The main purpose of registration is to select and register for courses you will take the following semester. Registration serves as a good time to check your academic progress toward your major and degree requirements. You will use MyUI to register for classes, to access information regarding your courses, grades, degree requirements (including progress in your major), financial aid, and billing services, among other things.
You are required to receive authorization from your assigned academic advisor before you register for classes. Completing the Registration Planning Tool (RPT) is the best way to communicate.
Here are some important dates to keep in mind when planning registration for future academic sessions.
COURSES LISTED ON MYUI | REGISTRATION BEGINS | SESSION DATES | |
SPRING 2023 | October 3, 2022 |
|
January 17 - May 5, 2023 |
SUMMER 2023 | October 3, 2022 | March 6, 2023 | Start dates vary and depend upon subsession --May 15, June 12, June 26, 2023 Summer session ends August 3, 2023 |
FALL 2023 |
January 30, 2023 |
April 10, 2023 |
August 21 - December 8, 2023 |
|
August 7, 2023 | November 6, 2023 | December 18, 2023 - January 12, 2024 |
Registration
Advisor authorization is required to register each semester.
Keys to preparing for registration
- Review your degree audit in MyUI and identify unmet degree requirements.
- Preview courses on MyUI and check prerequisites or enrollment restrictions.
- Complete the Registration Planning Tool to receive advisor authorization.
- Pay your U-bill and check for other registration holds.
- Log into MyUI to view registration dates and time (listed under Courses/Registration).
- If it has been 12 months or longer since you have taken a UI class, you must submit a Returning Student Application.
- If you've enrolled in another college or university since you last took University of Iowa courses, send an official transcript to the University of Iowa Office of Admissions.
Preview Courses on MyUI
Prior to registration, view which courses are being offered in the upcoming semester. You may need to change the semester in order to see classes offered for a different session (i.e., Spring, Summer, Fall).
Course Descriptions can be viewed by clicking on the title of a course in MyUI. Course descriptions can help you select courses that meet your interest. Faculty can also be great resources for information about particular courses.
Be mindful of listed prerequisites and restrictions.
Know your registration date and time
All admitted or enrolled students are assigned a registration date and time by the Registrar’s Office based upon the number of semester hours earned as listed on the Degree Audit. Your assigned date and time for registration can be found by logging onto MyUI and selecting Courses/Registration on the menu bar.
The Student Billing Agreement is a commonly used tool among universities for ensuring that students are aware of the financial terms and conditions when registering for classes. It also articulates the methods the university may use to collect unpaid U-Bills.
The Student Billing Agreement
- outlines the terms of student financial responsibility when enrolling in UI courses
- outlines university policies for billing, charge disputes, payments, overdue payments and collection
- includes an agreement to receive electronic delivery of billing documents
- includes an authorization to apply financial aid to outstanding charges on the U-Bill
This agreement must be signed each semester prior to registering for future classes or students will not be able to register. In the Financial Aid and Billing section of MyUI, the Billing section has a financial documents link. You will have the ability to verify each session’s agreement through this link. Please read the entire document carefully and contact ubill@uiowa.edu for clarification, if needed.
TO SUBMIT YOUR STUDENT BILLING AGREEMENT
- Log in to MyUI
- An Important Notice will pop up. You will need to click on Review the Form
- Go over the form
- Click I Agree
The Registration Planning Tool (RPT) is an interactive web form designed to help you understand vital components of your Degree Requirements and to guide you in selecting courses. You will be emailed instructions to complete the RPT each semester prior to early registration. You will log in to the RPT using your HawkID and password. Using this tool, rather than email, will help expedite the advisor authorization process.
The RPT provides information on your degree program, prompts you to answer some questions regarding your progression through Degree Requirements and allows you to enter potential course selections for your advisor to review.
When you submit the RPT a copy goes to your advisor who will assess your plan and let you know if there are any issues. You will also receive a copy of the RPT submission as a record of the information you submitted on the form.
Ideally the RPT will be submitted by students before registration begins so any questions may be addressed before classes begin filling. Together with your Degree Audit, the RPT provides a clear format to see your progress toward graduation.
Registering for Courses
1) Review registration eligibility in MyUI
To register for courses log in to MyUI and click on Courses/Registration in the top menu.

On this page you will view:
- your registration date and time
- any registration holds you may have
- whether you have been authorized to register by your advisor
Your registration eligibility is normally posted in MyUI about one month prior to early registration for each semester/session. Addressing any issues in advance of your registration time will help ensure that you are able to register for classes on your assigned registration time.
2) Complete the Registration Planning Tool
All students should complete complete the Registration Planning Tool (RPT) to obtain advisor authorization to register. The RPT is generally available around the first of February for Summer and Fall registration, and first of October for Spring registration. It is highly recommended that you complete your RPT as early as possible, so you may propose a tentative course schedule for your advisor to review. Please review the previous section on the RPT for more information.
3) Search and enroll for courses in MyUI
Registering for your courses during your assigned time will increase the likelihood of getting your preferred courses. You will not be able to register before your assigned registration time, but can register any time after your assigned time has passed.
When searching and registering for courses, make sure you have selected the appropriate semester/session and enter any additional criteria. Use the Delivery Mode boxes at the bottom of the search page to filter by distance and online courses.
More information on distance education courses, such as searching, enrolling, and starting your course can be found in the COURSES section on the Distance and Online Education website

After you search and select a course, add the course to your schedule by clicking the Enroll Button.

Schedule Builder (New! Spring 2018)
This tool serves a "course cart" function, which allows you build and save preferred schedules prior to and during registration.
Please note: selecting a course and putting it in the Schedule Builder (by clicking the green "Add to Scheduler" button) does not automatically enroll you in the section.
More information on the Schedule Builder can be found at : https://registrar.uiowa.edu/schedule-builder-help

Once enrolled in courses, you are responsible for all enrollment changes, tuition payments and other charges on your Ubill. The University of Iowa does not drop students from a course(s) or withdraw a student for nonpayment or nonattendance.
Adding or Dropping a Course
The Office of the Registrar provides information about adding courses, dropping courses, or withdrawing from all of your courses.
Office of the Registrar, Registration Changes
If you need assistance with registration changes, please call 319-335-2852 or email
doe-reg@uiowa.edu for assistance.
Fall/Spring: You can add or drop semester-length courses on MyUI for the first five days of the fall and spring semesters. On the sixth day of the semester you will need permission to make changes to semester-length courses. For off-cycle courses, you can add or drop courses up to the first day of the class. On the first day of the class you will need permission to make changes to off-cycle courses.
Summer/Winter: You can add or drop your courses on MyUI up to the first day of the class for summer and winter sessions. On the first day of the class you will need permission to make changes to your course.
Registration change instructions when MyUI is closed for student-initiated changes:
- Dropping courses when permission is required
You may drop courses in MyUI after you have obtained required permissions. To drop online:
- Initiate the request in MyUI by pressing the drop link next to the course you wish to drop.
- Make note of the permission(s) required to drop the course and proceed with obtaining permissions.
- Once all required permissions have been entered into your student record you can finalize the drop in MyUI.
- You will also receive an email and MyUI message letting you know that you can finalize the drop.
- Adding courses when permission is required
You may add courses in MyUI after you have obtained required permissions. To add online:
1. Initiate the request in MyUI by pressing Initiate Add Request
2. Review permissions required and press Continue
3. Review acknowledgements (deadlines and warnings)
4. Press I agree to obtain required permissions
5. Once steps are completed press Go back to Dashboard
6. Contact each permission needed
7. After the last permission is authorized online, you will receive an email and MyUI message letting you know that you have 24 hours to complete the add
Only one set of messages will be sent at the beginning of the 24-hour time period.
8. Press Complete Add in MyUI, review warning, press Continue, press Add
9. You will then see a message that states you have successfully added the course
You are able to cancel the add at any step in the process or remove the pending add if you no longer want to add the course
Advisor and instructor permissions are required for adds when MyUI is closed for student registration.
After the last day to add without dean's approval, students must also obtain the appropriate dean's authorization. You will request permission from the dean of college that the course is offered in. The Course Deadline Look-Up provides course specific deadlines.
Withdrawing Registration
Termination of enrollment in all courses for a semester, even if only one course, constitutes withdrawal of registration. Withdrawal from an entire session is noted on the transcript with the date the withdrawal was processed. Students in good standing who withdraw from an entire session receive no credit, but are not assessed any academic penalty.
ONLINE WITHDRAWAL
- You can withdraw your entire registration online, through MyUI.
- Navigate to your course schedule in MyUI. Begin by clicking the Withdraw Entire Registration link at the bottom of your course schedule.
- You will be informed of the various permissions you will need to obtain. Permissions might include: your academic advisor, Collegiate Dean's Office, ISSS, or Athletics.
- You will then be asked to fill out a Withdrawal Information Form in which you fill out a few required fields and some optional items.
- You will then see that you have a pending withdrawal and there may be a list of additional permissions needed. Once you have been granted all permissions you can complete the withdrawal process. You will receive a MyUI message and an email once all permissions have been obtained.
- Return to your course schedule to Complete Withdrawal.
Consequences of Adjusting Registration
It is a student’s responsibility to understand the financial and academic consequences of dropping or adding a course. Please consult the following: