For all registration information, please see the below tabs. If you have questions specifically about your academic program, please contact your advisor for your school or college.

Fall 2023 Registration

General Registration for Fall semester 2023 will commence on Monday, March 27th for all eligible currently enrolled students. For your convenience, the Fall semester 2023 General Registration Calendar has been provided below. Please note, if you have a financial hold on your account you may not be eligible to participate in registration, and should contact the Office of Student Accounts for assistance.

Continuing students (students who are registered and will earn grades for Spring 2023), are encouraged to register for classes prior to the start of Fall 2023 semester. New entrant first-year undergraduate students should work with their academic advisors to register for classes. New entrant undergraduate transfer and graduate students are permitted to register once enrolled; however, eligible students are strongly encouraged to consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for classes. New entrant undergraduate degree-seeking students may access orientation information via the highlighted link. Non-traditional and professional students should consult with their school/college for further details on course registration. The Office of the Registrar does not register students for classes.

Eligible students are generally permitted to register, on and after the below dates (until registration closes), once there are no holds that impact registration (for example, Medical, Bursar, Admission, Judicial, SFS, Dean, International Student etc.) on their student accounts.

BisonWeb is available for registration from 9AM to midnight each day. Students cannot register for classes outside of this time period. 

The following dates are for general registration excluding School of Law, College of Medical, Online Masters of Social Work. Students in these programs should contact their school/college for Fall 2023 registration information

Day

Start Date

Classification

Monday

March 27, 2023

Senior (90 or more credits earned)

Tuesday

March 28, 20232

Junior (60 to 89 credits earned)

Wednesday

March 29, 2023

Sophomore (30 to 59 credits earned)

Thursday

March 30, 2023

Freshman (less than 30 credits earned) & Unclassified

Friday

March 31, 2023

Graduate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2023 Registration (opens April 2023 for continuing students)

The university offers two six-week summer sessions to eligible students. Summer session I commences in mid-May and ends in mid-June. Summer session II commences in late June and ends in late July.

Registration for Summer semester 2023 will open via BisonWeb on April 17, 2023 for all eligible continuing students (registered for Spring 2023). Registration for all other students for the summer semester (including summer students at large) opens from May 18 to May 22 for summer session I, and June 22 to 26 for summer session II. BisonWeb is available for summer registration from 9AM to midnight. 

You may access all pertinent summer dates via the University's Academic Calendar. All continuing students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor and the Office of Financial Aid prior to registering for summer coursework.

Registration Guide & Resources

Registration Step By Step Guide

Step 1: Read the Student Handbook

Before you can view the schedule of courses and register, you must read and agree to the rules, regulations and procedures stated in the Student Handbook. Failure to read the handbook does not excuse students from the rules and procedures described herein. Personal factors, illness, or contradictory advice from any source are not acceptable grounds for seeking exemption from these rules and procedures.

The University Catalog includes more detailed registration information. Registration Information

Step 2: View the Course Listings

If you Agree to the terms and conditions in the Student Handbook then View Course Listings.

Step 3 : View Course Syllabi

View course syllabi online using the Find a Syllabus search.

Step 4: Classes Approved by an Advisor

See your assigned academic advisor to plan and follow a sound program of study, and for approval of your classes.

Step 5: Enter Your Courses in BisonWeb

The registration steps have been provided below for your convenience. Please note, the below steps do not apply to students who are registered for classes by their school/college/administrative unit (for example, first year undergraduate and law new entrant, DCPS dual enrollment, domestic exchange, consortium, EMBA, and professional Health Science students). These students must consult with an academic advisor for assistance with course registration, generally during the orientation period for the respective entry term. All other students (transfer, continuing, returning, graduate etc.) may follow the steps below once there are no holds that impact registration (for example, Medical, Bursar, Admission, Judicial, SFS, Dean, International Student etc.) on their student accounts.

  1. Select “Login” on the BisonWeb homepage.

  2. Enter your Student Identification Number beginning with the “@” symbol, in the ID section.

  3. Enter your six-digit PIN. If prompted (your first time logging in or your PIN was reset prior to logging in), please change your PIN to 6 numbers and ensure you remember your new PIN as frequent incorrect entry of your PIN will disable your account. If you do not remember your PIN and you have added a security question to your account, you may select the "Forgot PIN" option to perform a reset.

  4. Follow the on-screen prompts as necessary.

  5. Next, select the “Student Services” tab from the Main Menu.

  6. Then, select “Registration.

  7. When the “Registration” drop-down menu displays, choose “Select Term.

  8. When the “Select Term” page displays, click the arrow to the right of the word “Term” and select the appropriate term. All non-traditional students (Online MBA, EMBA, online MSW, and Non-Traditional Doctor of Pharmacy) must select the applicable 'non-traditional' term. All other students should not select the 'non-traditional' option.

  9. Press the “Submit Term” button, and the system will return you to the “Registration” page. Under the Registration tab, select "Add/Drop Classes". If you receive an error or problem message, ensure 1) you are accessing the system between 9AM and 11:59PM, 2) you do not have any registration holds, 3) you have not selected the incorrect term, 4) registration is open for you (based on your classification) for the applicable term, as is noted on the Academic Calendar, 5) you do not fall into one of the categories of students who cannot self-register via BisonWeb, or 6) you are a currently enrolled student (see also Readmission after a Total Withdrawal). If none of these apply, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@howard.edu.  

  10. When the registration page displays, you may be prompted to enter an "Alternate PIN" if you are a continuing student. Please ascertain this PIN for the respective semester from your academic advisor. The Office of the Registrar cannot issue you your alternate PIN, nor can a PIN used for a previous semester be used for the current one. 

  11. Next, select “Look up Classes to Add” and follow the instructions.

  12. When the classes are displayed, select the courses you want by clicking the boxes on the left side of the courses.  When all courses are selected, press the “Register” button.  If there are no errors, you are now registered.  If there are errors, you must start from step 11. Please see the General Registration Notice linked above the General Registration Calendar for details on resolving error messages.   

After you have registered for your classes, print out your schedule and confirm that all information is accurate.

Step 6: Pay Your Balance

Various payment plans are available for paying your balance. For details, please see the Student Financial Services website. You may view your account balance via BisonWeb by selecting Student Services -> Student Accounts -> View Account & Pay Your Bill. This will route you to epay where you may log in using your BisonWeb credentials.

Alternate PINs

Alternate PINs are issued by the advising unit of your school/college ONLY

All continuing students require an Alternate PIN to register, with the exception of Graduate students in the School of Business and the Division of Allied Health. A new Alternate PIN is generated each semester; therefore, a PIN that was issued for a previous semester will not work for Spring 2023 registration. Please contact your academic advisor in your school or college to obtain your Spring 2023 Alternate PIN; unfortunately, the Office of the Registrar cannot issue students’ Alternate PINs.

Course Waitlist

When a section of a course fills to the enrollment limit, students attempting to register through BisonWeb will receive a registration error message that a waitlist exists. The student will then be given the option of adding themselves to the waitlist for the course. If a student already enrolled in the course should drop, that seat will not become available for registration through BisonWeb if there is an active waitlist for the course.

Students must attempt to register for the course via BisonWeb in order to be offered the waitlist option. When a seat becomes available, the first student on the waitlist will receive an email notification to their preferred email address (students can confirm their preferred email address in BisonWeb). A student will have twelve hours (extended from eight hours as of Fall 2021) from the time of the email to register for the class through BisonWeb. It is the student's responsibility to check their preferred email once on a waitlist. If they do not register for the class during that time period, the seat will be offered to the next student on the waitlist. Students MUST have an email address on file (see the Personal Information tab in BisonWeb) or they will not receive the notification and lose their opportunity to register. Obtaining a space on a waitlist should not be interpreted as a guarantee of getting a seat in the course. If your waitlist position is zero, your notification has expired and you will need to drop off the waitlist and (if a space is available) reattempt to register for the course, or select alternate course options.

Please also note, the course waitlist option is no longer available once a given semester has commenced. Students attempting to register for a closed course (at its maximum capacity) will receive an 'Open- Reserved for Waitlist' error message when attempting to register. All students are encouraged to register for alternate course options with the assistance of their assigned academic advisor. The Office of the Registrar cannot override students into closed courses. 

Academic Advising

All students are highly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor prior to completing course registration. Please access the link below to view information on the school or college to which you have been admitted, as indicated on your letter of acceptance from the Office of Admission or approved intra-university/major change form from the Office of the Registrar. Your academic advisor will be able to inform you on which courses to select, how to register for them, and will issue you your alternate PIN if applicable. Incoming undergraduate students are encouraged to view the New Student Orientation website for details on advising and course registration. The Office of the Registrar does not provide academic advising services. The Undergraduate Advising List contains the main points of contact for the student affairs/advising unit for each undergraduate school/college. Juniors and seniors generally receive advising assistance from their major/departmental advisor. 

Are You Receiving Registration Error Messages via BisonWeb?

BisonWeb Error Messages & Troubleshooting Tips

BisonWeb Error Messages

When attempting to register for courses via BisonWeb, students may encounter errors that prevent registration. Restrictions have been applied to courses for various academic and administrative reasons. Unfortunately, the Office of the Registrar cannot assist in resolving most registration error messages. In general, students should consult with the advising unit of their school/college for assistance with navigating the registration process. Please see the following registration error messages:

BisonWeb Error

Description

“C”

Course is filled to capacity. Please choose an available section of the course. You may also choose to waitlist the course if this option is available. Please note that students on the waitlist will be given priority consideration for course override approval.

Unfortunately, students cannot generally be overridden into closed courses. For courses with a waitlist, students who are on the waitlist will be notified by the Office of the Registrar via email if a seat is available (please monitor your main and spam/junk inbox of your preferred email account). For courses that are at their maximum capacity, please contact your Academic Advisor for assistance with identifying alternate course options, if necessary.

“SR”

You are not eligible to register. Please review your student status. Please refer to the General Registration Schedule and the University Calendar for registration availability information. For additional assistance, you may consult with your Academic Advisor to review your student status.

CRN is Invalid

Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for the correct CRN.

Holds on your record that prevent registration

Registration is prohibited due to student account holds. To view holds via BisonWeb, select “Student Records,” then “View Holds.” You will not be able to register until all holds that prevent registration have been released. Only the office that placed the hold on the account can release it.

Please contact the office that placed the hold. For example:

Can't Drop Last Class

If you are attempting to withdraw from all of your classes, you must submit a total withdrawal form. You cannot drop all of your classes via BisonWeb.

If you are attempting to add additional classes and receive this error, the class you are attempting to register is either:

  1. Closed or the waitlist is full, or
  2. Has some other restriction from this list that must be resolved with your academic advisor or with the assistance of the department teaching the course.

Instructor Signature

You must contact the course instructor to obtain written permission to register for the class. To permit registration via BisonWeb the registration approval should be submitted to your Academic Advisor for processing. 

If approved, your course instructor must submit written permission to your Academic Advisor for processing.

Maximum Hours Exceeded

Undergraduates in good academic standing are limited to a specific number of credit hours per semester depending on their school or college. You must meet specific requirements to request that your maximum credit hours be increased. Approval from the appropriate Academic Advisor or Dean must be received in the Office of the Registrar to increase your maximum credit hours. Excess tuition rates may be associated with registering beyond the specific maximums.

For credit increases at or below the general maximum (e.g., 21 credit hours for undergraduate students), please consult with your Academic Advisor for further assistance.

For all credit hour increases above the maximum (e.g., 22 or more credit hours for undergraduate students), please consult with the Academic Dean of your school/college.

Prerequisite and Test Score Error

A prerequisite course or exam score is required for enrollment in this class. Your Academic Advisor will determine if an override is warranted. Your advisor should process a system override, if approved. A Course Override Form should not be submitted for this restriction.

Please consult with your Academic Advisor for further assistance.

Course Restrictions

All exceptions to the following restrictions require the appropriate approval and should be processed by the appropriate department or Academic Advisor. A Course Override Form should not be submitted:

  • LEVEL: This course is restricted to a certain level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, law school or PhD candidates).
  • DEGREE: This course is restricted to a certain degree (e.g., BA, BS, MA, MS, MPA, MBA, JD, PhD or MD).
  • FIELD OF STUDY - MAJOR, MINOR, CONCENTRATION: This course is restricted to certain majors, minors or concentrations. The major department is the only office that can give permission to register.
  • CLASS: This course is restricted to certain classifications (e.g., juniors or seniors). The department must allow access to this course.
  • COLLEGE: This course is restricted to a certain college. Permission must be granted by the school/college.
  • Department: Contact the office of the academic department offering the course to obtain permission to register for the class. The department or your advisor should process a system override, if approved.

Please consult with your Academic Advisor or the appropriate department.

Time Conflict

BisonWeb does not allow students to register for courses that either meet at the same time or overlap. Written approval from the instructor of record is required and should be given to your Academic Advisor to receive permission to register via BisonWeb. A Course Override Form does not have to be submitted for Time Conflict restrictions.

If approved, your course instructor must submit written permission to your Academic Advisor for processing.

Special Grading Options (Audit)

Courses that have more than one grading option automatically default to the standard letter grade mode, (A-F). If a different grading mode is desired, such as Audit, the change must be requested using a Course Audit Form.

Academic standing prohibits registration

You may be academically suspended. Please review your academic history via BisonWeb and contact your Academic Advisor for additional information.

Please consult with your Academic Advisor for further assistance.

You are not permitted to register at this time

Course registration via BisonWeb is available at 9 a.m. on designated days. Please refer to the General Registration Schedule and the University Calendar for registration availability information. If you are a traditional student (e.g. you are a regular undergraduate/graduate student), please ensure that you select 'Spring 2023' and not the nontraditional term when attempting to register. 

If you were attempting to register between 9 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., registered and earned grades for the previous semester (e.g., Fall 2022), and/or officially notified of readmission for Spring 2023 from the Office of Admission, please contact the Office of the Registrar for further assistance.

If you were not registered/earned grades for Fall 2022, a returning student application may be required for readmission consideration. You may consult with your Academic Advisor for further assistance with determining your status and course requirements for graduation.

BisonWeb Holds

Have A Hold On Your Account?

Please see the below contacts based on the Hold Type. The reason column gives a reason for why the hold was placed, originator indicates the office that placed the hold, and the processes affected details all the processes you will not have access to until the hold is cleared by the originator.