Academic Services

You will complete the “Navigating Health and Safety” component of the Health, Wellness and Life Skills curriculum in your first semester. It is composed of three components:

• An online workshop to be completed prior to arriving on campus

• In-person programming during Orientation

• A 6-week module “Navigating Health and Safety” course to be taken in your first semester

You should also plan to complete the University Writing Seminar (UWS) within your first two semesters at Brandeis. The rest is up to you — for example, explore courses in a major or minor you may be considering, start or continue another language, and/or take a class in a subject that interests you.

The following codes are used to denote Brandeis Core requirements, listed as "course tags" in Workday.

Brandeis First Year Experience

• uws = University Writing Seminar

Foundational Literacies

• wi = Writing Intensive

• oc = Oral Communication

• dl = Digital Literacy

• qr = Quantitative Reasoning

Schools of Thought

• ca = Creative Arts
• hum = Humanities
• sn = Science
• ss = Social Science

Global Engagement

• deis-us = Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Studies in the US

• djw = Difference and Justice in the World

• fl = World Languages and Cultures (formerly Foreign Language)

Health, Wellness and Life Skills

• hwl1 = Navigating Health and Safety

• hwl2 = Mind and Body Balance

• hwl3 = Life Skills

A pre-requisite means that a student must have completed a specific course (or its equivalent) prior to registering for the course in question. Pre-requisite coursework is required when students need the knowledge or skills from previous coursework in order to be successful in the current course. Pre-requisites are typically listed in the course description (click on the blue course number link on the Schedule of Classes).

A co-requisite means that a course is required at the same time as another course. For example, Chemistry 18a is the co-requisite lab for Chemistry 11a lecture, so you would want to sign up for both in the same semester.

Please refer to the Workday job aids for information on how to request an override (permission).

Placement tests are available for most languages taught at Brandeis, and for chemistry, math, and physics. You can read the specific instructions re: placement tests on the registrar's website — some require access from the department, while others are self-administered and scored. It is best to take the placement exam just prior to the semester you wish to take a class in the subject, as this gives the most accurate snapshot of the appropriate level/course for you.

If you are proficient in a language other than English you may petition for an exemption for languages not taught at Brandeis or work with the appropriate language department to arrange an exemption exam for languages taught at Brandeis.

No. If you see a course with a limit of 999, that means that there is actually no enrollment limit for the course. The instructor will welcome all students interested in taking the course.

Add yourself to the waitlist for the course on Workday. The department will enroll you if they are able to accommodate you in the course. It will be important to have a backup plan if you are not able to enroll in the class.

Class locations will be listed on your fall schedule in mid-August, in addition to being posted on the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes. With few exceptions, you should have enough time to get from one building to another in ten minutes (within the main core of campus). You are invited to talk with your Roosevelt Fellow about your specific schedule.

The ‘add period’ refers to the first two weeks of a semester when students are still able to add courses to their schedule.  During this time, you are welcome to attend first class meetings to learn more about the course and its expectations. Some students enroll in more courses than they plan to take, with the intention of dropping/swapping a course during this period. Keep in mind that the add deadline is strict and instructors begin teaching classes from day one; as such, you are responsible for all work in the classes that you decide to keep on your schedule.

Designating a course as ‘pass/fail’ allows you the option of covering a grade of C- or higher with a P (pass). A ‘P’ notation does not impact your GPA. Many students choose to elect a class pass/fail for a subject that is new to them, or outside of their comfort zone. With a newly extended period to elect a course pass/fail, which coincides with the first deadline to withdraw from a course, there is now more time for exploration. These courses are generally electives, as major/minor courses cannot be covered with a P. The pass/fail election dates for each semester are listed in the Academic Calendar. You can read more information about our pass/fail policies on the registrar's site.