Scheduling FAQs

• Students typically enroll in 15-17 hours per semester to maintain adequate progress in their degree path.

• For fall and spring semesters, 12 hours is considered full-time.
• For the summer terms, 6 credit hours is considered full-time.
• For undergraduate financial aid purposes, full-time is defined as 12+ credit hours in any major semester including Summer. Students will need to be in 12+ credit hours between the two summer sessions (B & C) to receive full-time student aid. 

• Initially students are eligible to schedule up to 17 hours.  Once all scheduling priorities have opened credit hour limits will be raised to 19 hours. Students can review the semester specific schedule booklet for this date.
• Students on scholastic probation can schedule a maximum of 16 hours in fall or spring semesters.
• Students may schedule up to 7 hours max in each individual summer term (session B and C), and may schedule up to 12 hours total. 

• Students can consult the LSU General Catalog, their degree audit, or meet with an academic counselor to review degree requirements.
• Students with LSU awarded scholarships should review specific scholarship retention requirements at  lsu.edu/scholarshipretention or contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships ([email protected]; 225/578-3103) 

• If the dropped course is a CATS critical course or suggested to be taken in the current semester according to their recommended path, students need to review degree requirements to determine appropriate courses for to schedule for the next semester.
• Learn more about CATS:
  • University College Information Form: Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS)
  • University College Video: What is the Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS) at LSU
  • University College Video: CATS Holds – What are they and how to resolve them
  • Office of the University Registrar Website: CATS
• Students can schedule an appointment with an academic counselor as needed:
  • University College Video: How to Schedule an Advising Appointment (UCFY)

• The ALEKS assessment is a tool used to measure a student's readiness for calculus, testing skills in numeric manipulations, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. It is an adaptive test: later test questions are selected based on responses to earlier questions. The initial placement assessment quickly and accurately determines what a student knows regarding precalculus.
• Students enrolled in Math 1530, 1550, and 1551 must earn an appropriate ALEKS Math to maintain placement in one of the above courses.  For deadlines, scores required, and registration information, visit the ALEKS website.
• The Appropriate ALEKS math score is the only prerequisite for MATH 1530, MATH 1550, and 1551. Prior coursework and MATH ACT scores do not qualify a student to take Math 1530, 1550, or 1551.
• For details on how ALEKS PPL provides another way to get placement or credit in Math 1021, 1022, 1431, 1530, 1550, and 1551, click on our Placement and Credit page.

• ALEKS scores offer a six-month freshness window; an ALEKS PPL score earned during that window will count as the prerequisite for Math 1021, 1022, 1431, 1530, 1550, or 1551 in that semester (and not necessarily in later semesters, even in the case where the student repeats the course).
• Students can schedule Math 1530, 1550, or 1551 only after achieving the required ALEKS PPL score.
• As of October 2021, LSU No longer allows students to provisionally schedule MATH 1530, 1550, or 1551 without achieving the required ALEKS PPL score.

• Continuing, re-entry, and transfer students are eligible to schedule classes via myLSU Schedule Request as long as there are no holds. Please see our “Scheduling via myLSU” information page on the UCFY website. 

• Registration for LSU semesters occurs as follows:
  • Fall: March/April
  • Spring: October/November
  • Summer: October/November 
• Scheduling priorities are determined based on credit hours earned + currently enrolled. Scheduling priorities are released by the Office of the University Registrar via the Schedule Booklet one to two weeks prior to the start of registration for the upcoming semester. Students will receive an email with information about their scheduling priority.
• Scheduling remains open until the final day to add courses based on the academic calendar, but may close temporarily for administrative purposes periodically. Information on these closing dates can be found in the Schedule Booklet for the respective semester. 

• In most situations, students enrolled in the Center for Freshman Year (UCFY) are not required to meet with an academic counselor prior to registering for the upcoming semester. However, certain students may have a hold that will prevent them from registering (see information about holds).
• Students who are not required to meet with an academic counselor can scheduled desired courses on their own via myLSU Schedule Request and make adjustments if needed at a future time. Students can also have an academic counselor review their schedule and suggest changes as needed after initially scheduling courses. 

• Course offerings for each semester are published by the Office of the University Registrar. Students can view course offerings through their myLSU account (Registration Services – Schedule Booklet). Section availability in course offerings is updated once a day. Please refer to our “Course Offerings” tab for more information.

• LSU offers multiple advising tools to assist students with scheduling. Utilize your degree audit, recommended path, and the LSU General Catalog to review courses required for your major. Please refer to our scheduling resources and videos on our website for step-by-step instructions on determining courses to schedule.

• Many courses have prerequisites which must be completed prior to enrollment or co-requisites which must be completed or registered for prior to enrollment. View course prerequisites through the LSU General Catalog’s Course Search. 

• Students cannot be added to full courses by a UCFY academic counselor. Students can join the waitlist for a course or add an available section via the myLSU Schedule Request. Please refer to the Scheduling via myLSU video for more information about waitlisting courses. 

CATS Mid-Semester Assessment occurs prior to course scheduling for the upcoming semester and determines if students are enrolled in the critical courses required for the current semester.  

Students meeting critical requirements at the mid-term assessment will not receive an email notification. 

Students not meeting CATS requirements at the mid-term assessment will receive an email notification from the Office of the University Registrar and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application. A hold is placed on the student’s registration which will prevent them from making any schedule adjustments for the current semester or registering for future semesters. 

University College students will receive supplemental email notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS mid-term hold status and how to resolve this hold. 

CATS End of Semester Assessment occurs after the posting of final grades in a fall or spring semester and determines if students successfully completed courses and earned the required GPA for the current semester according to their major-specific CATS requirements.  

Students meeting all critical requirements at the mid-term assessment will not receive an email notification. 

Students not meeting CATS requirements at the mid-term assessment will receive email notification from the Office of the University Registrar and are directed toward their myLSU desktop and the CATS Status Application. A hold is placed on the student’s account, preventing them from making any schedule adjustments for the current semester or registering for future semesters. 

• Students not meeting minimum academic progress for the first time must connect with an academic counselor to review their hold status and possible routes to meet minimum academic progress in the next semester.
• Student’s not meeting minimum academic progress for two consecutive semesters, must either change majors or appeal to their intended senior college to request to continue in their current major.  If a two times CATS appeal is denied a new major must be selected. Meet with an academic counselor to discuss major options.

University College students will receive supplemental email notification from their respective advising office with further instructions regarding their CATS end of semester hold status and how to resolve this hold.

• University College Video: CATS Holds – What they are, and how to resolve them
• Learn more about CATS on the Office of the University Registrar Website

This hold is in place as LSU records indicate that you have not completed LSU’s Immunization Requirements.  For important information related to LSU’s immunization requirement, visit the Student Health Center website at https://www.lsu.edu/shc/medical-services/immunizations.php.  If you have questions, please contact the Student Health Center at 225-578-6271 or email [email protected].

This hold has been placed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Contact this office at [email protected] to discuss the steps you will need to take to resolve this hold. 

This hold has been placed by the Office of Wellness and Health Promotions.  To resolve this hold you must complete the Vector Solutions Primary Prevention Education Course which contains two modules: AlcoholEdu for College and Sexual Assault Prevention. You must complete both modules with a passing score of 83% or higher to meet the requirement.  

Please visit www.lsu.edu/shc/vector for the link to access the site.  You will then be directed to the myLSU portal. Log in using your myLSU ID and password and you will be taken directly to the Vector Solutions site for students.

Failure to complete this requirement will result in an inability to schedule courses for the upcoming semester or modify your current schedule.  There is no need to submit your completion certificate to the Office of Wellness and Health Promotions; it will be transmitted electronically. However, you may want to keep a copy for your records.

For important information related to the Vector Solutions Primary Prevention Education Course requirement, including log-in instructions, visit the Student Health Center website at www.lsu.edu/shc/vector.  If you have difficulty accessing the site, please call the Office of Wellness and Health Promotions at 225-578-5718.

This hold has been placed by the Office of Residential Life. You will need to contact Residential Life at [email protected] to discuss the steps required to resolve this hold.

This hold is in place as LSU does not have a record of your registration with the Selective Service. Contact the Office of the University Registrar at [email protected] to discuss the steps required to take to resolve this hold. 

This hold has been placed by the Dean of Students – Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability. You will need to contact this office at [email protected] to discuss the steps required to resolve this hold. 

• Agriculture: Students majoring in NREM or TAM must see faculty advisors of their major department prior to scheduling courses.
• Coast & Environment: Students pursuing CES majors must see an advisor in the college of the Coast & the Environment prior to scheduling courses.
• Humanities & Social Sciences: Students majoring in FREN or SPAN must see faculty advisors of their major department prior to scheduling courses. PHIL majors are encouraged (but not required) to see an advisor in their major department before scheduling.
• Music & Dramatic Arts: All MDA majors must see an advisor in their college prior to scheduling courses.
  Science: Students majoring in MATH or GEOLP must see faculty advisors of their major department prior to scheduling courses.