Registering for Classes
Registering for Classes
Registration is signing up for classes you will take either in the Fall, Spring, Summer, or Winter terms while attending WKU. Before signing up for classes, talk to your advisor. They will help guide you through this process. Your advisor information can be found on TopNet under Student Services. Click on Registration and then there is a link called "View Advisor Information."
How Many Courses Should I Take?
If you want to be a full-time undergraduate student, you must have 12 or more hours of course work. While there is no correct answer to this question, first year students generally will fall into between 12-16 hours of course work. Many times students within the Honors College or several high achieving academic students at WKU will take 16-18 hours. Students may register for 19 hours without special permission. To register for 20-21 semester hours, you must have a 3.3 grade point average. Each student has a different academic skill set so confer with your advisor on this question to make sure you have the schedule that works best for you.
What is a "credit hour"?
WKU students earn credit by completing courses. Classes have different value of credit hours assigned to them. For example, English 100 is a 3 credit hour course. Generally this means students will spend three hours in the course earning that credit. The minimum hours needed to graduate from WKU is 120 credit hours. Many departments do require more so please consult with your academic advisor and use the iCAP and Undergraduate Catalog to determine what your program requires.
How Often Do I Register?
Students will register at least two times per year. For example, as an incoming student to the Fall semester, you would meet with your advisor in October and then register for Spring classes for the upcoming semester in November. Then in the Spring you would meet with your advisor in March and register for classes for the following Fall in April. Students may also register for Winter Term or Summer Term courses. Each of these terms is available before the above mentioned timelines. Dates for registration are listed with the Office of the Registrar.
The Office of the Registrar also provides an invaluable Registration Guide for student use. Take advantage of all of the information found within this guide to help you learn more about the registration process at WKU.
How Do I Decide Which Courses to Take?
Advisors will help you through this process. Regardless, students should come prepared with the courses they want to take for the upcoming semester when meeting with their advisor. Students can be better informed as far as course selection if they review their iCAP prior to the advising appointment. This allows the advisor to not only help the student with course selection but consider internships, practica, study abroad, or other academic opportunities.
What If Courses are Closed? How Can I Get Into the Courses I Want?
As it turns out, sometimes you can't. As an incoming student you will register for classes during a Topper Orientation Program (TOP) session. When you register for the following semester, the order you register in is determined by the number of hours earned. Seniors, therefore, will register before first year students. The later you register the fewer options you will have. On TopNet, the Schedule of Classes is a live instrument. If you see a course that is available and you do need it for graduation, you can sign up for it. That does mean the moment you drop a course, someone else may be looking for that course and come in and sign up for it.
Registering for Classes
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