Registration will open Wednesday, July 20, 2022, and continue until classes begin Monday, August 29, 2022. This guide will provide step by step instructions so you can register online by using the Student Information System (SIS). If you have questions as you go through the process, please email the Office of Undergraduate Studies at ugstudies@case.edu. Virtual or phone appointments are also available through the first two weeks of classes. Adjustments to your schedule can be made until the end of the drop/add period and no later than Friday, September 9, 2022.
STEP 1: Review general education requirements for all Bachelor's degrees
Every candidate for a baccalaureate degree from the university must:
- Complete the requirements of the Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship (SAGES).
- Complete two semesters of physical education.
- Complete the requirements of the major field of study (half of the major or minor courses must be taken at CWRU).
- Complete the general education requirements of the school and degree program in which the student's major field of study falls.
- Complete a course of studies with a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.0 for work taken at Case Western Reserve University.
- Earn in residence at Case Western Reserve University a minimum of 60 credit hours, of which at least 15 must be earned after the student has earned a total of 105 credit hours.
NOTE: Students in the 3-2 Dual Degree Program should refer to the section in this guide describing requirements.
Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship (SAGES)
SAGES provides a foundation in critical thinking, written and oral communication, the use of information, quantitative reasoning, engagement with ethical issues and diversity, and exposure to experimental and theoretical approaches to understanding human culture and behavior, scientific knowledge, and methods of research.
Transfer students who have completed the English composition/expository writing requirement with a grade of C or higher at the college/university at which they previously matriculated will receive transfer credit for FSCC 100-TR – First Seminar and will be required to complete a supplemental one-credit-hour SAGES introductory seminar, FSTS 100 – SAGES Transfer Supplement. It requires a permit prior to registration. Please contact Professor Peter Whiting at peter.whiting@case.edu to obtain the permit.
Physical Education
All students must complete two full semesters of physical education activity courses at zero credit hours. Students may choose from half-semester and full-semester course offerings. If possible, a student should begin meeting this requirement in the first semester and complete it early in their undergraduate years.
Exemption will be granted only under the following conditions and with appropriate documentation
- possession of a DD214 form from the military
- a varsity athlete for two years (a letter from your coach is required)
- enrolled in ROTC for two semesters
- completion of marching band as zero credit hours (one-semester exemption only)
Detailed explanations of the undergraduate general education requirements can be found in the General Bulletin.
STEP 2: Select a major
All students must complete the requirements of a major field of study. A major ordinarily includes a program of 10 or more courses. More than 60 majors leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are offered. Follow the requirements listed under each major in the General Bulletin. There is overlap among general education requirements, which allows students flexibility in the choice of majors and degree programs. Transfer students must take at least half of the major requirements at CWRU.
- Case School of Engineering – all engineering majors, data science and analytics, and computer science (BS)
- College of Arts and Sciences – majors in arts, humanities, social/behavioral sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, nutrition, and computer science (BA and BS)
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing – major in nursing (BSN)
- Weatherhead School of Management – majors in accounting, finance, and management (BS)
STEP 3: Select a minor (optional)
A minor concentration requires no fewer than 15 credit hours and normally requires no more than 18 credit hours. With the exception of minors offered by the Case School of Engineering, students must earn a minimum cumulative average of 2.0 for all courses taken to satisfy minor requirements and for which grades are averaged. Transfer students who wish to complete a minor must take at least half the requirements for the minor at CWRU.
Minors are not required. Students have the option of completing a minor in a discipline other than the major. The successful completion of a minor will be indicated on a student's transcript.
STEP 4: Review your transfer credit evaluation
When registering, remember that you may receive additional transfer credit for courses that require departmental approval or for courses not yet submitted for evaluation. This is often the case when an entire semester has not been included in your initial transfer credit evaluation. Updates to transfer credit will be ongoing throughout the semester. If you have transfer credit pending, you may need to request a permit in SIS, since the system checks for prerequisites. If a permit is issued, you must still register for the course in SIS.
Transfer credit can be viewed under your Course History in SIS. Case Western Reserve University will also consider the following for possible credit:
- Advanced Placement
- International Baccalaureate
- A-level exams
- Coursework from universities abroad. Please submit an official copy of your official exam results or translated transcripts to the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
- If you completed college courses while in high school, additional verification is required before credit will be considered. Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies if you did not include this information when you applied for admission.
A transferred course will fulfill a category as a breadth requirement as long as your course is in a listed academic department. It may have a direct equivalent to a CWRU course (i.e. “General Psychology” is transferred as Case Western Reserve University’s PSCL 101), or it may not have a corresponding equivalent course at Case Western Reserve (i.e. PSCL 100-TR, 200-TR or 300-TR). If you are pursuing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences, one-half or more breadth requirement courses in each breadth area must be taken on campus except that students transferring from another college or university with 45 or more transferable credits may fulfill their breadth requirements with transfer credit taken at their previous college or university. Credit earned for AP, IB, A-levels and similar programs offered in high school or by CWRU proficiency exams may be used to satisfy up to one-half of this requirement if the credit is equivalent to specific courses taught by CWRU. AP, IB, A-levels ending in "TR" credit equivalents may not be used.
Engineering majors only: Transfer credit for CHEM 105 and 106 will only replace CHEM 111 (required for engineering majors and the BS in computer science following the engineering general education requirements). It will not replace credit for ENGR 145.
STEP 5: Select courses you wish to take and check prerequisites
You are not permitted to register for more than 19 semester hours your first semester. Full-time status is considered to be 12-19 semester hours. A course load of 15-17 hours is recommended.
Most professors make an assumption about how much time you should spend studying outside of class. This assumption is used to determine how much work they assign and what type of expectation they have of their students. This assumption is referred to as the formula for academic success. For every hour in class, plan on studying two to three hours outside of class. If you are enrolled in 15 credit hours, your professors expect that you are spending 30-45 hours per week outside of class studying. When you add in the original 15 hours that you are spending in class, you should be dedicating 45-60 hours per week to your studies. This is a full-time job! Keep this in mind as you schedule your time, develop your course schedule, and plan your extracurricular activities.
Remember, SIS requires that course prerequisites be met. If you have transfer credit pending, you may request a permit in SIS from the instructor. Permits are issued at the discretion of the instructor. If a course is closed, please request a permit for an override in SIS. If space is available, a permit can be issued which will allow you to add the course online or you may be placed on a waiting list.
NOTE: All NEW students are assigned a graduation date four years from the term of enrollment. If your graduation date is incorrect, you may be registering for classes in future semesters later than necessary. You must complete an Academic Advisement Report Substitution Form if your graduation date should be changed. That form is available online and must then be recorded by the Office of Undergraduate Studies.