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 Fall ELA course: Tuesday, August 25
- Last day to join a waitlist for a Fall Boston course: Tuesday, September 1
Waitlists Dissolve After Classes Start
- Boston course waitlists will be dissolved Wednesday, September 9, at 11:59 pm (ET). Starting Thursday, September 10, students studying in Boston may petition Department Chairs for permission to over-enroll into classes.
- ELA course waitlists will be dissolved Tuesday, September 1, at 9:00 pm (PT). Starting Wednesday, September 2 students studying in LA may petition the course's professor for permission to over-enroll into classes.
Petitioning to Over Enroll
If a course has a waitlist, you must wait until course waitlists are dissolved to petition to over-enroll. 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 fall course does not have a waitlist, or that waitlist is empty, you can petition to over-enroll starting Wednesday, September 2.
- If an ELA fall course does not have a waitlist, or that waitlist is empty, you can petition to over-enroll starting Wednesday, August 26.
Course Prerequisites, Major/Program Restrictions, and Class Standing Restrictions
If you receive a course prerequisite error, major/program restriction error, or class standing 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 courses' 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 Fall 2026 Speech@Emerson course is Sunday, September 6. See the 2026-2027 Speech@Emerson Academic Calendar for more information.
- Kasteel Well: The last day to add or drop a Fall 2026 Kasteel Well course is Thursday, August 27. See the Fall 2026 Kasteel Well Academic Calendar.
- Los Angeles: The last day to add a Fall 2026 Emerson Los Angeles course is Tuesday, September 1, 9:00 pm PT. The last day to drop a course (or add, with permission) is Tuesday, September 8, 9:00 pm PT. See the Fall 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 the Fall 2026 semester is Wednesday, September 9:
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Add/Drop | September 2 to September 9 |
| Restricted Add/Drop | September 10 to September 16 |
| Dropping not allowed; students must withdraw | September 17 to November 20 |
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 Wednesday, September 9, at 11:59 pm (ET).
Restricted Add/Drop
Starting Thursday, September 10, you must have instructor permission added to your account to add a class online. You may still drop classes online without permission until Wednesday, September 16, 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.
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!
Registering After September 16, 2026
Course registration additions after September 16, 2026 will be assessed a $50 late registration fee.
If you are already attending classes for the Fall 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 September 16 you will not be able to add classes at register.emerson.edu (DUO SSO Required), even with permission added to your account.
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
julia.gams [at] emerson.edu (Julia Gams)
School of Film, Television, and Media Arts
john_albert_moseley [at] emerson.edu (John-Albert Moseley)
Writing, Literature and Publishing
wlp_prog_coordinator [at] emerson.edu (WLP Program Coordinator)
Department Chairs
Comedic Arts
martie_cook [at] emerson.edu (Martie Cook)
Communication Disorders
nydia_bou [at] emerson.edu (Nydia Bou)
Communication Studies
gregory_payne [at] emerson.edu (Gregory Payne)
Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and 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
lindsay_beamish [at] emerson.edu (Lindsay Beamish)
School of Film, Television, and Media Arts
shaun_clarke [at] emerson.edu (Shaun Clarke)
Writing, Literature and Publishing
lisa_diercks [at] emerson.edu (Lisa Diercks)