Registration Restrictions

Some courses have registration restrictions based on previous coursework, declared majors/minor, or class standing. Restrictions are determined by the faculty and vary across the curriculum. The information is available in the Classfinder in each course's details.

The following course access requirements will prevent a student from registering. If appropriate, students may contact instructor's directly to request an override. Not all overrides are available during all rounds of registration. An override does not guarantee registration nor grant preferential treatment; it simply forces the system to view the student as equally qualified to register as other students who already meet those course rules. Once the faculty member submits the override you will see it in the "Preparing for Registration" section of Polaris and may then submit a request/register for the class.

Prerequisites (previous coursework or placement required)
Co-requisites (another course that must be taken simultaneously)
Class exclusions (if you've taken X course, then you may not take Y course)
Major/minor restriction (must have a specific declared major or minor to take the class)
Class standing restriction (must be a specific class standing to take the class)

What is class standing? When students matriculate/begin coursework at Bowdoin, they become part of the "Class of" the year of their anticipated graduation. This class year designation does not change during a student's time at Bowdoin. A student's class standing, however, is based on a combination of credits earned after matriculation and number of semesters enrolled at Bowdoin, so it can shift. "Sophomore, Second Semester" is an example of a class standing.

Students may email registrar@bowdoin.edu about applying for advanced class standing after registration has occurred during the semester in which they are a first-semester junior.

Since course registration begins before the start of the semester, Polaris presumes that students will advance in class standing and applies any class standing restrictions accordingly. Students whose class standing does not advance, e.g., they are on a leave currently, should pay careful attention to these restrictions and contact the Office of the Registrar with any questions by emailing registrar@bowdoin.edu.

Students are encouraged to check Polaris for their class standing and major/minor declarations in advance of registration and should pay close attention to a course's registration preference order as well as the number of pending requests in Classfinder during Rounds 1 and 2.

Students interested in changing their major or minor in time for it to be reflected for Round 1 or Round 2 processing need to have approvals sent to the Registrar no later than two days before the close of the round. See the Registrar's Calendar for the specific dates.