Course registration for summer, fall, and spring semesters takes place at various times throughout the year and is announced on the Office of the Registrar website. During the fall and spring semesters (in November and April), a two-week priority registration period is held for currently enrolled students to register for the subsequent semester; new transfer and readmitted students are also permitted to register during the priority period. An open registration period begins after the 2-week priority registration and remains open through the last day to add a course for the semester. First time students, transient students, and participants in a college in high school program may register during the open period and typically register during a scheduled session or meeting with an advisor.
Course Status
Course:
The term "course" and "class" are used interchangeably at the university and are defined as learning for credit by a qualified instructor with regular and substantive student-instructor interaction.
Class Hour:
The term "class hour" refers to a weekly 50-minute class period and is the basic unit of instruction.
Semester Hour:
The term "semester hour" (s.h.) signifies one class hour a week carried for one full semester (or the equivalent in a part of term, summer term or flexibly scheduled class).
A Semester hour of credit:
The term "semester hour of credit" (also known as credit hour) is the amount of credit given for one semester hour successfully completed. Each semester hour of credit represents an average of three hours of study and instruction every week through the term. Alternatively, a web-based semester hour of credit will be defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which includes time in reviewing lectures or class meetings online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.
Enrollment Status
Current Student:
Enrollment is defined as consisting of three major components: admission to the university, course registration, and payment of all assessed tuition and fees. A currently enrolled undergraduate student is defined as one who is enrolled past the fourteenth day of the full-term or seventh day of an eight week or less part of term. Students who are considered current for a term, but do not register for the subsequent term, will still be notified about priority registration for two subsequent semesters. A student is no longer considered current or active if they have not enrolled for three consecutive semesters.
Full-Time Student:
A full-time graduate student is defined as one who is registered for six or more credit hours during a semester. Graduate students who complete less than six hours per semester may lose eligibility for federal financial aid as a full-time student. Graduate students who wish to complete their program of study in a timely manner will likely need to enroll in nine or more hours per semester. Students are encouraged to discuss scheduling plans with their advisor.
Enrollment Verification:
The National Student Clearinghouse serves as the university's authorized agent for enrollment and degree verification. The clearinghouse receives data electronically from YSU and dispenses the information electronically to requesting lending institutions, prospective employers, background investigation firms, and credit granting agencies. Students may also find that they need a letter from the university as proof of enrollment for things including but not limited to professional associations, licensure, insurance, and loans. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for verifying student enrollment status and can provide students with an enrollment verification letter. The office maintains both current and past records of enrollment but cannot verify future enrollment. Students may request an enrollment verification letter in the Penguin Portal which can be emailed to the student, picked up in person, or sent USPS mail. The letter will include the student's enrollment status (i.e., full-time) for the term requested, anticipated graduation date, and start and stop dates of the term. An enrollment verification letter does not include courses taken or grades attained; an official transcript should be requested to verify this type of information.
Maximum Schedule:
The semester hours of credit a student carries per term depends on the degree sought and on the curriculum being followed. A minimum of 120 semester hours must be satisfactorily completed to earn a baccalaureate degree: a minimum of 60 semester hours for an associate degree. Students expecting to complete a bachelor's degree in four years or an associate degree in two years should average 16 semester credit hours per term. An undergraduate student may register for a course load maximum of 20 semester credit hours per term. Students interested in taking 21 credit hours or more per term must seek approval from the dean of their college.
Process/Procedure
All course registration takes place online through the Penguin Portal and students may not attend a course unless they have registered for that course. Course registration is defined as adding a class, dropping a class, or completely withdrawing from all classes. Initial course registration and schedule adjustments must be completed before the last day to add a course or the last day to withdraw deadlines for the term/part of term. Detailed instructions on registration, including how to use waitlist, add/drop courses, change a grade mode or variable credit hours, or complete withdrawal are available on the Penguin Service Center website.
In general, students should follow the steps listed below to complete the registration process each semester:
- Run a program audit to review remaining course requirements and/or complete an academic advisement session, as necessary
- Review the schedule of classes in the Penguin Portal
- Register for classes in the Penguin Portal
- Check financial aid requirements for eligibility and accept available aid in the Penguin Portal
- View and pay charges in the Penguin Portal
- Review course schedule in the Penguin Portal prior to first day of classes
- Review and adhere to academic calendar deadlines on the Office of the Registrar’s website
Check Registration Status:
There are various reasons a student could have a hold on their record preventing them from completing registration. Students should check their registration status in the Penguin Portal prior to registration. If there is a hold on the student’s account, it will indicate if it prevents registration and a phone number of where to call to resolve the issue will be listed in the description. If an academic advisement hold is listed, students should make an appointment with their assigned advisor as promptly as possible. Each academic department or college has a procedure for assigning a student to a faculty or staff advisor. For advisement requirements, please review the advisement section of the catalog.
Pay Attention to Registration Error Messages:
Some courses have prerequisites or requirements that students must meet to enroll in their courses. If a student receives an error message while registering for a course, note the message and contact the academic department of the course or the Penguin Service Center for assistance; students will find that they may need an override to be placed on their account before completing the registration process.
Closed Classes:
Departments set capacity limits to the number of students that can be accommodated in each section. During the registration period, many class sections become filled. These sections are labeled "FULL" in the schedule of classes, which means that no more students will be admitted to the course section. Students should use the waitlist option to obtain entry into the course; instructions on how to waitlist are available on the website. Only the department chair offering the course can admit a student to a closed class or reopen a closed class.
Variable Credit Hour Classes:
Certain courses have variable credit hours which is a range of credits for which the course can be taken. Students wishing to register for such a course may do so after consulting with the department offering the course to determine the number of hours for which to register. The last day to add a class is also the last day to change a variable credit hour course's hours. Students can adjust the credit hours of these courses through the Penguin Portal before this deadline.
Change of Registration:
It is recommended that students consult with their advisor prior to changing their schedules or completely withdrawing for the semester to review how those decisions may affect degree completion. Students may add, drop, or withdraw through the Penguin Portal according to the semester’s published deadlines in the academic calendar.