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Registering for Classes

  • Advising & Class Search: Contact your faculty advisor(s) or the M.A. Program Director to discuss the classes you will be taking in your first semester.  Search for classes in the PATH registration platform (tip: use MSCI to search by keyword and select term, or use the  advanced search feature) to view up-to-the-minute course offerings.
  • Registration: New student registration begins August 1 (for Fall admission). Register for classes in the PATH registration platform during the new student registration period. Additional registration resources are available in the Batten School & VIMS Student Handbook.
    • All full-time, degree-seeking graduate students must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours (full-time credit hour requirement) for each fall and spring semester, and all M.S. and Ph.D. students must also register for 3 credit hours each summer. 
    • Students in their first semester of matriculation must register for the 1-credit MSCI 505 Fundamentals of Science Communication course.
    • PATH How-To Resources - W&M has compiled instructional documents and videos on how to navigate the PATH registration platform.
    • Additional information is available on expanding your curricular options.
  • Course Exemptions or Transfer Credit: With the exception of MSCI 503, students who have had comparable coursework elsewhere may either petition for -- 1) an exemption from, or 2) receive transfer credit for -- any of the core fundamentals courses. Prior undergraduate level coursework is only eligible for an exemption, not transfer credit. Please refer to the policies in the W&M Graduate Catalog for details. Interested students should contact the [[v|registrar,Batten School  Registrar]] to submit the required paperwork 14 days in advance for inclusion at the next Academic Status and Degrees Committee (ASDC) meeting. The committee meets at the beginning of each semester in August, January, and June.
  • Tuition Bills: After you register for classes, tuition and fees for the upcoming semester as well as the W&M student health insurance premium (if applicable) will be charged to your student account. View your eBill in Banner.
  • Final Official Transcripts: If you haven't done so already, please submit final official transcripts from degree awarding institutions (verifying completion and conferral of previous degrees awarded and sent directly from your prior institution) to admissions@vims.edu.
  • Got Questions? Contact the Batten School Registrar at 804-684-7106 for registration/transcript-related questions or the Office for Academic Affairs at 804-684-7105 for tuition-related questions.

Last updated by J. Dahnke on May 22, 2025.