Course Registration FAQs

The Office of the University Registrar manages the system availability. Review dates.

1. Go to Hokie Spa > Course Registration and Schedule Menu > Spring 2026 Hokie Registration
   Use the search criteria menu to find the courses you want to take and place them in your primary cart. Be sure to click through the menu to “save changes”
2. Courses in your primary cart will have a blue shopping cart icon. This indicates to you that courses with the blue cart icon (and no error icons) will be submitted to Course Request.
3. Watch our Course Request video for extra help!

The Office of the University Registrar manages the system availability. Review dates.

Remember, course request is just that- a request. You were not guaranteed to receive your preferred schedule. You can make adjustments to your schedule when add/drop opens.

When Add/Drop opens, review the results of your Course Request. Go to Hokie Spa > Course Registration and Schedule Menu > View Classic Student Schedule. Then select the term you wish to view. Course Request is just that – a request. You are not guaranteed to receive your preferred schedule.

Monitor seat availability in the registration system to adjust and finalize your schedule in real time. Don't forget to click or tap the Submit button in the registration system every time you add or drop a course! 

View the Hokie Registration Guides for help adjusting your schedule.

CRN is short for Course Request Number. This is the unique identifier number for each section of a course at Virginia Tech. The first digit of a CRN number is associated with the semester:

• 1 or 2 = Spring
• 4 = Winter
• 6 = Summer I, Summer II, and Summer III
• 8 or 9 = Fall
• Example: 90100 is a fall CRN

A common error during course request is attempting to request CRNs from the wrong semester. Make sure you are requesting CRN numbers for the appropriate semester.

To check if you have a hold on your account, visit Hokie Spa > Course Registration and Schedule Menu > View Holds. If you have a hold on your account which impacts registration, you will need to contact the office who placed the hold before you can complete course registration. If you are not able to remove your hold in time to complete course request, you will be able to add courses to your schedule during the add/drop period provided the hold is removed.

Full-time status during both fall and spring semesters is 12 credit hours, however, it is recommended you enroll in 15-17 credit hours.

The maximum number of credit hours you can take without is 19 credit hours. Consult your assigned academic advisor for more information.

There can be multiple sections of a class; some sections may be restricted while others are not. If a class you want is restricted, check other sections to see if they are also restricted. View course restrictions on the Timetable of Classes > select the CRN. You can also view restrictions in the course registration system on Hokie Spa by selecting the class title follwed by the restrictions tab. If all sections are restricted, you will not be able to request or register for that particular course.

Some sophomore in-major engineering courses are restricted to students in the respective engineering programs. This means General Engineering students may have to wait until they officially complete the change of major process to a restricted engineering program to add the course(s). The change of major process is completed once you submit the application and receive the decision email. The decision date for each cycle is available on the Change of Major Policies and Deadlines webpage.

If a course has an engineering major restriction and you aren't able to declare that engineering major during the upcoming change of major cycle, then you most likely will be dropped from the course once the change of major cyle is complete. 

You must be currently enrolled in the pre-requisites at Virginia Tech or have credit for the pre-requisites showing on Hokie Spa to request or add a course.

If you are completing the pre-requisite at another institution, you cannot add the follow-on course on your own using the registration system until your transfer credit for the pre-requisite is showing on Hokie Spa > Grades Menu > Transfer and Other Additional Credit. The transfer credit will not show until you have the transfer institution send an official transcript to Virginia Tech showing a C or better in the approved course equivalent and that transcript is processed by the Virginia Tech's Office of the University Registrar.

While you are waiting for your official transcript to be sent to Virginia Tech and processed, you can submit a force-add request. Force-adding is an administrative process which allows the department offering the course to place students into courses they cannot add themselves. A common reason for a force-add is unprocessed transfer credit for pre-requisite courses taken at other institutions. Take a look at our force-add video and the force-add webpage for instructions.

Some courses (e.g., COMM 2004) have an hours restriction. If you do not meet the threshold during the request period, you will have to attempt to add the course once your grades post for the current semester. The academic calendar outlines when grades are viewable on Hokie Spa.

You can view your transfer credits on Hokie Spa > Grades Menu > Transfer and Other Additional Credit. If you have not sent your expected transfer credit to Virginia Tech, follow these directions.

If you have unprocessed transfer credit for a pre-requisite for a course you will not be able to request or register for that course. If you are unable to course request certain classes due to not having the pre-requisites showing on Hokie Spa, you will have the opportunity to add those classes during the Add/Drop period once your transfer credits are processed.

Force-adding is only available during the Add/Drop phase of course registration. Force-adds are typically not considered for instructor preference or time convenience. A common reason to request a force-add is due to unprocessed transfer credit for pre-requisite courses completed at another institution. Check out our force-add video and the force-add webpage for details. Please be aware your GE Academic Advisor cannot force-add you into classes.

To transfer credit to Virginia Tech from another institution, follow the appropriate transferring credit steps. Pre-approval from the College of Engineering is required to transfer credits from an institution not in the Virginia Community College System.

The College of Engineering change of major courses are ENGE 1215, ENGE 1216, ENGL 1105, MATH 1225, and MATH 1226 for the restricted engineering majors. Completing these courses is your first priority. 

Courses like CHEM 1035, CHEM 1045, ENGL 1106, PHYS 2305, CS 1114, ECE 1004, and MATH 2114 are traditionally listed on the checksheets and roadmaps during the first year if they are required for graduation but they are not change of major courses. If you started at Virginia Tech in spring 2024 or earlier, use the checksheet of your intended major. If you started at Virginia Tech in summer 2024 or later, use the advising guide of your intended major. Additional information about graduation requirements can be found in the Virginia Tech Academic Catalog.

In addition to required courses, you must have a minimum of 12 GPA hours at Virginia Tech (maximum of 72 attempted hours) and have a minimum 2.0 overall GPA. Engineering students with a 3.0 overall GPA are guaranteed a seat in their first choice engineering major but they must submit an application on Hokie Spa > Change of Major Application. Review the Change of Major Policies and Deadlines webpage for restricted programs for the application dates.

Transferring Credit
If you are transferring credit for a change of major course, you must show proof of credit (unofficial or official transcript with a C or better in the approved course equivalent) by the transfer credit deadline. Review the Change of Major Policies and Deadlines webpage for restricted programs for details.

Major-Restricted Courses
Some Engineering courses are major restricted. If you don't declare a degree-granting engineering major by the start of the next semester, you may not be able to take major-restricted engineering courses. View course restrictions on the Timetable of Classes > click on the CRN or the registration system > click on the Class Title. 

How to Course Request Video

 How to Add a Zero Credit Lab Video

General Engineering Advising Guides

Hokie Registration Tutorials