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Registration

  •  

    Getting started


    Each term, BSC holds two important registration events:

    1. In registration, you build your schedule of classes for the term and then register for them, essentially reserving a place in each class. Registration is done through Self-Service in the term before the term before which you are registering.
      • Each fall, students register for Exploration Term and the following spring term
      • Each spring, students register for the following fall term and summer, if appropriate
      • The Records Office assigns you a registration time based on your class standing and the number of cultural events you have attended. Your individual registration time will be emailed to you in advance.
    2. During the Enrollment Confirmation period before classes, students must confirm their schedule.

    Click here to see current registration dates.

    You may change your schedule after registration, but there is a fee for courses added or dropped after the first week of class. Click here and choose the current Academic Calendar to see add/drop dates.

    You will need access to the Self-Service database to search for available courses, review class schedules and transcripts, register for classes, and receive grades. To log in, use your BSC email account and password.  If you have technical problems, contact the IT Help Desk at [email protected] or x3033.

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    Planning for registration


    Students develop their own course schedules for each term in consultation with their advisors. Two objectives of college are to enhance and broaden your interests. While your interests should guide the development of your schedule, pay careful attention to the Explorations Curriculum requirements, major and/or minor requirements, and any special programs, such as study abroad or honors, in which you wish to be involved. Your advisor will have specific recommendations for you, and your individual needs will depend on your preferences, plans, and long-term goals.

    There are many questions to consider each time you register, but these will get you started:

    • Are you fulfilling Explorations Curriculum learning outcomes requirements? Keep in mind that you need not complete all the Explorations requirements in your first and second year.
    • Which courses in your major or minor are offered only periodically and which are offered regularly?
    • Have you taken important prerequisites for your major or minor? In some majors, it is important to take some courses early so that you are qualified to take other required courses later.
    • Are you taking a variety of courses from different disciplines? The liberal arts philosophy encourages breadth. Be sure to provide yourself with an interesting variety.
    • Will you be able to schedule work and study time around your class schedule?

    Before you register, you should:

    • Review Explorations Curriculum requirements and major or minor requirements in the Catalog.
    • Obtain a copy of the class schedule and a registration form. The schedules and forms are available in the Records Office in the Student Services building and at the Records Web site.
    • Check course availability and enrollment through Self-Service.
    • Develop your own tentative schedule to discuss with your advisor.
    • Finally, make an appointment to discuss your plan with your advisor, who must approve your classes.
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    Forms and Instructions

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    Alternative Types of Credit


    Besides units earned at the College, students can sometimes apply alternative types of credit toward their graduation requirements. These credits may be for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) work in high school, credits earned at other accredited colleges prior to matriculation at BSC (transfer credits), or credits earned at another accredited college while already a Birmingham-Southern student (transient credits). Students may earn BSC credit by taking courses through the Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education (BACHE).

    Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

    Students may receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) work completed in high school. Detailed information is available in the College catalog under Academic Policy and Information, Transfer Credit.

    Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education (BACHE)

    BACHE is a consortium comprised of the four-year colleges and universities in the Birmingham area: Birmingham-Southern, Miles College, Samford University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Montevallo.

    BSC students may take undergraduate courses at other BACHE campuses at no additional charge, and may also access the resources of all the member libraries.

    In order to enroll in courses, students must be full-time students in good academic standing, and have prior approval.

    BSC students who wish to take courses at member institutions during the summer term typically apply as transient students at those institutions, rather than through the BACHE program. For information about transient credits, visit the transient information section below.

    Further information can be found at the BACHE home page, at BSC's BACHE page, and in the College catalog under Courses of Study, Cooperative Programs.

    Contact the College's BACHE coordinator, Assistant Provost Martha Ann Stevenson ([email protected]).

    Transfer Credit

    A student admitted as a transfer may receive credit for courses completed at another accredited institution that are related to courses offered at Birmingham-Southern College. Developmental, orientation, vocational, and correspondence courses are not transferable. A Birmingham‑Southern College course equivalent designation (or "000" for non‑equivalent courses) is listed on the transcript. Students should consult the catalog for details on unit credits awarded for transferred semester- or quarter-hours.

    If official transcripts from other institutions were included with the student's application materials, transfer units should appear on the student's BSC transcript. If you are unsure if your credits from other institutions will transfer, contact Kim Lewis ([email protected]) or the Records Office.

    Further information concerning transfer students is available in the College catalog under Admissions, Entrance Requirements.

    Transient Students and Transient Credit

    What is a transient student?

    A transient student is a currently enrolled BSC student who wants to take courses at another institution to transfer back to BSC in order to fulfill educational requirements. Credit for these courses is referred to as transient credit.

    Or

    A transient student is a student currently attending another institution and wanting to take a course at BSC to transfer back to that home institution.

    What do you do if you are a transient student?

    Regularly enrolled BSC students may not take courses at other institutions, either in residence or through extension, without the written consent of the Provost. Consent forms are available in the Records Office. Students who have completed more than 16 units may not take courses at a junior or community college.

    A BSC student who wishes to take a course at another BACHE institution during the regular fall or spring term should enroll in the course through the BACHE program, not as a transient student.  However, a BSC student who wishes to take a course at a BACHE institution during the summer term typically applies as a transient student at that institution.

    Students currently enrolled at other institutions who wish to be admitted to Birmingham-Southern College as transient students should seek information from the BSC Admission Office.