a grade of Pass/D/Fail per semester.  For information about this policy and restrictions, click HERE.

• The absolute last day to add a course to your schedule is the second Friday of the semester (change of program period). After the change of program period, students may drop a course in person until the sixth week of the semester (without penalty) by completing an add/drop form and submitting it to the Registrar’s Office in person.  For specific deadlines, see the Columbia College Academic Calendar HERE.

• Log into Student Services Online (SSOL) and select the Registration Appointments tab to find out what time your registration   appointment begins and ends.

• Select the Registration tab during your assigned registration appointment times to add courses to your schedule. 

• Enter the 5-digit call number for your course of choice then select the Add tab to add the course to your schedule. You may also use the search feature to search for courses by title or department.

• Students may make changes to their course schedule(add, drop, or change the grading options) via SSOL during assigned appointment times.  Appointment times are assigned through the first two weeks of the semester, also known as the change of program period. 

• After you have finalized your course schedule, log into CourseWorks to help manage your courses. CourseWorks is Columbia University's online course management system. The systems allows students to view and download content posted by the instructor; participate in online discussion, tests and quiz; submit assignments and participate in group work; and view their grades and submit online evaluations.

You may find that some courses are not available for registration through SSOL and will require special registration procedures. In these cases, students must often attend the class on the first day, obtain the appropriate approvals/signatures, and submit an add/drop form to the University Registrar located in 205 Kent Hall.   For more information regarding courses that require special registration procedures, read below.

Special Permission/Instructor Approval

If special permission is required from the department (or if prior knowledge/coursework in the field is a prerequisite) you must see the department for approval to register for that course. 

Advanced Seminars and Workshops.

If you wish to register for an advanced class for which permission or application is required, you must contact the relevant department directly and secure permission from the faculty member teaching the class or the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  Find their location and contact information in the Columbia College Bulletin. 

Creative Writing

Creative Writing workshops at the Intermediate, Advanced, and Senior level require an application and professor approval.  Students should submit applications and writing samples directly to the Undergraduate Creative Writing Department by the established deadline prior to the start of the semester. Please click here for more information about this process.



Language Add and Attendance Policy

All language courses must be added by the first week of classes.  Attendance in language classes is mandatory; if you miss class in the first week you may be dropped from the roster.  Language courses may not be taken Pass/D/Fail.

If you are interested in taking a Barnard language course, you may register for the course online.  Please also contact the appropriate department to determine if there are additional registration procedures to ensure your space.

Theatre

Auditions are required for the semester's acting classes and productions.  Sign-up sheets for audition sessions are posted in the lobby of the Minor Latham Playhouse on the first floor of Milbank Hall at Barnard College.  First-year auditions will take place during the first week of classes. You may prepare a 2-minute monologue or use material provided on your arrival.  Auditions are held in the Minor Latham Playhouse; students should plan to stay for the entire audition session.  Please see www.barnard.edu/theatre for additional information.

Dance

Students interested in taking Dance classes at Barnard should note the pre-requisites as specified in the course catalog and then register online.  Students should seek the advice of a dance faculty member as well as self-evaluate their own technical proficiency.  Students must attend the first class or risk losing their place in the course.  The first class of the semester serves as an audition/ placement class.  As a guide for Ballet and Modern, level I is beginning and level VI is pre-professional.  For styles courses (African, Flamenco, Tap, Jazz) a student must be an intermediate level III dancer.  For additional registration and placement information, please visit the Dance Department website at http://www.barnard.edu/dance/.

Music

For information about music lessons, university orchestra, chamber ensembles, jazz ensembles, Collegium Musicum, Bach Society, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Klezmer Band, and more, please contact the Music Performance Program directly.  You can visit the website at http://music.columbia.edu/mpp/ or  stop by the office in 618 Dodge Hall.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts courses will be available for on line registration. for early registration. If the course you are interested in is full, please complete the appropriate waitling list for it here: http://arts.columbia.edu/visual-arts-course-waiting-lists.

What should I do if the class is full?

If you find that a course of interest is full/closed at the time of your first registration period, there are serveral things you can do to secure a space in the class. 

• Check the Directory of Classes to see if there is another section with spaces available. 

•  Keep checking SSOL for space availability during the "change of program" period (first two weeks of the semester). As Columbia students make adjustments to their course schedules, you will notice that spaces may become available- especially  towards the end of the change of program period (the second friday of the semester). In the case that you are able to add the course to your schedule, you may want to attend the class from the first day.

•  If the class remains full throughout the change of program period, in rare cases, a willing instructor may add you to an over-enrolled course (if they are able to do so, given space constraints and departmental guidelines).  Contact the instructor via email or attend the first class to inquire about your registration options.