Enrollment

What's on this page?

Who is this for?

Harvard College students, Harvard Griffin GSAS students

If you are an employee who is looking to enroll in courses, please see the Employee Tuition Assistance program page.

Register for Courses

Eligibility

If you are enrolled in Harvard College or Harvard Griffin GSAS you can register directly for FAS courses via my.harvard, or you can cross register for select courses at other Harvard University schools, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tufts University, and Brown University. Review cross-registration options for FAS students

How to Enroll

Step 1: Enroll in courses via my.harvard 

Follow the instructions to register for courses. (If you are interested in cross registering for a course outside of FAS, visit the cross registration page for details and instructions.)

Step 2: Request instructor permission

If your course requires instructor permission to enroll, request instructor permission in my.harvard. Required petitions for cross-registration or Independent Study must be approved for you to formally enroll in courses. 

 Important: Beginning with Fall 2024 Registration, instructors can cancel approved petitions for students who have not enrolled in a class and are not on the waitlist for a class.

Step 3: Enroll after receiving instructor permission

Receiving instructor permission is not the final step of enrollment. You must officially enroll in the course after you receive permission from your instructor. You are not enrolled in the course until you complete this step. 

 Important: Receiving instructor permission will not override you into a closed class. 

Sectioning

For Fall 2024 Registration, some courses, especially those offered annually and with generally predictable enrollments, you will select your section time as you register. Other courses with less predictable enrollments or space constraints (like lab courses), will prompt you to enroll in an untimed placeholder section when you register. You will be asked to submit section time preferences during registration. Sections will be finalized shortly after the end of registration. 

Timed sections

Choose a timed section (discussion section and/or lab)

  • If a course offers a discussion section and/or lab, you should explore the list of available timed sections in my.harvard and select one that best aligns with your schedule and preferences.
  •  Some courses with timed sections may offer an untimed placeholder section. A placeholder section is a temporary section without a meeting schedule that allows students who cannot make the available section meeting times to enroll in the course. 
  • If you cannot find a timed section that works for you, you can enroll in a placeholder section during registration or the add/drop period. 
  • During registration and the add/drop period, you can swap section enrollments if needed:
    • If you are enrolled in the course, you can select to edit an enrolled course to view additional sections. If the new section of interest has seats open, you can proceed with updating your enrollment. 
    • If you wish to change your timed section in your Crimson Cart, you must remove the course and re-add it with the desired alternative timed section*.
    • If you added a course with a timed section to your Crimson Ccart and receive an error when you try to enroll, it’s likely the section you originally chose is no longer available. Remove the course from your Crimson Ccart and re-add with an available section time*.   

Placeholder sections

Enroll in a placeholder section and submit your timed section preference

  • Some courses will ask students to enroll in an untimed, placeholder section and submit preferred section times through my.harvard.
  • Instructors/department will review preferences and move students from placeholder sections to timed sections.
  • If a course chooses to conduct sectioning outside of my.harvard they will inform you of their process and add section assignment information in my.harvard after registration.

Canceled sections

  • If your section is canceled, your instructor or department will contact you offering you alternative available sections.  

Dropping a class (if applicable)

  • If you cannot find a section time that works, you may need to drop the class.* 

*You will not lose previous instructor permission if you drop an enrolled course and re-add it to your Crimson Cart. 

Simultaneous Enrollment

Harvard College students may not enroll in courses that meet at the same time or at overlapping times, but there are two possible exceptions noted below.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that course meeting times do not overlap. If you wish to petition the Administrative Board for simultaneous enrollment under exception number two, you should work directly with your Resident Dean.

Exceptions

1. One of the two courses has been granted a waiver from the Administrative Board petition process by a subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Undergraduate Educational Policy (EPC). 

2. A senior can meet degree requirements only by taking the two particular courses in question and will have no other opportunity to enroll in the courses before graduation. In such circumstances, the Administrative Board may approve reasonable accommodations in consultation with the instructors of the courses involved.

Note: Students pursuing simultaneous enrollment in a Gen Ed course and a non-Gen Ed course must attend the Gen Ed course.

Visit the Office of Undergraduate Education website to learn more about simultaneous enrollment.

Lotteries, Petitions, Enrollment Limits and Waitlists

About the lottery process

Some courses have enrollment limits or run course lotteries. Departments determine their own selection process, and you can check course Canvas sites and my.harvard course descriptions for details about the process and the individual course deadlines.

Petition approvals: Remember that it can take some time for petitions to be approved, so be mindful of this as you approach the enrollment deadline. 

Courses that commonly run lotteries:

About Limited Enrollment Courses and Waitlists

Limited enrollment courses are courses that only permit a specified number of students to register and require instructor permission to enroll. 

  • You must also obtain instructor permission if you wish to join a waitlist; if you are granted seat from the waitlist, you will be automatically enrolled in the course.
  • Instructors must opt-in to use waitlists - not all limited enrollment courses will offer a waitlist.
  • Departments may reserve seats for students who meet specific criteria such as incoming (new) students or cross-registrants. A course may not appear full due to these reserve caps; however if you do not meet the criteria, you may be prompted to join the waitlist if the course offers one.

Enrollment capacity: Starting with Spring 2024 registration, once a course’s enrollment capacity is reached, Harvard College/Griffin GSAS students will not be able to enroll in courses even if they had instructor permission approved. If you are selected through a lottery or other course selection process, you must enroll by the defined FAS date. 

 Important: Beginning with Fall 2024 Registration, instructors can cancel approved petitions for students who have not enrolled in a class and are not on the waitlist for a class.


During November or April registration week – no waitlists available:

  • If you were not granted a seat before the class reached capacity, you may still submit a petition to enroll.
  • Once your petition is approved, you can check back to see if another student drops the course resulting in a new open seat before registration is over. 

Starting open add/drop period – waitlist opens:

  • During the add/drop period, check the Course Search to see if a limited enrollment course offers a waitlist. Courses that have waitlists will be indicated on the page for the course, in the course information section. 
  • If Waitlist Class indicates a "Yes", then there will either be a cap of students displayed as a ratio under Waitlist above the course description  (ex. 0/20 - there are zero students on the waitlist which has a cap of 20) or if there is no cap on the waitlist it will just show the number of students currently on the waitlist (ex. 0). 
  • If Waitlist Class indicates "No" there is no waitlist for the course.
  • If granted instructor permission, you may add yourself to the waitlist of a course for up to 16 credits (typically 4 courses) until the end of the first week of classes.  


How to Waitlist into a Course

To waitlist into a course, you must:

  1. Submit a petition to the instructor (during November or April registration or open add/drop).
  2. Add yourself to the waitlist: After the petition is approved, you will need to take the second action of actively adding yourself to the waitlist (can only be done during open add/drop). Your Crimson Cart will display all of your waitlisted courses and your waitlist position number.
  3. When a spot opens up, you will receive notification and be automatically enrolled into the course as long as there are no holds or time conflicts on your record.

Keep your waitlist status updated: If you elect to "drop if enrolled", you will be automatically dropped from a course of your choosing and enrolled in the waitlisted course. Be sure to keep your waitlist status up to date; if you change your mind about a course, remove yourself from the waitlist before you are automatically enrolled. Please refer to Waitlists in my.harvard for more information on this feature.

Enrollment Limits

Ordinarily, Harvard College students may take 20 credits each term (5 courses, 4 credits per course).

Exceeding credits

Harvard College students may not enroll in more than 24 credits (six courses, 4 credits per course) in one term without Administrative Board approval. 

Petition for Max Units/Credits: You can submit a petition to take six courses through my.harvard if your enrollment limit meets the eligibility criteria. You can access the form in my.harvard. Under the Student Home tab, select Documents, and Petition for Max Units/Credits.

  • First-year, first-term students can access the petition for a fifth course once they are enrolled in courses adding up to 16 credits. You must obtain approval from your Resident Dean. 
  • All other students can access the petition for a sixth course once they are enrolled in courses adding up to 20 credits. You must obtain approval from your Resident Dean.  

Reducing credits

Ordinarily, no Harvard College student may work at a rate less than necessary to maintain a yearly average rate of 32 credits passed. 

  • Harvard College students unable to manage a full-time course load due to significant and prolonged disability-related needs may qualify to take a reduced number of courses each semester. Accommodations are individualized and are determined through an interactive process. Once approved, the accommodation will apply to all remaining semesters. You must communicate with the Disability Access Office if your disability changes in a way that impacts your accommodation.  
  • You should discuss your academic progress with your Resident Dean and Concentration Advisor when considering a reduced course load. 

Key Dates and Deadlines

There are several deadlines you should be mindful of during the course registration period to avoid being charged fees or receiving disciplinary action. It is your responsibility to review the dates and deadlines for the current semester on the Academic Calendar

Course Registration

Add/Drop/Withdrawal

  • Check-in deadline – You cannot register for your courses until you check in online.
  • Course registration deadline – You must be registered for a minimum of 8 credits to avoid being charged a late registration fee. While the standard rate of work is 16 credits, being registered for a minimum of 8 credits will avoid a charge on your account. 
  • Third Monday – Last day for Harvard College students to add/drop a course (without a fee)
  • Fifth Monday – Last day for Harvard College students to add/drop a course (with a fee), change their schedule without Administrative Board approval, and change a course's status from letter-graded to Pass/Fail or from Pass/Fail to letter-graded. Harvard College students who wish to add/drop courses or change the grading basis of a course after the fifth Monday deadline must receive approval from the Administrative Board.
  • Seventh Monday – Last day for Harvard Griffin GSAS students to add courses, change grading option to or from SAT/UNS for designated language courses, and register for a minimum required course load, withdraw from an academic program, or submit an application for non-resident status for the term without being subject to disciplinary action.
  • Ninth Monday – Last day for Harvard Griffin GSAS students to drop courses. Withdrawals completed after this date require a petition and will be recorded as WD on your transcript if the petition is approved. 
  • Eleventh Monday – Last day for Harvard College students to withdraw from a course (the withdrawal will be recorded as WD on your transcript). Learn about withdrawing.

Enrollment restrictions for Harvard College students

Undergraduates may not enroll in courses numbered in the 300s or 3000s.

Exception – Advanced Standing students: Advanced Standing students in their fourth year of residence who are candidates for a master’s degree who have permission from the instructor to enroll can enroll in courses numbered in the 300s or 3000s.
 
You may not receive credit for coursework if you are receiving financial compensation for coursework:

  • Undergraduate course assistants may not receive academic credit, including Independent Study and Supervised Reading and Research course credit. 
  • Research for which students receive a grant may only inform their academic work. 
  • Research performed for financial compensation can inform academic work in subsequent semesters only, with the permission of the employer (including a laboratory head).  

Students outside of FAS

If you are a student in good standing enrolled in:

  • Another Harvard University school outside of FAS, for example, the Harvard Kennedy School 
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 
  • Tufts University 
  • Brown University 

You can cross register for Harvard FAS courses. Learn about cross-registration options for non-FAS students

Associated fees

Late fee waivers

Fees for late check-in, late course registration, and change-of-course petitions are waived only when the University is responsible for the difficulty or when the situation involves a serious illness of the student (usually including hospitalization) or a death in the student’s immediate family. It is your responsibility to meet the deadlines on the Academic Calendar to avoid being charged late fees. 

 

Late registration fee (Harvard College continuing students) 

$50

Registration is not complete until you have enrolled in your minimum required course load – typically 16 credits (equivalent to four Harvard 4-credit courses). While this is the standard, you must be registered for a minimum of 8 credits or you will be assessed a late registration fee of $50 which will be applied to your bill for the following term. For instance, if you fail to register by April 17, 2024 for the upcoming Fall term, the late registration fee will be added to your Fall term bill.  

 

Late enrollment fee

$40/week

Students should register for a full course load of 16 credits (equivalent to four Harvard 4-credit courses) during the enrollment period. To avoid being charged a late enrollment fee, Harvard College and Harvard Griffin GSAS students must be enrolled in at least 8 credits by the first day of classes (if waiting on instructor approval for some courses).

  • If you are registered for fewer than 8 credits by the first day of classes you will be charged $40 per week. 
  • Failure to complete the course enrollment process may subject you to disciplinary action and an involuntary leave of absence.

Late Check-in fee

$50 for failure to check-in by the deadline
Refer to Check-In page for more details

Late add/drop fee

$10/submission (after third Monday)

Harvard College and Harvard Griffin GSAS students who add/drop courses after the third Monday deadline will be charged $10/submission.

Change of grading basis

There is no cost for Harvard College and Harvard Griffin GSAS students to change the grading basis of a course. 

Overdue declaration of concentration

$25 for first week overdue, $50 thereafter

An overdue declaration of concentration will make a Harvard College student liable for a late fee of $25 for the first week, $50 thereafter, and for disciplinary action, including requirement to withdraw. 

Financial Obligations (Leave of Absence/Requirement to Withdraw)

Students’ Financial Obligations in the Event of a Leave of Absence or Requirement to Withdraw

Fall 2023 Leave Date Tuition S.S. Fee † Housing/Food
On or before May 13 -0- -0- -0-
May 14 – September 12 -0- -0- pro-rated
September 13 – October 10 6,783.63 424.88 pro-rated
October 11 – November 7 13,567.25 849.75 pro-rated
November 8 – December 6 20,350.88 1,274.63 pro-rated
On or after December 7 27,134.50 1,699.50 3,975.00

 

Spring 2024 Leave Date Tuition S.S. Fee † Housing/Food
On or before November 13
(10th Monday of the fall term)
-0- -0- -0-
November 14 – January 26 -0- -0- pro-rated
January 27 – February 27 6,783.63 424.88 pro-rated
February 28 – March 26 13,567.25 849.75 pro-rated
March 27 – April 25 20,350.88 1,274.63 pro-rated
On or after April 26 27,134.50 1,699.50 3,975.00

 

All amounts are in US dollars. Harvard in its sole discretion reserves the right to change these rates at any time upon 30 days prior notice to students.

* For Dudley Cooperative meal plan charges, inquire in the Dudley Community Office, 10 DeWolfe Street, Suites 22 and 23, (617) 495-2256.

Student Services Fee.

 

 

Holds

There are a variety of holds that can prevent you from enrolling in courses. You should visit my.harvard to see what holds may exist on your student account that may prevent you from registering for courses. Failure to clear the hold by the course registration deadline is not a legitimate reason for a late fee waiver.

Removing holds


Step 1: Select the To-Do items in my.harvard to learn more about each hold. 

Step 2: Resolve your hold with the office that initiated it. For example, if you have a UHS hold you must contact University Health Services directly to address the hold.

Common types of holds

Holds Impacting Registration: If you do not clear these holds prior to the start of course registration, you will be prevented from enrolling in courses and will have to pay associated fees.

Advising: This is a hold that requires you to meet with your advisor before enrolling in courses. Your advisor releases this hold by virtually signing your crimson cart.

Financial (impacting both registration and start of term): The financial hold will be tied to any balance related to the current term’s bill or recent charges. Students with a past due balance of $100 or greater will have a financial hold applied to their accounts. Contact Student Accounts with questions about financial holds. 

Term bills for the upcoming term will be due in the typical time frame. Future charges will not impact student ability to register for classes for the upcoming term.

Financial Responsibility Agreement: Students must electronically sign the Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA) and acknowledge their agreement to the terms outlined in the FRA. 

UHS/Immunization: For Spring 2024, students are required to be up to date on the flu vaccine in addition to other vaccination requirements. You will not be able to register until HUHS has received and processed flu vaccine documentation. University Health Services places and removes holds for students needing to provide documentation of their immunization records. If you have already uploaded your immunization documentation, you can check your immunization compliance status in the HUHS Patient Portal. The Registrar's Office cannot lift this hold from your record. If you have any questions, please visit the HUHS website or contact them directly at 617-495-2055.

Language Requirement (Harvard College students only): If after the second term of study the language requirement & has not yet been met, you will see a language requirement hold in my.harvard. Once you meet with your advisor to discuss your plan for fulfilling your language requirement, your advisor will release the hold. 

Holds Applied Before Start of Term: If you do not clear these holds by the start of term, you will be prevented from making any enrollment changes and will have to pay associated fees. Further, if the hold persists you could be prevented from registering in an upcoming term.

Check-In: If you have not completed the online check-in process for the current term, you will see a check-in hold in my.harvard. 

Title IX: Each year, students at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are required to complete an online Title IX training module. Once the training module has been completed the Title IX hold on your registration will be lifted; typically within an hour. Please visit the Harvard College Title IX website or Harvard Griffin GSAS Title IX and Gender Equity website for more information.

Mental Health and Wellbeing: Beginning in Fall 2023, incoming Harvard College students will be required to complete an online mental health and wellbeing learning module prior to registration. More information can be found at the Student Wellbeing at Harvard website.

International Office: International students may be required to visit the Harvard International Office before enrolling. This office will remove the hold once you have visited them.

Term Bill: If you have a balance on your student account you will need to pay the full amount in order to have this hold removed. If you are anticipating financial aid to be disbursed you may wish to contact your financial aid officer.

Registration Survey (Harvard Griffin GSAS students only): If you have not completed the assigned survey, you will se a Registration Survey hold in my.harvard.  

Change of Grading Basis

Harvard College and Visiting Undergraduate Students

Change of grading basis petitions open on the first day of classes. Harvard College and Visiting Undergraduate Students must submit a grading basis change by the Fifth Monday deadline, which is also the deadline to submit a grading basis change.

Before submitting a petition:

  • You must be enrolled in at least one letter-graded course 
  • It must be between the first day of classes and the Fifth Monday of the term

Submit a grading basis change petition

Approval Process

Grading basis change requests must be approved by the course instructor, your advisor, and your Resident Dean. You can check the status of your petition by viewing prior submissions in the my.harvard Document Center. It is advisable to contact the person the request is pending with and to ask them to either approve or deny your request in a timely manner.

If you change your mind about a submitted grading basis change, your petition status will determine your next steps:

  • Pending status: You may cancel your petition in the my.harvard Document Center by clicking View prior submissions
  • Approved status: Once the petition is approved, you cannot submit another petition to reverse the decision. Please submit a ticket to enrollment@fas.harvard.edu for assistance. 

Pending Petitions

Instructors, advisors, and Resident Deans must respond to pending requests from students who have submitted petitions by the 7th Monday of the term. Approved petitions will be processed nightly.

  • If you have not declared a concentration: You should contact your advisor with questions about your petition
  • If you have declared a concentration: You should contact your department's Grading Basis Change approver with questions about your petition. 

Petitioning after the Fifth Monday deadline: If you do not submit a grading basis change by the Fifth Monday deadline and still wish to change the grading basis of a course, please talk with your Resident Dean about petitioning the Administrative Board

Harvard Griffin GSAS

Harvard Griffin GSAS students may only petition to change a grading status for language courses.

Withdrawing from Courses

Harvard College students can submit the Harvard College Course Withdrawal Form between the fifth and eleventh Monday. A notation of WD will be permanently recorded on your transcript. Harvard College students cannot file withdrawal petitions after the eleventh Monday of the term.

Harvard Griffin GSAS students can submit the Harvard Griffin GSAS Petition to Withdraw Form after the ninth Monday. This form must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs. If approved, a notation of WD will be recorded on your transcript for the course.

Prepare for Your First Week of Classes

  • Review the Academic Calendar and familiarize yourself with key dates and deadlines. 
  • Confirm that you can access your course Canvas website through the my.harvard Course Catalog.
  • Review your classroom locations. Classroom location changes naturally take place during the enrollment period, so check your course meeting location in the my.harvard Course Catalog.

Related Forms

All enrollment forms

Need Assistance?

Course Enrollment Support

Email: enrollment@fas.harvard.edu

  • for questions about course enrollment or fees

Email: myharvard_support@harvard.edu 

  • for technical issues with my.harvard