Registration

What is the SOLAR Student Center?

The SOLAR Student Center is your one-stop shop to view and manage your academic, financial and personal information. Use the SOLAR Student Center to:

• add and drop classes
• pay fees and charges
• check financial aid status
• view and print class schedule
• view grades and print an unofficial transcript
• plan classes for future terms with My Academic Planner (MAP)
• and more

For access to the SOLAR Student Center, log into myNorthridge at www.csun.edu with your CSUN user ID and password. In the My Path to Graduation box, click Student Center (SOLAR).

SOLAR Self-Service Registration

CSUN students register in classes by logging into the myNorthridge Portal at www.csun.edu for access to the Student Center (SOLAR).

To preview SOLAR self-service features, see the How To Guides for Students. No login is required.

Activate Your CSUN User ID and Password

If you are a CSUN matriculated student (i.e., admitted to CSUN) who has never logged into myNorthridge, you need to activate your account. Follow these steps:

1. Locate the “Activate CSUN User ID and Password” letter sent to you by the Office of Admissions and Records.
2. From www.csun.edu, enter your CSUN user ID and initial password in the myNorthridge login area. Note: Please use Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 or higher, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape or Safari*. Other Web browsers such as AOL or Internet Explorer for Mac are not fully compatible with myNorthridge.
   
   *For a list of compatible browsers and versions, see SOLAR Web Browser Certifications.
3. Read and accept the campus Information Technology (IT) policy that displays. You must agree to the policy to continue.
4. Follow the instructions to set up your password, your authentication question(s) and answer(s), and any other information you are prompted to enter.
5. The subsequent page(s) will confirm your account information.

Congratulations! You can now access myNorthridge and the SOLAR Student Center. Remember your CSUN user ID, password and e-mail address. Never share your password with anyone.

For help with account activation, visit the Information Technology (IT) Help Desk Web site.

Registration Appointment

CSUN students are assigned a time to register for the fall and spring semesters. For summer terms, students self-appoint a time to register. Regardless of the academic term or semester, the following points are true of your registration appointment:

• You will not have access to registration on SOLAR prior to your appointment time
• Your registration appointment is not negotiable.
• Your registration appointment displays in the SOLAR Student Center >Academics (section) >Enrollment Appointments (link).
• After your appointment has arrived, you may use the SOLAR Enroll in a Class pages as often as you like within the registration period dates.

Fall and Spring Semesters

As a CSUN student in the fall and spring semesters, you will receive a designated registration appointment date and time based on the number of units you have completed at the time the Registration Access Mailer is produced. Your appointment is not negotiable.

Approximately 2 to 4 weeks before the fall or spring registration period begins, all students who are eligible to enroll in the upcoming semester are sent a Registration Access Mailer. It contains:

• Your priority enrollment appointment for the Registration-by-Appointment period
• Your name and nine-digit CSUN ID
• Your residency status for fee purposes and information on how and when to pay fees and tuition
• Your major, minor and class year (at the time the mailer was produced)
• A list of Academic Advising Centers and EOP Satellites

Review your Registration Access Mailer carefully. Report any discrepancies in person or in writing to the Office of Admissions and Records (Registrar). Changes or corrections to the mailer will not affect your appointment day or time. Failure to receive this information in the mail does NOT relieve you of the responsibility for meeting deadlines.

Summer Term Self-Appointment

For summer terms, CSUN students self-appoint a time to register on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are a regular CSUN student (admitted to CSUN), you may obtain your summer registration appointment by logging into the SOLAR Student Center beginning late March 2009. More information will be published on the Schedule of Classes website in early March.

Set an Online Appointment

If you are a regular CSUN student, the SOLAR Student Center will automatically issue you the next available registration appointment when you take these steps:

1. Log into myNorthridge at www.csun.edu with your CSUN user ID and password.
2. Under My Path to Graduation, select Student Center (SOLAR).
3. In the Student Center (SOLAR) under Academics, click the Summer Appt/Enrollment link. If you are eligible for the regular term, your appointment will display.

Summer Open University students should enroll through The Tseng College.

Registration Holds

Registration holds prevent students from enrolling. Before registering on SOLAR, clear all holds. Students with advisement holds must contact their academic advisor in the Student Services Center/EOP Satellite Office for the college of their major. Undecided majors must contact the Advising Resource Center (ARC)/EOP. Students with financial holds must immediately pay their account balance in full to be eligible to register.

To view holds: Log into myNorthridge at www.csun.edu. In the box My Path to Graduation, click Student Center (SOLAR). Hold messages display in a box on the Student Center page. Click the Details link for instructions.

Registration Periods

Each academic term has three registration periods:

• Registration-by-Appointment Period – By appointment only, eligible students may access SOLAR to add, drop, or swap classes; change the grading basis of a class; and confirm their schedule. Registration in repeated courses is not permitted.
• Nonrestrictive Registration Period – Students may access SOLAR to add, drop and swap classes; change the grading basis of a class; and review or confirm schedule. No appointment is necessary. Note: Registration in repeated courses is not permitted.
• Late Registration/Schedule Adjustment Period – Late Registration and Schedule Adjustment begins with the first day of classes. SOLAR is available for adding and swapping classes with permission numbers only, dropping classes and changing the basis of grading. Registration in repeated courses is permitted with a permission number. To learn more, go to Add and Drop Classes.

To view Registration Periods and other dates by semester, go to Calendars

To view the Fee Payment Schedule, go to Money Matters

Top 10 Registration Tips

1. Activate your CSUN User ID and Password. Each student needs a CSUN user ID and password to log into myNorthridge and the SOLAR Student Center to enroll in classes, pay fees, and view or update student information. For account activation instructions, see SOLAR Registration.
2. Check your CSUN e-mail regularly for important notices about your registration and other student affairs. All students receive a CSUN e-mail box when they apply for admission.
3. Clear holds that may prevent you from enrolling in classes. SOLAR will block your enrollment unless all registration holds have been cleared.
4. Get advised before registration! Meet with an academic advisor in the college of your major to develop a list of classes. Undecided majors should go to ARC/EOP.
5. Prepare a worksheet of possible schedules in advance. Be flexible. Plan alternate class schedules in case your first choices are closed or cancelled. To find other sections of the same class, use SOLAR Class Search. Using Internet Explorer browser version 6.0 or higher*, log into myNorthridge at www.csun.edu with your CSUN user ID and password. In the My Path to Graduation box, click Class Search.
   
   *For a list of compatible browsers and versions, see SOLAR Web Browser Certifications.
6. Familiarize yourself with important calendar dates. Mark your calendar with your enrollment appointment, the registration periods, fee payment deadlines and other dates important to you.
7. Read the current university catalog (or use Class Search) for course requisites, such as prerequisites that must be satisfied before you can register in some classes. The catalog also explains your GE plan and academic policies related to enrollment. Read the Schedule of Classes registration guide for updates to enrollment rules and regulations, registration instructions, and more.
8. Obtain permission for restricted classes. Get a permission number from the instructor or department before attempting to enroll in a course that requires consent (restricted).
9. Plan your enrollment within the allowable number of units. Undergraduate students in good academic standing may enroll in 19 units or fewer during Registration-by-Appointment. Graduate and credential students in good standing may enroll in 15 or fewer units. To exceed maximum loads, students must complete an Extra Unit Authorization form and secure the signature of the department chair of their major at the beginning of the Nonrestrictive Registration period. Students must return the approved Extra Unit Authorization form to Admissions and Records, where the extra units will be added in SOLAR.
10. Review and prepare to meet your financial obligations. View Money Matters. Learn more with the tutorial View My Student Account Information.