How to Enroll in Early Grade Reading Classes

Early Grade Reading in Developing Countries graduate certificate classes are offered through University+, UMass Amherst’s flexible lifelong learning program. This page gives a simple overview of the process, or more details, please visit the How to Enroll in Online Classes webpage. 

Step One: Create a student record.  

If you have not previously taken an EGR course, you will need to fill out a Non-Degree Enrollment Form to create a UMass account so that you can log in to the enrollment system (SPIRE). Follow these steps:

  1. Go to spire.umass.edu. 

  2. Under Apply/References, click on Non-Degree Enrollment Application.

    The "Non-Degre Enrollment Application" option is circled to demonstrate its position

  3. Read the information and click “Continue”. Fill out the online form. 
    (Note: although there is a field for Social Security number, you do NOT need a Social Security number to apply – just leave that field blank).

    Initial enrollment information with the "Continue" button highlighted
  4. You will receive an email with your NetID and password within 1-7 days. At this point you should be able to log into SPIRE. If you cannot log in with your NetID and password, there may be additional issues that need to be resolved. If you are struggling, please email egrcert [at] umass [dot] edu (egrcert[at]umass[dot]edu) so we can troubleshoot with you.

Step Two: Request an enrollment appointment for the upcoming term. 

An enrollment appointment represents the time period during which you will be able to enroll in UWW/ University+ classes in SPIRE. To request an enrollment appointment, follow these steps:  

  1. Go to spire.umass.edu.  
  2. On your Student Center, select the Manage Classes tile 
  3. Select Enrollment Appointments.  
  4. From the Term drop down menu, select the term when the class is being offered. 
    Note: If the upcoming term does not appear in the drop down menu, it typically means you are not active. For returning students, you may need to check for any holds and then email regoff [at] uww [dot] umass [dot] edu (regoff[at]uww[dot]umass[dot]edu) to reactivate you. If you are struggling with registering, please email us at egrcert [at] umass [dot] edu (egrcert[at]umass[dot]edu) for assistance.
  5. Make sure to click "yes" to agree to acknowledgements.  *If you do not do this, you cannot move on to register for classes (e.g. financial agreement).

For detailed instructions, especially for MEd students, see Requesting an Enrollment Appointment in SPIRE page.

Step Three: Register for the course. 

Once you have your enrollment appointment for the term, you can then enroll in your classes in SPIRE.

  1. Go to spire.umass.edu.  
  2. On your Student Center, select the Manage Classes tile
  3. On the left menu, select Add, Drop and Edit Classes then Class Search Add and Enroll. 
  4. Select the upcoming term, then Search for Classes using the course number (e.g. EDUC 680). 
  5. Search for a class you want to take; confirm that it has a section with Univ+ (or UWW) under Session. 
  6. Check class information for details such as prerequisites, textbooks, and meeting times.
  7. Select the class section (click the > on the right) to start the enrollment process.
  8. Follow the steps of the enrollment process. Enroll in the class (if you are enrolling in one class) or Add to Shopping Cart (if you are enrolling in several classes at once.)  

NOTE: Avoid using the Scheduler Builder tool, it does not work well for online classes. 

Please email egrcert [at] umass [dot] edu (egrcert[at]umass[dot]edu) if you have any problems with registering for an EGR class or if you have any special circumstances. If you have technology limitations, please email and we can set up a Zoom meeting to guide you through the process of registering.