Registration Instructions

How to Register for Courses

Students register via Student Services Online (SSOL) using their UNI and password. All students are assigned registration appointment times which can be viewed in SSOL by clicking “Registration Appointments”. While students may be assigned a registration appointment students will not be permitted to register without having satisfied the registration requirements.

After students have registered for courses, they can make changes to their schedule through the Change of Program period. Students adding and dropping courses should review the add/drop policy and procedure. If a student drops all their courses in a term, this constitutes a withdrawal and the student must complete a withdrawal form and should refer to the withdrawal refund schedule.

Students who are unable to register during the regular registration period may register during the Late Registration period upon payment of the late registration fee of $50.00. After the Late Registration period is over, students who were still unable to register will require permission of the course instructor and Student Affairs and must pay a late registration fee of $100.00. Permission to register after the late registration period is given only under exceptional circumstances.

Accessing Course Offerings

The Directory of Classes (DOC) is Columbia’s online course catalog. Students use the DOC to view course offerings and to locate courses’ 5-digit call numbers. The DOC also includes other important information such as course meeting times, locations, and instructors. Auditors and Lifelong Learners can view course offerings in the Directory of Courses, which are listed "By subject" under "Auditing".

Identify and Register for Courses Which Need Approval

Some courses require the approval of either the instructor teaching the courses or the department offering them. To determine whether a course requires approval, check the “Approvals Required” line on the The Directory of Classes (DOC). If “Department” or “Instructor” is listed in the “Approvals Required” line, students need to secure written approval and complete a Registration and Add/Drop form. MS students can submit this information to sps-studentaffairs [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (sps-studentaffairs[at]columbia[dot]edu) and Non-Degree students can submit this information to sps-studentadvising [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (sps-studentadvising[at]columbia[dot]edu).

Cross-Registration

If the “Open To” line in the DOC lists a school other than the School of Professional Studies, students will have to apply to cross-register to take the course.

Summer Session Students

Summer term visiting students as well as students enrolled in Columbia College, the School of General Studies, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Barnard College, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences follow the procedures listed on the Summer website. For Summer Term visiting students, registration permission is only valid during the summer term. Such students who wish to continue in the fall must apply to the School of Professional Studies (or other schools at Columbia) in the appropriate student category. For undergraduate and high school visiting students, there is a two-term limit.