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Registering for Classes at Illinois State University

Last modified 1/30/2024

As a student, you can register for classes on My.IllinoisState.edu. Read below on how to register for courses, and what criteria you will need to meet before being able to register for classes.

Before You Begin Registering for Courses

First, you should make sure that you have finished your obligations on your To-Do list, as well as clearing any holds you may have. You will not be able to register for classes until you finish your To-Do list and clear your holds. The most common items on a student's To-Do list is to complete FAFSA and other financial obligations. To learn more about your To-Do list and managing your holds, please refer to the articles below:

How to View To-Do List items in My.IllinoisState.edu

How to View Holds in My.IllinoisState.edu

Please also note that you cannot register for classes until your assigned registration date and time. Your registration date and time is known as an enrollment appointment. For more information about enrollment appointments refer to the following article:

How to View Your Enrollment Date in My.IllinoisState.edu

Class Registration Process

To register for classes in the Student Center, do the following:

  1. Log in to My.IllinoisState.edu.
  2. Click the Academics tab.
  3. Scroll down to the Registration Times section and click Register Now.
  4. You will be directed to the Course Registration Portal. To register for classes, you can either use the search field on the front page, or you can click Class Search and Enroll.
  5. After you have found the course you need, continue by clicking the course until you are taken to the class section review. Follow along with the prompts by clicking Next.

After confirming your choice, you will be registered for the course.

Warning

If you are unable to register for the course and the system will not let you continue, you may have outstanding holds on your account that you need to address, you are not currently term activated, or there may be specific approvals by the department that must be made. Refer to the information linked above or contact your advisor for assistance.  



Tips for Searching for Courses

There are multiple ways to search for courses in the Course Registration Portal. You can search by keyword, course number, and more.

  • Enter Exact Course Number: If you know the class number of the class you want to register for, enter the course number in the search field and you should see the results.
  • Search for Course by Keyword: If you do not know the class number, you can search for courses by keyword. For instance, you can search ?Philosophy? and a list of all Philosophy classes should populate.
  • Search By Academic Requirements: If you are unsure of what classes you may need, you can click the My Academic Requirements button on the left-hand menu. This shows you all of the courses that is required by your major. This is an easy and convenient way to search for required courses if you do not remember what they are.

Note

If you are trying to enroll in a term where the Registration has ended, you will need to follow one of the following procedures:

  • Request to be enrolled in the course, in-person, in 107 Moulton
  • Email the Registrar at Registrar@IllinoisState.edu, from your @ilstu.edu email account, and include the course name and number
  • Contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance, 309-438-2188

Video Demonstration

Click the following link to view a video that will walk through the course registration process, along with helpful tips on searching, filtering, and using your shopping cart: Register for Classes at Illinois State University

Additional Video Resources

The following are links to other videos that demonstrate other course registration features: 

How to Get Help


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