Registration for the Fall 2023 semester is quickly approaching! Below we have included some important tips and deadlines to help ensure you are prepared – Start planning now!
The information on this page is subject to change – we will communicate any updates to CS majors directly via email.
NEW! For Fall 2023
Waitlists WILL NOT BE OFFERED for CS courses for Fall 2023 registration.
Seat availability will be shown as-is in the Student Link through the Add and Drop periods. Please plan your schedules accordingly. Email requests to be added to a full course will not be accommodated. If you need assistance finalizing your schedule, please book an appointment with your Academic Advisor.
If a course is full at your time to register, please know that seats may change throughout the add (and drop) period – check the Student Link periodically to see if a seat has opened up. Open seats in open courses are available for students to add on their own.
After the initial registration period and CS priority period (see Registration Priority Timeline below), if you were unable to get into a desired course, you may submit your name to an Interest Form. This form will be used to gauge demand for additional sections. While we will make every effort to notify students on the interest list if/when sections are added, the Interest Form does not serve as a waitlist and does not guarantee you a spot in any potential added sections.
Important Dates
See semester dates calendar for more detail
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – Planner opens in the Student Link
Click here for instructions on how to use the planner
Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Registration begins for graduate students (see Registration Dates & Times)
Sunday, April 16, 2023 – Registration begins for undergraduate students (see Registration Dates & Times)
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – First day of classes
Monday, September 11, 2023 – Deadline to be registered for fall semester
Monday, September 18, 2023 – Add deadline
Tuesday, October 10 2023 – Drop deadline (without a “W” grade)
Registration Dates
(see Registration Dates & Times on Registrar calendar webpage for most up to date information)
Registration Priority Timeline
Due to the high demand for CS courses, registration access will be made available on a staggered timeline. The dates listed below indicate when access to registration opens for each student group:
CS Undergraduate Majors, Masters and PhD Students: Regular registration period as assigned by the Registrar
CS Undergraduate Minors: July 1*
All other BU students: August 1*
*Updated as of March 8
All CS10x courses will be open to all students beginning at their assigned registration period.
Undergraduate Registration Planning Tips and Resources:
Book an appointment with your Academic Advisor as soon as possible to review your registration plan
- Registration appointments can be made on Handshake (instructions can be found here)
Come to your appointment prepared with a list of courses you would like to take:
- Review the CS major requirements and Plan of Study (after selecting your program, scroll down to Advising Materials)
- Utilize the online course search tool to check prerequisites* and HUB units
- Check your degree advice to view your degree progress.
*Note: Prerequisite requirements are strictly enforced. It is your responsibility to ensure you have met prerequisites for any given course. Students enrolled in courses for which they do not have the required prerequisite risk being dropped from the course without notice.
If you are unable to access the Planner, you may be out of compliance and need to follow instructions in your Student Link to complete any required tasks.
We will be offering extended virtual Drop-In Hours in the weeks leading up to Registration. Please check our drop-in hour schedule in the coming weeks for updates: link
Keep an eye on your email for additional information and reminders throughout the registration period.
Master’s Registration Planning Tips and Resources:
Attend the group Advising Session hosted by Christine Papadakis-Kanaris and Chelsea Houlihan.
If you would like to book an appointment with an academic advisor, please contact Chelsea Houlihan chouli@bu.edu or Christine Papadakis-Kanaris cpk@bu.edu.
In order to receive an advising code for registration you must either attend the group advising session or schedule a 1:1 academic advising meeting if you’re unable to attend the advising session.
If you are unable to access the Planner, you may be out of compliance and need to follow instructions in your Student Link to complete any required tasks.
Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Registration begins for graduate students (see Registration Dates & Times)
PhD Registration Planning Tips and Resources:
In order to receive summer and fall funding, all PhD students must be registered for the fall semester. This can either be a course, directed study, certified full time status, continuing study, or CPT. All international students must be registered to avoid any issues with their visa.
If you want to be registered for a directed study, please fill out this form.
Please reach out to csphd@bu.edu to initiate the process for certified full time status, continuing study, and/or CPT. If you are an international student and plan on using CPT, you must also reach out to Ryan Keane (rkeane3@bu.edu) in ISSO.
Please contact Tiffany Wu (twu0@bu.edu and/or csphd@bu.edu) with questions.