Schedule Builder Student Guide
- Shana Blackshire
- Cassandra Rinker
Schedule Builder helps you create an optimal course schedule by considering your preferred classes and your other activities, like work or extracurricular involvement.
Always review the Schedule of Courses. It includes important details that can’t be found in Schedule Builder, like restrictions, prerequisites and other information that could help you avoid registration errors. Restrictions aren’t shown in Schedule Builder.
Access Schedule Builder
Log into Portal.wvu.edu, then click the Schedule Builder button to open the application.
Click the checkboxes to select the campus (or campuses) where you would like to enroll for classes.
To find online courses, select the Off Campus/Online campus. Some courses may only be available online, even for on-campus students, and may not be offered at the Morgantown, Keyser or Beckley campuses.
Click Save and Continue to go to schedule builder.
Add Courses
On the Build Schedule page, you’ll see your selected status, campuses and term. You can also add Courses and Breaks to your desired schedule, and view your existing current schedule with the courses you’ve already enrolled in.
Click +Add Course to begin searching.
On the Add Courses page, select a tab at the top to choose which criteria to use to search for courses:
Subject: Choose a subject and course.
DegreeWorks: Import courses from a plan in DegreeWorks.
Section Attribute: Choose sections with certain objectives or designations.
When you’ve located a course you’d like to consider registering for, click Add Course. It will appear in the Courses list on the right side.
Just because a course populates in Schedule Builder doesn’t mean you meet the requirements to register for it. Schedule Builder won't consider restrictions or check to make sure you meet the requirements for a class when generating course options. It's your responsibility to review the course information in the Schedule of Courses to ensure you meet the requirements. If you try to register for a class you're not eligible for, you’ll get a registration error. Always double check the restrictions to avoid registration errors.
Click the Back button to return to the Build Schedule page.
On the Build Schedule page, click the gear button to view Options for each of the courses you added. This will show details for each available section of the course.
Click the checkboxes to include only your desired sections (by instructor, online status, honors section, etc.).
Be sure to exclude sections that are not offered on your campus. Sections with a P are only available on the Keyser Campus; Sections with a T are only offered on the Beckley Campus. Additionally, sections with an A are restricted to students participating in the High School Access program; and H sections are restricted to students in the Honors College; and 900 sections are restricted to online campus students.
Click Save & Close to include only your selected sections when generating possible schedules.
Click the X (remove) button next to any course to remove it from your desired courses.
Add Breaks
Breaks can prevent certain schedules from showing up, especially if a course only has one section that overlaps with your desired break. Too many breaks may limit your ability to find a schedule that works. If you’re having trouble creating a schedule, try unchecking your breaks first to see if they’re causing the issue.
On the Build Schedule page, your desired courses will appear in the Courses list. You may also schedule Breaks in your day to accommodate meals or work schedules. Click +Add Break to add a break period to your schedule.
On the Add New Break page, enter a Break Name, such as “Lunch.”
Select the Start Time and End Time for the break.
Choose the Days when the break will apply. You can click to check individual days, or select all weekdays.
In the Duration field, click the drop-down to choose the term when you’d like this scheduled break to apply, or indicate that it’s an Ongoing scheduled event without an end date.
Click Add Break to create the new break period and insert it on the Build Schedule page.
Generate Potential Schedules
Make sure that all of your desired courses and breaks are selected in the Courses and Breaks sections of the Build Schedule page by clicking the Select All check-box.
Click Generate Schedules in the Schedules section of the page.
If your selections lead to zero possible schedules, you will get a Detected Conflicts message.
The number of available schedule combinations will be displayed in a green bar, and the list of possible schedules will populate below.
If conflicts are detected, a message will tell you which items are in conflict and suggest ways to remove the conflict.Click the View link to see any of the potential schedules in detail.
On the Potential Schedule page, review the days and locations, weeks of the semester, and calendar view for the selected potential schedule.
For Morgantown campus students, the building abbreviation code will include a letter to designate Downtown, Evansdale, or Health Sciences campus (e.g., OGH-D = Oglebay Hall - Downtown).
Use the arrows to scroll through and view other potential schedules.
Compare Potential Schedules
To compare potential schedules side-by-side, select the check-boxes next to two or more of the generated schedules.
Click the Compare button above the list.
A side-by-side preview of the calendar views of the selected schedules will appear in a new pane.
Mouse-over course blocks to see the course name.
Click the Open button below any schedule to go to the detail view for that potential schedule.
“Lock” a Course
When viewing details for a potential schedule, you can lock in your preferred course section. Locking a course directs Schedule Builder to build the rest of your schedule around the locked section, but it doesn’t actually register you for it.
After you have generated some possible schedules, click the View link next to a potential schedule.
If you haven't already, it’s important to verify the sections in the Schedule of Courses for any restrictions. Locking a course doesn’t mean you qualify to actually register for that section. It’s your responsibility to review the course information to ensure you meet the requirements. If you try to register for a class you’re not eligible for, you’ll get a registration error. Always double-check the restrictions to avoid registration errors.
In the list of courses near the top, click the padlock icon to lock a selected course you want to make sure to keep in your schedule. Locking a course will limit the possible schedules available.
You may unlock the course (remove the requirement to include it) by clicking the padlock icon again.
Use the arrows to scroll through and view other potential schedules built around the locked class.
Register for Your Selected Schedule
In the Schedules section of the Build Schedule page, choose the potential schedule that works best for you. Click View to see the details of that schedule.
Click the lock icon to lock all courses in the potential schedule.
Click the Send to Shopping Cart button at the top of the page. Schedule Builder will save your cart.
Adding courses to your Shopping Cart or locking them doesn’t mean you’re officially registered. It is an intermediary step. Your courses are only guaranteed once you’ve successfully completed all steps listed here.
In the Shopping Cart, click the Register button at the top right.
A confirmation message will ask you to confirm that you want to register for the selected schedule. Click Continue.
You will see a Processing Enrollment screen, then a verification of the classes for which you are registered. Click OK to close the Registration Results box.
If you receive a registration error, view the registration errors page for more information.
Waitlisting for a Course
Including Courses with Waitlists in Your Search
On the Build Schedule page, you can adjust the search parameters at the top of the page to include courses with open seats and those available for waitlisting. Click Change in the Course Status field.
On the Select Course Status page, click the radio button to include courses that are Open & Full w/Waitlist Open.
Click Save.
After you click Add Course, your search will include both open courses and those accepting students on a waitlist.
More about waitlisting classes:
When registering for a schedule containing a waitlisted course, you must click an additional pop-up message to confirm that you understand you are being added to the waitlist.
To remove yourself from a waitlist, go to the Current Schedule tab and click the Edit or Drop Classes button. Simply drop the waitlisted class (dropped on web) and Save your changes.
Drop a Course from Your Schedule
Click the Current Schedule tab at the top of the screen to see the courses you are currently registered for.
On the Current Schedule page, click the Edit or Drop Classes button.
On the Edit or Drop page, you’ll see the courses for which you have already enrolled. Click the drop-down in the Registration Status column to change the status of any course.
Choose Dropped Course on Web to remove the course from your schedule.
Click Save at the top of the page to save the changes you’ve made.
A confirmation message will appear. Click Save again to confirm that you do want to drop the edited course(s).
A Saving… message and then a Registration Results message will indicate that the class you selected has been dropped from your registered list of courses. Click OK to return to the Current Schedule page.
