Exchange students can browse potential course listings in the Course Guide and in the public Course Search & Enroll “app”. You will be sent an email from the Office of the Registrar once you are officially accepted for exchange, which will contain an invitation to enroll in courses and a date to enroll.
Your enrollment date will be several months before the start of the semester – in April for fall courses and in November for spring courses. You will be able to enroll in coursework any time after this date and time. As many courses fill up quickly, it is to your advantage to enroll on your enrollment date or as soon as possible afterward. You may enroll for courses online and modify your course schedule through your personal Course Search & Enroll (NetID required) until the deadline to add classes for the term passes.
Some UW–Madison classes are open only to students who have specific qualifications. These conditions are called requisites. Look for requisite information in two places: at the course level (“Prerequisites” in the main course panel) and sometimes at the section level (under “Enrollment Information” in the section detail.) If you plan to take courses with requisites, you will need to receive authorization from the instructor or the department. If you don’t, you’ll get an error message when you try to enroll, and your enrollment in that course will not be successful.
UW-Madison’s Office of the Registrar has excellent information for all students on how to search for courses, enroll, and handle problems like requisites. Be sure to read their Enrollment Help page before you begin searching for classes!
Course Restrictions
Please note that exchange students are rarely, if ever, allowed to enroll in courses from UW-Madison professional schools (Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Law, Education, etc). Some courses are open to exchange students, but are very popular and fill quickly during enrollment time. Within any single department, there may be some courses which are not open to exchange students, or fill entirely with UW-Madison degree-seeking students. Flexibility is key to successful enrollment!
Several subject areas are in particularly high demand on campus. More information is available below:
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Wisconsin School of Business courses
Business Exchange students receive priority enrollment for courses in the Wisconsin School of Business. Therefore, if you are not participating on a Business Exchange Program you may have to wait until after the regular enrollment period is complete or even until you arrive in Madison to enroll in these courses. Many business courses fill up quickly. IAP, CALS, and Engineering exchange students should not assume they can enroll in business courses when making decisions about whether to participate in our exchange. You will receive more details about Business course enrollment by email prior to enrollment time.
College of Engineering courses
Engineering courses are in high demand. Be sure to indicate your interest in Engineering courses in your exchange student application. You will receive more details about Engineering course enrollment by email prior to enrollment time.
Computer Sciences courses
Computer Sciences requires interested exchange students to fill out an enrollment request form before course access can be reviewed. Due to high demand of Comp Sci courses in general, exchange student enrollment is not guaranteed. You will receive this form by email prior to enrollment time.
Economics courses
Economics courses are in high demand. Economics has more information on their website about Economics course availability. You should fill out the Economics course request form at enrollment time.
Otherwise, exchange students can enroll in any courses at UW-Madison for which they are qualified (completed the course requisites at their home institution) that have open seats available. Once you enroll for classes, it is possible to modify your enrollment at any time prior to the start of the semester and for a short time at the start of the semester.
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Can I take ESL classes?
English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are mainly for degree-seeking UW-Madison students. Students are placed into ESL coursework based on their English language skills. Therefore, students interested in taking an ESL class will have to take the ESL Assessment Test (ESLAT). Enrollment permission is not guaranteed, but exchange students are allowed to enroll in ESL courses if space is available.
Can I take online classes?
J-1 exchange students generally need to take traditional on-campus courses. One online course may count toward a J-1 student’s full-time enrollment requirement per semester.
Is it possible to do research while at UW-Madison?
Yes! Our exchange students have conducted research under the supervision of UW-Madison faculty and staff while here on exchange. If this interests you, it is up to you to review the information and interests of UW faculty members and/or research groups and to contact them yourself. Your UW-Madison study abroad office cannot assist you with making connections. We suggest choosing a faculty member whose interests line up with your own, or who is doing research that you are interested in learning more about. When you email them, explain your background and why you’re interested in working with them, as well as what knowledge or skills you might be able to bring to their group. It’s possible to receive academic credit for working in a research lab.
Exchange students at UW for a single semester are sometimes not here long enough to join an ongoing research project for a sufficient length of time. If you’re interested in joining a research group, we suggest looking for one several months before the semester begins.
Looking to learn more? The Department of Chemistry and BioCommons have put together helpful tips on finding research opportunities.
I would like to take a course that has a requisite. I’ve taken an intro class on this subject already. What do I do?
If you cannot enroll due to requisites, please email the department directly requesting permission to enroll. Explain that you are an exchange student and let them know the prior coursework you have taken that would give you the needed background knowledge for the course. Include your Campus ID number, the course name, number, lecture number, and section number (if applicable). Some departments may ask you to email a copy of your home university transcript to them, so be prepared to do so if they ask for it. The Registrar’s Enrollment Help page has more information on how to do this.
Am I stuck with the classes I choose before I arrive?
Not at all. Though we recommend you to choose classes at enrollment time, you are not locked into your choices. After the semester begins, there will be a short period (about one week) where you can add and drop classes as needed with no penalty. After this period, it’s still possible to drop classes as long as you will still be taking the minimum credit load after the drop (12 for undergrads, 8 for grad students). During this period, a “dropped” notation will appear on your transcript. This is not a failed grade. Once the final drop deadline passes, you will be unable to drop any more classes.
Is it okay to take two classes that have overlapping meeting times?
No. Since you need to attend all of your classes, taking two classes that overlap is a problem. You can sign up temporarily for overlapping classes while registering, if you plan to make changes to your schedule. However, be sure you have no course conflicts by the beginning of the semester.
Exam times are also listed in Course Guide and Course Search & Enroll. It is possible (though rare) for two courses that do not overlap to have overlapping exam times. If you have two final examinations that are scheduled for the same time, contact your instructors immediately to discuss whether it is possible to have one rescheduled. If one of the examinations cannot be rescheduled, you will need to pick a different course.
I’m having problems logging into MyUW. Can you help me?
Unfortunately, we can’t reset your password for you. You should contact the Division of Information Technology (DoIT).
Orientation
Together, your online and on-site orientation will set you up for success at UW-Madison. We recommend that you watch our online orientation video modules a few weeks prior to your arrival on campus.