How to Register for Classes | A Step by Step Guide

Comprehensive Guide to Registration

 Important Registration Dates

         

  • April 6 - 17, 2026: Online registration for continuing students for Fall 2026 classes
  • June 22 - 26, 2026. Online registration for first year and transfer students for Fall 2026 classes

You will register for classes on the connect.ucmerced.edu platform. You will choose courses based on your major, previous course-work (college, AP, IB), and placement exam scores.  

This website provides how-to resources for navigating the online registration system, and alert you to other requirements to ensure you are prepared for registration. More information about how to choose classes can be found here:

You can check your registration appointment under MyRegistrationTime, Prepare for Registration on the portal. Generally, registration remains open for schedule changes 24 hours a day and 7 days a week after your priority registration appointment time.

On this page:

 

 

When Can I Register for Classes?

You will register for classes on the UC Merced Connect Platform, based on your predetermined appointment time.

Click on the “My Registration” icon and then select "Prepare for Registration". 

More dates & deadlines:

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Video: How to Register for Your Classes

 

 

Step 1: Building a Class Schedule

  1. Determine which courses to take. In general, courses should be taken in sequence. For example, if you are currently taking CHEM 2, you should take CHEM 10 the following semester. 
  2. Consult the Schedule of Courses at http://registrar.ucmerced.edu/go/schedule to ensure that the courses you want to take will be offered.
  3. Begin constructing your schedule. Note the following:
    • Most courses have multiple components, such as lecture, discussion, and/or lab. Be sure to include all of the required components. These are considered “Linked” sections. You can view all required components by selecting the “View Linked” icon within the course schedule. 
    • Select lecture times first, then discussions and/or labs for each course.
    • Record the 5-digit CRN for each component of each course.

See screenshots below:

A screenshot of a university course registration system shows a “Register for Classes” page with search results for courses in Computer Science and Engineering for Fall Semester 2023. A table lists multiple sections with columns such as CRN, subject, course, section, title, hours, instructor, meeting times, and status. Some course titles and section numbers are highlighted, and several sections are marked as “FULL” or “LINKED.” Below, a weekly schedule grid displays selected classes by day and time, and a summary panel on the right shows registered courses with details such as course name, hours, CRN, and registration status.

Screenshot: Most courses have multiple components, such as lecture (LECT) and discussion (DISC). The "Schedule" Grid tab includes class meetings and final exam periods in the same calendar view with no distinction of date ranges. See the Schedule Details tab for date range distinctions.

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Step 2: Registering for Classes

  1. Log on to the UC Merced Connect Platform and click on My Registration Icon.
    A horizontal navigation section labeled “FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS” displays a row of six icons with text labels beneath each. The options shown are “My Checklist,” “My Financial Aid,” “My Housing,” “My Registration,” “Course Schedule,” and “My Bill.” The “My Registration” option, represented by a magnifying glass icon, is highlighted with a red box.
    Screenshot: Log on to https://connect.ucmerced.edu/student/mymerced/_/mymerced, then select the my Registration Icon.
  2. To register for courses, select Register for Classes.

    A webpage section titled “What would you like to do?” displays several options for managing registration tasks. The options include “Prepare for Registration,” “Register for Classes,” “Search Class Schedule,” and “View Registration Information,” each with a brief description. The “Register for Classes” option, which includes a calendar icon and text about searching and managing classes, is highlighted with a red box.
    Screenshot: Select Register/Add Drop Classes

  3. Select the appropriate term. There are three areas included on this screen: 1) Find Classes (or Enter CRNs), 2) Summary, and 3) Schedule. Under Find Classes, you can search for courses you want to register for or you can use the Enter CRN tab to enter the CRNs directly. The Summary area will provide a summary where you will take action to add, drop, or remove a course. Within the Schedule area, you can view your week at a glance for all registered courses.

    A “Select a Term” page shows a dropdown menu labeled “Terms Open for Registration,” with “Fall Semester 2023” selected. The dropdown area is highlighted with a red box. A “Continue” button appears below.A “Find Classes” page displays a form titled “Enter Your Search Criteria” for Fall Semester 2023. The form includes fields for Subject, Course Number, Part of Term, and GE Requirements, along with a checkbox labeled “Open Sections Only.” Buttons for “Search,” “Clear,” and a link for “Advanced Search” appear at the bottom. Tabs at the top show options for “Find Classes,” “Enter CRNs,” and “Schedule and Options.”A course registration page for Fall Semester 2023 displays the “Enter CRNs” tab selected at the top, highlighted with a red box. Below, a section titled “Enter Course Reference Numbers (CRNs) to Register” includes a text field for entering a CRN, a link to add another CRN, and a button labeled “Add to Summary.” Further down, a schedule area is shown with tabs for “Schedule” and “Schedule Details,” with the “Schedule” tab highlighted. A weekly calendar grid displays registered classes by day and time, with colored blocks representing different courses. 

    Screenshot: You must input all associated CRNs (lecture, discussion and/or lab) for a course at the same time. The "Schedule" Grid tab includes class meetings and final exam periods in the same calendar view with no distinction of date ranges. See the Schedule Details tab for date range distinctions.
  4. Don't forget to click submit and verify that you successfully registered for each course. If you have successfully registered for a course, "Registered" will be displayed in the Status column.

    A “Summary” section of a course registration page displays a table of selected classes. Columns include Title, Details, Hours, CRN, Schedule Type, Status, and Action. The “Summary” label and the “Status” column header are highlighted with red boxes. Rows show different courses with statuses such as “Pending” and “Registered,” along with options in the Action column.

    Screenshot: If you have successfully registered for a course, "Registered" will be displayed in the Status column.

  5. If you encounter errors, pay close attention to the top right corner. More information about common errors can be found here: https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/registration-help-page/registering-classes/registration-errors

    A “Register for Classes” page displays search results for courses in Biological Sciences for Fall Semester 2023. Several course sections are listed with details such as CRN, title, instructor, meeting times, and status. Multiple sections are marked “FULL” and flagged with “Time Conflict.” On the right side, a panel of error messages highlighted in red explains issues such as time conflicts between specific CRNs and a course being closed with a waitlist requirement. Red arrows point to these error messages. Below, a weekly schedule grid shows selected classes by day and time, and a summary table lists courses with statuses including “Errors Preventing Registration” and “Registered.”

    Screenshot: Registration errors will appear in the top right corner. The "Schedule" Grid tab includes class meetings and final exam periods in the same calendar view with no distinction of date ranges. See the Schedule Details tab for date range distinctions.

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Step 3: Viewing Your Class Schedule

  1. After successfully registering for your classes without any holds or errors you can see an overview of your schedule. Select Registration at the top of the screen. 

    A webpage header for the University of California, Merced displays a navigation breadcrumb trail with links reading “Student,” “Registration,” “Select a Term,” and “Register for Classes.” The “Registration” link is highlighted with a red box. Below, the page title “Register for Classes” appears above tabs for “Find Classes,” “Enter CRNs,” and “Schedule and Options.”

    Screenshot: Click on Select a Term to see detailed information about your classes.

     

  2. In the View Registration Information, you can select a term to see detailed information about your classes, including the days, times, locations, instructors and more. 

    A webpage section titled “What would you like to do?” displays several registration-related options. These include “Prepare for Registration,” “Register for Classes,” “Search Class Schedule,” and “View Registration Information,” each with a brief description and icon. The “View Registration Information” option, which includes a folder icon and text about viewing past schedules and ungraded classes, is highlighted with a red box.A “View Registration Information” page displays a class schedule table for a selected term (Fall Semester 2022). Tabs labeled “Look up a Schedule” and “Active Registrations” appear at the top and are highlighted. The table lists courses with columns such as Title, Details, Hours, CRN, Schedule Type, Grade Mode, Level, Part of Term, Date, Status, and Message. Multiple rows show registered courses, and a summary line at the bottom indicates total registered hours and related details.A “View Registration Information” page displays a class schedule for Fall Semester 2022. The “Schedule Details” tab is highlighted with a red box. Below, expanded course entries show detailed information for each class, including course title, section, class begin and end dates, meeting days and times, instructor, location, and CRN. Red arrows point to the “Class Begin” and “Class End” dates within each course listing.
    Screenshot: View of Summary.

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Troubleshooting: Common Registration Errors

More information about common linking errors can be found here: https://registrar.ucmerced.edu/registration-help-page/registering-classes/registration-errors 

Linking Error

You may get a "Linked Course Required" error if you have not enrolled for all parts of a course. For example, a course lecture (LECT) may be linked to a corresponding lab (LAB) and discussion (DISC). You must enroll in all components of a course at the same time.

 

Tips to avoid this error:

  1. You must enroll in all parts of the class (lecture, discussion, lab, etc.)
  2. For each lecture, there are a list of discussions that you can enroll in, choose one discussion section that is open. Choose view linked to view linked sections. Here is an example: 

    A course search results table shows two related sections of an Introductory Physics course. One row lists a lecture, and another lists a corresponding discussion or lab section labeled with a “D” (e.g., “31D”). Red boxes highlight the course title and the “D” section number. A note on the right explains that the lecture must be taken together with one of the sections marked with a “D.”
    Screenshot: You may get a linking error if you do not enroll in all components of a course (i.e., LECTURE and D)

     

  3. There are some courses (i.e., Phys 008, Chem 002 and Phys 009) that have paired discussions and labs. For each lecture, you will need to enroll in a paired discussion and lab section. Here is an example: 

    A course search results table shows an Introductory Physics lecture along with multiple required paired sections. The lecture row is highlighted, and several related sections labeled with a “D” (such as 31D, 32D, and 33D) are grouped below it and outlined. A lab section is also shown separately. Arrows and highlighted boxes emphasize the connection between the lecture and its required discussion and lab sections. A note on the right explains that the lecture must be taken together with both a discussion and a lab section.
    Screenshot: Lectures (LECT) may be linked to paired discussions (D) and labs (L)

 

Major Restriction Error

You may get a "Major, Minor or Concentration Restriction" error if a course you are trying to add requires you to be declared in a certain major.  You should choose another course or contact your advisor for assistance.

Tips to avoid this error:

  1. Find out which courses are restricted by major in the course schedule at registrar.ucmerced.edu/go/schedule. Select the hyperlinked Title for a course to view course details.
    A course registration page displays error messages for a selected class (EECS 240). The messages, highlighted in red, indicate restrictions such as major, minor, or concentration requirements and level restrictions (undergraduate or graduate), instructing the user to choose a different course or section or contact an advisor. Below, a “Summary” table lists selected courses with columns for Title, Details, Hours, CRN, Schedule Type, Status, and Action. The EECS 240 course shows a status of “Errors Preventing Registration,” while other courses in the list are marked “Registered.”

    Screenshot: Select the hyperlinked Title to view course details
     

  2. The course detail view will show any major restrictions:

    A “Class Details” pop-up window displays information for a specific course. A sidebar on the left lists sections such as Class Details, Course Description, Syllabus, and Restrictions, with “Restrictions” selected and highlighted. In the main panel, text explains enrollment requirements, including eligible student levels and required majors. A highlighted section lists acceptable majors such as Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Materials & BioMaterials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics. A “Close” button appears at the bottom of the window.

    Screenshot: Class details/restrictions view will describe major restrictions

 

Prerequisite Error

You may get a "Prerequisite Not Completed" error if the course you are trying to register for requires you to complete another course first.
Screenshot: Prerequisite requirements can cause registration add errors

Tips to avoid this error:

  1. To see prerequisites for a specific course, select the hyperlinked CRN in the course schedule found at registrar.ucmerced.edu/go/schedule. You can also view the University Catalog for course prerequisites. Contact your academic advisor if you need assistance.
    A “Class Details” pop-up window displays information for an Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming course. A sidebar on the left lists sections such as Class Details, Course Description, Syllabus, and Prerequisites, with “Prerequisites” selected and highlighted. In the main panel, a “Catalog Prerequisites” table lists required courses, including Computer Science & Engineering courses and a Mathematics course, along with details such as course numbers, level, and minimum grade requirements. A “Close” button appears at the bottom of the window.

    Screenshot: Select the hyperlinked CRN to view course details

 

Time Conflict Error

You may get a "Time Conflict" error if you are trying to register for two courses scheduled at the same time, or if the final exam time for one course is the same time as another. Remember, a time conflict may be with a lecture, discussion, lab or final exam.

Tips to avoid this error:

  1. Try to register for another open section of the same course, or register for a different course.
  2. You can complete a Time Conflict Override Form. Be sure to contact your academic advisor if you have any questions.

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About Registering for Math 005

MATH 005 is a hybrid course which means that students will only be attending their chosen discussion sections. In order to register for MATH 005, you must register for both a course CRN and a corresponding discussion section CRN. Disregard the “TBD” for the lecture time.

See screenshot:
A course search results table shows sections for a Preparatory Calculus class. The lecture row is highlighted, along with related discussion sections labeled with a “D” (such as “02D”). A note in the image explains that to register, a student must enter both the CRN for the lecture and the CRN for a corresponding discussion section.

Screenshot:  To register for Math 005, enter both a course CRN and a corresponding discussion CRN.

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About Placement Exams

Chemistry, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Math, and Writing Placement Exams

Change of Major

OPTIONAL - Change your major (Fall First Year Students Only)

Contact your Bobcat Advising Center academic advisor if you have questions about taking courses for your intended major.

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Registration Resources

Weekly Schedule Planning Worksheet

Plan out your weekly course schedule to prevent time conflicts with classes.

MyDegree Path

Plan the courses you need to take for current and future semesters to stay on track to graduate on time.

University Catalog

Find in-depth information about degree requirements, course information, and academic policies. NOTE: Incoming fall 2023 students, your catalog year will be 2023-24. This new catalog that applies for all incoming First Year and Transfer students will be available in June.

Office of the Registrar

The Office of the Registrar's website provides information on the academic calendar, course scheduling, academic policies and enrollment verification.

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Contact an Academic Advisor

See Who is My Academic Advisor? for the best academic advising contact.

Self-Service Dashboard Registration Documentation

Screen shots of the new Self-Service Dashboard registration module.

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