Registering for Clases

Credit vs. Audit

Your J-1 immigration status requires that you take at least 6 credits each semester that you are at Notre Dame. If you plan to receive a grade for these courses or transfer them to another institution in the future, you should take them for credit.

Some FLTAs have found that--especially in the first semester--balancing teaching, studying, and adjusting can be overwhelming. Auditing a course may be a good consideration to alleviate some stress in this case because audited courses are not graded. You can discuss directly with your professor what the expectations are for an auditing student in terms of attendance policy and assignment completion.

Roll Call

ND Roll Call, a process by which you confirm your attendance for the semester, will begin in early August (see FLTA Checklist for dates). You will have roughly two weeks to complete it, but we strongly encourage you to do so as soon as you receive the first email about it. It is extremely important that you complete this process by the deadline. Failure to do so could result in your removal from the courses you are registered in and the courses you are meant to teach/TA.

Remember, this process confirms your intention to take courses each semester.

Classes to Take

You are responsible for registering for two courses for the Fall semester (no more than 9 credits) at either the graduate or upper-division undergraduate level. Courses at the upper-division undergraduate level are at the 30000 level, 40000 level, or 50000 level (i.e., courses that begin with a 3, 4, or 5). Courses at the graduate level are at the 60000 or 70000 level (i.e., courses that begin with a 6 or 7). These courses can be taken on a credit or audit basis; however, we strongly encourage you to take them for audit unless you're planning to use them to count toward some other degree later. Auditing is generally less stressful for our FLTAs (meaning you still show up to class and do the work, but don't receive a grade). 

During your two semesters at Notre Dame, you must take one course related to American studies/U.S. culture. This can be in either the fall or spring semester. This course can be in the Department of American Studies or other departments offering courses related to American society, literature, politics, etc. Some departments you may consider include: Department of English, Department of History, Department of Sociology, or the Department of Political Science. (This is not an exhaustive list). If the course that you would like to have qualify as an American Studies course is outside the Department of American Studies, you must email the CSLC Director with the course number and title for approval.

How to Register

To view the courses offered in the fall and register for them, search for "NOVO” in insideND. Detailed instructions for how to browse classes and register for them can be found at the Office of the Registrar's Registration Information page.

Please note that before choosing courses, it is important that you communicate with your supervisor in the department you will be teaching or TAing in about your specific responsibilities and teaching times. These commitments must be taken into consideration when you choose your courses. Do not choose courses that conflict with your departmental duties. 

To begin your search for classes, start with the Class Search on InsideND.

Recommended Classes

Below is a list of courses that past FLTAs have recommended and may be worth considering, depending on your interests. Note that some may be only offered during the spring semester, but it may give you some ideas to start with:

• FTT 40258 Cinema, Poetry... Revolution!

• ESS 30629 Early Childhood Education Policy in the U.S.

• PSY 43640 Educational Psychology

• MGA 60305 International and Comparative Education Policy

• CSLC 73005 Advanced Academic and Technical Presentations for International Graduate Students

• CSLC 73002 Advanced Academic and Technical Writing for International Graduate Students

• ROSP 63891 US Latino/a Literatures and Cultures

• SOC 43516 The Cultural Politics of Religion and Women's Human Rights

• AMST 30177 The Ideas that Made America

• CNST 30425 Civil Rights in America

• IIPS 30308 Structural and Cultural Violence

• IIPS 80212 Love and Violence: Religion, Civil Disobedience, and Nonviolent Resistance

• ENGL 40852 Advanced Fiction Writing II

• FTT 60410 Introduction to Film and Television Production

Restricted Courses

As you are browsing courses, please recall that some may be full or have registration restrictions placed on them. Some require that you be enrolled in a particular degree, be an undergraduate/graduate student, have departmental approval, etc. You will know this by viewing the “Restrictions” tab of the course details pop-up in NOVO (below).