CAESAR Registration Frequently Asked Questions

Appointment times for a quarter are generally added to your CAESAR account on the Thursday before Pre-Registration begins. If you do not see an enrollment appointment by Friday morning contact the Registrar's office to have an enrollment appointment manually assigned. Possible causes for a missing appointment time are: Late inter-school transfers, changes to expected graduation date (generally for seniors who attempting to register for classes the fall after their expected spring graduation), or changes to student athlete status.

"My Appointment Time on CAESAR is Incorrect, what should I do?"

There are many factors which determine a student's appointment time. You can read about how appointment times are assigned in the Appointment Time Setup Procedure document on the Registrar's website.

If you feel you have been assigned an incorrect appointment time contact the registration staff at the Registrar's Office to have your appointment time checked. Bear in mind that missing AP or Study Abroad credits can affect appointment times.

"How do I add a class during the First Week of the Quarter (aka the Change of Registration Period)?"

During the Change of Registration Period you can make changes to your schedule on CAESAR yourself.

If you are trying to add a course overload (see "How do I add a Course Overload") you will need to bring a Dean signed add slip to the Registrar's Office and we will add you into the class. The last time for you to add a course yourself on CAESAR is the last day of the first week of classes at 5:00pm.

"How do I add a Class AFTER the First week of Class (how to add a class Late)?"

Adding a class after the Change of Registration Period (after 5:00pm on the last day of the first week of class for a quarter) is considered late registration. Late adds are allowed at the discretion of your Dean (approval is granted on a case by case basis. It is not guaranteed). To add a class late you will need to have an add slip signed by the Dean of your school, then bring the Dean signed form to the Office of the Registrar and we will add the course for you. Add slips are available at your Dean's office or in the Office of the Registrar.

"What is a Permission Number?"

Permission numbers are codes that when entered properly into CAESAR allow students to add into closed classes, or those requiring department or instructor permission. They are randomly generated numbers, and can be as short at two digits, and as long as six.

"How do I enter my Permission Number on CAESAR?"

Once you have selected a class to add, either by entering in the 5-digit class number or using the search function, the Select Classes to Add – Enrollment Preferences page will appear. Enter the permission number in the box labeled Permission Nbr on the right side of the page. Change any other enrollment preferences (i.e. grading basis) and click ‘Next’ to continue with registration.

"How do I get a Permission Number?"

The Office of the Registrar does not issue permission numbers. Permission numbers for courses which require "Department Consent" are obtained directly from the department offering the class. Permission numbers for "Instructor Consent" courses are obtained directly from the professor teaching the class. Please contact either the department or the instructor directly to obtain a permission number.

"Why doesn't my permission number work when I enter it in CAESAR?"

There are several reasons this could be happening. Double check that you have entered the number correctly, and, if you have several permission numbers for different classes, make sure you have entered the number for the correct class.

Once a permission number has been used successfully to enroll in a class, that permission number cannot be used again. If you enroll in the class with the permission number, drop it, and try to re-enroll with the same permission number it won't work. Also, since the departments deal with hundreds of permission numbers each quarter, sometimes the same permission number is given out twice and has already been used by another student.

If none of the other explanations apply and you want to check if your number has been used by another student, contact the registration staff at the Registrar's office. To obtain another permission number you will need to contact the department or professor who gave you the first number.

"I want to enroll in classes with a Time Conflict (ie: Slightly overlapping Meeting times) but CAESAR won't let me, how can I register?"

You will need to fill out a Registration Time Conflict Permission form to be registered for classes with time conflicts on CAESAR. Once you have spoken to both professors involved to work out the time conflict BOTH professors must sign the form. Bring the signed form to the Registrar's Office and the registration staff will manually add you to the class.

Registration Time Conflict Permission forms are available on the Registrar's web site or in the Registrar's Office. You will need to have the signatures of both professors of the conflicting courses, even if you will never miss one of the classes.

If a time conflict exists due to an incorrect class time on CAESAR please notify the department offering the class. The Registrar's Office can only update times on CAESAR when notified directly by the department offering the class. If the time is not corrected on CAESAR you will need to fill out a Registration Time Conflict Permission Form.

"The Class I want to take is full, how can I get on a Waitlist?"

A few departments use electronic waitlists on CAESAR. Classes that have closed and have an electronic waitlist option on CAESAR will appear in search results with a yellow triangle to indicate waitlist availability. Select the course you would like to waitlist by clicking ‘Select.’ The Select Classes to Add – Enrollment Preferences page will appear. Check the ‘Wait list if class is full’ option on the right side of the page. Change any other enrollment preferences (grading basis, permission number) and click ‘Next’ to continue registering to the waitlist.

Some, but not all, departments at NU create waitlists for closed courses. The Registrar’s Office cannot put you on a waitlist for a class. If there is no waitlist option indicated (yellow triangle) on CAESAR, please contact the department offering the class directly to find out if there is a waitlist and to get your name on it.

"How do I remove myself from a class waitlist?"

You use the Drop function to remove yourself from the waitlist of a class in which you are no longer interested. Drop your enrollment in the waitlist just like you would drop from a class in which you are enrolled.

"How do I add a Course Overload (5th/6th Class)?"

Students can only add course overloads during the first week of classes for the quarter. To add a course overload you will need to have an add slip signed by the Dean of your school approving the overload, then bring the Dean signed form to the Office of the Registrar and we will add the course for you. Add slips are available at your Dean's office or in the Office of the Registrar.

Overloads are defined as follows by school:
WCAS: anything over 4.99 units ( a 5th class is an overload)
MEDILL/SESP: Anything over 5.00 units (5th class ok, any units over is an overload)
COMM/MUSIC/TECH: Anything over 5.99 units (a 6th class is an overload)
TGS: Graduate students may only take 4 units

"Why won't CAESAR let me register for my 5th Class?"

Regardless of school, no student can register for a 5th class until the Change of Registration Period (the first week of classes for a quarter). With the exception of WCAS students, you will be able to add the class online during the first week of class.

If you are a WCAS student a 5th class is considered a course overload. You must have your Dean's approval (in the form of a Dean signed add slip) to add a fifth class. Bring the signed add slip to the Registrar's Office and we will add you into the class (you will not be able to add yourself online).

"I didn't take classes last quarter and now CAESAR won't let me register. What do I do (ie How do I FRET)?"

Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters constitute the regular academic year at Northwestern. It is assumed that degree seeking students will register for each quarter of the regular academic year. If you do not register for a regular academic year quarter you are de-activated as a student.

You will need to fill out a Former Student Re-Entry Form (AKA a FRET form) to be re-activated at NU and set up to enroll. FRET forms are available at the Registrar's Office or on the Registrar's website. You must fill out your FRET form 6 weeks before the first day of registration for the quarter you wish to return. For more information on this process go to the Registrar's homepage and select "Former Students".

"How do I Know if I can P/N a class?"

Please see the P/N regulations on the Registrar's web site.

"How do I change the Grading Basis for my Course (e.g., from ABC grading to P/N or vice versa)?"

From the Student Center page on CAESAR, select ‘Enrollment: Edit’ from the drop down menu under Academics. Choose the class you would like to edit on the Select a Class to Edit page and click ‘Proceed to Step 2 of 3.’ If the course you are editing has a discussion section, the Select a Class to Edit – Related Class Sections page will appear listing discussion sections you can switch into if you wish. If you do not wish to change discussion sections, click ‘Next’ to continue. The Select a Class to Edit – Enrollment Preferences page appears. Choose the grading option you prefer from the drop down menu on the right side of the page, click ‘Next’ to continue. Confirm the changes you have made and click ‘Finish Editing’ to complete the process.

"How do I change the number of units of a class in which I'm registered?"

From the Student Center page on CAESAR, select ‘Enrollment: Edit’ from the drop down menu under Academics. Choose the class you would like to edit on the Select a Class to Edit page and click ‘Proceed to Step 2 of 3.’ If the course you are editing has a discussion section, the Select a Class to Edit – Related Class Sections page will appear listing discussion sections you can switch into if you wish. If you do not wish to change discussion sections, click ‘Next’ to continue. The Select a Class to Edit – Enrollment Preferences page appears. Enter the number of units on the right side of the page, click ‘Next’ to continue. Confirm the changes you have made and click ‘Finish Editing’ to complete the process.

"How do I change the Discussion/Lab section for a course in which I am registered?"

There are two ways to change the discussion or lab section for which you are registered. You can never drop or enroll directly into the discussion section. Only lecture sections are enrollment sections.

1. To change your discussion/lab for a class (open or closed), select ‘Enrollment: Edit’ from the drop down menu under Academics on the Student Center page. Choose the class you would like to edit on the Select a Class to Edit page and click ‘Proceed to Step 2 of 3.’ The Select a Class to Edit – Related Class Sections page will appear listing all discussion/lab sections for the course. Click ‘Next’ to continue. The Select a Class to Edit – Enrollment Preferences page will appear, click ‘Next’ to continue. Confirm the changes you have made and click ‘Finish Editing’ to complete the process.

2. To change your discussion/lab for a class with a lecture section that is not full, you can use the swap function. Swap from your lecture section to the same lecture section with the new related discussion/lab section.

**Please note: if you drop a class with a full lecture section and attempt to re-enroll with a new discussion section, you may lose your place in the class. It will be at the department’s discretion to give you a permission number to get back in.

"How do I enroll in a School of Continuing Studies course?"

To enroll in a School of Continuing Studies course you will need to get special permission from your Dean's office. At your Dean's office you will need to fill out a Dual Registration form. Bring this Dean signed form to the Registrar's Office. If there is space available in the course after all School of Continuing Studies students have registered you will be added to the course on the first day of the SCS quarter. You will be notified if you have not been able to register in the course. If you don't hear from the Registrar's Office all is well, you have been registered and you should attend the first class.

Please note: we enroll undergrads into School of Continuing Studies on a first come, first served basis. The earlier you are able to submit your dual registration form to the Registrar's Office, the more likely you will be to get any available seats in the class.

"I am a grad student, how do I register for a course outside my career?"

Graduate school students (TGS students) desiring to take classes in other schools are no longer required to secure signatures of their department and TGS advisors to enroll in classes offered by the schools below. Students wishing to add classes offered by these schools need simply to secure a permission number from the department offering the class and enroll themselves via CAESAR.

McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Sciences
Medill School of Journalism, undergraduate classes
School of Communication
School of Education & Social Policy
School of Music
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

TGS Graduate students wishing to enroll in classes offered by any other NU school should secure the signature of the department offering the course and of their TGS advisor on a Registration Exception form. Submit the signed form to the Office of the Registrar to be enrolled in the class.

"I have no idea what I'm doing. How do I make CAESAR work?"

There is a basic introduction to using CAESAR to help you get accustomed to using CAESAR on the CAESAR main page before you log in (Click "Instructions for using CAESAR").

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