First-Year Students

Welcome, Bulldogs!

 

First, have you completed the following?

  1. SUBMITTED your enrollment form on your AVLBound Portal after you are admitted?
  2. SET UP your UNCA email account and OnePort login (Directions here, login info emailed to your personal email)?
  3. SUBMITTED your Pre-Registration Form (under Enrollment Next Steps in your AVLBound Portal)?
  4. FOUND the confirmation email with your RAN (Registration Access Number) sent to both your personal and UNCA email accounts after you completed the form?

 

Yes? Great! You are ready to register for the upcoming semester!

At UNCA, we want you to have agency and independence as you create your course schedule and take ownership of your education! Of course, we will also provide a safety net and after you have registered yourself, one of our Student Success Specialists will check over your schedule to ensure that your courses match your intended course of study (if applicable) and that your classes align with the requirements and suggestions for first semester schedules.

You can expect to hear from a Student Success Specialist with any feedback on your schedule about a week from the time you register yourself.

 

First-Year Student Course Registration

 

Follow the steps below to design your first-semester schedule

  1. Pick Your First-Year Experience Courses
  2. Use GradPlan to Complete First-Year Schedule
  3. Register for Courses
  4. Look for an email from a Student Success Specialist

Step 1: Pick Your First-Year Experience Courses

UNCA offers three First Year Experience Courses (FYS 178, LANG 120, HUM 124) and we recommend that students complete these classes during their first year at UNCA. You cannot take all three First Year Experience courses in the same semester.

Use this link for an accessible and printable PDF of the first-year checklist.

You must take your FYS in your first semester at UNCA and you can add one more of the First Year Experience courses to your first semester schedule. At the time of registration, if there are no seats available in either HUM 124 or LANG 120, do not panic! We will help you navigate the next steps.

Use this link for an accessible and printable PDF of Designing Your First Semester Schedule.

Design Your First Semester Schedule - select your first year seminar (FYS 178)

Design Your First Semester Schedule - select one other first year experience course

 

Use this link for an accessible and printable PDF of Designing Your First Semester Schedule.

Helpful Links:

Quantitative Perspective Requirement graphic

Use this link for an accessible PDF for instructions to access the Math Placement Test and a link to the Quantitative Perspective Requirement.

Step 2: Use GradPlan to Complete First-Year Schedule

Use this link for an accessible and printable PDF version of Using GradPlan to Create Your Schedule.

Use this link for an accessible and printable PDF version of Using GradPlan to Create Your Schedule.

Helpful Links:

  • Here is a link to the required courses for the first semester by major. Utilizing that information and registering for your needed First-Year Experience courses will keep you on track for graduation! For the most up-to-date curriculum, please visit the course catalog major requirements pages.)

Step 3: Register for Classes

Step 4: Look for an Email from Student Success Specialists

 

A Student Success Specialist will contact you regarding the status of your schedule. They will reach out to you and inform you if your schedule is approved or if any changes need to be made.

 

Course Program of Study Requirement

Stay on Track with your courses for financial aid eligibility

Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a U.S. Department of Education requirement that only considers courses counting toward a student’s program of study for financial aid eligibility. This federal requirement is not new but is monitored at UNC Asheville through a reporting process.

Federal and state financial aid is only awarded for courses included in your program of study.

Your program of study includes your Liberal Arts Core requirements, your major requirements, and any elective hours needed to reach the 120 total hour requirement. To receive a full financial aid award, your coursework must include a minimum of twelve (12) undergraduate hours from your program of study each spring and fall semester. If a student’s credit hours do not meet this requirement, financial aid eligibility is reduced. This new reporting process helps you lower the cost of your education and stay focused with financial aid, course registration, and your graduation timeline.

Your Academic Advisor & Major Declaration

In your first year at UNCA, you will be assigned to a Student Success Specialist as your academic advisor. You can connect with your academic advisor at any point during the semester with any questions or concerns. You will also have the instructor of your First Year Seminar as part of your support network here at UNCA.

When you are ready to declare your major, please use this form. Once you are declared you will be assigned a faculty advisor in that department. Please note that some departments have specific requirements and prerequisites before you can declare. Check the University Catalog for more information. We encourage students to declare a major during their Sophomore year.

Tips & Troubleshooting:

Which First Year Experience class would you like to take?

You will take your FYS 178 your first semester, and can add up to one other FYE course:

  • LANG 120
  • HUM 124
Which class from your intended major would you like to take?

Use GradPlan or four-year plans.

What other class(es) would you like to take to get to at least 12, at the most 16-17 credit hours?

Select another first-year experience class, another class in your major, a class from the LAC, and/ or a class to explore/find joy.

Will you have Early College Credits or AP/IB Credits?
  • If you are an early college student with early college credits that will transfer in before your arrival to campus, and these classes are pre-requisites for a class you would like to take for your intended major, then use our equivalency tool to check the transfer equivalency and fill out the override request form (must be logged into your UNCA email) and an advisor will register you for that course.
  • Check out our transfer planning page to see what courses you might receive credit for based on your expected final AP or IB scores. Fill out the override request form (must be logged into your UNCA email) if your AP/IB class is a prerequisite for a course you would like to take during your first semester and an advisor will register you for that course. These scores are not sent to UNCA until July and will be reflected in GradPlan at that point. Final AP/IB scores might require final schedule changes.
  • Coming with a COMPLETED AA or AS from a North Carolina Community College/Early College/Dual Enrollment?  Check out this graphic to see which courses in the LAC you will still need to complete.  Remember, you will still need your FYS Course in your first semester at UNCA.
Why can I not register?
  • Double-check that you have completed all the steps listed at the top of the page and on the checklist
  • Registration will open for you the following business day after you complete and submit the Student Information Form in your AVLBound Portal.
For Chemistry Students

Community in Chemistry – Enroll in the same class sections with other chemistry majors to be able to get to know each other, form study groups with peers, and build a community of chemistry learners. Check out the specific sections here!

For Engineering Students

If you are interested in pursuing an Engineering degree, please contact Linnea Linton (llinton@unca.edu).

Still have questions?  

Make a general advising appointment with an advisor