Preparing to Register for Courses

During the academic year, students typically register for spring classes in November, fall classes in April, and summer session classes starting in March.  (New students follow a different registration schedule.)  

Students may have one or more “holds” in their BuffPortal, which need to be released before registering for classes.

  1. You should first review your online Degree Audit in BuffPortal.
  2. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss how you are progressing in your degree program and your overall student journey.

Registration Instructions for Continuing Students

  1. Log on to BuffPortal. Click on “Register for Classes” to be directed to the "Student Center".
  2. Once in the "Student Center," click on the "Add" tab to search for classes and add them to the "Shopping Cart". 
  3. Once classes are in the "Shopping Cart", check the boxes for all the courses you want to enroll in. Then below this area, click on the "Finish Enrolling" button.
  4. Check that the course appears in the “Class Schedule” and that you see a green check mark to the right (which indicates that you are enrolled in the course). It’s important to check your “Class Schedule” listing regularly to make sure you are indeed enrolled in the classes you think you should be, to check for classroom or time changes in the course, etc. This is also where you check the status of a class you are waitlisted in to see if you become enrolled or not.

Registration Instructions for New Transfer Students

As a new transfer student, it’s important you consult with an academic advisor early on, since you need to see how your particular transfer course work applies to your new degree program. 

  1. Don’t forget to have final high school transcripts, college transcripts, AP exam scores and IB exam scores sent to the CU-Boulder Office of Admissions. This is especially important if you are just finishing up courses elsewhere.
  2. Be prepared to provide your academic advisor with a college transcript, course descriptions, and course syllabi from each prior college attended. 
  3. Contact your advisor before you enroll in courses on BuffPortal.
  4. Once you have contacted your advisor, follow the registration steps above for continuing students.