Preparing for Course Registration

All students who are still completing the major’s basic program, students with a GPA below 2.5, university athletes, and students in their first semester assigned to a Faculty Advisor must meet with their advisor before they can register for upcoming courses.

It’s during or after BSCI Advising has been completed that a Registration Block for the Biological Sciences Program is removed from the student’s account, allowing them to register for courses during their University-assigned Registration Appointment.

Terps who do not meet these criteria may not be required to meet with their Academic Advisor, but are encouraged to do so.

Students should refer to their Academic Advisor to confirm.

ToolKit for Course Registration

Expectations for BSCI Advising & ADVISED COURSES

Students will be delivered a list of Advised Courses that they’re expected to register for after BSCI Advising is complete.

This list accounts for an appropriately balanced course load, registration that follows the BSCI Curriculum and University academic policy, and timely completion of LEP-Benchmark Courses—which are needed to remain and continue making progress in the BSCI Major.

Students are not advised to postpone any major courses without discussing the implications of said action with their BSCI Advisor.

Read your Advising Note(s)

Students are advised to refer to the Advising Note(s) that they are delivered after BSCI Advising—found in TerpEngage and TerpMail—whenever they register for their courses in Testudo. This is to minimize any confusion about their advised courses or topics previously discussed with their BSCI Advisor.

Terps are advised to email their Assigned Advisor to clarify any information that was included in their official Advising Note OR if an official Advising Note cannot be found in TerpEngage or TerpMail.

Expectations for Waitlisting & limited seats

ToolKit for Waitlisting / holdfile

BSCI Advisors DO NOT schedule or add students into closed or “preferred” course sections.

Once your advised courses have been delivered by your BSCI Advisor, the expectation is to register for any open and available course sections on Testudo.

If a major course you were advised has its sections fill up (no more seats), then you’re instructed to add yourself to any available Waitlists once they’ve been opened by the appropriate Academic Department—check Testudo periodically if a waitlist has yet to open.

Individual Advisors do not administer course waitlists.

If you have questions about when a waitlist will open or a seat that’s needed for a course you were advised to take, then you’re instructed to email the Academic Department that administers said course for next steps.

For any registration/waitlist challenges through the Schedule Adjustment Period, contact the Academic Departments listed below, as indicated by COURSE CODE.

Academic Departments to Contact

—about limited seats and any waitlist questions:

BSCIXXX Courses

bscique@umd.edu; Central Office for Biological Sciences

CHEMXXX / BCHMXXX courses

chem-uso@umd.edu; CHEM Advising & Registration Team

MATHXXX courses

jwickham@umd.edu; Administrative Coordinator (Course Scheduling)

PHYSXXX courses

ugrad@physics.umd.edu; PHYS Advising Team

IF a Department cannot make a seat available for a course you were advised:

—Forward any exchanges you had with the academic department about seat/waitlist availability to your Assigned Advisor by email so your advisor can help troubleshoot and/or see about other registration options.