Senior FAQ: can I take 2 classes that overlap?

Thanks to everyone who suggested we address this important question!

Short answer: NO

Even if a class may be recorded, you my not take two classes that overlap, as the expectation is that students will attend classes in-person and synchronously, as there is no substitute for the learning experience of interacting with faculty and fellow students in person and in real time.

Longer answer: Very occasionally, in very specific circumstances, and by petition only

Okay; how do I petition?

Contact your class dean for information about how to petition the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to take overlapping classes. Once the semester begins, petitions submitted by Thursday will be considered at the following Thursday's CPAS meeting.

How likely is it that my petition will be approved?

Such petitions are only rarely approved. Petitions with a greater chance of success will include:

• Both classes are required (major or general education req)
• Both can only be taken this semester due to compelling reason like impending graduation
  
• Both faculty members are aware of the conflict and support the petition
• Course overlap is minimal, e.g. 10-15 minutes (including travel time!) once a week.
• You/your instructors have a plan to make up the missing content which is more than just watching a recording.
  

What should I do while I'm waiting to know if my petition is approved?

• Add a "Plan B" course to keep your options open
• If you're currently registered for both conflicting classes, stay in them. If your petition is not approved, you will ultimately need to drop one. If you don't drop one, the registrar will drop whichever was most recently added.
  
• If you're not registered for both classes, the system will not let you register for conflicting courses, though you may plan or waitlist for a course that conflicts with a registered course. We recommend that you strategically register for whichever course is more important and/or more likely to fill up if you wait.

Senior FAQ: Can I take more than 19 credits? How/when can I get permission?

Q: I heard it's possible for students to get permission from their adviser to take more than 19 credits. Is that true, and if so, how/when can I get permission?

A: Yes, in rare cases*, and only once the semester has begun. Starting on the first day of classes, students will be able to appeal to add courses that will put them over 19 credits. Use the green "appeal" button on the Vergil listing for the new course to make this request.

 

Q: What if I get in off a waitlist that puts me over the limit?

A: If you are removed from a waitlist and temporarily find yourself in more than 19 credits, you will need to drop the "extra" credits or receive approval to exceed the limit. There will be a slate form to request to retain the overloaded credits.

NOTE: Approval after the registration deadline is by petition only.

Warning: if you neither request permission nor drop below 19 credits by the Sept 18 registration deadline, the registrar will drop you from the most recently added class. 

*Please note that these requests will only be granted for urgent reasons, such as completion of a major, a minor, or for graduation requirements. 

Graduating this year and plagued by the nagging feeling that you must be forgeting something? SENIOR CHECKLIST to the rescue!

 

Keep track of deadlines and tasks to make sure you're graduating on schedule, using this Senior Checklist.  Spring dates will be further specified when more information is available.

Slate??? Student Planning???? Vergil???? Where do I go for which things????

Now that registration is fully in Vergil, are you feeling confused about which website to use for which information or tasks around your academic record?

Worry no more! The Registrar has you covered with this handy chart.

Also: Pro Tip: Almost anything that you need to do with courses/your record can be found under the Academics tab in the Barnard Portal.  

Deadline extended! Fall 2026's Creative Writing Workshops at Barnard, featuring Paul Muldoon, Maria Hinojosa, Zaina Arafat and more!

 

L-R: Zaina Arafat, Farnoosh Fathi, Nellie Hermann, Maria Hinojosa, Brionne Janae, Patricia Spears Jones, Ellen McLaughlin, Paul Muldoon, Idra Novey, Nina Sharma, Weike Wang, and Kate Zambreno

We're accepting applications for Fall 2026's creative writing courses until August 10th, and all Barnard students and Columbia undergraduates are invited to apply! Our offerings include workshops in prose, poetry, and playwriting, taught by acclaimed writers including Pulitzer Prize winners Paul Muldoon and Maria Hinojosa, Lambda Literary Award winner Zaina Arafat, former New York State Poet Laureate Patricia Spears Jones, and more! All experience levels are welcome, with introductory workshops geared towards beginners and advanced workshops intended for more experienced writers. You can see all of our course offerings here (Columbia students will need to submit an access request, which will be approved within 24 hours), and apply to up to three workshops via the application form. The more workshops you apply to, the higher your chances of being placed in one of your choices. The form will close at 8:59AM ET on Monday, August 10th, and all applicants will be informed of their status on Friday, September 4th. Waitlisting is only required once workshop assignments have been made and applicants notified. If you have any questions, please contact mkumarad@barnard.edu and they will be glad to assist you.

Need an extra credit or two this fall? Here are a few options

Doing that degree-audit arithmetic and need one or two more credits?

If you're having trouble getting up to the number of credits you need and are looking for a 1-2-credit course to add, here are some options and tips. Pay special attention to the start dates of these courses.

**Be sure to check course descriptions for special registration procedures or necessary permissions.

Know of something that's not on here? Email SeniorClassDean@barnard.edu, and we'll add it!

1-2 credit course options:

Senior FAQ: I submitted a form online -- how do I know if it was received, reviewed, or approved?

Did you submit one of the online forms that are available via the Slate for Students website? 

Wondering how to track its progress, i.e. to see if/when it was received, approved, processed, etc.?

Here's how to check.

1. Log into Slate directly or find it on the Barnard Portal under the Academics tab

 

 

 2. In the Home tab of Slate, scroll down to the bottom of the page, to Forms Submitted. There you'll see any forms you have submitted and can track them along their route from submitted to approved and processed. The legend below explains any symbols

3. That's it!

Senior Life Hack: How to check your remaining credits and see if you're on track for graduation

Your Unofficial Transcript in Student Planning is the best place to check how many credits you have left before graduation.
 

Do NOT use Vergil or the Degree Audit to check credits! Only the unofficial transcript includes all your test-based credit, study abroad credit, and transfer credit. It also confirms if any summer Columbia credit has been transferred to your Barnard record, and correctly accounts for courses that may be repeated for credit (e.g. Dance Technique, Advanced Language Through Content, Supervised Research, etc.) or are registered for a yearlong thesis that only gives you grades in spring.

How to check how many credits you still need to complete your degree:

Senior year is approaching -- now is a good time to check your degree audit

Planning to graduate this year?  Now's a good time to double-check that you're on track to complete all of your requirements on time. 

Step 1: Open up both your Degree Audit and your Unofficial Transcript -- both in Student Planning

See related blog post for how to check remaining credits on your Transcript.

Step 2: Check for some important stuff

T

On your Unofficial Transcript

1. Are all the classes you took listed, are all the grades on your transcript, and do you have credit for all PE and dance classes you need?
2. Are all external credits you expect -- previous college credit, summer credit, AP/IB credit, study abroad credit, etc. -- listed? 
3. If you're planning to graduate this May:
1. Have you completed at least 86 credits, thereby attaining senior status? 
2. Are you registered -- or will you soon register -- for a schedule that puts you on track to finish everything that remains by the end of the spring?

On your Degree Audit

1. Is your expected graduation date correct?
2. Are all courses showing up as counting for the requirements you expect them to count for? Or are things listed in "Other" that you expected to see under General Education Requirements (GERs) or in your major?  
3. If you're planning to graduate this February, everything should be completed or in progress.

Step 3: Address any issues you identified in Step 2

 

How to get your unofficial transcript

Looking to access your college transcript, but don't know how to find it? Here are the steps to find your unofficial transcript:

1) Go to Student Planning, a.k.a. "self service," and click on 'Unofficial Transcript'

2) Once you click on 'Unofficial Transcript', you will see the following image. All you have to do it click on the 'Student COPY Transcript' document and your transcript will download! Then you can access it. Mission accomplished! :)

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to registrar@barnard.edu.