Course Registration Glossary

As you explore the course registration information, you might encounter some terms you are not familiar with.

Here's a little tutorial to help you out.

Blueprint - Unique to each department/major, blueprints have been created to guide you in the selection of courses and contain the recommended courses (developed by faculty) for your first semester at Messiah. Blueprints include the courses you MUST register for, those that you SHOULD register for, in addition to those you may CONSIDER registering for.

CRN is the course reference number which applies to individual sections. This is the four-digit number you will enter when registering. The CRN can be found in the third column in The View.

Degree Audit- An online tool that shows all the classes you are required to take and checks them off as you finish them. You'll use your unique degree audit along with your blueprint to choose your first-semester courses.

FERPA is the abbreviation for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. A FERPA release form is needed by the Registrar’s Office in order to discuss any aspect of your education record with your parents or guardians.

Full-time students are degree-seeking students completing 12 or more credits in a given semester.

Labs and Seminars—Many sections within the biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics and history departments list times for both a lecture and a lab (L) or seminar (S). You will need to register for a lecture CRN and a corresponding lab/seminar CRN at the same time if the course is set up that way.

MWF or TR are letter abbreviations for days of the week that classes meet. Most sections meet Monday (M), Wednesday (W) and Friday (F), or Tuesday (T) and Thursday (R), but some classes meet on a combination of these days.

Privacy Word— All students must define a PRIVACY WORD. This is used to protect your records when University officials are contacted about you. Non-directory student information will only be given to persons listed on your FERPA release and who provide the correct PRIVACY WORD, as it helps to confirm the identity of the person seeking information.

Create your privacy word to access and protect your academic record.

Part-time students are those completing fewer than 12 credits (tuition is charged at the per-credit-hour rate).

The View — An easy way to see the entire listing of available courses, the course reference numbers (CRNs), meeting days, times and locations.