Information about Short Term 2026 and Fall 2026 course registration

Hello all Bates students,

This communication provides some information regarding course registration processes for Short Term 2026 and Fall 2026 semester. Please read all of this email and please discuss it with your academic advisor.

This communication will also be archived at the Student Advising Portal at the “Important Communications with All Students” Drop-Down. You can always go to that Portal to get this information.

Again, please connect with your academic advisor in order to discuss your plans and have your advising hold lifted so that you can complete the course registration process.

IMPORTANT DATES:

The entire registration schedule is available on the Student Dates and Deadlines Calendar and the Student Advising Portal. They are also listed below with notes for your convenience.

Monday, February 23, 2026 – Advising Period Begins

Short Term and Fall 2026 schedules are available on Garnet Gateway

Friday, February 27, 2026, at 9:00AM ET – Short Term and Fall 2026 Registration Opens

Please note: This initial round of registration is NOT first come, first served and class enrollment capacities do not apply.

Friday, March 6, 2026, at 4:00PM ET – Short Term and Fall 2026 Registration Closes

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 12:00PM ET – First-Round Registration Results are Released

Registration results are not final prior to this time. Statuses are subject to change while optimization is processed.

If you are satisfied with the outcome and you are registered for a minimum of 3.0 credits for Fall 2026, you do not have to do anything.

If you did not get optimized into courses you are still interested in taking, you may submit a petition for an available seat via Garnet Gateway.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 12:00PM ET – Student Petitioning Opens

You may submit petitions for courses you registered for, but were not optimized into, through Garnet Gateway. These petitions go directly to the instructor for review.

Do not email the Registrar’s Office or Academic Standing for this petition.

Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 11:59PM ET – Student Petitioning Closes

Faculty will review petitions between 03/16 and 03/25.

If the faculty member accepts the petition, the Registrar’s Office will enroll the student; no action is needed by the student.

Monday, March 30, 2026, at 12:00PM ET – Petitioning Results Released

Petitioning results are not final prior to this time. Statuses are subject to change while petitioning is processed.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 7:00AM ET – Add/Drop for Short Term and Fall 2026 Opens

If your petition was not accepted, you can choose an alternative course to add to your schedule.

Students can also register for up to 5.5 credits for Fall 2026 at this point.

Friday, April 17, 2026, at 11:59PM ET – Last Day to Withdraw from or Change Grade Mode for Winter 2026 Courses

Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 11:59PM ET – Last Day to Add a Short Term 2026 Course

Friday, May 8, 2026, at 11:59PM ET – Last Day to Drop a Short Term 2026 Course

Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 11:59PM ET – Add/Drop Closes for Fall 2026

Please remember that students must be registered for no fewer than 3.0 credits per semester to be enrolled at Bates. Standard academic progress per semester is 4.0 credits. The maximum permitted credit count per semester is 5.5 credits.

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Important Information by Class Year

Class of 2029 (First-Years)

Please connect with your pre-major academic advisor (your FYS instructor) to review your academic planning and to have your advising hold lifted. It is recommended that all students complete all of their MOI credits by the end of their sophomore year, so please attend to which MOIs you have not completed and consider registering for courses in those areas. Also, you may want to discuss with your academic advisor any ideas you have about possible majors or possible “plus one” areas including minors or general education concentrations (GECs). Standard academic progress after 2 semesters at Bates is 8 credits completed; minimum academic progress after 2 semesters at Bates is 6 credits completed.

Remember, that short-term is a general education requirement for your class year and the half-credit earned in a short-term course is counted toward the total 32 credits you need for the Bates degree. Students must take 2 short-term courses as part of their Bates degree. You can take a short-term as a first-year student, but you are not required to do so.

Class of 2028 (Sophomores)

Please be sure to have your “Major Plus One” fully declared by March 1, 2026. If you are intending to study abroad, the deadline for major declaration was February 7, 2026. If you have not completed your MOIs, please consider doing so during your junior year. Standard academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 16 credits completed; minimum academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 14 credits completed.

Remember, that short-term is a general education requirement for your class year and the half-credit earned in a short-term course is counted toward the total 32 credits you need for the degree. Students must take 2 short-term courses as part of their Bates degree. You can take a short-term as a sophomore, but you are not required to do so.

Class of 2027 (Juniors)

If you are currently studying away or abroad from Bates, your advising hold is already lifted. However, you may want to check in with your academic advisor(s) to review your course registration plans either by email or by setting up a Zoom video call at a mutually convenient time.

If you studied abroad in Fall 2025, please be sure to have completed and turned into the Registrar all forms to ensure that your credits from abroad are applied to your major, to your minor, and/or to your general education concentration if applicable. All forms and all information on what you must do to have your credits from study abroad applied to your degree are available here.

Standard academic progress after 6 semesters at Bates is 24 credits completed; minimum academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 22 credits completed.

Remember, short-term is a general education requirement for your class year and the half-credit earned in a short-term course is counted toward the total 32 credits you need for the degree. Students must take 2 short-term courses as part of their Bates degree. You can take a short-term as a junior, but you are not required to do so.

Class of 2026 (Seniors)

If you studied abroad and have not filed your forms to have the credits applied to your major(s), minor(s), or general education concentrations, please do so as soon as possible. All forms and information on how to complete them are here.

Standard academic progress after 8 semesters at Bates is 32 credits completed.

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If you have additional questions, please connect with your academic advisor(s). If you do not know who your academic advisors are, they are listed at the top of your Degree Audit, which you can access at Garnet Gateway and they are also listed in your “Success Network” on BatesReach, which you can also access at Garnet Gateway.

Thanks!!