Registration Toolkit
Planning for Registration
You can plan for course registration in 4 steps. Follow these steps to be fully prepared for registration once your time ticket arrives!
- 1. Clear Holds
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There are certain holds that can prevent your ability to register unless you get them cleared. Common holds that prevent registration are Advising Holds, FInancial Holds, Parking Fines, Health Forms, and not submitting your final high school transcript.
All students are assigned an advising hold each semester. The advising hold must be lifted by your academic advisor or department to signify that you have met / communicated with them regarding course planning for the upcoming semester.
- 2. Meet with Your Advisor and Review Degree Requirements
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All traditional undergraduate students must meet with their advisor to have their advising hold lifted. Your advisor can assist with reviewing your degree checksheet on Banner to understand your remaining degree requirements to map out the classes you need with you. Your advisor lifts your advising hold.
Your advisor is listed on your Banner profile. You can find your program’s 4 year plan on the RMU Undergraduate Programs page under your specific major.
- 3. Know Your Time Ticket
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A time ticket is the day and time that registration will open for you, in which you will be able to register for courses as long as there are no holds preventing you from doing so. Once your time ticket passes, the registration portal will be accessible to you until the upcoming semesters add/drop deadline as long as you do not have holds on your account.
Your time ticket will be on your Banner profile, under “Registration Notices”. Make sure you change the term to the upcoming semester to see your accurate time ticket!
The Registrar’s Office assigns these time tickets. Students are not able to change their time tickets, so once they are assigned, that is your dedicated day / time that registration will open for you.
- 4. Review the RMU Course Catalog and Plan Out Your Classes
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Registration is housed through the RMU Banner student portal. To access the Course Catalog, log into rmu.edu/bannersss and follow these steps:
- Click “Registration and Planning” > “Browse Classes”
- Select the appropriate term (ex. Spring 2025)
- Use the search bar to look up courses and see all available sections / days / times it is offered
For a visual walkthrough on how to browse classes and use the search tool effectively, check out rmu.edu/banner/classsearch.
Registering for Classes
Ensure that all of your holds are cleared from your Banner account, or else you will be restricted from adding classes until they are resolved. Also, planning ahead of time can make the process of class selection and registration a smoother process.
- On the left hand side of your Banner profile (rmu.edu/bannersss), Click “Registration and Planning”
- Select “Register for Classes” and select the upcoming term
- Use the search tool to find the classes that you plan to add to your summary
- When you add all of the classes you need, click the “Submit” button on the bottom right of the screen. Your schedule will not save if you do not hit this button.
- You’ll know if you are registered for the class(es) if you see the “Web Registered” type next to the class. If you encounter an error, it will only impact the associated class, any other classes will save.
You can troubleshoot registration errors here. - You’re done! You can view/print your schedule under “View Registration Information” and select the appropriate term.
For a visual walkthrough of registering for classes and printing your schedule, check out rmu.edu/banner/regdetails.
Holds
Holds are restrictions that are placed onto student accounts that will prohibit registering for an upcoming semester. It is important that you keep an eye on your Banner profile and check your email to know what holds you have. These holds must be resolved before you can register for classes.
Common Holds
- Academic Advising Hold
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All students are assigned an advising hold each semester. This requires students to connect with their academic advisor at least once prior to registration to discuss class options, degree progress, and future academic planning.
- Financial Aid Hold
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- Students with an outstanding balance will be assigned a financial hold. The balance must be below $1,000 to register for classes.
- Student Financial Services in Solution Central can assist you with outstanding balances, payments plans, charges to your account, and taking care of your financial hold.
- Health Forms Hold
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- Students are assigned a health hold if they have outstanding health forms or documentation that need to be submitted to the RMU Health Center.
- MyHealthRMU can assist with this hold and getting your forms submitted!
- Parking Holds
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- Students who have received a parking fine or have any outstanding issues with parking will have a parking hold. Students must pay off any parking fines before they can register.
- The RMU Parking Department can assist you with fines, fees, and questions regarding parking and the parking fine hold.
- Specific Department Holds
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- Some academic departments have special holds for students in those programs to complete a certain requirement before they can register. Please refer to your advisor and academic department for more detailed guidance.
View your holds by logging into rmu.edu/bannersss and clicking “holds” in the upper right corner!
Credit Loads, Limits, and Restrictions
Traditional undergraduate students must be enrolled in 12 credit hours minimum to be considered a full-time student. Students enrolled in 12 credits - 18 credits are charged a consistent Flat Rate Tuition. Part-time students (taking under 12 credit hours) are charged on a per-credit rate.
Students who register for more than 18 credit hours will be charged a per-credit rate for the number of credits above 18 (see rates here). Students who wish to take more than 18 credits must get department head approval.
ROTC / active duty students, veterans, or dependents who receive benefits through The RMU Center for Veterans and Military Families (CVMF), you may have to meet specific credit load requirements and modalities. Talk with the CVMF for more information and guidance.
International students, there are several factors to take into consideration when registering for courses. Make sure you are aware of what your residency and financial requirements are by connecting with The RMU Center for Global Engagement.
Waitlisting Classes
Almost all course sections will have a limited amount of waitlist spots for students to grab if a course they need is “full”. Waitlist spots act like a “virtual line / que”, where you will be on a list of students looking to enroll in the class if a seat becomes available.
If you are selected from the waitlist que, you will be notified via email by the Registrar’s Office that you have a select amount of hours to go into the registration portal and add the course to your schedule. If you miss this window, the waitlist will move to the next student in the que. If you have trouble adding a waitlisted class, visit the Registrar’s Office in Solution Central as soon as possible!
Waitlisted classes do not count towards registered credit hours until you are able to secure a seat. For example, if you have five three-credit classes (15 credit hours) on your schedule, but you have one waitlisted, you technically only have 12 registered credit hours. This is important to keep in mind for full-time student status and financial aid requirements.
Online Classes
Online classes reserved for our Fully Online Programs (FOP’s) are indicated with L1 and L2 section labels. These classes are restricted, meaning on-ground students cannot register for them on their own. Students must request permission to be enrolled in a FOP L1 / L2 class through the department head that oversees that class (example: a math class would have to get approval from the Math Department Head).
Students in on-ground programs can take certain online courses and may get permission for a restricted online course, however, if a class needed for their degree is only offered on-ground, the student must take the class in person. An on-ground class section cannot be attended virtually.
Check out rmu.edu/academics/schools for information on each department and academic school!
Prerequisites and Corequisites
- What is a Prerequisite?
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A prerequisite is a course you must complete before you can enroll in another, more advanced course. These classes ensure that you have the necessary background knowledge and skills for success in the next level.
Example:
- CSEN-1010 (Reading and Writing Strategies) is a prerequisite for CSEN-1020 (Argument and Research), meaning you need to pass CSEN-1010 before you can register for CSEN-1020.
- What is a Corequisite?
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A corequisite is a course that you must take at the same time as another course. These courses are often linked because the material in one class supports the learning in the other. Corequisite classes must be added at the same time - you cannot register for one without registering for the other.
Example:
- If you’re taking ARTM-1020 (2D Studio), you will also need to enroll in ARTM-0102 (2D Studio Lab) as a corequisite, since the lab provides hands-on experience to complement the lecture material.
- Why Are These Important?
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- Prerequisites ensure you're prepared for the course, preventing unnecessary struggles and enhancing your learning experience.
- Corequisites allow you to learn and apply the material together, usually through lab work that puts the learning material into practical application.
Before registering for classes, check for any prerequisites and corequisites to make sure you're eligible to enroll and to plan your schedule accordingly. You can find this information in the course description, your chacksheet in DegreeWorks, or by checking with your academic advisor.
Registration FAQs
- Q: Why does Banner keep timing out when I try to register?
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- A: Try to clear your browsing data, history, and cookies on your internet browser, then close out all tabs and log back in. This should resolve the timeout issues. If they persist, email the IT Help Desk (help@rmu.edu).
- Q: What should I do if I am graduating and a class I need to graduate is full or unavailable?
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- A: Contact your academic department head for guidance if you are close to graduating, need a class, and you do not see it listed for the upcoming semester or the section(s) are full.
- Q: Can I register for a class if I haven’t completed the prerequisite(s)?
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- A: Generally, you cannot register for a class without completing the prerequisite. However, you may request special permission from the department head for the course if there is an extenuating circumstance where you may have to take a prerequisite class and the class you wish to take.
- Q: Can I have an internship apply for academic credit?
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- A: Absolutely! Most programs will allow you to have up to 6 credit hours covered by an internship experience. This is dependant on your degree and department requirements (example, already needing a practicum). Visit the RMU Academic Internship website or check with your academic advisor to learn more.
- Q: How do I add/drop a class after I’ve registered?
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- A: You can add or drop classes through the Banner registration portal during the add/drop period. After that, you will need to submit an RMU Withdraw form to officially withdraw from a class. Be mindful of the add/drop and withdrawal deadlines.
- Q: What’s the difference between withdrawing and dropping a class?
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- A: Dropping a class means you completely remove it from your schedule before the deadline, and it doesn’t show on your transcript. Withdrawing means you leave the class after the drop period. You will still have attempted those credit hours for the semester, and a "W" will appear on your transcript. Withdrawing from a class doesn’t impact your GPA.