Course Registration Restrictions

Course Registration Restrictions are ways for you to understand if you can take a particular course. They also prevent you from enrolling in courses you have not met the prerequisites for. There are several reasons you may be restricted from registering in a specific course, and each reason is outlined below.

Many courses are restricted by prerequisites, so please check whether you are eligible for the course prior to registering. my.SDSU will indicate you have successfully registered for a course by a green checkmark in your course schedule in the Manage Classes tile in my.SDSU.

SDSU students are not allowed to enroll in courses with any time conflicts. Neither consent of the instructor nor the consent of the department can override this policy. Similarly, students cannot enroll in more than one section of a course that does not allow multiple course section enrollment.

Examples

time conflict error mesaage multiple enrollment error mesaage

Students must satisfy course prerequisites listed in the current University Catalog (or their equivalent) prior to beginning a course, regardless of whether or not it is in their major/minor.

Course prerequisites can be enforced by:

  • my.SDSU (at the time of registration)
  • The department
  • The course instructor

Students with questions on course prerequisites should consult the University Catalog or the appropriate department chair.

Examples

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During initial registration for fall or spring terms, undergraduate students can enroll in a maximum of 18 units. One week before the start of each semester, the credit limit will be raised to 21 credits.

Students can enroll in a maximum of 18 units during the summer term, with no more than 9 units in each six-week summer session (S1 and S2) or 18 units in the thirteen-week session (T1).

All undergraduates wishing to exceed the aforementioned credit limits will be required to have the approval of the academic department of their first major, a delegated advisor, assistant dean, or department designee.

Example

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Course contingent enrollment is when one course in a given semester has requirements that must be met before the student can register for a course in the subsequent semester. If the requirements for those contingencies are not met, then the course will be dropped from the student's schedule.

Examples

You may have enrolled for fall classes with the course requirements in progress in the spring. If your fall classes have an enforced requirement that you have not met, your enrollment for fall is contingent in that course. Once the current term is completed, registration will close and all contingencies on student schedules will be checked for completion.

A student is required to pass organic chemistry in the fall semester to take the second semester of organic chemistry in the spring semester.

Note: Coursework being completed at another university will not be factored into this process if it is not evaluated and posted to a student's record by the time the review process takes place. Only work completed and posted to your degree at the time of the review process will be used to determine completion of requirements and clear your contingencies.

Example of a student enrolled in RWS 100 in Fall 2022. They also have contingent enrollment in RWS 200 for Spring 2023. Enrollment in a course with the prerequisite in progress will be successful, without a contingency message.

contingent enrollment mesaage contingent enrollment confirmation mesaage

Note: Students will continue to be dropped after the end of the semester from future courses where the prerequisite was not met and where the prerequisite is enforced.