Course Selection & Planning
What classes do I choose?
Freshmen can check out the course registration advice and discuss this with your undergraduate advisor. Sophomores, juniors and seniors should contact their major advisors and undergraduate advisors.
When is my enrollment period?
Each class at Catholic University (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior) has a distinct enrollment period. Once your enrollment period opens, you can officially register for the classes you’ve placed in your shopping cart. For new first-year students, your enrollment period begins in mid-June. You can check your enrollment period information in the student center in Cardinal Station.
Do I need to register for foreign language or math courses?
This depends on your major and school. Review the registration advice or check in with your undergraduate advisor. You can also look at our foreign language placement page and our math placement page. If your major requires precalculus or calculus, you should consider taking one of Catholic University's online precalculus review courses during the summer. Our Math Department strongly recommends them for getting a solid review of precalculus skills to boost your success in courses requiring math proficiency. To find out more about our online summer precalculus review courses, visit this link.
Cardinal Station
What is the shopping cart?
Similar to websites where you can put items in a “shopping cart” before purchasing them, in Cardinal Station you can place the courses you want in your shopping cart before enrolling in them. You will only be able to officially enroll in them when your enrollment period opens. Also note that certain holds on your account can block you from enrolling until you have them removed.
What are holds?
Different people, offices, and departments place holds on your account for various reasons. For instance, Health Services may place a hold on your account if your immunization record is not up-to-date, or your major or undergraduate advisor may place a hold on your account to require a meeting to talk about classes before you enroll. You can check what holds, if any, are on your account in Cardinal Station, and you can find out how to remove a hold by clicking on it.
What is a discussion section?
Instead of meeting in a regular lecture section, some classes will break into smaller group discussions once a week. When you select a class that includes a discussion section, Cardinal Station will often ask you to select the discussion selection after you enroll in the lecture portion of the class. Make sure to review the instructions in section 2 on the Registration Page for more about this.
What is a lab section?
Some classes include a laboratory section. Some lab sections are linked to the lecture course, in which case Cardinal Station will ask you to select the lab of your choice after picking the lecture section. Other lab sections have a different course number than the lecture section, even though they are required components of the lecture. In such cases, you will need to register for the lab separately as if it were another course. Make sure to review the instructions in section 2 on the Registration Page for more about this.
Should I use the wait list on cardinal station?
If a class is full, you can click the “waitlist if full” option when you are placing classes in your shopping cart for enrollment. You will be automatically enrolled in the course if seats open up; however, this will only happen if you have not exceeded your credit limits. For example, a normal course load for Arts and Sciences students is 5 courses. In order for the waitlist function to automatically enroll you in a course, you can be registered for no more than 4 courses. In general, it is a good idea to discuss the waitlist option with your undergraduate advisor.