Schedule vs. catalog
Class search shows what is actually running this term: each course broken into sections with a meeting pattern, room or online format, instructor, seat count, and any extra fees. It is different from the catalog, which is the permanent course description and the degree requirements. You use the catalog to decide what you need and class search to find a section of it that fits — and a course in the catalog is not guaranteed a section every term, so check here before you build a plan around it.
Class search is open to everyone, including prospective students, without a login; registering from it still needs your MyPorter account and your enrollment appointment.
Filters worth using
Start narrow. Filter by your open enrollment days and times so you are not reading sections you cannot take; add "open seats only" once registration is close; filter by delivery mode (in person, hybrid, synchronous online, asynchronous online, HyFlex) because the label changes what the course demands of you; and filter by Core/general-education area when you are shopping requirements rather than a specific course. The instructor filter helps if an adviser or a friend recommended someone. Save a search and it re-runs each term.
What a section listing tells you
A line includes the section number (e.g. 001, 002, or a distinct range for online sections), the credits, the meeting days and times with start and end dates (watch for half-semester and compressed sections that do not run the whole term), the building and room or "Online," the instructor, the enrolled/capacity count and waitlist count, the prerequisites and any enrollment restrictions (major-only, class-standing, instructor consent), the required and recommended materials with prices, and any course fee — lab, studio, materials, or a differential tuition rate for some programs. "TBA" for a room or instructor usually resolves before the term starts.
Turning a search into a schedule
Add the sections you like to the MyPorter planner, which checks for time conflicts and prerequisite problems and lets you keep two or three backups per course. Confirm every prerequisite shows as met — if you cleared one by transfer or a test score that has not posted, that is what a registration override is for, and you request it before your appointment, not during. Then take the plan to your adviser: the meeting clears your advising hold and is the last check before you register.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.