Update: Registration for Spring 2026 Opens for First-Year Students on Friday, November 21 and Monday, November 24

Registration for the Spring 2026 semester will open on Vergil for first years on Friday, November 21 and Monday, November 24.  Please check Vergil for your specific registration appointment windows, and refer to Registrar Simmons’ email of November 11 for detailed information about registration. For first-year specific information, read on. At this time, only Barnard courses will be available for registration. Please review this list of Barnard classes that are holding space for first-year students as you are considering class selections.   

You will have a second opportunity to register for classes on December 8-12, and then again during the first two weeks of the Spring term (January 20-30). During these registration periods, a small number of pre-approved Columbia classes that were not available for registration in November will be available for registration on Vergil. If there is space available in a class that appears in the list below, you are welcome to register for it directly.  If the class is full, and running a waitlist, you may certainly join that waitlist and see what happens during the first two weeks of the Spring term.  As there are no guarantees that a space will become available in a full course, it would be wise to have a plan B. 

Categories of Columbia Classes that are available for registration in December and January as exceptions to the First Year @ Barnard requirement:

1. A class in a language or level of language not offered at Barnard 

2. Musical instrument instruction

3. The following introductory courses in certain majors

Computer Science:

• COMS W1004 Introduction to Computer Science

• COMS W3134 Data Structures in Java

• COMS W3157 Advanced Programming

• COMS W3203 Discrete Mathematics

• COMS UN1404 Emerging Scholars Program Seminar

Environmental Science:

• EESC UN2100 Earth’s Environmental Systems: Climate Systems

• EESC UN2200 Earth’s Environmental Systems: Solid Earth

• EESC UN1010 Geological Excursion to Death Valley

• SDEV UN2300 Challenges of Sustainable Environment

Mathematics:

• MATH UN1205 Accelerated Multivariable Calculus

• MATH UN1207 Honors Math A

• MATH UN1208 Honors Math B

• MATH UN2015 Linear Algebra and Probability

• MATH UN1215 Accelerated Multivar Calculus

• MATH UN1202 Calc IV

Statistics:

• STAT UN1101 Introduction to Statistics 

• STAT UN1201 Introduction to Calculus-based Statistics 

• STAT UN2102 Applied Statistical Computing

Sociology:

• SOCI UN1000 The Social World

Exceptions to this list are unlikely to be approved. If you have a compelling case for one, please speak with your pre-major adviser about the petition process. And again – have a back-up plan.

Need an extra credit or two this spring? Here are some ways you might find one

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. 

**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:

Do you need to take PE in Spring 2026?

Students who need to fulfill the PE requirement must join an open class and attend on the first day in order to retain their place.  Attendance credit will be counted on the first day.  Check back during each of your registration times as spots will open up as students drop/add.  Please contact the PE department with any questions about appropriate class formats.  Movement based studio dance classes may also fulfill the PE requirement.  Please consult the Dance department listings.

Walk-In Hours for Registration Questions

 Hey First-Years,

Who's excited for registration week...? Amazing!! ME TOO! 

Hopefully you've all planned your schedules and met (or will meet) with your pre-major advisers by now! If for any reason, you face issues with registration this coming Thursday, we will be holding emergency walk-in hours held by our Student Assistant: Riya! 

Feel free to drop by the Dean's Office of Advising and Support in Milbank 105 or on Zoom with any and all questions, concerns on Thursday November 20th: 3-5pm or Friday November 21st: 9am-12pm. 

Best,

The First Year Team

"Serial Horror" Humanities course available for Spring 2026!

Hello First-Years!

Please take a look at the flyer and syllabus down below for an upcoming Humanities course available

for First-Years in Spring 2026!

Best,

The First-Year Team

Serial Horror

Spring 2026

ENGL BC3413

T/R 2:40-3:55

M. Cohen

Cannibals! Orphans! Strikes! Vampires!

Terrors! Tears! Disgust! Goosebumps!

We will study the pan-media global adaptations, translations, reiterations, and afterlives of maritime, domestic, industrial, and supernatural horror story clusters.

Students of all levels welcome!

Register at your own risk! Mwahaha!

Syllabus available here!

First-Year Class Dean 2025-2026 Walk-In Hours! -- Updated Friday Walk-In Hours now from 2:00-3:30PM starting 11/21

Got a quick question?

Need to talk to a dean ASAP?

If you have something complicated or want to be sure you can talk at length, please make an appointment via Dean Siegel's online scheduler.

Mondays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank,
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Fridays 2:00-3:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Friday Afternoon Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank.
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Interested in Understanding the Costs of Study Abroad?

Hey First-Years,

Have you been thinking about studying abroad but not sure how to make it work financially? 

The LeFrak Financial Ambassadors have you covered! Join us for a workshop in collaboration with the Study Abroad Office to break down the real costs behind studying abroad - what is covered, what isn’t, how to budget considering different currencies, and how to plan ahead to make your experience overseas possible.

Learn how to make your study abroad experience both affordable and enjoyable by signing up at this link and check out this flyer for more info!

Best,

The First-Year Team

Apply to be a speaker at Barnard's TEDx event by November 18th!

Hello First-Years!

The Speaking Program is looking for students who are passionate about a topic that calls the Barnard community to action and who are interested in speaking at the event.

If you are interested in being a speaker for our upcoming Barnard TEDx event, you can fill out the application by Tuesday, November 18th located in the QR code on the flyer attached!

Best,

The First-Year Team

Announcement: New booking link to schedule appointments with Dean Siegel!

Hello First-Years!

We wanted to share a very important announcement with you all! Our office has been slowly transitioning to using a new platform for students to schedule appointments to meet with their class deans as we have been using youcanbookme as our main online scheduler for a long time.

Starting today, November 12th, we are moving over to Slate as our new platform for students to schedule appointments to meet with their class deans and will no longer be using youcanbookme.

Going forward, please use Dean Siegel's Slate booking link to schedule an appointment to meet with her. If you need help in finding another time to schedule an appointment or need to meet urgently, feel free to contact our office at doas@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2024 for assistance!

As a reminder, you can also meet with her during walk-in hours on Mondays and Fridays from 3:30-4:30 PM ET either in-person in our office located in Milbank 105 or virtually over Zoom!

Best,

The First-Year Team

Nov 11 Email from Registrar about Registration for the Spring 2026 Semester

 

Dear Students,   Registration for spring classes starts next week, in Vergil. Seniors begin registration on Monday; Juniors on Tuesday; Sophomores on Wednesday; First-years on Thursday.     THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOUR REGISTRATION TIME   •    Add Classes to your Planner in Vergil:    •    Search for courses in the Vergil Course Search and click the “Add to Plan” button •    You can search by subject, by department, by GER, by classes with open seats, etc. See screenshots here. •    The status of all classes will show as “Restricted” before your registration time starts, but you can still add them to your plan. When your registration appointment begins, the class status will change to Open, Full or Wait List (see details below). •    Make sure the Term in the upper-right corner is Spring 2026. •    We highly recommend adding classes to your Planner before your registration window opens.   •    Complete the Terms and Conditions for spring 2026 in Vergil:  •    Log in to Vergil.  •    Click on the orange tile at the top in order to read and acknowledge the Terms and Conditions, which includes a Financial Responsibility Statement. •    You can do this step before your registration appointment. You will not be able to register until it is completed.   •    Complete the College’s BEAR survey and the included Title VI training: •    This is a pre-registration requirement and must be completed to avoid a registration hold in Vergil. The deadline was Tuesday, November 4. If you did not complete the survey, you now have a registration hold. •    To complete the survey and have your hold lifted, check your email to find your unique survey link. •    Please note that holds are only lifted Monday through Friday, and it can take up to 48 hours for a hold to be released. We urge you to complete the survey immediately so that you can register for classes during your allocated time. •    For questions, contact oie@barnard.edu or call 212-853-6304. All holds related to this survey will be managed by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. (Please do not contact the Registrar’s Office, as we will not be able to assist you with this hold.)   •    Check for Holds that will prevent registration.   •    If you have a hold, you will see a message at the top of the Vergil pages that says “There is a Hold on your record that is blocking registration.” Click on the “resolve your Holds” link to view the specific hold and how to resolve it.     •    Contact your adviser:   •    You are expected to have an advising meeting with your adviser before you register, to discuss class selections and areas of academic interest.   •    Your adviser will review and approve your course registration at the end of next week.   •    Find your registration appointment times:   •    Look up your upcoming registration times for Spring 2026 in Vergil. Be sure the term in the upper-right is set to Spring 2026.   •    Contact registrar@barnard.edu immediately with any questions.     THINGS TO KNOW DURING REGISTRATION   •    REGISTER IN VERGIL:  Again this semester, Barnard students will be using Columbia’s Vergil registration system to register for classes. Registration will be open in Vergil from Monday, November 17 through Friday, November 21.   •    You can register from “My Planner”, or directly from the Course Search (using the “Register” button) •    You can see real-time seat availability and class status •    Open = there are seats available •    Full = the class is full •    Waitlist = All interested students must join the waitlist (even if the class has open seats) •    Restricted = the class is not open to Barnard students, or there is another reason you cannot add the class (e.g. you have already exceeded the 19-credit limit, the class conflicts in time with another class you are registered for, you have a registration hold, it is not your registration time, etc.). Look for the hint message that will explain the reason for the restriction. Email registrar@barnard.edu with any questions. •    Videos on how to register in Vergil are here. •    19 credit maximum: Vergil will allow you to register for a maximum of 19 credits.  Permission to register for more than 19 credits can be requested in January.   •    Use the “Swap” feature to switch from one section of a class to a different open section. Click the “Manage” button on a registered class to see the Swap option.  (Vergil will not allow you to register for two sections of the same class.)  •    Co-requisites: For classes that have co-requisites (such as a lecture with a required discussion section or lab), you will be reminded to add both components of the class. The system will allow you to register for just the lecture and add the other components later if needed. •    Info on registering for “special” courses (e.g. voice lessons, P.E., graduate courses at Columbia, etc.) is here. •    P/D/F Elections: You can elect the p/d/f grading option for one Spring 2026 class in Vergil, either at the time of registration or anytime before the deadline.   •    WAITLISTS:  You can join a max of 3 waitlists at a time.   •    Some Barnard classes will not have a waitlist option during this registration period.  They will appear as Full with no option to “Join Waitlist.” You will have another opportunity to register for these classes in December, when there may be additional seats available and/or a waitlist option. •    Some waitlists will have special instructions, such as a request to explain why you want to join a class, or an application to complete/upload. •    After joining an auto-fill waitlist, you will be able to see your position on the waitlist in Vergil, on the right-hand panel.   •    WHAT’S STILL IN STUDENT PLANNING? •    Your online degree audit. •    Newly registered courses will be added to your degree audit on a nightly basis. (It is not real-time from Vergil.) Planned and waitlisted classes will not display in the audit. •    Your Barnard transcript, which is the official record of your classes, grades and GPA. •    Although some academic record information displays in Vergil, it is limited to only Barnard/Columbia classes. (Vergil does not reflect transfer credit, study abroad credit, AP/IB credit, etc.) Because of this, you may find that your total credits and GPA in Vergil do not match your Barnard transcript. This is ok as long as your Barnard transcript is correct.   •    WHAT’S STILL IN SLATE? •    List of classes that satisfy Foundations (General Education) requirements. •    Forms to update your contact information. •    Academic forms (e.g. major declaration, request to withdraw from a class, summer course approval form, etc.).   •    NEED HELP?:   •    Visit our Vergil Registration resource site for additional resources. •    Email Us with any questions. •    Drop in to our office at 105 Milbank.   Best wishes,   Jennifer Simmons Registrar