Courses that are Full
Last Day to Join a Waitlist
Many courses have a waitlist. If a course has a waitlist, you can join it up until the semester's deadline:
- Last day to join a waitlist for a Spring Boston course: Monday, January 12
- Last day to join a waitlist for a Spring ELA course: Wednesday, January 21
Waitlists Dissolve After Classes Start
Summer waitlists are dissolved a few days after the semester starts (see Summer Registration for exact dates).
In the fall, throughout the first week of classes, seats that become available will first be offered to waitlisted students. Fall waitlists are dissolved after the first week of classes:
- Boston courses waitlists will be dissolved Tuesday, January 20, at 11:59 pm (ET). Starting Wednesday, January 21, students studying in Boston may petition Department Chairs for permission to over-enroll into classes.
- ELA course waitlists are dissolved Wednesday, January 28, at 9:00 pm (PT). Starting Thursday, January 29 students studying in LA may petition the course's professor to over-enroll into classes.
Petitioning to Over Enroll
You must wait until course waitlists are dissolved to petition to over-enroll. View Upcoming Registration and Summer Registration to look up when waitlists will dissolve.
If a course does not have a waitlist, or that waitlist is empty, you can petition to over-enroll when the semester starts. Courses may only be over-enrolled if the classroom can accommodate the additional seat.
- If a Boston spring course does not have a waitlist, or that waitlist is empty, you can petition to over-enroll starting Tuesday, January 13.
- If an ELA spring course does not have a waitlist, or that waitlist is empty, you can petition to over-enroll starting Thursday, January 22.
Prerequisites and Major/Program Restrictions
If you receive a course prerequisite error or a major/program restriction error, you may appeal for a registration override.
- Email the appropriate permission granter:
- Undergraduate Students: If the course is restricted to specific majors, classes (e.g., Senior only), or you do not meet the course prerequisites, email the course's Department Chair.
- Graduate Students: If the course is restricted to specific majors, you should discuss your registration with your Graduate Program Director.
Duplicate Section Errors
If you are trying to register for two sections of the same course (e.g., multiple Topics courses), email the department associates.
Late Registration
If you only need to register for a course after the add/drop period (and the course is NOT full), email the course professor.
Late Registration for Special Programs
- Speech@Emerson: The last day to add or drop a Spring 2026 Speech@Emerson course is Sunday, January 11. See the 2025-2026 Speech@Emerson Academic Calendar for more information.
- Kasteel Well: The last day to add or drop a Spring 2026 Kasteel Well course is Thursday, January 1. See the Spring 2026 Kasteel Well Academic Calendar.
- Los Angeles: The last day to add a Spring 2026 Emerson Los Angeles course is Wednesday, January 28, 9:00 pm PT. The last day to drop a course (or add, with permission) is Wednesday, February 4, 9:00 pm PT. See the Spring 2026 Emerson Los Angeles Academic Calendar for more information.
Late Registration Boston Courses
The last day to add all other courses and credits, including regular Boston campus courses, for Spring 2026 semester is Tuesday, January 20:
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Add/Drop | January 13 to January 20 |
| Restricted Add/Drop | January 21 to January 26 |
| Dropping not allowed; students must withdraw | January 27 to April 7 |
Unrestricted Add/Drop
During the first week of Boston campus classes, you may add and drop courses online. The last day to add a class without instructor permission is Tuesday, January 20, at 11:59 pm (ET).
Restricted Add/Drop
Starting Wednesday, January 21, you must have instructor permission added to your account to add a class online. You may still drop classes online without permission until Monday, January 26, at 11:59 pm (ET).
You do not need permission to drop a course online during the first two weeks of the semester. A course withdrawal is required starting the third week of classes.
Registering After January 26, 2026
Course registration additions after January 26, 2026 will be assessed a $50 late registration fee.
If you are already attending classes for the Spring 2026 semester and need to add a course, contact the course instructor for their late registration permission. Once permission is added to your account by a Department Associate, you must email registrar [at] emerson.edu (registrar[at]emerson[dot]edu) or visit the Registrar's Office to finalize your registration. After January 26 you will not be able to add classes at register.emerson.edu (DUO SSO Required), even with permission added to your account.
Finalizing your Registration
If permission is granted, it will be added to your account, and you'll receive a confirmation email. Once received, visit your registration page (register.emerson.edu - DUO SSO Required) to complete your registration. Courses are NOT automatically added to your schedule!
Department Associates
Los Angeles Courses
ela_academics [at] emerson.edu (Abigail O'Neall)
Business of Creative Enterprises
hannah_mceachern [at] emerson.edu (Hannah McEachern)
Comedic Arts
aubrey.daviau [at] emerson.edu (Aubrey Daviau)
Communication Disorders
terry.obrien [at] emerson.edu (Terry O'Brien)
Communication Studies
shepard_vargo [at] emerson.edu (Shepard Vargo)
Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts
kendra.howard [at] emerson.edu (Kendra Howard)
Journalism
briana.hampton [at] emerson.edu (Briana Hampton)
Marketing Communication
jaramie.cataldo [at] emerson.edu (Jaramie Cataldo)
Performing Arts
sophie_sinclair [at] emerson.edu (Sophie Sinclair)
School of Film, Television, and Media Arts
john_albert_moseley [at] emerson.edu (John-Albert Moseley)
Writing, Literature & Publishing
dylan_hearn [at] emerson.edu (Dylan Hearn)
Department Chairs
Communication Disorders
nydia_bou [at] emerson.edu (Nydia Bou)
Communication Studies
gregory_payne [at] emerson.edu (Gregory Payne)
Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies
amy_ansell [at] emerson.edu (Amy Ansell)
Journalism
lu_ann_reeb [at] emerson.edu (Lu Ann Reeb)
Marketing Communication
nejem_raheem [at] emerson.edu (Nejem Raheem)
Performing Arts
brenda_foley [at] emerson.edu (Brenda Foley)
School of Film, Television, and Media Arts
shaun_clarke [at] emerson.edu (Shaun Clarke)
Writing, Literature & Publishing
lisa_diercks [at] emerson.edu (Lisa Diercks)