New J-1 Exchange Students

Be sure that you have followed all instructions in your admission letter BEFORE attempting registration. **If you have not received your admission letter yet and need these instructions, please email us at NDSU.iss@ndsu.edu.

This is a repeat of the information in your admission letter. As noted in your admission letter, you should do the following:

• Find your Student ID number listed in your admission letter (this may also be referred to as the "EMPLID."
• Claim your “System ID”.
  • You will need your Student ID number and your birthdate to complete this process. This System ID is needed for applying for housing and completing course registration in the future.
  • Any questions about this claim process should be directed to the North Dakota University System Help Desk at ndus.helpdesk@ndus.edu.

Everyone will have a financial obligation hold to sign in CampusConnection. Do this first before attempting registration.

If you have difficulties signing this, please see these instructions here: https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/financial-obligation-agreement

While you are waiting for information on how to register, please do the following and start building a list of classes and alternate classes that you are interested in taking during your stay at NDSU.

1. How early can I register?
   • Find out how to view your Appointment Time in CampusConnection.
   • This date will always correspond with the label of "UGRD Open Enrollment." (For example: This date for Spring 2024 is November 20th, 2023).
2. Search the NDSU Course Catalog and read NDSU Course Descriptions
   • Make a list of the classes you would like to take.
   • Note the days/times these courses are offered, to avoid time conflicts when building your class schedule.
3. Please consider more courses than you intend to take as some courses may not be available for some of the following reasons. For example:
   • The class may not be offered during your requested placement period
   • The class may be full (filled to room capacity)
   • You may not meet the pre-requisites to enroll
   • The course/program is selective and/or not available to exchange/affiliate students: Graduate level courses; and undergraduate courses in areas such as Accounting, Finance, Interior Design, Nursing, Pharmacy, Radiologic Sciences, Veterinary Technology, Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Environmental Design), Construction Management, Construction Engineering, Mathematics, Social Work, and Teacher Education.
4. Read about how to add classes
   • Please note - not every course is offered every semester. So it is important to only be looking at the correct semester when searching.

Special Vocabulary:

Course prerequisites (Prereq): Prerequisites indicate the academic background, academic level, or other requirements considered necessary for enrollment in the course. Most prerequisites are specific courses, however, equivalent preparation is usually acceptable.

Course co-requisites (Coreq): Co-requisites indicate courses to be taken concurrently with the course described. Instructor or department permission may override a prerequisite or co-requisite.

About a month after admission (usually in late May for Fall admits - and in early December for Spring admits), you'll receive an email from your international student advisor at NDSU with instructions on how to register. Please wait for this email before attempting any registration.

If you received the email from the international student advising team - please begin to register.

• Add all desired classes to shopping cart, and attempt registration: https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/add-classes
• Encounter an error with pre-requisites or co-requisites? Please email NDSU.Transfer@ndsu.edu with a screenshot of your shopping cart and explain you are a non-degree exchange student who needs help with registration. Be prepared to send a copy of your most recent transcript and course descriptions.

Help with CampusConnection or your NDUS System ID

• https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/campus-connection-help-pages
• Please call the N.D. University System Help Desk at 866-457-6387 or submit a Help Desk ticket online: http://helpdesk.ndus.edu

1. You will be entering NDSU as an undergraduate student, which means you can only register for 100, 200, 300, or 400 level classes. Any 500, 600, 700 or 800 level classes are graduate-level classes and you will not be allowed to take them.
2. Also, the following program areas/courses are also not available to exchange students: Pharmacy, Nursing, the Intensive English Language Program, Accounting, Finance, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Mathematics, Teacher Education, Construction Management or Construction Engineering. Please see the NDSU exchange/affiliate fact sheet for an up-to-date listing of restricted areas.
   • No course requests in these areas will be allowed. The restricted areas are subject to change at any time depending on limited space available in programs. In addition, if a student does not meet the needed background or prerequisites to enroll in a course or program, subject areas may become unavailable. We recommend students agree to remain flexible in course registration during the admission and class registration process.
3. Also note that many "HNES" sports classes will have an extra fee attached to it, that in most cases you will be required to pay for on your own. Also, sometimes sports classes may be offered off-campus in the community, so please read the details of the course carefully before enrolling.
4. PLEASE NOTE: As an international student, you are required to register for a minimum of 12 credits each semester to maintain your immigration status. Only one on-line class can count towards this 12-credit minimum, so you are limited to 1 online class– always consult with us at NDSU.iss@ndsu.edu first if you plan to take an online class in the event it is not allowed by your home school or sponsor.

Do not begin this process until you have received the special registration email from the incoming exchange coordinator at NDSU. This email will typically arrive in May (for new Fall students), and late November (for new Spring students).

1. Go to the NDSU website, www.ndsu.edu, and click on “Online Services”, then on “Campus Connection”.
2. At the Campus Connection website https://studentadmin.connectnd.us/psp/NDCSPRD/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/h/?cmd=login you'll need to enter your System User ID and password that you claimed soon after you were admitted with the instructions in your admission letter.
3. Then, follow the navigation of Student Self-Service, Learner Services, Academics (on the right-hand side of the screen), Enroll in a Class, Click on the term you want, and then click on Add Classes.

Most exchange students do not need to take the math placement test. This is optional, but any exchange student can take it.

If you are going to register for a course that requires a special math background/equivalent in the course description (or if the professor needs to know the extent of your math background), we recommend you take the math placement test.

https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/ndsu-placement-procedures

Yes, you can drop a class before the semester begins. However, you cannot drop to zero. So if you have a class you wish to drop, be sure to add other classes to your schedule first - and then you can drop the class. See this link to find out more: Drop Classes

When registering:

• A green circle means the class is still open
• A blue square means that the class is closed – no more students are allowed to register. You can watch this course to see if it opens, but it probably will remain closed and you most likely will not be able to take this course.
• A yellow triangle shows classes that are considered “wait listed.” This means the class is currently full and students are already on a list waiting to register. This means you most likely will not be able to take “Wait List” courses. You should watch your progress on the wait list and if you are still not enrolled when classes begin, please go to the first class and visit with the instructor.

After enrolling, you should see the word “Success” and see a green checkmark to show that you have successfully added a course.

IMPORTANT: It is very normal to receive an error when trying to register. Some students may find themselves with an error on most classes they enroll in – and others may have fewer issues, depending on your area of study. We have a process in place to help you with any errors – and that special survey form link was provided to you in an email. Please read the email and this page very carefully as it will help avoid confusion during registration.

If you want to request a class but you received an “Error” message, please fill out our web form which will include the specific details of the class in which you would like to enroll. We can then request permission for you to possibly take the course.

You may be receiving this error because of pre-requisites needed, sophomore or junior standing, etc. It is important that you meet all pre-requisites for taking a particular course, which means that your academic transcripts must show that you have taken classes similar to the required NDSU coursework and that you have the appropriate background to take the class.

If you get an error based on a "co-requisite" - this means that you must also enroll for that co-requisite course at the same time as the course you are trying to register for, or sometimes this also means that you must have had that course already.

• If you enroll yourself for a class that you do not possess the appropriate course background for, the department/instructor reserves the right to drop you from the course. So, it is very important that if the course lists a special pre-requisite condition or course that you meet all of these conditions.
• If you received an Error for any courses. it may take some time to receive a response regarding your permission to register. It may take time to hear back from the department and gain appropriate class permissions for you. The time for us to gain permission for you sometimes takes up to 2 days, but other times it may take 1 week or more, especially during Summer Break, Thanksgiving Holiday or Winter Break, or if an instructor is out of the office. We will contact you as soon as we hear back, to let you know if you can enroll.

Keep in mind that my office actually does not register you in the course – If you had an error when you tried to register for a course/courses, what we do is receive your request and forward it to the department with a copy of your transcript. They then look at your background and determine if you can register. Then, they email me back and let me know if you can enroll and then I email you, to tell you that a permit has been issued if they can allow your enrollment. And then at that time, you go in and finish the enrollment process from your enrollment "shopping cart." This is the reason the process takes some time so please be patient as we work with the department on permit approval.

NDSU OneStop

Here you can find detailed information in areas such as searching for courses, registering for classes, etc.

• https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/campus-connection-help-pages
• https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/courses

CampusConnection: Problems logging in or have questions about your System ID

• Please call the N.D. University System Help Desk at 866-457-6387 or submit a Help Desk ticket online.

Hopefully you have already reserved your room. Your admission letter contained the link to the Residence Life website, encouraging you to apply for housing as soon as possible after admission: https://www.ndsu.edu/reslife.

If you need to check into a Residence Hall, Housing Check-In will be held in the Memorial Union, starting the day before orientation. Times are posted here: www.ndsu.edu/international/orientation.

If you must book a hotel, some information is found on our orientation website. You can come to campus either by hotel shuttle, or by taxi, Uber, or Lyft, for example.

If you will be living on-campus during these breaks, you must request break housing because the residence hall license contract does not include housing costs during breaks.

To qualify for break housing at NDSU, students must apply through the website of Residence Life. The application and the deadline for requesting break housing will be posted on their website when applications become available: http://www.ndsu.edu/ResLife.

ISEP students please see the "Resources for ISEP Exchange Students" section below for more information on Break Housing.

For all students, your housing assignment will be for the entire academic year (through the end of the Spring semester). If you are staying only for the Fall semester, you will be required to cancel your hall assignment before December 1. If you do not cancel by that date, you will be charged a $100 fee. To obtain a cancellation form - you should contact your RA (Resident Assistant) or HD (Hall Director) to ask for the form.

Typically the last day to stay in your housing is the last day of the semester according to the academic calendar. The last day of the semester is always a Friday - and is the last official day of finals week. You can possibly stay a few days late for a fee (approximately $20/night) - this fee will be paid by you directly. If you have more questions, consult with your RA or HD when you arrive, to find out the procedures for requesting these extra nights.

• Guides and Tips page from ISEP.org
  • ISEP-provided Health Insurance
  • United States Country Handbook
    • Visa/immigration status-related resources for J-1 ISEP students and on-campus employment and academic training positions with ISEP.
• Notes on Break Housing/Meal Stipends
  Please refer to the ISEP Contract that you signed when accepting your placement at NDSU. It contains information about break housing.

You are provided with the required NDSU international student health insurance through UnitedHealthcare StudentResources, and World Learning pays this on your behalf. Also, as part of your program participation, you may also have been provided by World Learning with a health benefit plan through ASPE. You can choose to use the ASPE plan, however, we recommend you instead use the UHCSR plan because it is more comprehensive coverage and will cover you better when you seek care on the NDSU campus in particular.

Therefore, as soon as you see a charge appear on your NDSU student account from the NDSU Student Health Service, you must do the following to file a claim. Click here and scroll to the section on the FAQ page about using the Student Health Service.

If any of your charges on your account remain unpaid after your UGRAD program is over at NDSU, your transcript cannot be released, so it is very important to file insurance claims quickly and have a zero when you leave NDSU.

Our orientation consists of pre-orientation modules AND an in-person orientation after arrival.

For more important information about your arrival, please view this page which includes updates about Orientation in addition to required immunizations and your arrival in Fargo: www.ndsu.edu/international/orientation

You should wait until after arrival to pay your charges on your account.

For any student receiving a tuition discount (such as exchange, ISEP, or affiliate students with a partial waiver), it sometimes takes a week or two (after arrival) for all of the charges to be adjusted on your accounts. Please be patient as we work through each of your cases.

• How to Make Payments to NDSU
• Payment Deadlines(and other important academic dates/deadlines)

General Information on Travel Signatures and Processing Time in the ISSAS Office

Special note for ISEP Exchange students: Be sure to drop off your original DS-2019 at the ISSAS office upon your arrival - your incoming ISEP coordinator must mail the DS-2019 to ISEP in Arlington, VA for a travel signature in the event you will need to return home during your stay.

Travelling to Canada during your J-1 Program

Depending on your home country, and method of travel to Canada - you may not need a tourist visa to enter Canada. Please see this page for more information: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

• Students who don't need a visa to go to Canada still may need a special electronic travel authorization to enter Canada by air or even transit through a Canadian airport. Find out more about the "eTA" here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta.asp.

If your partner institution requires information about NDSU's COVID-19 procedures, please click here.