New Student Course Registration
Transfer students
As a transfer student you will need your Progress Chart from the Checklist on the Applicant Portal. This will show you what credits have been accepted in transfer and the coursework it fulfills in your degree plan. We also provide you the name of your major department chairperson so you can reach out and schedule an advising appointment. Once you do that, and you know exactly what classes to take you can jump to the bottom of this page and follow the instructions for Registering through Self-Service.
First Year Students (Freshmen)
You will need the FTIC registration information from the Checklist on your Applicant Portal. This document will explain the courses you were placed into for English, Mathematics and Reading. You may have been preregistered into those classes as well as your First year seminar course :GEN101: Pathway to the Bridge.
Read through the placement information provided for you on the portal and schedule an advising appointment with advisor. T contact information was provided on the letter.
Once you’ve got your schedule worked out, review the Registering through Self-Service section below to sign up for your courses. Check on the number of credits – if you have 12- 15 credits, you’re done! If not, don’t worry – go to the Selecting my Courses section, and click on the Selecting my other courses tab for more information.
If you can’t find your placement information or progress chart, contact the Student Success Office and we’ll email you a copy. If you are looking for a major that is different from what is indicated, let us know! We can change your major and make sure you have the right information for your first semester’s registration.
Selecting My Courses
ALL first-year students take an English composition course—the course you take depends on your placement. You eventually have to take either EN111 or EN221, but you may need to take a preparatory course first. A team of writing faculty has determined your level of writing skills by reviewing your SAT or ACT results and your high school transcript. Your assigned writing course is listed on your placement letter.
EN105 Essentials of Academic Writing I. This 3-credit course will help prepare you for success in EN111. It counts for credit towards your degree, but you will still need to take additional coursework (EN106 and EN111) to complete your English composition requirement.
EN106 Essentials of Academic Writing II. This 3-credit course will help prepare you for success in EN111. It counts for credit towards your degree, but you will still need to take additional coursework (EN111) to complete your English composition requirement.
EN111 Academic Writing and Research I. Upon successful completion of this 3-credit course (with a C or better), you will satisfy your English composition requirement.
EN221 Argument Craft and Style. This course is designed for students in the university Honors Program. When you successfully complete this 3-credit course (with a C or better), you will satisfy your English composition requirement.
If you believe your writing placement is inaccurate, you have an option to appeal your placement. Please choose one of the following options for appeal:
- Gather a portfolio of writing from your high school classes this year: three pieces of nonfiction prose writing, such as essays, reports, or research papers. Do not include creative writing. Your papers may be either clean copies or graded ones, in Word or scanned files attached to the e-mail that you’ll send to the director of the GCU Writing Program, Dr. Anthony Brano, with a cover letter explaining how this collection of writing demonstrates your ability to succeed in EN111 Academic Writing and Research I.
- Arrange for a time to come to campus to write an essay on a topic selected by our writing faculty. Please contact Dr. Anthony Brano, director of the GCU Writing Center, at abrano@georgian.edu.
Most students take a math course in their first semester, and many majors specify which course you should take. Your “If your Major is…” flyer will tell you whether to take a math course, and your placement letter will tell you what math course you should take.
Your major may leave the math course choice up to you. If that is the case, please consider all the math course options by reviewing the course descriptions in the catalog. If you believe math is a friendly experience, consider MA103 Making Sense of Data: Statistical Thinking, or MA109 College Algebra. If math is not your friend, consider MA106 Modern Math Concepts II.
If your placement letter indicates SD100 Basic Mathematics, you are required to register for this course in your first semester. For more information, click on the Skills Development section on this Web page.
If you have a 3 or higher on the AP Calculus or AP Statistics exam, or if you have college-level math credits that you took before coming to GCU, you only need to take a math course if your major requires more than one. Contact your advisor if you have questions about this.
If you find courses listed on your placement letter as skills development, you are required to register for them during your first semester. The skills development program is designed for those students who need to strengthen skills to perform successfully and learn effectively in their collegiate coursework. All skills development courses conduct an assessment in the first class of the semester; should you be able to demonstrate competencies in that assessment, the student success team will work with you to change your class schedule.
SD100 Basic Mathematics. This course is designed to prepare you for a college-level math course. It does not count for college credit, but it counts as 3 credits in your semester course load. You’ll be working in a computer lab on self-paced modules that will prepare you to take your official math course next semester.
If you feel this placement is not reflective of your math skills, contact Robert Devlin, Math Lounge Instructor 732 987-2386. We strongly advise that you prepare for the exam to improve your chances of taking the college-level math course you need.
Students who are self-directed and motivated can use this summer to complete some video lessons grouped into the topics. Although the list of videos seems long, each is very short, and many of them will be a review of materials you have learned before. Complete each lesson, moving quickly through the ones that are already familiar and spending more time on the more challenging ones. For modules and refresher options, click here.
SD112 College Reading Skills. This course is designed to help prepare you for success in your college courses. College requires a great deal of reading comprehension, and this course helps you to improve skills and speed to ensure you can maintain the pace of collegiate workload. It does not count as credit toward graduation, but this course counts as 3 credits in your semester course load.
If you feel this placement is not reflective of your reading comprehension skills, contact the Office of Student Success 732-987-2361 to discuss your placement. You will have an opportunity to move out of this course during the first week of classes when you complete a diagnostic assessment in class.
ALL first-year students at GCU take GEN101 Pathway to the Bridge. This course helps you lay down a foundation for success as a GCU student. It is a 2-credit course required in your first semester. You need to register for this course.
The remainder of your schedule will be made of required courses for your major and General Education or elective credits. All majors have courses they prefer you take in the first semester, and your advisor has specific recommendations. In addition, all students will receive a strong foundation in the liberal arts through our General Education Program. Use this list of appropriate first year courses for general education & electives offered this semester.
Take the Online Readiness Survey to assess your preparedness.
Click here for more information about your score and tips to improve.
You can also contact the Student Success Office (732) 987-2361.
I Have College Credits Already
I’m a Student-Athlete
- Make sure you are registered for a MINIMUM of 15 credits (you can go as high as 18). This is a requirement of the Department of Athletics and Recreation because it helps you chart the right course to graduation.
- Make sure your in-season schedule avoids courses between 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. This is the critical time for practices and games. There are a limited number of excusable absences for games, and you can never miss class for a practice.
Talk to your coach and let them know if you have a required course that will impact your athletic performance. You are a student-athlete and, therefore, a student first. Be sure to share your academic goals and concerns with the folks that can help you.
You can also contact the Student Success Office (732) 987-2361.
I’m in the Honors Program
Honors
If you are in the University Honors Program, you should NOT take non-honors sections of the following general education courses in your first semester: Religious Studies, History, Visual and Performing Arts, Literature, or Natural Science (UNLESS these courses are required for your major). These are courses you can take later as honors courses, and if you take them now, you won’t be able to take them later. If you need an additional course for your first semester, you can take social science courses (PS113, Foundations of Psychology, is a good option, because it is an honors course) or electives. If you have questions about courses, please contact Dr. Russ McDonald, University Honors Program Director.
I’ve sent in my acceptance and agreement to be in the Honors Program! What do I register for?
All Honors Program students are required to take EN221 in their first semester. As you move through the program, you will also have the choice to take honors courses that fulfill many of the categories of the General Education Program. After you build your schedule, consider adding the honors sections of PS113 if you have room.
Psychology Scholars Program
If you are participating in the Psychology Scholars Program, you must register for the honors section of PS113 Foundations of Psychology. If you are also in the University Honors Program, you should take both PS113 and EN221.
Registering through Self-Service
Your Self-Service login username and password are the same as your GCU network login username and password. You should have received this information with your registration packet. If you can’t locate that information, follow the instructions below using the information on your placement letter.
Self Service works best with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Registration Process
Important tip: If you would like to change a course, make sure you always leave at least one course on your schedule. If you completely clear your schedule, you will be locked out of your account. If this should happen, call the Registrar at 732-987-2228.
For specific step-by-step guidance on adding courses to your cart and processing the registration, please download or print the instructions here.
I Have More Questions...
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Contact Student Success Office
You can also contact the Student Success Office (732) 987-2315.
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Georgian Court University
900 Lakewood Avenue
Lakewood, New Jersey 08701
Undergraduate
Graduate & Professional Studies