Important Information and Instructions

Timely Response Required

Exchange students must personally enroll/register themselves in CSU classes via their online student portal. Advice and assistance is available, but only the student can perform the necessary steps to enroll in suitable classes that their home institution will accept.

Registration opens in early April for the fall semester and late October for the spring semester. At the beginning of each registration period, exchange students have the advantage of registering one day ahead of other students. All exchange students will be given an exact date and time they can begin enrolling/registering for classes. Once registration opens, classes begin to reach capacity, making it increasingly harder for students to get into their preferred classes. It is extremely important to register on time!

Using the Class Schedule and Course Catalog

Prior to registration (during the application process) exchange students should use the Class Schedule to prepare a list of preferred and alternate CSU classes/modules/subjects in consultation with their home university. The Class Schedule is available on the CSU website in mid-February/early March for the fall semester and mid-September/early October for the spring semester. The class schedule is an accurate list of the classes that will be offered in an upcoming term and should be used to make class selections. To utilize the search function: select the appropriate Term. Most students find the advanced search feature (at the top) easier to navigate.

To help students plan and identify potential classes, students will be asked to submit a document during the application process that lists their 4-5 preferred and 4-5 alternate classes. Students will also be asked to show/link proof that they meet the CSU prerequisites to enroll in each class. CSU recommends that students have all 10 classes approved by their home university so the student has flexibility when registering for classes – it is very unlikely that students will get into all of their preferred classes. 

Need class/module/subject descriptions? 

The CSU course catalog provides class descriptions of all classes that could be taught but will not necessarily be offered each year. The catalog should only be used to get an idea of the range of classes – it should not be used to make selections. The Course Catalog lists all CSU courses independent of when they are taught. A unique course number is assigned to each course, identifying the department, level, and subject. Prerequisites and other restrictions are identified when applicable. Course Numbers from the Course Catalog are helpful to efficiently use the Class Schedule. If a Course Number does not appear in the Class Schedule, that course is not available during that academic term. 

Obtaining Necessary Overrides

Exchange students can register/enroll in classes for most foundational (100-200 level) courses without approval from the academic department.

For all other classes/modules, students must request an override (or ‘permission’) to register/enroll in each class. These overrides must be individually requested and approved in advance by email. The incoming exchange coordinator can help students identify who override request emails should be sent to, as this person varies depending on the academic department. 

Students should consult the Course Catalog to identify the pre-requisites to enroll in a class at CSU. If a student cannot show sufficient previous study or a similar class to match the pre-requisite class, they will not be granted an override to register/enroll in that class. 

Advice for Registration and Class Terminology

Instructions and Example for Override Requests