Registration & Waitlists

On this page

Click the links below to navigate:

  1. How do I register?
  2. When do I register?
  3. Resolving registration issues
    • ​​Course is full / needs add code
    • Prerequisite errors
    • Repeating courses
  4. Special registrations
    • ​​CSS 496 (Applied Computing Capstone)
    • CSS 198, 199, 397, 495, 496, 497, 498, 499 (courses arranged with faculty)
  5. Registration request form
    • ​​When to use this form
    • List of waitlist courses
    • Accessing the form
    • What to expect

How do I register?

  1. Meet with your academic advisor early to plan and ensure courses will count for your requirements.
  2. Visit the time schedule or search on MyPlan to plan which specific course offerings you will take. 
  3. Complete your pre-registration steps before your registration date.
  4. Know your registration date. Registration begins at 6:00 AM PST.
  5. Register for your classes with MyPlan or the MyUW Registration Screen.
  6. Resolve registration issues if you are having trouble signing up.
  7. Audit your degree(s) after registering to make sure everything is counting correctly. Click "Refresh Audit".

When do I register?

Important note for CSS 301 (Technical Writing): Attendance to the first class session is mandatory. After this, we cannot register you even if seats become vacant.

Summer 2023 registration timeline

  • All Periods (April 10th - June 26th [A Term] / July 26th [B Term]):
  • Registration Period I (April 10th - May 17th):
    • ​Students in CSS majors (Applied Computing, CSSE, or Computer Engineering) can register for most CSS courses.
    • Students in other majors that require CSS courses can register for those specific courses.
  • Registration Period II (May 18th - June 19th):
    • Students in any major or CSS minor (not premajor or nonmatriculated students) can register for most CSS courses, as long as there is space.
  • Registration Period III (June 20th [Full term]- June 26th [A Term] / July 26th [B Term]): All students can register themselves for most CSS courses if there is still space (including premajor and non-matriculated students).

Resolving registration issues

Course is full / needs add code

Prerequisite errors

  • If it is your registration period and there is space available in the course, but you are encountering prerequisite errors, contact cssadv@uw.edu. We have a limited number of reserve seats to help students in this situation. Please include:
    1. Your full name.
    2. Your 7-digit student ID number.
    3. The 5-digit SLN (registration code) of the course.
    4. The course prefix, number, and section (Example: “CSS 301 A”). You can these on the time schedule or through a MyPlan search.
    5. A short description and/or screenshot of the issue preventing your registration​.

Repeating courses

If you are attempting a CSS core course for the third time or more, you must submit a petition to be considered for the repeat.

  • CSS core courses include CSS 301, 340, 342, 343, 350, 360, 370, 421, 422, and 430
  • S/NS (Satisfactory/Non-satisfactory) grades do count as an attempt at a course
  • RD (registrar drop) grades do not count as an attempt at a course.
  • Please also submit the Registration Request Form for non-summer quarters, or contact cssadv@uw.edu for summer quarter.

Special registrations

CSS 496 (Applied Computing Capstone)

  • To take this course, you must have completed CSS 301, 360, 421, and at least 3 courses from your Second Discipline of study.
  • If you have completed the prerequisites, fill out the Registration Request Form. Be ready to provide a list of what courses you have already taken for your Second Discipline.

Courses arranged with faculty

  • These are experiences like internships, independent study, research, and the CSSE capstone; and includes the following courses: CSS 198, 199, 397, 495, 497, 498, and 499.
  • Instead of having a regular meeting time and place with a group of other students, these courses are specially arranged between you and a faculty member.
  • The number of credits can vary from 1 credit or more, and in many cases you can choose between graded (4.0-scale) or ungraded (CR/NC; Credit/No Credit) credit. Unlike 'S' (Satisfactory) grades, 'CR' grades can always fulfill degree requirements the same way that graded credit can. Read more about undergraduate grading.
  • Follow these steps to get registered:
    1. Visit our forms page to download and read the appropriate "contract" form.
    2. Visit our faculty page and reach out to a few faculty with whom you have either worked before (recommended) or with whom you share academic/research/professional interests. You can click on their name to view their profile or personal website for more information.
    3. Complete the contract form with your faculty member's help and send it to:

Registration Request Form

When to use this form

  • Requesting to repeat any CSS course (even if it is not a waitlist course).
  • Requesting a waitlist course if it is not yet your registration period for that course.
  • Requesting a waitlist course if it is your registration period, but the course is full or needs an add code.

List of waitlist courses

  1. CSS 301, 340, 342, 350, 360. Newly admitted CSS majors need to take these courses, so we create waitlists to ensure there is enough space for them before offering seats to other students.
    • CSS 301 (Technical Writing)
    • CSS 340 (Applied Algorithmics)
    • CSS 342 (Data Structures, Algorithms, and Discrete Mathematics I)
    • CSS 350 (Management Principles)
    • CSS 360 (Software Engineering)
  2. CSS 133, 143, 295, 337, 343, 452. Students with transfer coursework may encounter prerequisite issues with these courses. When they run out of seats we create waitlists to better assist these students.
    • CSS 133 (Computer Programming for Engineers II)
    • CSS 143 (Computer Programming II)
    • CSS 295 (K-12 Computing Education)
    • CSS 320 (Digital Forensics)
    • CSS 337 (Secure Systems)
    • CSS 343 (Data Structures, Algorithms, and Discrete Mathematics II)
    • CSS 452 (Game Engine Development)
  3. CSS 496. We create a waitlist to ensure completion of this course's prerequisites. Be prepared with a list of at least three courses you will have completed from your Second Discipline of study.
    • CSS 496 (Applied Computing Capstone)
  4. Courses not on this list. Other courses usually do not require waitlists. Use the Seat Availability Notification instead.

Accessing the form

Summer 2023: There is no request form for summer courses. Contact cssadv@uw.edu for assistance instead.

Autumn 2023: Click here to access the request form.

What to expect

  1. This form is a REQUEST only. We cannot guarantee registration for full courses.
  2. Registration prioritization is HOLISTIC (not first-come, first-serve), so your place on a waitlist may CHANGE as other students make requests. Access the form for details on the prioritization criteria.
  3. If we discover incorrect information, we may EDIT or DELETE your request without notice.
  4. We will periodically send update messages to your UW email address. Thes messages will indicate one of the following:
    • A. That you have been registered for a course. If you indicated more-preferred sections of the course, then your request will still remain ACTIVE for those sections.
    • B. That there is a seat available for you, but you need to confirm or resolve an issue. You must respond to the offer by the date indicated, or we will set your request as INACTIVE and move on to the next person. You can contact us at cssadv@uw.edu anytime to set your request back to ACTIVE and be considered for open seats in the future.
    • C. That there is not yet a seat available for you, but we are updating you on your place in line.