Schedule Builder Tips

See our Schedule Builder guide video for a broad overview of how to use Schedule Builder.

Schedule Builder provides many ways for you to customize your search and create draft schedules.

Here are 10 tips to master Schedule Builder.

Access all of these tips by going to:

Schedule Builder
Click on "Class Search," "Explore," "Semester Plan," or "Schedules" on the left side navigation bar.

The open/waitlisted/closed search filter.

Tip #1: Filter for Open/Waitlisted/Closed Classes

Annoyed that all the classes you search for are closed? Limit the search to only show you classes that are open and/or have an open wait list.

Tip #2: Filter for Credits

Especially useful if you need to only find 4 credit options for a certain class, such as if you're searching for English and can't take a 3 credit class.

You can also find smaller classes this way! Set an "upper limit" of 2 to only find 1-2 credit classes.

Schedule Builder's liberal education filter.

Tip #3: Filter for Liberal Education Requirements

Find classes in a general field across different departments. For example, if you want to find a broad array of courses about the environment:

Check "Require courses to have [all of] the following liberal education requirements."
Check "Environment."

Bonus tip! You can only search for requirements from separate categories of the the University's liberal education requirements: one "core," one "theme," and "Writing Intensive." See here for details.

Tip #4: Filter for Delivery Format

Search for classes that are in-person, remote-instruction (usually meeting at fixed times each week on Zoom), asynchronous online formats, or blended formats.

Schedule Builder's delivery format filters.

Tip #5: Use Blocked Times

Use Blocked Times (located under "Exclusions") to block out the least flexible parts of your schedule, such as sports, high school classes, or work shifts. When you search for classes, Schedule Builder will not show you courses that conflict with your blocked times.

This can save you a lot of frustration when searching for classes since you won't get flooded with classes options that won't work for you.

Tip #6: Check Time Between Classes

Check that you have enough time to comfortably get from one class to another by checking the "Room" column in Schedule Builder. Use Google Maps to estimate your walk time between classes or the GopherTrip app to estimate UMN shuttle routes. Budget extra time especially when crossing the Mississippi River or traveling between the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses (at least 45 minutes).

Example of ECON 1102 schedule entry showing an ECON 1101 prerequisite.

Example of ACCT 2051 schedule entry showing a requirement in the section details.

Tip #7: Check Prerequisites and Requirements

After the course description, check to see if a course has any "prereqs" (courses you have to complete first).

In rare cases, courses may list enrollment requirements in the section details rather than the course description.

Tip #8: Check for Required Multiple Sections

Many classes at the University require a lecture AND discussion, or a lecture AND lab. Most required discussion and lab sections are tied specifically to the lectures listed directly above them in Schedule Builder.

Example: Enrolling in discussion section 002 of PSY 1001 also automatically enrolls you in lecture section 001, the lecture immediately above it.

Tip #9: Use Add Course vs. Add Section

Using "Add Course" instead of "Add Section" lets Schedule Builder try a much wider array of sections when combining your desired classes.

Tip #10: Use Built Schedules & Save Schedules

Use "Built Schedules" to automatically compile schedule options. This will provide up to fifteen possible schedules!

Use "Save schedule" to save your favorite "Built Schedules." You can later export these to a class shopping cart to queue them up for registration, or come back to them later and change the classes around.

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