Online Course Enrollment for Undergraduates

There are three primary sessions that are available for undergraduate students to enroll in during the Fall and Spring semesters – University, University Online, and University Plus (University+). There are online courses available in each session.

University

Classes offered under this session are the standard, on-campus meetings that happen in-person. There could be some online offerings here that have at least one in-person component to it. Students will pay standard tuition and fees for these courses (based on part-time/full-time status).

University Online

Classes offered under this session are fully online and treated similarly to University-session classes. Students will pay standard tuition and fees for these courses (based on part-time/full-time status). The maximum credit limit for University Online is four (4) credits.

University+

Classes offered under this session are fully online but are treated differently from the University and University Online course offerings.

On-campus/undergraduate students must activate their U+ enrollment appointment in SPIRE by clicking on the Manage Classes tile and selecting the Univ+ Enrollment for Undergrad option under the Enrollment Appointments section.

To activate the appointment, students must first be enrolled in a minimum of three (3) University/University Online credits. Once the enrollment appointment has been activated, students will be able to enroll in a maximum of eight (8) U+ credits.

Students pay the associated registration and course fees as explained in the course details on SPIRE (these fees will be charged in addition to students’ regular tuition and fees).

Students can search for and enroll in classes either through Schedule Builder (preferred) or by using SPIRE. The instructions below will serve as a guide to help students with navigating each platform.

Schedule Builder

Students can launch Schedule Builder by selecting it from the Add, Drop & Updates Classes section of the Manage Classes tile. Once launched, students will be prompted to select the Term and Session. By default, the University and University Online sessions will be selected when students first initiate Schedule Builder. If students later want to exclude or include specific sessions, they can do so by adjusting the Sessions filter. Students can refer to these step-by-step instructions to finalize their enrollment.

SPIRE

Students can identify specific classes offered within each session by using the Search for Classes (Advanced) page and filtering by Session. After going through the search results, students should make note of the 5-digit class numbers for the courses they would like to enroll in. Students should

then search for the 5-digit class number on the Class Search, Add & Enroll page, select the course, and follow the on-screen instructions to finalize their enrollment.

First-Year Students

First-year students registering for their first two semesters are not eligible to enroll in courses offered under the University Online or University+ session during the Fall and Spring semesters. For instance, a first-year student admitted to UMass Amherst in Fall 2024 will become eligible to enroll in these courses when Fall 2025 registration begins. This restriction does not apply to anyone admitted to UMass Amherst as a transfer student.

International Students

Due to visa regulations, international students enrolled in 12 credits can only enroll in one (1) online class each Fall and Spring semester. International students will be restricted to four (4) credits maximum between the University Online and University+ sessions. Any international student who has a question regarding this policy should reach out to the Office of Global Affairs at @email.

Senior Year in Absentia Students

Students completing their Senior Year in Absentia cannot enroll in University or University Online classes. If a Senior Year in Absentia student intends to enroll at UMass Amherst, they can only enroll in University+ classes.

While enrollment during the Summer and Winter terms is not required, students can elect to take online classes during these terms if they choose. Students can review the information on the University+ website on how to enroll in classes during the Summer and Winter.

Please contact the U+ Registration Office at 413.545.3653 or @email with questions regarding Summer and Winter enrollment.