How to Use This Page
Use this page to troubleshoot registration problems. Select a topic from the left navigation links or use the keyboard "Find" feature (hold down the "Control" and "F" keys and enter the word or phrase you want to find). See the Registration Frequently Asked Questions page for practical questions and answers.
When you apply to Cal State Northridge, you receive a student account, CSUN user name, password, and e-mail address. These are your keys to online student services from admission through degree completion. When you activate your account, you’ll be able to view your student information and important University e-mail, register for classes, check your financials, and more.
For more information, see:
Account Activation Instructions
What is the SOLAR Student Center?
The Schedule of Class is the online listing of courses offered at CSUN each academic term. To help you plan to complete your degree objective, schedules are published well in advance of the term start dates.
To view the Schedule of Classes, use SOLAR Class Search.
Learn more with the tutorial Class Search.
Before enrolling in a class and to avoid problems, make sure you've met the course requisites--the requirements that must be satisfied in order to enroll in a class. Requisites are often related courses but can also be conditions including class level, a specific exam score, a specified passing grade, etc.
Requisites are stated in the university catalog course descriptions. To view them online, go to SOLAR Class Search, select the term, look up the course and class section, and click the Detail link. The requisites, if any, will display in the “Course Information” and “Notes” boxes.
Four kinds of course requisites are explained below.
A prerequisite must be completed or met before enrolling in a course. Except for the following courses in Mathematics, CSUN courses in which students are currently enrolled (i.e., work in progress) at the time of registration will satisfy prerequisite requirements. Work-In-Progress does NOT meet prerequisites for: MATH 102, 103, 104, 105, 131, 140, 150A, 150B, 210, 250, 255A, 255B, 262, 280, 310. Transfer work in progress at another institution will not satisfy prerequisite requirements.
A corequisite requires concurrent enrollment in another associated course (usually a lecture or graded lab). SOLAR will prompt you to add all corequisite courses before finishing your enrollment request. Be sure to check Class Notes to see if concurrent enrollment in a specific class section number is required.
A multiple component course is a graded lecture class that has a required, non-graded, zero-unit lab or discussion (usually applies to selected Chemistry classes only). No matter which component you enroll in first, SOLAR will prompt you to enroll in the corresponding lecture, lab and/or discussion classes also. See the tutorial Add Component Classes.
A preparatory course or condition is recommended to be completed or met prior to enrollment in another course. Consult the academic department for more information.
For more information, see:
If an undergraduate student repeats enrollment in a course beyond its published maximum “for-credit” limitations (see current university catalog), units earned will not be counted toward the baccalaureate degree. The units attempted and any grade points, however, will be averaged with the student’s other grades. Check with an advisor before re-enrolling in a course. On the third or subsequent enrollment in a course, it is necessary to obtain permission of the associate dean of the college in which the course is offered.
For more information, see:
Permission numbers allow registration in specific classes that students would not otherwise be able to enroll in. Permissions are issued to students by departments and instructors in two common situations:
- To enroll in restricted classes before classes begin
- To enroll in all classes after classes begin
Permission numbers must be used no later than the third Friday of instruction for the fall and spring semesters; they will expire after that. For specific dates, see Change in Academic Schedule after Start of Classes.
For more information, see:
Tutorial - Add a Class Using a Permission Number
New: Registration in repeated courses is permitted only after instruction for a term or semester begins, during the Late Registration/Schedule Adjustment period. For specific dates, see Semester Calendars.
Repeat policies and unit limits differ for undergraduate and graduate students.
Undergraduate Students: The university recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. However, students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course.
A maximum of 15 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework in which a student earned a C- or lower grade may be repeated for the purpose of excluding grades (or grade forgiveness) from the computation of a student’s overall GPA. Only the first 15 semester units repeated are eligible for grade forgiveness. All subsequent repeats will be averaged into the student’s total GPA. For more information, see the university catalog Undergraduate Policies and Procedures > Repeat Policy.
Graduate Students: With prior permission of the Graduate Coordinator and/or Department Chair and Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies, a graduate student may repeat, for the purpose of improving the grade, up to 6 units of credit in which a grade B- or below, or a grade of U, was achieved. In these cases only the most recent grade will count. Students must submit a course repeat form by the third week of the semester in which the course is being repeated and show proof of enrollment at that time. The Course Repeat Form for Graduate Students is available in the Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs Office, University Hall 265, (818) 677-2138.
Restricted classes are usually limited to certain groups of students such as freshmen, majors, credential candidates, and PACE. Review the Notes section in SOLAR Class Search to see if a class is restricted. If so, Class Search will display the words "Department/Instructor Consent Required."
You must use a Permission Number to enroll in a restricted class at all times. Before classes begin for the term, obtain permission from the academic department offering the course. After classes begin, contact the instructor.
See the tutorial Add a Class Using a Permission Number.
It is the policy of CSUN that no student shall be permitted to enroll simultaneously in any two or more classes whose scheduled times overlap even by one minute. Students are advised to enroll in an alternate section that does not conflict with their current schedule.
Exceptions to this policy will be permitted ONLY IF one of the classes does not meet on a regular basis, such as an independent study, internship or lab class that permits independent lab work. Students who meet the acceptable criteria must submit a completed Time Conflict Enrollment Petition to Admissions and Records, Bayramian Hall 100, no later than 4 pm on the Friday of the third week of classes.
No Time Conflict Enrollment Petition will be accepted without the signatures of the instructor and department chair for each class. An approved Extra Unit Authorization form must accompany the petition if enrollment in the class will result in more than 19 units (undergraduate students).