CAS Course Registration Homework

This video will give you an overview of your requirements as a UVM student in the College of Arts & Sciences. (~2 minutes)

Take some time to review the UVM Catalog to learn about your CAS Degree Requirements in more detail.

Transfer students should pay special attention to the UVM Residency Requirement (a student must be matriculated in the College of Arts and Sciences and enrolled in coursework at UVM during the period in which they earn 30 of the last 45 credits applied toward the degree) and the Major/Minor Residency Requirement (at least one-half of the credits used toward the major/minor requirements must be taken at the University of Vermont).

Please also note that no more than 45 credits in courses with the same departmental prefix may be used toward completion of the 120 credits required for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and no more than 50 for a Bachelor of Science degree.

→ Click here to view the CAS Degree Requirements.

You can also review specific CAS major and UVM-wide minor requirements in the catalog.

Prior to your course registration appointment, review your transfer credits to ensure that all your credits have transferred to UVM. It’s important that you know what credits you have earned so that you do not register for duplicates. Students cannot earn credit for the same class twice.

You can review your transfer credits in your My UVM account in the “Academic Records” box. You will see a link that says “Transfer Credits” – this will show you what transfer credits have been received by UVM and what they count as here at UVM. Transfer credits completed prior to Fall 2023 will transfer in as 3-digit course numbers. Beginning in Fall 2023, UVM moved to a 4-digit course numbering system. Your transfer credit evaluation should show you both the 3 and 4-digit equivalents of your transfer credits based on when you took them.

If you have more questions about transfer credits/your transcript, check out the FAQs and/or contact transfer@uvm.edu.

Your Degree Audit is the tool you will use to track your degree progress and requirements. You can access your Degree Audit in your My UVM student account. In the “Degree Works” box, click “Run a Degree Audit.”

By looking at your degree audit, you will be able to identify degree applicable classes and register for the appropriate classes offered next semester.

The Degree Audit lists and tracks your requirements based on your declared major/minor. It keeps track of what requirements you have completed with previously earned credit (including transfer/AP credit), what requirements you are in-progress to complete (with current/un-graded credits), and what requirements you still need to complete. 

For any requirements listed as “still needed” the degree audit will note 1) how many classes or credits are required, and 2) all the classes approved to fulfill those requirements. For example, as noted on the degree audit, the AS Distribution Requirement for Literature requires “1 class with attribute = AH2” so any class with the “AH2” attribute would count. Directions on finding classes with specific attributes are found below in the next step (How To: Review The Schedule of Courses & Pick Classes). Not every approved class will be offered every semester, so students need to plan accordingly based on what is offered each term in the schedule of courses.

IMPORTANT: The first two sets of requirements you will see on your Degree Audit are the “Catamount Core” and the “AS Distribution Requirements.” Courses approved for the Distribution Requirements will also fulfill the Catamount Core requirements (but not necessarily the other way around) so you should be focusing on the Distribution Requirements, Major and Minor, when selecting classes.

Thinking of changing/declaring your major or minor?
Students considering declaring or changing a major/minor may use the “What-If” tool in the degree audit to review those requirements and look for degree applicable course options. In your degree audit, click the small link to the upper-left labeled “what if” and select (from the “Areas of study” drop-down menus) the major/minor you are interested in reviewing. You’ll then scroll down and click “process” on the bottom right. Just like the normal degree audit, a “what-if” degree audit will show you what requirements you have already completed in any given major/minor, and what requirements you have left to complete (as well as the class options to choose from). If you are intending to change/declare your major/minor, we recommend that you submit the necessary form at least a few days before registration opens, since some classes are restricted to specific majors. You can change/declare your major/minor using this form located in your myUVM account under the “Advising (Degree Audit)” tab.

Want to double check your course plan?
You may also try using the “Look Ahead” feature to double check your “planned” courses. You’ll find the “Look Ahead” feature under the “What-If” link, just below the “Areas of Study” section. If you want to use the “Look Ahead” feature with your current major/minor, just select “Use current curriculum” under the What-If analysis section. The “Look Ahead” feature will show you where any courses you plan to register for will count in your degree audit, so you can make sure your planned classes are fulfilling the requirements you expected them to.

Pro Tip: Once you have actually registered for classes, run a new degree audit and you will be able to see where those classes are fulfilling requirements. If you selected a class that does not count, you can swap it out with an appropriate option. Keep in mind that you may need electives (classes that do not count towards specific requirements) to reach 120 minimum credits to graduation. The number of “elective” credits necessary will vary for each students based on their major/minor/transfer credits, etc.

Use the Schedule of Courses to look through the course offerings and start drafting a tentative schedule.

There are a few different ways that you can look through the classes being offered.

1. The Schedule of Courses (used for planning purposes) – linked on the Registrar’s website and located in myUVM in the “My Courses” Card – click “Course Search”
2. Look Up Classes to Add (used for planning purposes and for registering for classes) – located in myUVM in the “My Courses” card – click “Look Up Classes to Add”
3. The Schedule of Courses (Classic Version) (used for planning purposes, but you can’t look courses up by requirement) – linked on the Registrar’s website

When using the Schedule of Courses and “New Class Search Tool” in myUVM, you can search for courses by the Liberal Arts/Core Skills (Distribution) requirement they are approved to fulfill. To see approved options, scroll down in the search box on the left and click the checkbox for the Liberal Arts or Core Skills requirement you are looking to complete. For example, as noted on the degree audit, the AS Distribution Requirement for Literature requires “1 class with attribute = AH2” so you would click the “Literature (AH2)” checkbox in the SOC search to find approved class options. (Students who began at UVM in fall 2023 or later should NOT use the General Education Categories requirement search.)

When putting together a schedule, here are some things to keep in mind and to look out for:

1. Duplicate Credits: We recommend all students re-run their degree audit after they register to ensure they didn’t register for a duplicate course. You cannot receive credit for the same class twice, so duplicate credits will display at the bottom of your degree audit under “Not Counted.” (Duplicate credits may not always be obvious if one version of the class is in 3-digit course numbering and the other is in 4-digit course numbering.)
    
2. Descriptions/Prerequisites: Reading course descriptions is a helpful way to learn more about a class/determine if it’s of interest to you. In the schedule of courses, course information including descriptions will be listed when you select a class in your search. Any restrictions or prerequisites will also be listed, so make of note of any that may render you ineligible to register for the class. If there are no restrictions preventing you from registering.
    
3. Balance: Try to build a balanced schedule that consists of classes distributed relatively evenly across week. For instance, choosing 3 classes that meet on MWF, and 2 classes that meet on TR. It might be tempting to try and fit all of your classes on a couple of days so that you have others “free” but this is not typically advisable and can result in an unmanageable amount of work condensed onto specific days.
    
4. Credits: A minimum of 12 credits is required for full-time student status, but in general students need to average 15 credits each semester to graduate in 4 years. The majority of classes are 3 credits so most students should aim to register for about 5 classes per semester. This will of course depend on the number of credits you are starting out with/your degree plan.
    
5. Variety: Apart from classes that you are required to take for your major or minor, think about working some variety into your schedule. Your University-wide/CAS degree requirements span across academic disciplines so you can generally create a schedule that encompasses classes from a few different subjects. If you already have a lot of Math/Science in your schedule plan, think about adding a Fine Arts (Studio Art, Art History, Music) or Humanities (English, Religion, Philosophy) to complement them. There isn’t any “rule” to this, just think about what types of classes you might enjoy taking alongside each other to create variety in your schedule.

This video will teach you how to use the UVM registration system. You will need to be familiar with this system so that you can make any necessary schedule changes during your appointment. (~7 minutes)

You are required to be at a computer and logged into your myUVM account for your appointment. Your advisor will connect with you using Microsoft Teams.

It is important that you have set-up and tested your Teams account before your appointment to make sure it works. You must sign into Teams with your UVM e-mail address!

→ Click here for Microsoft Teams instructions. Please do a test run of Teams to make sure your camera and audio work.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s helpful for you to be able to share your screen with the advisor you are meeting with so they can help you navigate the registration system. If you’re using a Mac, you’ll need to grant permission to Teams to record your computer’s screen before you can share. 

Here are instructions on how to share your screen on a Mac:

1. You’ll be prompted to grant permission the first time you try to share your screen. Select Open System Preferences from the prompt. If you miss the prompt, you can do this anytime by going to Apple Menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security.
   
2. Under Screen & System Audio Recording, make sure the toggle next to Microsoft Teams is turned on.
   
3. Go back to your meeting and try sharing your screen again.

Students planning to register for Calculus, Spanish or French are required to complete the appropriate placement test at least 24 hours before their appointment.

→ Foreign Language Placement Test (~15-30 minutes to complete)

→ Math Placement Assessment (~60-90 minutes to complete)

Here is a Registration Advising Worksheet that you can prepare ahead of time and share with your advisor during your appointment. This worksheet gives you a place to note your interests and questions, to help you and your advisor make the most of your appointment time.