Registering for classes
Complete your Course Request Form early!
The search for classes is based on what you have submitted in your Course Request Form in the ISSS Portal. If you are an undergraduate student, Academic Advisor Ella Metzger in University College can assist you in registering for classes. If you are graduate student, Tyler Yozze from ISSS will reach out to you after you submit your Course Request Form. The earlier your Course Request Form is submitted, the better chance you have of getting your requested courses. Your academic advisor will contact you via email with any follow-up questions or issues.
There are many factors that can influence your ability to get into a class:
- A class may be full or have been canceled;
- A class may be limited to degree-seeking students or those who are graduating soon; or
- Permission from an advisor or professor is required to allow special access into a class.
Full-Time Enrollment
Exchange students must be enrolled full-time to maintain J-1 status. A full course load is 12 credit hours for undergraduates and nine credit hours for graduates. Three credit hours is generally equal to one class.
Selecting classes
At Illinois State University, courses are generally numbered in accordance with the following system:
Level courses
Are for first- and second- year students
Level courses
Are for second- through fourth-year students
Level courses
Are for third- and fourth- year students
Level courses
Are for graduate students (who have already completed a bachelor’s degree)
Prerequisites
A prerequisite is a course that must be taken before another course. With some 200- or 300-level course requests, students must be able to show that they have taken classes at home that satisfy the prerequisite requirement here. For example, if you ask to take Auditing 200, you should have studied a class like Auditing 100 at home that appears on your transcript. Any required prerequisites for a specific class will be listed in Course Finder.
Please note: Any Teaching and Learning (TCH) courses that include a clinical component will not be available for exchange students. Additionally, College of Business (COB) courses require many prerequisites and you may not be able to get into all your requested classes. These classes are not guaranteed and are subject to availability and space in the course. Please reach out to your academic advisor for further clarification on which COB courses are available for exchange students during your semester of study.