Registration

An alternate (Second) PIN is required for certain groups of students in order to register. You can tell if you need an Alternate PIN to register by looking in myOswego on the Registration Tab and clicking the "Check Your Registration Status" link. A message of "You have an alternate PIN required for registration" will appear. See your Primary Advisor (also listed on the "Check Your Registration Status" page) to get the PIN. Note: PINs are case-sensitive.

Alternate PINS are required for: 

• First semester freshmen
• First semester juniors (students with 56-71 completed hours)
• First semester transfer students
• EOP students

Description for Approval Codes used in Registration:

• 0 – First Year Coordinator Approval
• 1 – Instructor Signature Required
• 2 – Dean's Approval Required
• 3 – Department Approval Required
• 4 – Advisor Approval Required
• 6 – EOP Advisor Approval Required
• 7 – Honors Program Advisor Approval Required
• 8 – Extended Learning Office Approval Required
• E – Contact Experiential Learning Office
• I – International Education Only
• W – Closed, Call Dept to Waitlist

At SUNY Oswego, some courses require you to meet specific conditions before registering. These requirements ensure that students are adequately prepared for the material covered in each class.

Definitions

• Prerequisite: A course or requirement that must be completed before enrolling in another course or program.
• Corequisite: A course or requirement that must be taken at the same time as another course.
• Advisement Recommendation: A recommended (but not required) condition that students are encouraged to meet prior to enrollment.

How Prerequisites Are Checked

When you register, the system checks whether you’ve completed or are currently enrolled in the required prerequisite or corequisite. It looks at:

• Courses taken or in progress at SUNY Oswego
• Equivalent transfer courses that have been officially recorded on your transcript

If you don’t have the necessary prerequisite or corequisite, you’ll receive a “prereq error” and won’t be able to register for the course. If you believe you’ve met the requirement but are still blocked, contact your advisor to discuss beginning the Challenge Policy process.

Where to Find Prerequisites

You can find prerequisites listed in the course descriptions within the College Catalog, or by clicking on the course number during a course search in myOswego.

Challenge Policy

If a course has a strict prerequisite or corequisite requirement with no “Instructor Permission” listed, students may still request to enroll through the Challenge Policy. Your advisor must submit a Prerequisite Deviation Form to request approval. You may be asked to provide documentation—such as alternative coursework, relevant experience, or prior knowledge—that demonstrates your readiness for the course.

Non-Matriculated Students

If you are a non-matriculated student, the system may not have records of your past coursework. SUNY Oswego allows you to register for courses with prerequisites, but you’ll need to provide an unofficial transcript to the instructor before the class begins.

The instructor reserves the right to remove you from the course if you haven’t met the requirement. Instructions for this process appear in your myOswego account:

• Select your course
• Click the “Non-Degree Student Temporary Prerequisite Registration Waiver” link
• Enter the CRN
• Then, complete the actual registration step separately

Note: Submitting the waiver alone does not register you for the course—you must complete both steps.

Graduate Students

Prerequisite and corequisite checks are not electronically enforced for graduate-level courses. However, if a graduate student wants to register for an undergraduate-level course, they must follow the same process as non-matriculated students, including use of the prerequisite waiver form.

See Cancellation, Drops, and Withdrawals for information. 

Registration Errors

• Time Conflict: Two or more courses are scheduled at overlapping times.
• Link: Courses that must be taken in the same semester. Example: LINK ERROR: (Code) Required.
• Co-req: Courses that must be taken in the same semester as a co-requisite.
• Closed: The course has reached maximum capacity.
• Reserve Closed: Seats for general enrollment are full. Reserved seats may become available the Monday before the semester starts.
• Major: Course is restricted to specific majors or minors.
• Pre-req: Course requires prerequisites, listed in the online college catalog.
• College: Course is restricted to a specific school or college. Graduate courses require permission for undergraduates.
• Class: Restricted by class year, based on earned credit hours (e.g., sophomore).
• Level: Restricted by student level (undergraduate/graduate, matriculated/non-matriculated).
• Mutually Exclusive: Course cannot be taken if you’ve completed its equivalent.
• First-year Coordinator Approval: Reserved for new incoming students.
• Instructor’s Signature: Instructor approval required.
• Dean’s Approval: Requires permission from the Dean of the corresponding school.
• Department Approval: Requires permission from the department offering the course (e.g., BRC = Communication Studies).
• EXCEL Approval: Permission from the Office of Experiential Courses and Engaged Learning is required.
• OLS Advisor Approval: Reserved for students advised through the Office of Learning Services.
• Honors Program Advisor: Reserved for students in the Honors Program.
• Division of Extended Learning: Requires permission from the Extended Learning office.
• International Education Approval: Registration processed through the Office of International Education and Programs.

All restrictions need to be qualified with an Include or an Exclude.

College Restrictions

Note that all graduate courses have a College Restriction of GR.

• 01 – College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
• 02 – Extended Learning
• 04 – College of Business and Entrepreneurship
• 05 – Health Education
• 06 – Elementary Education/Childhood
• 07 – Secondary Education/Adolescence
• 08 – Technology Education
• 09 – Vocational Teacher Education
• GR – Graduate Studies
• CM – Communication/Arts/Media

Level Restrictions

• 01 – Matriculated Undergraduate
• 02 – Non-Matric Undergraduate
• 03 – Non-Matric Graduate
• 04 – Matriculated Graduate in Degree Program

Class Restrictions

• FR – Freshman Non-Degree
• 01 – 1st Semester Freshman (0 – 13 credits)
• 02 – 2nd Semester Freshman (over 13 – 26 credits)
• 03 – 1st Semester Sophomore (over 26 – 41 credits)
• 04 – 2nd Semester Sophomore (over 41 – 56 credits)
• 05 – 1st Semester Junior (over 56 – 71 credits)
• 06 – 2nd Semester Junior (over 71 – 86 credits)
• 07 – 1st Semester Senior (over 86 – 101 credits)
• 08 – 2nd Semester Senior (over 101 credits)
• FY – Fifth Year Senior
• 09 – Matriculated Graduate (0 – 23 credits)
• 10 – Matriculated Graduate (over 23 credits)
• GM – Matriculated Graduates 
  (When using for restrictions to include all matriculated graduates, include codes 09, 10, and GM)
• GR – All Non-Matriculated Graduates

Section Codes

Some section codes indicate that registration is restricted to specific groups of students:

• F (e.g., 82F): Reserved for incoming freshmen.
• H (e.g., 82H): Reserved for students in the Honors Program.
• M (e.g., 82M): Reserved for specific majors.
• S (e.g., 82S): Reserved for students advised through the Office of Learning Services.

The following section codes typically indicate online courses (always confirm using the “Campus” and “Meeting Times” fields):

• ON (e.g., ON1): Fully online courses.
• OY (e.g., OY1): Online courses with specific scheduled meeting times.
• HY (e.g., HY1): Hybrid courses with some in-person meetings and reduced classroom time.

Campus

The Campus field shows where your class is being held. It may list Main Campus (Oswego), Online, Syracuse Branch Campus, or Off Campus. If the off-campus location isn’t listed in the course description, contact the department offering the course for more information.

Major/Minor restriction codes are found on Faculty and Staff Resources.

These tips and tricks can help you navigate class searches, plan your schedule, and use registration tools more effectively in myOswego.

Before Registration Opens

• Check Your Registration Status: In myOswego, go to the Registration tab and click “Check Your Registration Status.” This page shows your registration date, any holds, your advisor's name, and details about your major and minor. We recommend checking it at least a week or two before registration begins.

Class Search Tips

• Search by Attribute Type: To find General Education courses, use the "Attribute Type" box and look for attributes that start with "GE."
• Use Campus Filters: Limit search results to Main Campus, Online, or other locations in the "Advanced Search" area.
• Combine Search Criteria: Use multiple search filters to narrow your results—but avoid being too specific, which may return no results.

Get to Know Your Tools

• Course Info Pop-Ups: Clicking a course title in the registration interface displays helpful information like restrictions, prerequisites, and attributes.
• Email Your Schedule: In the “Schedule and Options” section, click the email icon to send yourself a summary. You’ll get an attached .ics calendar file you can add to Google Calendar. Watch this email video tutorial.
• Registration and Planning Overview: Watch this registration overview video for a walkthrough of the registration interface.
• Degree Works: This video explains how to plan ahead and use your Degree Works plans in registration.

Using Keyword Searches

• Partial: Enter part of a word. Returns results that include matches for that text.
• All Words: Uses AND logic. Only returns results that contain every word entered.
• Any Word: Uses OR logic. Returns results containing at least one of the entered words.
• Exact Phrase: Returns results with the exact phrase. Avoid using special characters.
• Without the Word: Excludes terms from your results. Must be used with another keyword filter.

Organize and Customize Your Results

• Change Display Count: By default, only 10 results display per page. Adjust this to see more at once.
• Sort Columns: Click headers like Title, Subject, or CRN to sort your course results.
• Customize Your View: Use the gear icon to select which columns to display. Use panel toggles or the “Panels” button to show or hide sections like your schedule or summary.

Advanced Registration Tricks

• Conditional Add and Drop: Want to drop a class only if your new class is available? In your Summary panel, set the new class to Add and the one you want to drop to Drop via Web. Then check the “Conditional Add and Drop” box before submitting. Your current course won’t be dropped unless the new one can be added successfully.
• Linked Courses – Add All: If two sections are linked (e.g., a lecture and a lab), click the “View Linked” button to see available combinations. Choose the one that works best and click “Add All.”

Several offices on campus place holds on student records. Some of these prevent registration, issuance of transcripts and/or diplomas. You can check for holds on the Registration Tab in myOswego (they also show on your Student Profile). Below is a guide to some of the more common holds.

• Code Of Conduct – All students are required to read and affirm commitment to abide by the Code of Conduct. You can read this information online and then respond on myOswego. Students are required to do this one time only. If you have not done so already, please read and respond before trying to register.
• Federal Perkins Loan Hold – Contact Financial Aid 315.312.2248
• Health Services Holds – Contact Health Services 315.312.4100.
  • Missing MMR Info Needed – The Immunization Form must be completed and returned to the Mary Walker Health Center before the semester begins or a hold is placed on your registration.
  • Meningitis Hold – NYS law mandates that all students be informed about meningococcal meningitis disease and have an opportunity to decide whether to receive immunization to prevent the disease. Prior to registering online you will have the opportunity to read this information, give a date of prior immunization and/or decline/accept immunization. The hold will be lifted immediately upon completion of survey.
• Housing – Contact Residence Life and Housing 315.312.2246
• Incoming Student Hold – Placed by Admissions, this hold is automatically lifted at the start of the semester. You will then be able to add, drop or change your class schedule.
• International Education – Contact the Office of International Education and Programs 315.312.2118
• Library – Contact Penfield Library 315.312.2560
• Orientation Office Hold – Contact Student Orientation and Family Engagement (SOFE) 315.312.5522
• Parking Hold – Contact Parking Services 315.312.3227
• Registrar's Hold – Contact Registrar's Office 315.312.2136
• Student Account Holds – Contact Student Accounts 315.312.2225
• Student Conduct Hold – Contact The Office of Student Conduct and Compliance (formerly Judicial Affairs) 315.312.3378
• Telecommunications – Contact Telecommunications 315.312.3039
• The Care Network Hold – Contact The Care Network 315.312.5648

SUNY’s Cross Registration policy is designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation by allowing them to take required courses at other SUNY campuses when those courses are unavailable at SUNY Oswego. It is not intended to accelerate degree completion.

Before You Apply

Oswego students must first complete the Off-Campus Study Approval process with their academic advisor to evaluate whether a course will transfer and apply toward their degree. Tuition and financial aid may be applied only to required courses that are unavailable at Oswego and are necessary for on-time graduation.

Important Dates

• Fall: Apply by August 15
• Spring: Apply by January 15
• Summer: Apply by May 15

Cross-registered courses must be within your term's credit limit as defined by Oswego—overloads are not permitted.

Student Responsibilities

• Ensure the course is being offered and that the host SUNY campus is participating in cross-registration for that term.
• Be enrolled at SUNY Oswego during the same term as the requested course.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and not be on academic probation.
• Obtain all required approvals via the Off-Campus Study Approval Form.
• Apply through the SUNY Cross Registration portal before registering at the host campus.

Do Not Register Early

Students should not register at the host campus before receiving full approval from both SUNY Oswego and the host institution via the SUNY Cross Registration portal. If you register early, you are responsible for paying tuition and fees directly to the host campus.

Approval Requirements

• The course must apply to your SUNY Oswego degree program (e.g., major, general education, upper-division requirements).
• The course is unavailable at Oswego in the needed term and would delay graduation if not taken elsewhere.

After You Register

If you drop or withdraw from a cross-registered course, you must notify both the Oswego Registrar’s Office and the host campus within five business days. Schedule changes may impact financial aid eligibility and may result in additional tuition/fees.

Financial Aid & Billing

Dropping below full-time status (fewer than 12 total credits across both campuses) can impact financial aid and result in personal liability for tuition at the host campus. Students may also be billed for course-related fees by the host campus, even when tuition is covered.

Additional Notes

• Instructor permission and meeting prerequisites do not replace the need to complete the SUNY Cross Registration process.
• Email [email protected] for instructions to access the SUNY Cross Registration portal after your Off-Campus Study form is submitted.

Winter Session Exception

SUNY Oswego does not participate in SUNY Cross Registration during winter sessions. Students may enroll directly at the host institution, but are fully responsible for tuition and fees and cannot use financial aid to cover these costs. Permission via the Off-Campus Study Approval form is still required.

Residency Requirement for Community Colleges

If cross-registering at a community college, you must file a Certificate of Residence with the host campus. This document must be submitted through the SUNY Cross Registration portal.

Off-Campus Study (Outside SUNY Cross Registration)

Courses that do not qualify for SUNY Cross Registration can still be taken at other institutions. Students must obtain Off-Campus Study approval and register as a non-matriculated student at the host campus. You will be responsible for all tuition and fees and must request an official transcript to transfer the credits to Oswego.

Reasons for Denial

Requests for SUNY Cross Registration may be denied if:

• No approved Off-Campus Study form is submitted
• The course is not degree-applicable
• The course can be taken later without delaying graduation
• The course is already available at Oswego
• The request is based on a non-academic schedule conflict
• Deadlines have passed
• You registered at the host campus before full approval
• You have a hold on your Oswego account

Students From Other SUNY Campuses

SUNY Cross Registration is available for visiting students during fall, spring, and summer. Oswego does not accept cross-registrations during the winter session. Please follow your home campus’s instructions to submit the request through the SUNY portal. Visiting students may begin registering for Oswego classes the Friday before the semester begins.

Automated Waitlisting allows matriculated students to join a waitlist in myOswego for full-semester Undergraduate and Graduate course sections that offer the option and are at capacity. Waitlisting is available from Advance Registration through the fifth day of classes and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Non-matriculated students are not eligible.

How to Waitlist

• Go to the Registration and Planning area in myOswego.
• Select the “Wait List” option from the Action menu and click Submit.
• Waitlisted courses will appear in the “Register for Classes” area under both the Find Classes and Schedule and Options tabs.

How It Works

• When a seat opens, the first student on the waitlist is notified via their @oswego.edu email and has 24 hours to register.
• During that window, the seat is held and appears as reserved in search results.
• If the student doesn’t register or removes themselves, the next person on the list is notified.

Managing Your Waitlist Status

• To claim a seat, log into myOswego, change the course Action to “Web Registered,” and click Submit.
• To remove yourself from a waitlist, choose “Drop via Web” and submit the change.
• Check your email regularly to avoid missing a registration window.

Waitlist Rules & Exceptions

• Waitlists are capped at the same size as the course (e.g., a 30-seat class allows 30 waitlisted students).
• Non-matriculated students are not eligible.
• Students may waitlist multiple sections of the same course.
• Time conflicts and co-requisite/link errors are not checked when waitlisting but will be enforced at registration.
• Registration overrides (e.g., major/minor restrictions) allow access to the waitlist and eventual registration.

Benefits

• Students are promptly notified when a seat opens.
• Reduces manual tracking and requests within departments.
• Allows communication with waitlisted students about alternative options, added sections, or future offerings.

Department Guidelines

• Do not apply additional restrictions to sections using waitlisting.
• Do not request capacity overrides for these sections.