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Registration support for the first year

Prior to registering for classes, it is recommended that you review the resources below that will aid you in planning your schedule. Please make sure to use your AU email when communicating with your advisor, your faculty, and other staff at AU.

Registration Resources

Incoming Students starting in Fall 2025: you can use these resources to help you plan ahead, but more information about advising and specific resources to you will be shared in June! See the right-hand column for more key dates!

Current first-year students for the 2024-2025 academic year: continue working with your Advisor directly!

Incoming first year students can plan to attend a New Student Registration Webinar on June 5th or June 11th from 7-8pm EST to learn more about how to read and understand your Advising Kickoff Letter (which will beÌýemailed on June 4th),Ìýhow to start planning and registering for courses in Eagle Service, and additional tips and tricks for registration.

To plan and register for courses, be sure to log in to Eagle Service and open the "Schedule and Plan" page.ÌýIf you need a refresher on using Eagle Service, review the Eagle Service 101 document.

Below are the registration resources you can use to help you start planning courses in Eagle Service. You can receive additional support from your assigned First-Year Advisor to choose, plan, and register for classes.

  • Course Planning Checklist - This will guide you through the course planning process including items to reflect on, items to prepare for, and items to plan.Ìý
    • If you are part of a specific cohort, please make sure to plan the appropriate courses for your cohort for the upcoming semester.ÌýÌý
  • – use to this to review what is recommended to take next semester for your major of interest. You will need to login using username@american.edu NOT username@student.american.edu. This site contains:Ìý
    • – use this document to verify that you'reÌýtakingÌýthe recommended courses for your first year.Ìý
    • Graduation Planning Documents - use these links to find your major and suggested courses for your future semesters in your major. Links to the different graduation planning documents are at the bottom of the .
    • Blank Planning Documents – use these documents as a template for you while planning your future semester.ÌýLinks to different blank planning documentsÌýare on the right sideÌýof the .
  • Academic Programs section of the Course Catalog for your intended major – you can review your intended major requirements in full here. All majors and minors are located in this section of the Course Catalog if you are planning to add a minor or double major and want to take a course for these programs. Pay close attention that you are looking at your academic year (the academic year you started at AU).Ìý
  • For Frequently Asked Questions, registration tutorials, and other resources, please visit Ìý
    • The – this has resources related to Eagle Service and your Student PlannerÌý
    • First Year Advising FAQÌý
    • - this hosts tutorial videos for registration

Major-Based Academic Advising

Students will receive advising information based on their current intended major. Rising sophomores should wait until June 1st to contact major-based advisors. Work with your current advisor regarding advising support you may need.

Incoming first year students should wait until June 4th to contact major-based advisors. If you have questions or concerns in the meantime, please contact undergradstudies@american.edu.Ìý

Find more information about advising based on your intended major below:

AU Core Foundation

In your first year at AU, you want to progress through the AU Core Foundation Requirements.ÌýIn consultation with your advisor, check that you are making progress to finish these requirements.Ìý

Review the entire AU Core

Students will take AUx1 in their first semester and AU Encounters in their second semester. See more about the AUx program and see course descriptions in the AU Experience Homepage.

All students have to complete one or more writing courses to fulfill their Written Communication and Information Literacy I requirement. You will receive guidance in your Suggested Course Letter. Below is more information about each course option:

WRT 100: Not all sections of WRT-100 will be open when registration begins. If you do not get a seat in any section, select a section to waitlist. The Writing Studies Program uses waitlist data to strategically open more sections to accommodate the demand. The Writing Studies Program will open sections throughout the summer.Ìý

WRT 106: If you see WRT-106 listed in your Suggested Course Letter, you indicated having AP/IB credit that qualifies you to fulfill the Written Communication and Information Literacy I requirement through one semester of courses instead of two. You must submit your scores and/or transcripts to AU Admissions once they become available. Your first-year advisor will verify your score/transcript in late July/early August. The Writing Studies Program makes enough seats available to accommodate half of the eligible population for WRT-106 each term. This means that you will take WRT-106 next spring term if you do not get a seat now.

WRT 101: This recommendation has been made if you indicated anticipating dual-enrollment credit.

WRT 102: If WRT-102 is listed, you will be pre-registered for a section. No further action is needed.

All students have to complete one course in their first year to fulfill their Complex Problems requirement. You will receive guidance in your Suggested Course Letter. Below is more information about each course option:

CORE 105:ÌýEach section has a unique topic. Search the course catalog in Eagle Service to find a section that interests you. If you cannot get a seat now or you choose to take it in the spring, there will be plenty of sections of CORE-105 open next spring to do so.

CORE-106 and 107:ÌýThese sections are only open to students in Honors (106), Community-Based Research Scholars (106), AU Cornerstone (107), and University College (107). If you see CORE-107, you have been pre-registered in a section.

To fulfill the Quantitative Literacy I requirement, students will take a Math or Statistics course. Depending on your major, you may have a specific Math and/or Statistics course(s) to complete as a requirementÌýfor your major.Ìý

If you’re planning to pursue a major that eventually requires Calculus, you need to complete the Math Placement Exam to ensure placement into the appropriate course. Check out the exam website for the list of majors that require the exam.

To receive additional advising on an appropriate course to fulfill the Q1 requirement, you can reach out to your Advisor.

Summer 2025 Key Dates
  • Monday, May 5:ÌýNew Eagle Questionnaire emailed to incoming first year students
  • Saturday, May 24:ÌýNew Eagle Questionnaire due
  • Monday, May 26: Memorial Day; university offices closed
  • Wednesday, June 4: Incoming first year students receive "Advising Kickoff Letter" with advising information and recommended courses
  • Thursday, June 5: New Student Registration Webinar #1
  • Wednesday, June 11: New Student Registration Webinar #2
  • Monday, June 16: Registration Opens for Early Decision,ÌýAthletes, First-Gen, & Pell-Eligible students
  • Tuesday, June 17: Registration Opens for Early Action students
  • Wednesday, June 18:ÌýRegistration Opens for Regular Decision students
  • Thursday, June 19: Memorial Day; university offices closed
  • Friday, July 4: IndependenceÌýDay; university offices closed
  • Tuesday, August 19-Friday, August 22: New Student Orientation