Registration and Important Term Information

Students, please update your LOCAL RESIDENCE ADDRESS with your current residence using My Personal Information in access.caltech.edu.

To find important dates such as Add Day, Drop Day, holidays, and when registration begins, please see the academic calendar.

A minimum of 36 units is required to be considered a full-time student
Undergraduates are allowed to enroll a maximum of 48 units

First-Year Students
May not enroll in more than 45 academic units (classroom and laboratory courses) for their first two terms with the remaining 3 units being non-academic courses: Frontier courses, Physical Education (PE), Performing and Visual Arts (PVA), Student Activities (SA), or research
May not drop any Core class (Ma 1, Ph 1, Ch 1, etc.) without dean or associate dean's permission

Unit Overloads

• Over 48 units is considered an overload for all undergraduates. It requires advisor approval to overload up to 51 units. Students should discuss their desire to take the additional non-academic units with their advisor prior to adding them in REGIS.
• To overload with more than 51 units, students need to petition the undergraduate dean or associate dean, with the expectation that permission will be granted only in exceptional cases.
• A chart explaining enrollment limits and overload processes can be found here.
  

Humanities and Limited Seating Courses

• Students may not enroll in a third first-year humanities course until the start of term and with instructor and advisor permission via the Registration/Course Change Form or Course Conflict Form. Per the catalog, a third first-year humanities course cannot count towards Core requirements.
• Students may only enroll in up to two limited seating courses that they are eligible to take.
• Students may not take advanced humanities courses until they have completed (i.e. passed) their two first-year humanities courses.

A minimum of 36 units is required to be considered a full-time student

• Graduate students are expected to limit their activities related to the Institute (in class, research, and teaching assistantship units) to no more than 62 hours per week
• Graduates students may not enroll in more than 36 units of research per term

You can view all course reserve material (both required and not required) by checking the "Current Book List" link on the Registrar website under Schedules. It lists all course reserve material that instructors request be placed on reserves at the library.

When Canvas opens, there will be a Course Reserves module that will display course reserve material with links to electronic book copies, selected readings in PDF format, films, information on hard copy books at the library, and anything else instructors place on reserve for their courses.

If electronic copies of course material are available, the library purchases them and makes the links available. Hard copies are placed on reserve at the Sherman Fairchild Library typically for three hour checkout periods. Additional textbook related links are here.

Current room assignments may change prior to the start of classes. You should check the location on your schedule right before you go to the class to ensure you have the most recent offering information and location.

If a student wishes to register for courses with conflicting meeting times, they will need the approval of both instructors and their advisor. Requests should be made through this form starting September 19th (that is the date the form goes live). The form contains detailed instructions, but they will be starting a workflow request. Students will have the opportunity to write notes to the faculty and will be notified by email as it is approved, denied, or processed.

Faculty Specific Course Conflict Information

If seeking to audit, a student may use this form. It may take 2-3 business days before you see the audited course on their Canvas account. Auditing for fall will not be open until closer to term start.

Canvas continues to be the Institute's learning management system. Not all instructors use Canvas, but they have been asked to post at least a syllabus or website link. Courses will not appear on Canvas for fall term until closer to term start.

Students are expected to discuss any desired schedule changes with their advisor. Advisors will need to approve schedules before students can enroll. REGIS registration information can be found here.

If students are unable to reach their advisor, they should go to their option representative. If they are unable to reach either, they should contact their deans' office.

Graduate Studies Office

Undergraduate Deans' Office

For courses that are limited seating and at capacity, student will need to get instructor and advisor permission via either the Registration/Course Change Form or Course Conflict Form.