Freshman Registration FAQs

Your first-semester course schedule will be constructed for you by the professional advising staff in the Academic Advising and Assistance office.  We enroll you based on information you provide in the Academic Interest Survey (AIS), as well as your academic profile and history. To learn more, please visit our Freshman Registration page. For all subsequent semesters, you will register for courses on your own through Zagweb.

Our commitment to every entering student is that we will help you get on track for a four-year graduation for the major you select at entrance. This means making sure you are enrolled in courses that meet your degree requirements from the beginning. This provides you with the foundation necessary to complete advanced undergraduate work in later terms.

Yes! Gonzaga has a University Core which applies to all students. Learn more about the components of a Gonzaga degree, including the University core.

College is your opportunity for exploration, and finding the right major or career is part of the journey. We don't want you to feel pressured into choosing a major right from the start. If you are unsure about your studies, that's OK! There are only a handful of majors and programs (engineering, health science related fields, special education, teacher certification) that require specific courses to be taken first semester, so being undecided won't put you behind. When you complete the registration survey, be sure to answer all of our questions accurately and choose "Undecided" as your major. Your answers will inform our scheduling process, and ensure that we get you registered for courses that meet degree requirements, and expose you to areas of self-identified interest. Still unsure about being undecided? Check out the following video to learn more about how Gonzaga supports our students searching for majors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUsP2MWr7f8

In order to complete a degree, Gonzaga requires at least 128 semester credits. Students who wish to complete their degree in four years must average at least 16 credits per semester. Students in engineering and special education programs should anticipate 18 and 17 credit semesters in order to complete those programs in four years. Each credit of in-class time generally requires at least 2 hours of out-of-class study per week, so a semester schedule of 16 credits will compose an average and balanced week of academic work. Full-time student standing is ranges between 12 and 18 credits per semester.

All students who major in the College of Arts & Sciences will have a second language competency requirement. Study of a second language is not a requirement for other Schools, however, mastery of a foreign language is a significant enhancement to a well-rounded education. Students in all disciplines with interest in languages are encouraged to include language study in their program. Feel free to take a language other than the one(s) you studied in high school. Introductory courses are available in all languages taught at GU, with exception of Spanish, with no expectation of previous study, so be adventurous!

All students must complete at least one semester of mathematics within their first year at Gonzaga, as part of their University Core. Many majors and/or areas of concentration require more extensive mathematics coursework as well. Depending on your chosen area of study, you will be placed in mathematics when and if it is necessary to the timely completion of your academic program. Many students will not have a mathematics course in their first semester schedule. These students are expected to take this course, in consultation with their academic advisor, in their spring term.

Students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Gonzaga University must be admitted to the major as part of the regular application and admission process to the University. This is the only way in which students can pursue a Nursing degree at Gonzaga.  If you did not apply as a Nursing major, or were not admitted as such, you will not be able to pursue Nursing at Gonzaga.

Students who wish to pursue Engineering degrees, with the exception of Computer Science, must be admitted to these programs as part of the regular application and admission process to Gonzaga University. This is called Direct Admit.  Students who are interested in Engineering, but did not apply to the University as such, may study under a "Pre-Engineering" curriculum.  Students are required to complete a series of course and grade requirements in selected courses (for example, the first year seminar series, mathematics, physics and chemistry courses) in order to petition to enter an Engineering major no earlier than the student's sophomore year.  For more information about the Pre-Engineering route and requirements, please contact the School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean's Office. When completing the Academic Interest Survey, please choose the Pre-Engineering major option when prompted.  This will put you in our Pre-Engineering curriculum this fall. 

Yes! If you are thinking about going abroad, you should consider taking a language your first semester. Some study abroad programs require coursework in foreign language before travel, while others do not. During the fall, have a conversation with your advisor about long-range academic planning. Every study abroad program calls for careful academic planning, including appropriate coursework in the target language.

Learn more about Gonzaga's many Study Abroad opportunities.

All freshmen will be e-mailed instructions on downloading their official fall schedules no later than August 11th. Any schedule seen prior to this notification is not complete nor final, and will likely change as we work to enroll all new incoming students. When you receive our notification that your schedules are complete, it will be very important to read through all of the information.

Yes, perhaps. Once you receive your schedule, if you have questions or concerns, plan to either call, e-mail or visit our office during Schedule Change Times. We will listen to your concerns and review your schedule with you to see if changes are necessary and/or possible. Our first priority is registering you for a first semester that sets you on a four-year path to graduation. If that requires schedule changes, we will gladly make them. Learn more about schedule changes.

All students will meet with their assigned faculty or professional advisor during the Academic Day of New Student Orientation. This advisor is assigned to you in August by the Academic Advising & Assistance office. Unless this person is an advisor in our office, or you are an Engineering major, he/she will not have taken any part in the creation of your schedule. Rest assured, as your first semester schedule was created by a professional academic advisor at Gonzaga, and meets the requirements of your selected major and/or area of interest.

Over the summer, and at any point during your academic career, bring your schedule and advising questions and concerns to us at advise@gonzaga.edu. Once classes begin, you should start with your Academic Advisor for all advising and enrollment questions, though we are here for you as well through your tenure as a Gonzaga student, should you ever need assistance.

If you have decided not to attend GU, please contact the Admissions Office at (509) 313-6572.