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There's nothing worse than waiting until the last minute to register and finding all of the classes you planned to take are full. Schedule a meeting with your mentor and plan your registration as early as possible so you can get into the studies or courses you want to take. You can even use Plan Ahead to assist you with registration. Please remember that listing a study in Plan Ahead does not count as registration, nor can your mentor process your registration for you.

Check your holds.

Always check your Student Profile in Self-Service Banner for holds that will prevent registration. The university may place a hold on your account if you do not meet administrative or academic requirements, such as a past-due balance or academic dismissal. You will need to resolve any holds that impact registration before you can register. Further instruction can be found here: How to View Holds.

Keep the Registration Quick Guide handy.

Save the link to our Registration Quick Guide. This guide covers registering for courses, getting on a waitlist, adjusting your registration, and much more.

Finding Courses

What is the difference between the Term Guide and the Course Catalog?

The Term Guide displays all course/section offerings for the specific term. The Course Catalog shows all of SUNY Empire’s courses, including those not offered in the upcoming term. You can see if sections are available by using the View Sections button.

What does it mean if I search for a class in the catalog and “No Sections Are Found” appears?

If you receive this message, the class is not available in the selected term. The Course Catalog will show all courses the university offers, while the Term Guide will show all of the courses offered in a specific term. Please contact your mentor/advisor to discuss the possibility of taking the course as a Just In Time Study (JITS).

How do I search for classes in a specific session?

When using the Term Guide, you can filter your search criteria by using the search fields. To limit your search to a specific session, select your preferred session from the drop-down list.

Term Guide search criteria with Session highlighted

You can also search multiple sessions at the same time by selecting the first session and then selecting the next from the list.

Term Guide search criteria with mutliple sessions indicated

What do the course numbers mean?

Course numbers identify specific courses, and they can tell you the course level. Undergraduate-level course numbers range from 1000 to 4999. Graduate-level courses range from 6000 to 7999.

Note: Some undergraduate and graduate courses may use the same title, so it is essential to check the course number. Be sure to check the course number if you receive a course-level restriction error.

How do I know if it is introductory or advanced?

Course numbers 1000 to 2999 are introductory-level courses, and 3000 to 4999 are advanced-level courses.

How can I determine the course session?

Section numbers indicate more than the course section. They can indicate the session or if the course is reserved for students with a specific attribute on their record.

Session

Full Term-15wk: 01, 20, 30
Express Term One: B01, B20, B30
Express Term Two: C01, C20, C30

Common Attribute Restrictions

Black Male Initiative Attribute: F20, F40
International Education Attribute: I01
Opportunity Programs Attribute: E01

How do I know when a class meets?

When viewing the Term Guide entry for the section, look in the column labeled Meeting Times. While this will appear for all courses, only Study Groups, Virtual Study Groups, Residencies, and Virtual Residences will have specific times and/or dates populated.

Meeting Times for a course

Hover over the area to view a pop-up with additional course details such as the location and session dates.

Additional Course Details

What is a waitlist?

Some courses offer the opportunity to waitlist for a course. It is important to remember that you are on a waitlist for a specific section, not all sections of that course. Additionally, you cannot be registered and waitlisted for different sections of the same course. You will receive a duplicate course error if you attempt to do so. An automated email will be sent to the first person on the waitlist when a seat becomes available. That person will have 48 hours to register for the course. If the student does not register in that period, the window closes, and the next student on the waitlist will have the opportunity to register. You can view waitlist instructions here.

The waitlist closes to new additions once the course begins.

Common Registration Issues

I received an error message. What does it mean?

Common errors include:

Level: You are trying to register for a course outside of your level. Example: You are an undergraduate student, but the course is at the graduate level. You can tell the level by the course number: 1000 to 4999 is undergraduate and 6000 to 7999 is graduate.

Attribute: Some courses are reserved for specific groups. In this situation, a student will have a particular code on their record that will allow for registration. If you are receiving this error, you do not have the necessary attribute and cannot register. If you believe this is in error, contact your mentor/advisor or the Office of the Registrar.

Capacity: The course is full.

Department Approval: Registration requires approval from the department. Contact your mentor/advisor for assistance.

Degree: This course/section requires students to have a specific degree program type, but yours does not match. If you believe this to be in error, contact the Office of the Registrar.

Max Hours: Undergraduate students can take 16 credits and graduate students can take 12 credits without additional approval. Anything above those limits requires department chair approval. This error indicates you have exceeded that total and will need a credit overload. Please contact your mentor/advisor to begin the process of obtaining a credit overload.

Duplicate: You have enrolled in a section of this course already. The system will not allow you to register and waitlist for multiple sections of a course. This error will occur if you try to register for two Totally Independent Studies (TIS) with the same subject and course number (example: DANC-3998). If this error occurs when registering for the second course, please contact the Office of the Registrar. We will adjust one of the TIS sections to allow for registration.

I received an error that says outside of term. What does it mean?

Registration Error when course is outside of specified registration period

This error will appear once registration is closed for the session. Any late registrations will need to go through the late registration process. You can find late registration instructions here.

Why can’t I click the “add” button (there is no button or the button is grayed out)?

This means that you are still viewing the Term Guide. Go to the breadcrumb trail at the top of the screen and click on registration.

Registration link in the "breadcrumb" is indicated by a blue frame

From there select either “Begin or Modify Registration” or “Register for Classes”. Select the term and register. For further registration guidance, please see our Registration Quick Guide.

My registration summary says pending. Am I registered? Was I successful?

Once you add your courses to your registration summary, you must click the submit button to finalize your registration. You are not registered for the course if the status is Pending. The status will change to Registered once the registration is submitted. You can also confirm by if clicking on the tab “schedule and options” where you will see the classes you registered in. They will also be listed on your Student Profile page under Banner Self-Service.

I don’t see my classes listed on my Student Profile page. Where are they?

Be sure that you are viewing the correct term:

Student Profile page with the term indicated by a red arrow

Nothing is working. It will not let me register. What do I do?

First, clear your browser cache. Oftentimes cookies and cached data prevent systems from functioning properly. You can find Instructions for clearing your browser cache here. If it is a technical issue, such as a browser error or access error, contact the IT Service Desk for assistance. Contact the Office of the Registrar for additional issues.

The class is closed, but I have to take it. What do I do?

If there is a waitlist, join the waitlist. If a waitlist is not available, a capacity override may be possible. Please contact your mentor/advisor to begin the capacity override request process.

The class says instructor approval. What do I do?

Contact the instructor. Hover over the instructor’s name in the Term Guide to see the instructor’s email address. If the instructor approves, they will contact the Office of the Registrar to provide you with a registration override.

The instructor said I could take the class, but it won’t let me register.

Although the instructor said you could take the class, this request requires more than just the instructor’s approval. Please contact your mentor/advisor to begin the capacity override request process.

I can’t register for my Just-In-Time Study (JIT) or Totally Individualized Study (TIS).

Each JIT and TIS is created for a specific student. You will receive an automated email when your section is created. Since that section and CRN were created for you, you will not find the CRN in the Term Guide. Please follow the instructions provided in the email to register using the CRN or view them here.

Why can’t I add the Educational Planning course to my registration?

Educational Planning must be taken with your mentor as the instructor. Your mentor has been assigned a specific CRN for each of their sections, and you will need to use that CRN to register. Unless you are in the Opportunity Programs, your section of Educational Planning will not appear in the Term Guide. Instead, you will need to register using the CRN that was provided to you. Please view the instructions on how to register with a CRN here.

How do I drop/withdraw from a class?

Please follow these instructions: Dropping or Withdrawing a Course

I accidentally withdrew from my course. Now what?

You will need to submit a late registration request. You can view late registration instructions here. Be sure to email your instructor and primary mentor so they are aware of the issue and can respond to the situation as necessary. It may take a few business days to have your registration and Brightspace access fully restored. There is no guarantee that you can be reinstated back into the course.

I thought I registered/added/or dropped a class, however I don’t see it/I still see it?

Once you have added a new class or made any changes to your summary, you MUST click “submit” in the bottom, right-hand corner to finalize the action.

Late Registration Questions

I submitted a late registration request. Why am I not registered yet?

Each late registration request must go through an approval process that will take time to complete. Once submitted, the department chair must approve your request. If the department chair approves, your mentor/advisor (if applicable) must approve as well and notify the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar processes requests as quickly as possible during regular business hours.

I submitted a late registration request. When can I access Brightspace?

Once your late registration is fully processed and you receive the confirmation email, it will take approximately 24 hours to gain your Brightspace access. If you still do not have access after 24 hours, please contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

I submitted a late registration request, but it was denied. Now what?

All late registration requests must be approved by the department chair and your mentor/advisor (if applicable). There are various reasons why it could be denied, such as the course is at capacity or it is too late to join the course.

I was registered for a course, but now I’m not. What happened?

Registration cancellation occurs when a student’s registration is cancelled by Student Accounts due to non-payment. If you can pay, you can submit a late registration request to get back into the course. It is important to remember that you are agreeing to pay for the course by submitting your late registration request.

Will I be charged a late fee?

A $50 Late Registration fee will be assessed if your enrollment takes place on or after the term start date. Registrations being restored after a drop for nonpayment are subject to the late registration fee. Students adding a course to an existing registration will not incur a late registration fee.