UW-Madison has a variety of online tools and resources available to help you along your academic journey. On this page, you will find some of these resources that may help you understand important dates, calculate your GPA, enroll in classes, and more!
Preparing for Course Enrollment:
- Review your Degree Audit Report
- Refresh yourself on the courses required for your major
- View the courses being offered next term
- Connect with your Academic & Career Advisor to discuss options
- Look up your enrollment appointment date & time
Academic Tools & Resources
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GPA Calculator
GPA Calculator
Monitoring your GPA is important, as there are GPA requirements for graduation. The GPA calculator is a tool to help you understand how your academic status would be impacted by grades you receive in current and/or future courses.
To use the calculator, you will need to know your current cumulative GPA and your current GPA credits. Both can be found in your DARS within the section “QUALITY of WORK in the DEGREE.”
DARS Reports - Identifying Your Degree Requirements
A DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) report shows you which courses you have taken as well as which courses you still need based on a particular major or plan. You can request your own DARS Reports in the Course Search and Enroll tile in MyUW.
Learn more and view helpful guides by visiting the Office of the Registrar‘s website.
Adding & Enrolling in Classes - Course Search & Enroll
The Course Search & Enroll app is an online, searchable catalog of courses, which students use to enroll in classes. Click one of the links below to access enrollment tutorials.
- Add to cart by class number (Recommended if you have a number available)
- Search and enroll in courses
- Common Enrollment Issues and Error Messages
- Waitlists
Dropping a Class
There are times where it may be necessary to drop a class. However, dropping a class after the semester begins could have significant impacts on your academic plan and/or financial aid. If you drop a class after the “no record on transcript” deadline for that class’s session, the class will show as a “DR” on your transcript (with the exception of swapping different sections of the same class).
Read more about drop deadlines here.
Be sure to check with your Academic and Career Advisor before taking any action. If you determine dropping a class is the best option for you, see dropping a class for instructions.
Textbooks, eText & Course Materials
Textbook information can often be found in Course Search & Enroll and the Courses widget in MyUW once professors and instructors provide it. Some professors and instructors choose not to include textbook information but instead may email enrolled students a syllabus or other materials before class. eTexts and other digital course materials are becoming more and more available to students for a fraction of the cost of printed materials.
The registrar offers some great tips and alternatives for securing textbook materials found here.
Understanding UW-Madison Grades
Semester grades are reported by letter grades only: UW–Madison does not use plus or minus signs.
Incompletes: An Incomplete may be an option for a student who has carried a subject with a passing grade until near the end of the semester and then, because of illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond their control, has been unable to take or complete the final examination, or to complete some limited amount of term work. Incompletes are granted by permission of the course instructor and have clear requirements.