Skip to main content
Donate
Donate

Prepare and manage your schedule

Undergraduate students

Ready to plan your semester? The information on this page will help you to prepare and manage your schedule. Once you are ready, you can register for courses.

How to register

Graduate students

You'll find registration support on the Faculty of Graduate Studies myDal site.

Graduate course registration (Net ID login required)

Preparing your schedule

Before you register for courses, take time to plan ahead. A well-organized schedule helps you stay on track, avoid conflicts, and make the most of your semester. Use the resources available to ensure your choices fit your program requirements and your personal goals.

Course workload

Understand your course workload options before building your schedule. Most single term courses are worth 0.5 credit or 3 credit hours.

  • Typical course load: 5 courses per term (2.5 credits/15 credit hours)
  • Minimum course load: 3 courses per term (1.5 credits/9 credit hours)

  • Full course load: 5-6 courses per term (10-12 credit hours)
  • Minimum course load: 3 courses per term (6 credits)

  • Maximum course load: 2 courses per term (1 credit/6 credit hours)

You need to request special permission if you wish to exceed your maximum courseload.

Students with a term GPA of at least 3.0 in your previous academic term: Request permission from the Registrar's Office.

First year students, or students with a term GPA below a 3.0 in your previous academic term: Fill out a Request to Exceed the Maximum Workload form [PDF - 427 kB] and submit it to your Faculty/School/College for approval.

Academic timetable

The academic timetable lists courses offered in a particular term. You’ll use it to find courses, create your schedule, find out where your courses are being held, and who is teaching them.

Learn how to use the timetable View the timetable

Your degree audit

Your degree audit is a report that gives you a personalized snapshot of the requirements for your program. 

Learn how to run a degree audit

Tips for preparing your schedule

  • New students: Take advantage of support for new students, including Register on Track sessions and course planning worksheets.
  • Start with the hard-to-get courses: If a course only has one section, lock that in first.
  • Be flexible: You might not get all your top picks—have backups ready.
  • Avoid time conflicts: Double-check class, lab, and tutorial times.
  • Plan for travel time: Leave time to get between buildings or campuses.
  • Register early: This helps the university add more sections if needed. Keep checking the timetable over the summer—new courses might pop up!
  • Make sure to register for labs and tutorials: If you see a lab or tutorial listed under a course (usually in blue or green), you must register for one of them too.
    • Labs = start with “B”
    • Tutorials = start with “T”
    • If multiple options are given, pick the one that fits your schedule best.
Three students sit on puffy red chairs working on laptops. There are large windows behind them, with a view of a whale skeleton installation.