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Registration
Registration Information

For handouts, tutorials and more information about using SPIRE log on to SPIRE Help.

All returning students should log on to SPIRE starting Wednesday, April 2 to:
  • See when your registration appointment begins. (Your appointment defines the start and end dates/times you can register for courses. Appointment times are different for different students.) In SPIRE, select "Enrollment", and then "Enrollment Appointment".
    • Registration appointments run until the Add/Drop deadline at 5pm on Monday, September 15. You should register as early as possible after the start of your appointment in April, but the continuous availability of the system until September 15 should help you if you need to make changes in your schedule.
  • Check if you'll need to get a RAC (registration approval code) from your primary major advisor before registering. If a RAC is required, the appointment display in SPIRE will say so.
    • The RAC is a four-digit number which changes each semester. If your department requires you to get a RAC before registering, SPIRE will ask you for your RAC before allowing you to add any classes. Note: RACs are not required for all students – only those majoring in certain departments.
  • See if you have holds that will prevent registration. If you have any holds that block enrollment, contact the office which placed them to clear them before your registration is delayed.
Schedule of Classes
Classes will be available after Wednesday, April 2, through the SPIRE Schedule of Classes. The SPIRE Schedule is constantly updated with up-to-the-minute information about all class sections, including meeting times, eligibility requisites (such as restrictions for "majors only"), whether the class is still "open" (meaning it has available seats), and other class details.

The Schedule of Classes shows all classes available for registration. The SPIRE Course Catalog does not include exactly the same courses. The Catalog tries to give a broader picture of the courses a department may offer – not just those actually being offered in a given semester. The Catalog will, therefore, include descriptions of courses that are not scheduled to be offered this semester. On the other hand, there are some classes offered for a particular semester that are NOT included in SPIRE's Catalog, so not every class listed in the Schedule of Classes will have an entry in the Catalog. To learn more about any courses listed in the Schedule that are not listed in the Catalog, consult the department offering the course.

Waitlists
Some classes will offer automated waitlists through SPIRE while others will not. The decision is up to the department offering the course. Some departments prefer a first-come first-served approach to letting students find seats that have been vacated by other students dropping the course. Others maintain manual waitlists collected before or at the first class meeting. If you find during your initial appointment that a course you are interested in is full, you are advised to enroll yourself onto the automated waitlist if one exists (you can tell because the class will show a non-zero waitlist capacity in the SPIRE Schedule of Classes), or wait until mid August to see if new spaces are freed as the start of the semester approaches.

If you want to enroll yourself onto a SPIRE waitlist, follow the instructions for adding a course and select the "OK to waitlist?" checkbox when it appears. There are some things you should know:
  • You will be assigned a position number on the waitlist, but departments and instructors may exercise their own judgment in altering students' positions on the waitlist. A position on a waitlist indicates a possibility, not a promise.
  • To get on a waitlist or to be moved off the waitlist into a newly-freed space in the course, you will need to meet all eligibility requisites like "seniors only" or "majors only". You will also never move from the waitlist to the course if the move would cause a time conflict in your schedule, if you are fully registered into another section of the same course, or if you are already registered for the maximum number of credits in your unit limit!
As few students drop courses before mid August, we don't expect many seats to open up before then in courses that have filled. Therefore, the Registrar's Office will check waitlists to see if anyone can be moved into the course only weekly during the April through mid-August registration period. After August 18, the waitlist will be checked daily through Friday, August 29. Students still seeking admission to a full class after August 29 should attend the first class meeting and follow instructions from the instructor or department about continuing to seek admission to the course. Once classes have begun, the department is in total control of which students, if any, will be moved from a SPIRE waitlist into newly-opened seats in their courses.

Unit Limits
As in the past, there are limits governing how many units (aka credits) you may register for. There is also a similar but separate limit defining how many units' worth of waitlists you can be on. Your limits are listed on your Enrollment Dates page in SPIRE. As always, unit limits are strictly enforced and no unit overloads can be approved until August 18. (Undergraduates seeking overloads must petition their Academic Dean; graduate students contact their Graduate Program Director.) No exceptions to the waitlist maximums will be granted at any time.

The limits for undergraduate students who have requested part-time billing status are, appropriately, lower than those for full-time students. If your billing status plans have changed, please come to the Registrar's Office, 213 Whitmore, before September 15 to request a change.

Time Conflicts
You cannot register for two courses that meet at the same time (or even overlap briefly) until August 18. Between August 18 and September 15, if you have written permission from the instructors of both courses, you will be able to submit your add request through your Registrar's Office. If there is space available and you meet all other requirements for the course, staff will be able to add you into the conflicting course.

Five-College Courses
You may not register for courses at Amherst, Hampshire, Mt Holyoke or Smith Colleges using SPIRE. Registration for these courses is available through the end of the Add/Drop period, and must be done on a paper 5-College Interchange Registration form.

UMass undergraduates in degree programs should contact the 5-College Office, 614 Goodell Building, 545-5352 for more information (eligibility requirements, etc.) and to get a form.

UMass graduate students who wish to register for 5-College courses should consult the Graduate School, 534 Goodell, at 545-0024.

Getting Help
New students receive in-person help with SPIRE during the New Students Orientation sessions.

If you are experiencing difficulties using SPIRE, select the following from the menu in SPIRE to look for the answer you need: Help, SPIRE Support Site, For Students. If still puzzled, call the OIT help desk at 545-9400 or go to A107 Lederle Lowrise for in-person assistance.

If you've lost your password, try the "Forgot your password?" link on SPIRE's logon page, or go in person to the OIT help desk in A107 Lederle Lowrise with a photo ID between 9am and 4:45pm Monday through Friday.

If you have questions about registration, call the Registration Assistance Line during your registration appointment. The office is open Monday through Friday 9am – 4pm. Undergraduates call 413-545-2605. Graduates call 413-545-0024.

If you have a disability that prevents you from using SPIRE for registration, please come to your Registrar's Office during your registration appointment for assistance.

Good luck with registration!

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