Registering for Classes

Registration may seem overwhelming your first semester. Here are some answers to some commonly asked questions to help you with your first registration session.

Second-Degree or Returning JMU Students 

If you are earning a second Bachelor's degree or are a returning JMU student, please call the ADP Office for information. There is a different admission procedure that needs to be followed. You will start out as an official undergraduate student. Once you are accepted to the university, you can register for classes. Go to the section below called "How do I use ECAMPUS?" for more directions on registration.

"Official" Undergraduate Students

You are eligible to apply to the Adult Degree Program if:

• There has been a three-year period since high school where the student has not gone to college on a full-time basis. The time does not have to be consecutive.
• The student has at a minimum thirty (30) graded college credits with a letter grade of "C" or better on each credit hour.

If you meet the other qualifications for admission, you will be admitted as an "official" undergraduate student and have all of the rights and responsibilities of any student majoring in any field at the university.

Except for initial registration, registration takes place each semester over a three-week period during which students view course listings and schedule the following semester's classes via MyMadison online at mymadison.jmu.edu. The Registration and Student Record Services Handbook contains pertinent information about registration procedures and times. The handbook is available at online or in the Office of the Registrar on the third floor of Warren.

How do I use MyMadison?

You can look at tutorials for MyMadison. Go to the Information Systems MyMadison support page. On it are links for most items you may want to do in MyMadison. Read through the whole page but pay close attention to the following two links:

Go to the MyMadison page. This will bring you to the sign in page for MyMadison. Login using your JMU electronic ID and password. If you cannot get logged in, call the Help Desk at (540) 568-3555. You may have to go to their office in Frye Building.

Once you have clicked the "Sign In" button, you will see a page entitled "Learner Services." It is important that your user preferences are set correctly in ECAMPUS before you attempt to register or you will have trouble. The first thing to do is to make sure your user preferences are set correctly for your status.

Click on "Personal Portfolio" to update your Personal Information. This will bring you to a page where you can update your information. To correct your user preferences, click on "User Preferences" under "Security Settings." Update the following areas as indicated:

Institution: Leave as James Madison University

Academic Career:  Select your Academic Career from the available drop-down list. If you are a "Special Student" select "Continuing Education." Otherwise, select "Undergraduate."

Term:Use the drop-down menu to select the current semester for which you are registering.

Aid Year: Use the drop-down menu to select the current calendar school year.

Click on "Save" when complete to finalize your profile. If all went well, the page will come up saying "Save Confirmation. The Save was successful." Click "OK."

This brings you back to your Personal Preferences page. To leave the page, either click on the link at the bottom "Return To Learner Services" or click on "Home" at the top.

Log out of MyMadison and log back in to ensure that your new settings take place.

To begin registering, log back into MyMadison and follow the directions that you read in the Enrollment / Add a Class Tutorial above.

Frequently Asked Questions about Registration

How do I know which courses to take?

The first semester in the Adult Degree Program, all students must register for the required IS 200: Orientation to Individualized Study.  

If you are past your first semester and have taken IS 200, you know what classes you need to register for because you planned them in your program. Any undergraduate admitted student in good standing (2.0 or above) may take a maximum of 19 credit hours per semester without securing special permission.

What is a block course?

Most classes last the entire semester. However, block courses are classes that meet for only half the semester (8 weeks). Sometimes these are special one- or two-credit courses, such as skiing or computer classes. (The orientation classes in the Adult Degree Program are also examples except they meet for just five weeks.) Some block classes are regular three-credit courses that meet for the same amount of class time as full-semester classes but each class session is twice as long as usual. Block courses are identified by the session code. Eight week-first meets the first half of the semester and eight week-second meets the second half of the semester. You can tell by the section number of the class. The section number is 4 digits. If the second digit is a "1," "2," "3," or "4," it is a block course. A class with section "0101" will meet the first 8 weeks of the fall semester. A class with section "0201" will meet the second 8 weeks of the fall semester. A class with section "0301" will meet the first 8 weeks of the spring semester. A class with section "0401" will meet the second 8 weeks of the spring semester.

What is a "Hold?"

A hold is what is placed on your record to indicate that there is a matter of University business that you must attend to. It could be that you have an outstanding debt (library fines, parking ticket), did not fill out a blue card (local address card) or have not completed paperwork. A hold can keep you from being able to register, get grades, or even receive your diploma.  If you receive one it is a simple matter of reporting to the office that issued the hold and clearing up the problem. You will usually discover a hold when you log on to MYMadison. Go to the "Holds" tutorial for more information.

Where is the Registration Center?

The Registration Office is located in Warren Hall on the third floor. The phone number is (540) 568-6166 and the fax number is (540) 568-3499. Always keep up with the Registrar's Home Page. The latest information on registration will be found at this site.