Welcome to the registration page! The information provided below will assist you in figuring out what type of registration process you will need to follow to register for classes at Youngstown State. Please note that prior to registration, you need to be admitted to Youngstown State through the Office of Admissions (undergraduate) or the College of Graduate Studies. Your registration process starts within the Penguin Portal. The information below will assist you with the registration and withdrawal process. You can also get assistance with course registration, complete withdrawal from a semester, viewing your grades, and much more in person at the Penguin Service Center or the Office of the Registrar.
- Current Students Registration Process
Current undergraduate and graduate students continuing their enrollment at YSU should prepare to participate in our priority registration process process. All current students have an online appointment to begin course registration; listed below are the task you should complete prior to your registration appointment.
- Check your email: One month prior to the registration by appointment period, current students will receive an email notification declaring the date and time they may register for the next semester. Students may also review the Priority Registration Calendar to learn when they can begin registering in the Penguin Portal.
- Check your status: There are various reasons a student could have a hold on his/her record preventing him/her from competing the registration process. Log in to the Penguin Portal and select "Registration" to check your status. Select the term in which you wish to register. If there is a hold on your record, it will be indicated under the "Registration Status" link. If a hold or holds on your account exists, please follow the instructions of the hold, or contact the Penguin Service Center at (330)941-6000 for additional assistance.
- Complete academic advisement: All undergraduate students are urged to consult with advisors in their major area. Each department/college has a procedure for either assigning an advisor to a student or having the student select an advisor. While advisement isn't required for all students, it is required for the following types of students: Freshman/Sophmore (with fewer than 60 hours of credit); Post-Secondary Enrollment Option/Early Admission Options Program students; Any student not in good standing; All former students returning to the University; and Athletes. For academic advising questions or appointments, please contact your academic college directly.
- Review the Bulletin: The undergraduate and graduate catalogs provide course descriptions and major curriculum requirements to help students better target a course of study.
- Review the Schedule of Classes: View what classes are being offered each term to keep your academic progress toward graduation on track by using the online Schedule of Classes.
- Review how to register and how issues are resolved: Click here.
- New Student Registration Process
New freshmen and adults enrolling for their first semester as degree-seeking students are required to attend an orientation program. During the program, students will meet with an academic advisor and register for classes. For instructions on how to sign up for an orientation program, go to Orientation.
Graduate students enrolling for their first semester are required to meet with their academic department prior to registration. A list of academic departments is available on the Colleges and Programs.
Transfer students enrolling for their first semester as a degree-seeking student may register for classes prior to attending an orientation program. Once accepted for admission, a transfer student should follow the current student registration process listed above, and check out the transfer student checklist.
Transient students are students who plan to take courses at Youngstown State University without enrolling in a degree-seeking program. If students are taking a course to apply toward degrees at other schools, they should talk to their current institutions about what to take at YSU, apply to be a transient through the Office of Admissions, review our Priority Registration Calendar to see when transient students can register, check out our Schedule of Classes to see what courses are available, and read our Registration Instructions prior to using the Penguin Portal for registration.
- College for the Over Sixty Student Registration Process
Each state university or college shall permit any person who is sixty years of age or older and who has resided in the state for at least one year to attend undergraduate courses and classes without charging that person a tuition or matriculation fee, provided the attendance is on a noncredit basis, is in courses where classroom space is available, and is approved by the instructors of the courses involved. If you are eligible for this program, go to our College for the Over Sixty Program page to learn how to participate!
- Returning, Reactivated or Re-Enrolling Students
Students absent from Youngstown State University for three, consecutive semesters should file a readmission application through the Office of the Registrar. Students absent from the University less than three, consecutive semesters should follow the current student registration process listed above. Lastly, students who attended another institution during their break from YSU should contact the Office of Admissions to apply as a transfer student.
- Withdrawal Process
To withdraw from a single course, or from all courses (complete withdrawal), it is necessary to access the registration functions online via the Penguin Portal. Go to our Withdrawal Process section to learn how to complete this process.