How To Determine Your Queue/Registration Time
What is the queue?
The registration queue is a method of assigning registration times to ensure fair access to classes. Your registration time indicates when you can begin to register. You do not need to register exactly at your assigned time, however. You can register at, or anytime after, your assigned time.
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How do I fit into the queue?
Two things determine your place in the queue if you are an undergraduate. The first determination is your number of cumulative credits-this places you in an academic level (senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman). The second determination is the number of credits you have in progress. Within each academic level, there are two stages-one for students who have at least 13 credits in progress (or that have approval for a temporary reduced credit load) and a stage for students who have fewer than 13 credits in progress. Graduate and professional school students do not have their cumulative credits or credits in progress tabulated-they always register in stage 1.
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I was admitted before fall 2002. Does that affect my place in the queue?
No, your date of admission does not affect your place in the queue. All undergraduates must have at least 13 credits in progress (or approval for a temporary reduced credit load) to qualify for the earlier stage for their academic level.
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What are cumulative credits?
Cumulative credits are the credits you have completed and for which you have received a grade, plus the credits you are currently taking. (Transfer credits are counted in your cumulative credits.) If you are an undergraduate, the number of cumulative credits you have determines your academic level.
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How are academic levels determined?
Undergraduates fall into four traditional academic levels depending on the number of their cumulative credits. Remember: Cumulative credits are the number of credits you have completed (and for which you have received a grade) plus the courses you are currently taking. The academic levels are as follows:
- Seniors: 90 or more cumulative credits
- Juniors: 60.000-89.999 cumulative credits
- Sophomores: 30.000-59.999 cumulative credits
- Freshmen: Less than 30 cumulative credits
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What are credits in progress?
Credits in progress are courses in which you are enrolled in the current semester and for which you have not yet received a grade. They determine the stage into which you fall. Incompletes from previous terms do not count towards credits in progress.
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Explain those stages to me!
- Stage 1 is for graduate and professional school students. It is also for seniors with at least 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 2 is for seniors with fewer than 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 3 is for juniors with at least 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 4 is for juniors with fewer than 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 5 is for sophomores with at least 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 6 is for sophomores with fewer than 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 7 is for freshman with at least 13 credits in progress.
- Stage 8 is for freshman with fewer than 13 credits in progress.
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I have a permanent exemption to take fewer than 13 credits a term. Am I in the earlier stage for my academic level?
No. Only students who have a temporary exemption for a reduced credit load are in the earlier stage.
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Are 0-credit or audit courses counted in my cumulative credits or in my credits in progress?
0-credit courses will always count as credits in progress. 0-credit courses are not counted, however, in cumulative credits.
Audit courses are not counted in your cumulative credits, nor are they counted as credits in progress.
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Why isn't my first 7-week session course counted?
If you have already received a grade for your first 7-week session course, it moves from an in-progress course to cumulative credits. You can request a One Stop staff member to manually adjust your registration time to the earlier stage for your academic level if this course brings you to the proper total for that stage.
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Are my Independent and Distance Learning (IDL) courses counted as credits in progress?
Term-based IDL courses (semester courses) should be included in your courses in progress. Extended-term IDL courses (9 month courses) are not included. Whether term based or extended term, IDL courses do count in cumulative credits once they are completed.
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I'm a graduate student. Does the queue apply to me?
Yes, the queue applies to graduate and professional school students as well as to undergraduates. Graduate and professional school students register in stage one; they do not have separate stages depending on their credit load.
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I must get into a certain course if I am going to graduate on time. Is there anyway I can get an earlier registration time?
In some rare instances (a senior in their final term, for example), your college office may be able to help you set up an earlier registration time if they determine you have a compelling need. Contact your college office.
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Does the queue apply to every course I want to register for?
Generally yes, unless you are interested in registering for an IDL course. IDL courses have special registration times. See http://idl.umn.edu/.
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I am not working toward a degree. When do I register?
NOTE: Non-degree-seeking students (students not admitted to a University of Minnesota degree or certificate program) are not given a space in the queue; they may register during open registration, which usually begins the day after the last day of stage 8. See the registration calendar to find open registration dates for the current registration period.
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I did not get an e-mail about my registration time. What should I do?
If you did not receive a registration time, contact your college office for more information. Some groups of students have special registration times that do not fit in the queue. Graduate students do not receive e-mail notification of their registration time.
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I have added up all my credits and I think I should have a different time in the queue. What should I do?
Some groups of students have registration times that are different from what they may expect. You could check with your college office to see if this is the case for you. Or you could talk to someone in One Stop Student Services at 612-624-1111 or send an e-mail to helpingu@umn.edu.
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