Preparing for Registration
Semester Course Load
- You should aim to complete your degree in four years. Most students take credits during the fall and spring semesters, but you can also enroll in summer and winter terms.
- To meet the minimum graduation requirement of 124 credit hours in eight semesters, you should average 15-16 credit hours per semester and/or take summer and winter courses. We recommend that you take 15-18 credits each semester during your first year.
- Failure to enroll in at least 12 credit hours in the fall or spring semester (which is the minimum needed to be a full-time student) could have negative consequences for athletic eligibility, housing, insurance, and financial aid.
- The maximum credit-hour limit for an undergraduate student is based upon courses taken at all locations of Miami University and is limited to 20 credit hours per semester. The limit for summer term is 16 credit hours, and the limit for winter term is 6 credit hours. If you wish to exceed the maximum credit-hour limits you must obtain permission from the dean of your academic division.
- If you register for more than 18 credit hours in a fall or spring semester, you will be charged an overload fee for those credit hours. Overload fees vary, so check with the OneStop to see exactly how much you will be charged for credit hours over 18.
Adjusting Your Schedule
Adding Courses
Visit the One Stop website for information on adding a course.
You can find the deadlines for adding courses on the Academic Calendar.
Dropping or Withdrawing from Courses
Dropping a course/withdrawing from a course is a formal administrative procedure. Merely ceasing to attend class is not the same as dropping a course.
For more information on dropping a course, visit the One Stop website.
Before dropping a course, you should consult with your instructor and academic advisor or student success navigator. Please refer to the Academic Calendar on the One Stop website for specific academic deadline dates, and for information about refunds.
Changing Sections of the Same Course
More than one section of the same course may be taught in a semester or term. The section number identifies the instructor, time, and location of the course. To change sections online, you must drop the section in which you are currently enrolled, and then add the new section. Because many students may be competing for spaces in the same course, there is a significant risk that you will lose your place in the course altogether.
Campus Location
Pay close attention to the campus on which you intend to take on-campus classes. On the course list, which is accessible via myMiami (see “Course List” in the Web Page Index), note the location of the courses you are considering. Regional students are admitted to Middletown or Hamilton, but can take classes at Middletown, Hamilton, VOA, and Oxford (with special permission). Oxford students can take classes anywhere, with some exceptions.
Registration Override Request (ROR) and Banner Waitlist
Some courses are restricted or have reserved seats to assure equity in scheduling for students who are required to take the course. Major-based restrictions are based only on your primary or secondary major of your primary degree. Restrictions remain on courses unless the academic department removes them. Although courses appear to be open, many have restricted seats based on campus, Regional Campus online modality, academic division, major/minor, level, degree, campus, etc. Information for navigating these restrictions is below.
The ROR Application is used to request a seat in a course that is closed and not utilizing a waitlist or to request a seat in a course that is open but inaccessible due to registration errors. Banner Waitlist allows you to "get in line" for a spot in a class that is full. Departments may also use waitlist information to determine when additional sections of a class are needed. Access to closed courses is managed either through Banner waitlisting or the Registration Override Request (ROR) application available upon logging into the Course List. If you opted into a waitlist through Banner Self Service, you may receive an email notifying you of a "waitlisted seat now open." You have 24 hours after receiving this email to add the course before the opportunity will be given to the next student on the list. If waitlisting is not an available option for a course section, access ROR to see if it is available.
When logged into the CourseList, you can see which method should be used to add the course in Banner Self Service. For more information, please visit the One Stop website.
Holds
Holds that restrict your ability to register for classes may be placed on your record for a variety of reasons. To view holds on your record, visit the One Stop website.
Pre-Requisite and Co-requisite Registration Courses
Prerequisites are the necessary specific or general academic knowledge, background, or semester classes required to succeed academically in a specific course. To enroll in some courses, you may need to complete prerequisite courses, which are listed in the course descriptions in the General Bulletin.
Corequisite courses indicate courses that must be taken simultaneously. For example, some science courses have a required laboratory, which must be taken as a co-requisite at the same time as the course. Corequisite courses are indicated in the course descriptions in the General Bulletin.
Cross-Listed Courses
A cross-listed course is the same course cataloged under two or more subject codes. Cross-listing courses provides you the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary learning. You may earn credit for the course only under one subject code. If the course is repeatable for credit, you may only retake the course under the same subject code as the previous attempt. You may sign up under any subject code of a cross-listed course (except if repeating for credit), but should check with your academic advisor or student success navigator to ensure you register for the subject code that will complete your academic program requirements (where applicable).
