Course Match is designed to build conflict-free schedules that rely less on timing and access advantages. Instead of a traditional first-come, first-served system that can favor those with earlier or faster access, everyone submits their preferences during the same preregistration period before schedules are assigned.

Course Match then considers your preferences, your budget, and course demand to determine the best possible schedule you can receive.

What you'll do in Course Match

Advising Holds

You will have your hold released by your advisor to view courses and begin preregistration in Course Match. If you are a double major, both of your advisors must release your hold.

Setting your credit enrollment limit

Type the maximum amount of credits you are comfortable taking. Course Match will not enroll you in more than the credit amount you select. If you do not adjust the credit amount, it defaults to 4.0 credits. You should account for special permission courses, courses with prerequisites, and any lessons or labs you plan to take.

Ranking Courses (Favorite, Great, Good, Acceptable)

Select the courses you want to take and rank them based on your academic interests and priorities. Course Match reads rank as strength of preference, so your rankings should reflect how much you want or need to take a course in relation to the other courses. Moving courses up a category shows a large increase in preference. Moving courses up within a category shows a small increase in preference.

Special Permission and Prerequisites

If you get approval to select a special permission course or a course with prerequisites, rank that class like you would any other course: in order of how much you want or need to take the course, in relation to your other class selections.

Schedule review

After ranking, look through the 8 non-guaranteed, conflict-free schedule options. These are the best possible schedules you could receive based on your rankings. If you don't like what you see, you can select more course options and adjust your rankings. Once you like your schedule options, click CONFIRM.

Making Adjustments

You can go back to make adjustments as often as you like, until preregistration closes on April 24, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EST. You do not need advisor approval to go back into Course Match and change your selections and rankings

Getting the most out of Course Match

1. Rank by priority, not probability. If a course is required for your major, it should be ranked higher. If a course strongly interests you, it should also be ranked higher. You should not lower a ranking because you believe you have a better chance of getting in.

· Example: Even if you receive Special Permission for a course, you must still select and rank that course in Course Match according to your true preference. You should not assume that receiving approval increases the likelihood that you are enrolled. When Course Match runs its final computation, your rankings inform how much you want to be placed in that course.

2. Know that approvals don’t guarantee enrollment. Receiving Special Permission or a Prerequisite Override does not guarantee enrollment. You should rank that course based on how much you want it, in relation to other courses.

3. Ranking is more powerful than class year priority, but class year priority is still in place. For this reason, no matter your class year, you must rank all courses based on your genuine preferences. If a senior ranks a course low, that tells Course Match they don’t care as much about getting placed in that course as another course they ranked high. Similarly, if a first-year ranks a course high, Course Match works a lot harder to place them in that course, despite class year priority.

4. Select enough courses for Course Match to create a full schedule. You should choose and rank more courses than the minimum Course Match requires, up to 25 courses. This gives Course Match the flexibility to build a full, conflict-free schedule. Students who select the bare minimum, or choose nearly all courses with time conflicts, are much less likely to end up with a complete schedule.

5. Add all cross-listed sections and rank them closely together. The seats for cross-listed courses are divided between departments and programs and will hold true to those limits. Therefore, you should add all cross-listed sections and rank them closely together in your selections to increase the likelihood of registration. Course Match has conflicts embedded to prevent you from being registered for more than one of the cross-listed courses.

What Course Match does behind the scenes

Scheduling Budget = Class-Year Boost

You will receive a budget that helps determine placement into courses. First-years receive a base budget; sophomores receive approximately a 10% greater budget; juniors receive approximately a 25% greater budget; and seniors receive the highest budget, approximately 50% greater (these budget percentages are subject to change).

Although seniors receive the highest budget, each student's rankings should always reflect personal preferences. Why? Course Match looks at rankings first, and it uses your budget to try placing you into courses you placed high on your list. If you rank a course low because you think you are less likely to get in, Course Match won't try as hard putting you in that class. Ranking based on your true preferences increases the chances of getting into high-demand courses.

Courses are assigned a cost, based on demand

Once all rankings are submitted and preregistration closes, the computation begins. Course Match looks at how many students want to take a course and compares it to how many seats are available for that class. Courses with fewer seats than students who selected them effectively cost more, while courses with available seats cost little or nothing. Course Match uses the students' budgets to get them into those courses.

Course Match assigns schedules

The computation then evaluates all possible conflict-free schedules for each student, beyond the 8 sample schedules shown on the website. Instead of filling courses one at a time, Course Match orders these schedules based on how well they match a student’s rankings and then assigns the best schedule that fits within the student’s budget.

Step-by-Step Guide

This guide will walk you through each step to preregister in Course Match, and how to get the best results for the upcoming semester.

0_Welcome to Course Match_2026.mp4

Step 1: Getting Started in Course Match

Set the maximum course load you’re comfortable taking.

⚙️The default maximum amount is set to 4.0 credits/units (1 credit = 1 Vassar Unit) but you can adjust this number from 3.5 to 4.9 units.

Based on this number, you will select and rank at least twice as many course options.

🚨Be sure to include any approved credit amount, along with the credits from all other courses you plan to take. For example, if you received approval for a 1-credit senior seminar, and you also plan to take 3.5 credits in other courses, you should type 4.5 to account for both.

0-credit courses

0-credit courses, such as some music lessons or labs, appear as 0.1 credits in Course Match for system compatibility. So if you plan to take a 0-credit course, increase your maximum slightly to allow for this.

Special permission courses and courses with prerequisites

Include the credit amount of any special permission course or course with prerequisites that you plan to take, including your senior thesis and senior seminar.

When you are ready, you click NEXT: FIND CLASSES to proceed

Examples

The default course load

If your maximum course load is 4.0 units, leave it at 4.0 - the default amount

In the next step, add and rank at least 8 credits of courses

Adding a lab

If your maximum course load is 4.0 + 1 lab → enter 4.1

In the next step, add and rank at least 8.2 credits of courses

Adding a lab and a music lesson

If your maximum course load is 4.5 + 1 lab + 1 music lesson → enter 4.7

In the next step, rank at least 9.4 credits of courses

Adding a senior thesis

If you maximum course load is 3.5 + 0.5-unit thesis, enter 4.5

In the next step, rank at least 9 credits of courses

1_Set Credit Max_2026.mp4

Step 1 Explainer: Setting your course load

Step 2: Find Classes

Course Match creates your optimal schedule from the courses you select in this step and your rankings in Step 3.

The more courses you add, the better

The more courses you select, the greater your chances of being placed in a full schedule. To continue to Step 3, you must select at least 2 times the maximum number of course credits you entered in the last step. But we recommend adding more, between 3-4 times that max credit load.

You can select up to 25 courses. Selecting more than 25 courses may contribute to delay in the computation, and we may need to remove a course from the bottom of your rankings.

Course selection guidelines

Add any class that you might be interested in taking, even if it is not your top pick.
Add courses with time conflicts! Course Match automatically handles scheduling conflicts. Just be sure to add enough courses with different meeting times to be have a full schedule.
Do not select a class that you would not want to take, unless required by your major.

Grayed-out courses = course ineligibility

If you are not eligible to take a course, it will be grayed out in Course Match. The course is grayed-out either because you need Special Permission from the instructor to take the course, it requires a Prerequisite Override, or you are not in the right class year to take the course (see example below).

To see all courses, or just the courses you can add right away, toggle grayed-out courses on or off.

Image shows an example of a grayed-out course and a course that is not grayed-out

Course Tags

To help you determine the reason the course is grayed-out, look at the abbreviations attached to the end of the course in Course Match, called course tags. Based on the tag, you can tell if you need to submit the Special Permission Prerequisite Override Form, or if you are not in the required class year (see 📑Course Tag Index drop down)

You can also check the Schedule of Classes for the following codes next to your course of interest:

Under the column “SP”, the letters “SP” means “You need Special Permission to take this course.”
Under the column “PREREQ”, the letter “Y” means “You must fulfill the necessary Prerequisites to take this course.”

Special Permission and Prerequisite Override Requests

If you want to take a course that requires Special Permission or a Prerequisite override, submit the Special Permission Prerequisite Override Form as soon as possible. If approved, the special permission and/or courses with prerequisites will no longer be grayed out, and you will be able to select and rank that course.

If you receive approval for a special permission course the Registrar's Office will add the course to your selections.

If you receive approval for a prerequisite course, you must select the course yourself.

Rank both special permission courses and courses with prerequisites based like any other course: how much you want to take it, in relation to your other course selections.

📑Course Tag Index

In Course Match, you will see abbreviations at the end of some course codes, called course tags. Here are what they mean:

PQ = Prerequisite Required (AFRS-255-51PQ)

SP = Special Permission Required (ART-399-51SP)

FR = Course Reserved for First-Year Students (DRAM-103-51FR)

SO = Course Reserved for Sophomore Students (DRAM-103-51SO)
JR = Course Reserved for Junior Students (DRAM-103-51JR)

SR = Course Reserved for Senior Students (DRAM-103-51SR)

Courses may have a combination of tags to indicate a course has both a class-year limit and Special Permission and/or a Prerequisite:

EDUC-361-51JRPQ: Course Reserved for Junior Students + Prerequisite Required

ASIA-194-51FRSP: Course Reserved for First-Year Students + Special Permission Required

If courses with tags aren't grayed out and has a course tag, you are eligible to take the class.

💡Tips to find different course types

Type the following to find:

“6week” → All six-week courses
“1st6” → Courses by the first half of the semester
“2nd6” → Courses by the second half of the semester
“FWS” → First-Year Writing Seminars
“Course Name” (e.g., MATH-241) → A specific course
“Course description” (e.g., Big Ideas in Economics) → Course title and extended description
“Department” (e.g., Economics-) → All courses in that department
“Instructor name” (e.g., Zhu or Zhu, Zhengren) → Courses taught by that instructor

***There can be overlap in search words. For example, typing “ANTH” will populate the department code “ANTH-”, the course title “Reading in the Anthropocene”, and the Instructor’s name “Scaduto, Anthony.”

💡Tips to sort courses

Click the following to sort by:

Name (e.g., CHEM-125-43) → Sorts course names alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Description (e.g., Chemical Principles) → Sorts course descriptions alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Instructor (e.g., McLaughlin, Krystle) → Sorts instructor last names alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Credits (e.g., 0.1 credit, 0.5 credits, 1 credit) → Sorts courses by credit value (low–high / high–low)
Selected (Add / Remove) → Sorts by whether a course is added; added courses move to the top or bottom

🚨Adding Co-requisites

Some courses have co-requisites, meaning you must add both courses to get credit. For example, to take CHEM-125, you must add both the lecture and the lab. Other courses with co-requisites may require you to add both the course and a corresponding intensive.

In Course Match, you should select both the course and its co-requisite, and rank them one after the other (e.g., rank the CHEM-125 lecture and lab together, in the Great category). If this course if your favorite, place the course in Favorite, and rank the co-requisite at the top of Great.

There aren’t many courses with co-requisites, but if you’re unsure, you can check the course description in the current Course Catalogue.

IMPORTANT!

Your progress is only saved after you select enough courses and click NEXT: RANK CLASSES. You can return any time to adjust your selections and rankings until preregistration closes on Friday, April 24, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m. EST.

When you are ready, you click NEXT: RANK CLASSES to proceed

2_Find Classes_2026.mp4

Step 2 Explainer: Find Classes

Step 3: Rank Classes

Ranking is the single greatest determining factor of getting placed in a course. It tells Course Match how much you want to take that course, relative to the other courses you selected and ranked.

Drag and drop courses into the 4 ranking categories based on your academic needs and interests.

⏩Mac drag and drop keyboard shortcut: “OPTION” or “COMMAND” + “UP/DOWN”

⏩PC drag and drop keyboard shortcut: “CTRL” + “ALT” + “UP/DOWN”

Ranking categories

Favorite: Your absolute top choice (Only one allowed). This is the class that you need/want the most above all others.
- If you don’t have a single favorite, just leave it blank. Place your top 2 or 3 courses at the top of the Great list instead.
Great: These courses closely align with your top preferences or academic requirements (Select as many as you like).
Good: These courses somewhat align with your top preferences or academic requirements. (Select as many as you like).
Acceptable: Courses that you are willing to take and could fit into your schedule, even if they are not your first choices (Select as many as you like).
- All courses begin in this category. Move them into higher categories to set overall priority.

Ranking Guidelines

If you have a course that fulfills an academic requirement, you should rank that course high, along with any other course you need to take or are very interested in taking. Course Match will do its best to place you in those top picks.

Rank Special Permission Courses and courses with Prerequisite Overrides where you want it relative to other courses. Even though you have been given Special Permission or a Prerequisite Override to be considered for a course, you should still rank them based on your interest or need.

Don’t rank based on what you think others will do. Course Match is designed to give you the best possible schedule based on what you say you want. If you rank a course lower than you actually want it, the system believes you care less about it. Then, you’re less likely to get it.

Do not place all of your courses in a single category. It may be tempting to put all of your courses in “Great”, but Course Match will think it doesn’t matter which course you get into, and you could get enrolled in all the courses at the bottom of the “Great” category. Use categories for large distinctions in preference, and use the order within categories for small distinctions in preference.

💡Tips for multiple sections of the same course

To increase your chances of getting enrolled in that course that has multiple sections, select and closely rank those sections of the same course in Course Match.

📚Case Study

You really want to get into Statistics & Experimental Design. There are 4 sections of this course: PSYC-200-51, -52, -53, -54. You should select all of those course sections in Step 2: Find Classes. You should then closely rank them together in Step 3: Rank Classes. If one of those sections is your top pick (e.g., you prefer to meet on a specific day/time more than another), rank that section highest, followed by the other two sections. If it is your most preferred course above all other courses you can add, rank that one Favorite, then place the other three at the top of Great.

💡Tips for ranking a course that is cross-listed

If a course is offered under more than one subject code (cross-listed), you should rank all of the sections together to give yourself the best chance of getting into the class.

Put your most preferred prefix (e.g., ESCI) above the other prefixes (e.g., ENST, GEOG, and URBS).
- - If you want to take it more than any other course, place your preferred prefix in the Favorite category with the subsequent sections at the top of Great.
  - If the course is not your favorite, rank the prefixes one after the other in the same category.

📚Case Study 1

You want to take ESCI-202-01 more than any other course you selected. ESCI-202-01 is cross-listed with ENST, ESSC, GEOG, and URBS. Your ranking might look like this:

Favorite:

ESCI-202-01 (preferred prefix)

Great:

ENST-202-01
ESSC-202-01
GEOG-202-01
URBS-202-01

📚Case Study 2

You really want to take ESCI-202-01, but there are other courses you are just as interested in. ESCI-202-01 is cross-listed with ENST, ESSC, GEOG, and URBS. Your ranking might look like this:

Great:

ESCI-202-01 (preferred prefix)
ENST-202-01
ESSC-202-01
GEOG-202-01
URBS-202-01

Why this matters:

Ranking all cross-listed sections makes it more likely you’ll get a seat in the class. If you’re placed, you usually don’t need to switch subject codes later — Degree Works will recognize the cross-listing and apply the course to your requirements no matter which subject code you’re enrolled under. If you need to change your prefix, contact the registrar at registrar@vassar.edu.

Once you feel comfortable with your rankings, click SUBMIT RANKINGS. Or see the optional Step 5 to set rules for your courses.

3_Rank Classes_2026.mp4

Step 3 Explainer: Ranking Classes

Step 4: Review Schedules

Course Match will show you up to 8 sample schedules based on your rankings. Each sample shows you an optimal, conflict-free option based on your top rankings.

These eight potential schedules are NOT GUARANTEED. You might not be enrolled in one of the exact sample schedules, especially if demand exceeds availability for top-ranked courses.

Don’t like the courses you see in your sample schedules? This may indicate that you should adjust your rankings to see courses you do like. Or, you may have selected too many courses with time conflicts. If so, go back and select more courses that don't take place at the same time.

See too many of one course type in your schedule (e.g., 3 history courses when you only want to take 1)? Consider setting a rule, which is an easy way to control how many course types you are enrolled in while being considered for all courses you select. You can set rules at the bottom of the Rank Your Classes page. Check out this video to learn more about Rules.

Course Colors on Sample Schedules

The colors of courses are just a visual aid to help you see better view your sample schedules. They do not represent a course’s topic, type, or department. Sometimes two courses may share the same color. Always check course titles and times to avoid confusion.

Carefully review your schedules

Do you like the classes and times in the sample schedules?
If yes, click Next: Confirm
If not, go back to Step 3 to adjust your course rankings. You can make changes to your course selections and rankings any time until preregistration closes on Friday, April 24, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m. EST.

4_Review Schedules_2026.mp4

Step 4 Explainer: Reviewing Schedules

(Optional) Step 5: Rules

Rules are a powerful tool in Course Match. They help you control how many courses you’re assigned from a particular group for your ideal schedule.

Because you can pick as many classes as you like, Rules can tell Course Match, “I like all of these, but only give me one (or two or three) out of this group of courses.”

Check out the video below to learn to how rules works or continue reading about rules!

Rules Explainer_Course Match.mp4

Step 5 Explainer: How to set rules

How to add a Rule

Rank your courses as usual (step 3).
Scroll to the bottom of the class rankings page
Click Add Rule at the bottom of the class ranking page
Only create Rules if you want only one course from a group
Did you change your course selections? Don’t forget to update your Rules so they still apply to the new courses you want covered.

When to create a Rule

You rank several courses in the same subject but only want a limited number.

- For example: You rank 5 History classes but only want 2 → Add a Rule “2 of these classes” and select the corresponding 5 courses.

You want only one, two, or three courses from a set of options.

- For example: You rank Elementary Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language courses but only want 1 → Add a Rule “1 of these classes” and select the corresponding courses.

When you don't need to apply a Rule

Multiple sections of the same course. You can rank as many sections as you like, but you’ll only be registered for one section (e.g., sections 51, 52, 53, and 54 of PSYC-200).

Cross-listed courses. If you rank both listings (e.g., DRAM-126 and MUSI-126), you’ll only be enrolled in one.

Time conflicts. If two courses overlap (e.g., CMPU-101 and DANC-164 at the same time), you can rank both, but you’ll only be placed in one.

However, you should still include these courses in a rule if they belong to a broader type of courses. For example, if you add multiple sections of JAPA-105 (01 and 02) and CHIN-105-01 and ASIA-105-01, they should all be included in a rule because you could still get enrolled in too many language courses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Select a question from the list below to view the answer. If your question is not answered below, please email the Course Match support team at coursematch@vassar.edu.

Preparing for Preregistration

What is the biggest mistake I can make?

Not ranking enough courses. Although you must select at least twice the number of credits/units as the maximum course load you set, it’s better to select more, up to 25 courses. For example, if you aim for a 4.5 credit course load, you must select at least 9 credits worth of courses, but we would suggest you select 13.5 to 18 credits worth of courses.

Why? Adding more courses increases your chances of getting a schedule that fits your preferences. Listing only your top picks can limit your results, and Course Match will not let you proceed until you meet the minimum.

What is the second biggest mistake I can make?

Not ranking courses according to your true preferences and academic needs.

Your rankings tell Course Match which classes matter the most to you and guide the trade-offs it makes when assigning seats. Rank honestly! This might mean placing a course high because it’s required for your major or simply because you’re interested in it.

How do I get the courses I want?

Course Match works best when you have selected courses based on your preferences. It will use the rankings from you and your classmates to determine demand and assign classes accordingly, prioritizing your highest-ranked options, based on seat availability.

Preregistration is open, but I can’t see any courses. What’s wrong?

If you cannot see any courses in Course Match, first make sure your advisor(s) have released your advising hold to access Course Match after the two of you have had your advisor meeting. If you are a double major, both advisors must do this before you can see courses.

If you are sure your hold(s) have been released, log out and log back in to refresh your status.

If you still don’t see courses after logging out and logging back in, contact the Registrar office at registrar@vassar.edu because you may have some other hold preventing you from viewing courses.

If you can view some courses in Course Match, but the course list looks different from the Schedule of Classes, read the FAQ below.

What are Advising Holds?

Advising Holds are what your advisor or pre-major advisor will remove after you meet with them to discuss preregistration. Instead of receiving PINs, your advisor will release your advising hold for you so you can immediately view and add courses in Course Match.

If you are a double-major, both of your advisors must release the advising hold.

Once your advising hold(s) have been released, log out and log back into Course Match to refresh your status.

If you cannot view any courses on Course Match, contact your advisor(s) to ensure they have given you access. If you are certain your advisor(s) have already released your advising hold, contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@vassar.edu because you may have another hold.

What tools can I use to plan for my semester before preregistering in Course Match?

Great question! To plan effectively, use these tools to design your ideal semester plan before submitting on Course Match.

Schedule Brewer is a great way to filter courses and visualize various class schedules even if they conflict with each other. While Course Match shows you 8 possible schedules, it does not show you schedule conflicts. So if you prefer to visualize conflicts, try using this tool.

Degree Works will help you plan for your major requirements and which courses to prioritize. Some multidisciplinary departments have more flexible course requirements that may display differently in Degree Works, so check with your department and advisor to make sure you are prioritizing the correct courses.

Vassar Course Catalogue provides detailed information about each course, and may help you make informed decisions when planning your schedule. Ensure you are viewing the 2025/2026 academic year, since Googling “Vassar course catalogue” may bring up older versions.

Course Eligibility

Why can't I select a grayed-out course in Course Match?

The most common reason a course is not available for selection is course ineligibility. Course Match will gray-out any courses that need the instructor's special permission to take, require prerequisites you haven’t met, or unavailable to your class-year. Tags at the end of course codes (MATH-224-51PQ) help you determine why you're not eligible to take the course.

If you discover the course you want to take requires Special Permission or a Prerequisite Override, submit the Special Permission Prerequisite Override Form as soon as you can when preregistration opens to give time for your advisor, instructor, and the Registrar’s Office to process your request.

I just received instructor approval after submitting the Special Permission/Prerequisite Override Jotform, but it’s still grayed-out in Course Match. Why?

The Registrar’s office manually processes each instructor approval submitted through the Jotform. Because of this, there may be a short delay before the course appears in Course Match. Please allow 1-2 business days to process your approved request. If you still can't select the course, please submit a support ticket.

What are Special Permission courses?

A Special Permission course requires instructor approval before you can add the class. Special Permission courses are visible but grayed-out in Course Match, so you must submit the Special Permission Prerequisite Override Form and receive instructor approval.

Once approved, the Registrar's Office will select the course for you in Course Match. However, you are still responsible for ranking your Special Permission course.

You should rank any Special Permission course how you want it in relation to other courses. If you prefer a different course over this one, rank your Special Permission course below it.

What are Courses with Prerequisites?

A prerequisite is a course (or sometimes a placement score) that you must complete before enrolling in another course. Prerequisites make sure you have the background knowledge or skills needed for more advanced classes.

If you believe you have satisfied the prerequisites, please submit this Special Permission Prerequisite Override Form.

For example, a student interested in taking MATH-220 would need to satisfy the prerequisite – MATH-125 or MATH-127, or its equivalent (advanced placement), or permission of the department.

What are the abbreviations at the end of some course codes?

Course tags at the end of some course titles indicate if the course requires special permission, has a prerequisite, or is reserved for a specific class year (e.g., DRAM-103-51JR = Reserved for Junior students).

You can select any course that is not grayed-out, even if it has a tag. For example, if AFRS-255-51PQ is not grayed-out, that means you satisfy the prerequisite and can select and rank the course.

Courses may have a combination of tags to indicate a course has both a class-year limit and Special Permission and/or a Prerequisite (e.g., ASIA-194-51FRSP = Reserved for First-Year Students + Special Permission Required)

I see a ZZZ-999-99 course in my Course Match selections. What is this course?

You recently requested and received Special Permission for a Required Course. At the time your request was approved, you had not yet made your course selections. To ensure the permission-only course appeared in Course Match, a placeholder course (ZZZ-999-99) may have been added for you. Once you’ve entered your actual course selections, please be sure to delete the placeholder course.

Finding and Adding Courses

Some courses are grayed-out and I can't select them. Why?

Courses you are not yet eligible to take are grayed out and not available for selection, often for the following reasons:

The course requires Special Permission or has Prerequisite you don’t officially meet. Confirm with the Schedule of Classes to see if you need to submit the Special Permissions and Prerequisite Override Jotform. If your request is approved, you will be able to view the course in Course Match.

Some courses are limited to specific class years.

Special Permission or Prerequisite: As a good starting point, check in the Schedule of Classes if the course you are searching for requires Special Permission or if the course has a Prerequisite that you do not officially meet. If either applies, you will need to submit the form before you can be considered for enrollment.

If your request is approved by the instructor, please give the Registrar’s Office time to process the approval and make it visible in Course Match. You will then be able to view, select, and rank that course in Course Match.

Check our FAQ’s on Prerequisites and Special Permissions to learn more!

Class-Year Restrictions: Know that some courses are limited to specific class years. For example, a First-Year student will not be able to view and add a senior seminar in Course Match because that course is limited to seniors.
For Students Looking for SOCI-151: Have you already taken SOCI-151 “Introductory Sociology” and are looking to add it in Course Match? If you have already taken and passed that course , you are not permitted to retake it; therefore, this course will not be visible in Course Match.

If you have run through these steps and still have not resolved the issue, please submit a request for support.

How many courses am I allowed to add in Course Match?

You can select up to 25 courses! With Course Match, adding more courses that meet your academic needs along with courses you are interested in improves your chances of getting a full schedule that you like right away.

You set the maximum course load you want to take this semester, which defaults to 4.0 credits. Course Match will not register you for more than the maximum course load you set.

Based on the maximum course load you entered, you select and rank at least twice as many course credits. We highly recommend selecting more courses than the minimum.

Examples:

If your maximum course load is 4.0 units → add and rank at least 8 credits of courses
If your maximum course load is 4.0 + 1 lab → set the maximum to 4.1, add and rank at least 8.2 credits
If your maximum course load is 4.5 + 1 lab + 1 music lesson → set the maximum to 4.7, rank at least 9.4 credits.
If your maximum course load is 3.5 units → add and rank at least 7 credits of courses

To learn more about exceeding the maximum permitted 4.5 in-class course load, refer to the Dean of Studies page for guidance.

What are the search tools I should know about?

Type the following to find types of courses:

“6week” → All six-week courses
“1st6” → Courses by the first half of the semester
“2nd6” → Courses by the second half of the semester
“FWS” → First-Year Writing Seminars
“Course Name” (e.g., MATH-241) → A specific course
“Course description” (e.g., Big Ideas in Economics) → Course title and extended description
“Department” (e.g., Economics-) → All courses in that department
“Instructor name” (e.g., Zhu, Zhengren) → Courses taught by that instructor

Keep in mind that there can be overlap in search words. For example, typing “ANTH” will populate the department code “ANTH-”, the course title “Reading in the Anthropocene”, and the Instructor’s name “Scaduto, Anthony.”

How do I find six-week courses?

In the Find Classes section of Course Match, type “6week” in the search bar to see all six-week courses for the semester.

Type “1st6” to view courses offered in the first half of the semester. Type “2nd6” to view courses offered in the second half of the semester.

Remember, six-week courses are almost always .5 credits, so be sure to add enough credits to rank your courses. To learn more about a six-week course, click on the course description.

How do I sort courses in Course Match?

In the FIND CLASSES tab, you can sort courses by Name, Description, Instructor, Credits, and Selected. Sorting can be used before or after you’ve looked up courses.

Here’s what each sorting option does:

Click the following to sort courses:

Name (e.g., CHEM-125-43) → Sorts course names alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Description (e.g., Chemical Principles) → Sorts course descriptions alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Instructor (e.g., McLaughlin, Krystle) → Sorts instructor last names alphabetically (A–Z / Z–A)
Credits (e.g., 0.1 credit, 0.5 credits, 1 credit) → Sorts courses by credit value (low–high / high–low)
Selected (Add / Remove) → Sorts by whether a course is added; added courses move to the top or bottom

How do I find course descriptions in Course Match?

To learn more about a course, click the hyperlink on the course name (e.g. AFRS-106-01). This will link you directly to the course description in the Vassar College Catalogue, or click the Extended Description [+] under the title to see it.

What if I have selected a course and I don’t really want to take it?

Only select courses that you would be interested in or need to take. Do not select courses just to meet the minimum credit requirement. Be thoughtful about your selections to avoid being enrolled in a course that you do not want to take.

Keep searching, read the descriptions, and only rank courses that you have some interest in.

What if I want to select two courses that are scheduled at the same time? Can I select and rank them both?

Yes! You can select any courses you’re interested in, even if they have overlapping meeting times. Course Match will automatically ensure you are not placed in two courses that meet at the same time, even if you ranked them in the same category.

Use Schedule Brewer to easily filter courses and visualize potential scheduling conflicts. Just remember this tool is for planning only and does not register you for classes.

What are co-requisites?

A course with a co-requisite means you must add both courses to get credit. For example, to take CHEM-125, you must add both the lecture and the lab. Some courses require students to take both the course and its co-requisite intensive.

Not many courses have co-requisites, but look at the course description in the Course Catalogue if you are unsure.

Ranking Courses

What do the ranking categories mean again?

Favorite: Your absolute top choice (Only one allowed). This is the class that you need/want the most above all others.
- This category is optional, so if you don’t have a single favorite, just leave it blank and place your top 2 or 3 courses at the top of the Great list instead.
Great: These courses closely align with your top preferences or academic requirements (Select as many as you like).
Good: These courses somewhat align with your top preferences or academic requirements. (Select as many as you like).
Acceptable: Courses that you are willing to take and could fit into your schedule, even if they are not your first choices (Select as many as you like).
- All courses begin in this category. Drag and drop them into higher categories to set overall priority.

These categories – Favorite, Great, Good, and Acceptable – are meant to reflect how well each course fits your academic needs and preferences, not to rate your feelings about the quality of the course itself.

For example, you might mark a course as “Acceptable” if it works with your schedule or fulfills a requirement, even if you are genuinely excited about the subject. Conversely, you might mark a course as “Favorite” because it’s your top priority to take this semester, not because other courses are less valuable or interesting.

The ranking system is simply a way to indicate your priorities and flexibility, so that Course Match can create the best possible schedule for you.

What is the difference between the ranking categories (Favorite, Great, Good, Acceptable)?

Think of your rankings like a building. Each category is a different floor. The higher the floor, the stronger your preference. The order within a category is like steps on the same floor. Each step gets you a little closer to your ideal spot, but it’s less significant than changing floors. If you group all of your courses into one category, the system will assume you view them as similarly preferable.

A few tips to get the most out of ranking:

Avoid ranking a course higher just because you think it will be popular. If Course Match has to make trade-offs, it may skip over courses you truly want in order to get you something you ranked higher.
Don’t rank a course lower than you really want, assuming you’ll get in anyway. A low ranking signals to Course Match that it doesn't matter as much if you are placed in that course, and you may end up in a course you really need to take

How many courses can I add to each ranking category?

Favorite: You may list only one course in this category. It's optional—you can leave it empty if no single course is preferred over all of the others.

Great / Good / Acceptable: You can add as many courses as you like in each of these categories.

If you group all your courses into one category, even Great, the system will assume you view them as equally preferable.

I’ve selected my courses, but I can’t move on to the ranking step. What’s wrong?

To proceed, you must select at least twice the number of credits as the maximum credit limit you set in the first step “Getting Started”.

While most Vassar courses are worth 1.0, some are worth 0.5 or 1.5. Be sure you're adding up the total number of credits—not just the number of courses—to meet twice the maximum course load you selected.

The button toward the top-right of the page indicates how many more credits you need to rank before you can move on. Once you have selected enough credits, the button says NEXT: RANK CLASSES and you will be able to move forward.

How should I rank cross-listed courses in Course Match?

If a course is cross-listed, you should select and closely rank all available sections to maximize your chances of placement.

Example: If you want ESCI-202-01 (cross-listed with ENST, ESSC, GEOG, and URBS), you should rank:

ESCI-202-01 first, followed by
ENST-202-01
ESSC-202-01
GEOG-202-01
URBS-202-01

The course prefix you prefer most (e.g., ESCI) should be listed first, if you have one.
- In most cases, Degree Works recognizes cross-listings and applies the course toward degree requirements regardless of prefix. However, students can later adjust the subject code if they are registered under a different one.
The other cross-listed course prefixes should be ranked immediately after, in the same category.
If the cross-listed course is your Favorite, you should place your most preferred prefix in “Favorite” (if they have one). The remaining cross-listed sections should be grouped at the very top of the “Great “category.
Otherwise, all cross-listed prefixes for the cross-listed course should remain clustered closely together within a single category (Great, Good Acceptable).

What is a cross-listed course?

Cross-Listed courses (e.g.,DRAM-126 and MUSI-126) are the same course offered under different department prefixes. The courses meet at the same time and place, and are taught by the same instructor.

If a course has multiple sections, can I select and rank more than one?

Yes! You can select and rank multiple sections of the same course (e.g., ECON-102-01 and ECON-102-02) based on your preference.

By closely ranking two sections of the same course, you improve your chance of getting into that course. Course Match will consider all the sections you ranked, but you will only be placed in one of them.

Why does Course Match use the term “credit” while Vassar uses “unit”? Are they the same thing?

Yes – they mean the same thing. Vassar uses the term unit, but Course Match uses credit to refer to course value. One credit in Course Match is equivalent to one Vassar unit.

Why do some courses show a scheduled day and a 1-minute meeting time, even though the Schedule of Classes lists no days or times?

In Course Match, every course must be assigned a day and time for system compatibility—even if the course is normally "arranged" with no set meeting times. In some instances, courses will have a schedule determined after the term begins based on an instructor’s schedule (e.g. Private Music Lessons). For these cases, a placeholder day and a 1-minute time slot are used temporarily. Once registration is finalized, these courses will correctly appear with no assigned day or time in your schedule.

Why do some courses show as 0.1 credits in Course Match, but 0 units in the Schedule of Classes?

In Course Match, all courses must be assigned a greater than “0” credit value. For system compatibility, courses that are normally “0” units at Vassar temporarily appear as “0.1” credits during the preregistration process.

Once registration is finalized, your enrolled courses will reflect the correct number of units.

Students taking Chemistry or Music courses may notice this more often because their labs and music lessons may appear as .1 credit on Course Match. Again, once you are enrolled, they will correctly show as 0 units.

I heard specific FILM, CHEM, BIOC courses have corequisites. What are they?

FILM-221, CHEM-125, CHEM-245, and BIOC-272 have corequisites. A corequisite is a course you are required to take at the same time as another course. If a class has a co-requisite, you must add both courses in Course Match. Your course and its corequisite should be ranked closely together.

CHEM-125, CHEM-245, and BIOC-272 each require both a lecture and a lab. You must add both (e.g., CHEM-125-8* for the lecture and CHEM-125-9* for the lab). In Course Match, the lecture appears as 1 credit, and the lab appears as 0.1 credits for system purposes. After enrollment is finalized, labs will correctly show as 0 credits.

FILM-221 “American Avant-Garde Film” requires you to also add FILM-222 “Curating Microcinemas” as a corequisite. FILM-222 is a 0.5-unit course, so together they total 1.5 units/credits.

What is the Rules tool in Course Match, and how can I use it?

Rules are a powerful tool at the bottom of the Rankings page in Course Match. They help you control how many courses you’re assigned from a particular group for your ideal schedule.

Because you can pick as many classes as you like, Rules can tell Course Match, “I like all of these, but only give me this many.”

Course Match already handles time conflicts, cross-listed courses, and multiple sections of the same course, so you do not need to set a rule for those.

However, you should still include those courses in a rule if they belong to a broader type of courses. For example, if you add multiple sections of JAPA-105 (01 and 02) and CHIN-105-01 and ASIA-105-01, they should all be included in a rule because you could still get enrolled in too many language courses.

Consider setting a rule when:

You rank several courses in the same subject but only want to be enrolled in a limited number of those courses.

- For example: You rank 5 History classes but only want 2 → Add a Rule “2 of these classes” and select the corresponding 5 courses.

You want only one, two, or three courses from a set of options.

- For example: You rank Elementary Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language courses but only want 1 → Add a Rule “1 of these classes” and select the corresponding courses.

Check out this video tutorial to see some examples of setting rules!

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