Booking Courses with TSS
This guide walks you through booking a course in TSS, from finding a class to managing it after you've booked. It covers what to click and where, so you know exactly what to expect each step of the way.
Tip
Make sure you've reviewed the Preparing to Book guide or corresponding video before your booking window opens. The guide covers what to check ahead of time — including your holds, unit limits, and your booking window.
Open Schedule of Classes and Search
Open the Schedule of Classes
To search for courses, go to your TSS homepage.
Click on the search bar.
Type Schedule of Classes into the search bar and click on Schedule of Classes.
Search for a Course
From the Schedule of Classes screen, select the academic year dropdown and click on the desired year.
Select the Term dropdown and click on the desired term (e.g., Fall Quarter).
Click Go.
Your search results display a list of available courses for that term.
You can narrow your search by using one of the following filters at the top of the screen:
- Search Title/Description — keyword search across course titles and descriptions; useful when you don't know the exact course code
- Academic Level — filters by the level of courses (lower division, upper division, graduate, etc.)
- Department — narrows results to a specific academic department (e.g., Chemistry, Political Science)
- Building — filters by the physical building where the course meets; useful if you need to stay in a specific area of campus
- Modality — filters by how the course is delivered (e.g., in-person, remote, hybrid)
- Instructor — filters by a specific instructor's name
- Day of the Week — filters by which days the course meets (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday only)
- Section ID — searches by the course's unique section identifier; useful if you already know the exact section you want
- Credits – filters by unit value; drag the slider to set a minimum and maximum so only courses within that unit range appear in results
Looking for your major's required courses? The Schedule of Classes app doesn't filter by major or program of study — course search is open to any student, regardless of major. To see which courses count toward your specific major, check the Catalog, your degree audit, or talk with your advisor.
Check Course Details: Booking Requirements & Other Info
Before booking a course, check whether it has any prerequisites or restrictions. TSS checks these automatically when you attempt to book — if you don't meet a requirement, your booking will be blocked.
To view enrollment requirements for a course, select the course from your search results and look for an Enrollment Requirements tab.
No Requirements
From your search results, select the course you want to view.
This opens the course detail panel. The course detail panel contains any Notes about the course, Enrollment Requirements, and Class Section information.
No Enrollment Requirements tab? If a course doesn't have an Enrollment Requirements tab, it has no prerequisites or restrictions and is open to any eligible student.
If your desired course does not have any booking requirements, it will appear like the image below (i.e., no Notes or Enrollment Requirements tabs visible).
If your desired course has a booking requirement or prerequisite, an “Enrollment Requirements” section will appear on the detail panel (see information below).
Prerequisite Groups
When a course has multiple prerequisites, they're organized into groups. You need to have completed — or be currently booked into — one course from each group, not every course listed. Review each group carefully before booking.
Course Restrictions
Some courses are restricted to specific groups of students — for example, by major, college, or class level. Restrictions appear in the same Enrollment Requirements tab as prerequisites.
Additional Course Info: Books, instructor evaluations
Each course page includes a few additional tools to help you plan:
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View Textbooks — links to the bookstore site for required course materials. You'll still need to look up your specific section once there.
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View in Catalog — jumps directly to the course's full catalog entry.
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Course Evaluations (CAPE) — links to past student evaluations of the instructor and course, useful for comparing sections.
Booking Your Courses
Once you've found a course you want to take and confirmed you meet the requirements, you're ready to book within your assigned booking window.
Booking a Single Course
Step 1: Go to Booking
On the course detail panel, navigate to “Class Sections” and click Go To Booking.
This takes you to the course booking screen.
Step 2: Review Course Information
Review the following information at the top of the screen to confirm accuracy. Taking time to ensure these items for accuracy will save you a headache in the future:- Course
- Credit Hours or Units (if applicable)
- Viewing Campus
- Grading Option
- Academic Year & Session
If the credits or grading option is incorrect or need to be changed, continue to OPTIONAL Steps 3 and/or 4 below. If no changes are needed, continue to Step 5.
OPTIONAL Step 3: Select Your Grading Option
You can choose your grading option (letter grade or pass/no pass) before you book. Every course has a default, so you'll never be left without one; when letter grade is available, it's automatically the default. If you'd rather take the course pass/no pass, select that option before booking — but check with your academic advisor first to make sure it's the right choice for your situation.
On the course booking page, locate the grading option dropdown near the top of the page.
Select the appropriate grading option by clicking on the radio button next to Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass. Click Close.
Want to change your grading option for credit hours AFTER booking?
- Undergraduate students can make changes to grading options or credit hours (if applicable) in My Courses through the deadline to do so.
- Graduate students can make changes to grading options or credit hours (if applicable) in My Courses through the Friday of Week 2. Change requests after Friday of Week 2 need to be submitted in TEA through the deadline to do so.
OPTIONAL Step 4: Select Credit Hours (Variable Unit Courses Only)
Some courses, typically special studies courses, let you choose how many units you'll earn.
If the course is a variable-unit course, the credit hour selector will appear on the booking page.
Click the dropdown and select the number of units you want to book.
Step 5: Book Your Course
Once your course details are confirmed to be correct, click Book/Save.
Once booked, a confirmation message appears at the bottom of the screen and the course's status changes to Booked.
Note: If a prerequisite, restriction, or department approval requirement is blocking you from booking a course, you can request an exception through TEA. Read Requesting Triton Enrollment Authorization (TEA) to learn how to submit a request.
Booking Multi-Component Courses
Some courses are made up of more than one linked component — for example, a lecture paired with a required discussion section or lab. These are called event packages.
Each component is shown with a short course code (for example, LE for lecture, DI for discussion). Required components are grouped together on the course page, so you can see what you need to book as a set.
From your search results, select the multi-component course you want to book.
The course detail panel shows the required linked component(s) — for example, available discussion or lab sections — alongside the lecture.
Click Go to Booking.
Note: Because required components are packaged together, this opens one booking flow covering all components.
Click Book/Save.
Note: Grading options apply to the package as a whole, not per component.
A confirmation message pops up on the screen, which books all required components together, and each linked component's status changes to Booked.
Other Booking Tasks
Changing Your Grading Option
Already booked into a course and want to change your grading option? You can do that from My Modules / Courses, up until the deadline. Check the Enrollment and Registration Calendar for the deadlines for each term. Click on the Enrollment and Registration calendars for more information.
To search for your booked courses (modules), go to your TSS homepage.
Click on the search bar. Type My Modules into the search bar and click on My Modules in Apps.
This screen shows all your booked modules/courses. Select the course on which you want to change the grading option.
Locate the grading option dropdown arrow and click the arrow to open it.
Select your new grading option by clicking the radio button next to the applicable option.
Click Book/Save to save the change.
Cancelling / Dropping a Course
Important notes about cancelling / dropping courses
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Want to switch instead of cancel? If you need to change sections within a package (for example, a different discussion time with the same lecture), see the Switching Course Sections below, rather than cancelling and re-booking.
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Graduate Students: You can drop a course through My Courses through Friday of Week 2. After that point, you'll need to submit a drop request via TEA through the drop deadline to do so.
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For more information about academic deadlines, review the Enrollment and Registration Calendar.
Canceling a Single Course
You can cancel (drop) a course from My Modules / Courses.
Go to My Modules / Courses and select the course you want to cancel/drop.
Click Drop.
Confirm by clicking OK when prompted "Would you like to drop this course?"
A confirmation message will pop up upon successful completion of the drop/cancellation.
The course(s) is now removed from your My Courses / Modules page.
Canceling a Multi-Component Course
Event packages cancel all components together. If you cancel one piece of a required package — like the lecture — the linked discussion or lab will also be cancelled. There's no way to cancel just one component and keep the rest.
Go to My Modules / Courses and select the course you want to cancel/drop.
Click Drop on either portion of the course (ie. lecture or lab). Note: Both components will drop automatically.
Confirm by clicking OK when prompted "Would you like to drop this course?"
A confirmation message will pop up upon successful completion of the drop/cancellation.
Return to step 2 and drop/cancel the other component of the course. You will be prompted to click “OK,” then will receive the same confirmation.
The courses are now removed from your My Courses / Modules page.
Switching Course Sections
Need to switch to a different section of the same course — for example, a different discussion time with the same lecture? Switching keeps your booking in the course while moving you to the new section.
Use the Switch feature from My Modules/Courses rather than dropping and re-booking.
Go to My Modules/Courses and select the course you want to switch.
Click Switch.
The system displays other available sections for that component — for example, alternate discussion or lab times. Select the radio button next to the section you want to change into.
Click Book to confirm the change.
Upon a successful course change/switch, a confirmation will pop up on the screen.
Your booking on the My Modules/Courses screen updates to the new section.
Waitlists
Waitlists begin processing during the second pass and continue through the add deadline.
To find out if a waitlist is available for a course, follow Steps 1 and 2 from Booking a Single Course above to reach the booking screen and check the course status:
- Waitlist Active — the waitlist is open and you can add yourself to it
- Waitlisted — you're already on the waitlist for this course
- Waitlist Inactive — the waitlist exists but is not currently accepting new additions; waitlisting may not be available for this section
Joining the Waitlist
Follow Step 1 and 2 from Booking a Single Course above to reach the booking screen.
From your search results, select the course you want to waitlist.
Click Go to Booking to reach the booking screen.
On the booking screen, confirm the status shows Waitlist Active.
Select your grading option by clicking the dropdown beneath the Grading Option title.
Select your preferred option by clicking the appropriate radio button.
Note: The same principles as regular booking apply. Whichever option you choose will be applied automatically if a seat becomes available and you're enrolled.
If the course is a variable-unit course, the credit hour selector will appear on the booking page. Click the dropdown and select the number of units you want to book.
Click Book/Save to join the waitlist.
Once added, a confirmation message appears on the screen. Click OK.
Your status will update to Waitlisted and show your Waitlist Position.
You'll also see a notification message letting you know:
While You're on the Waitlist
You can view your waitlisted courses under your My Courses tile on your Student Overview Homepage, but they won't appear there until you're fully booked into the course. Waitlisted courses do count toward your unit limit.
If a seat opens up, you'll be moved in automatically and in real time — there's no need to keep checking back. Your status on your Student Overview Homepage will change from Waitlisted (shown as Booked on Wait List) to Booked once you're in.
While you're on the waitlist, you have the same options as a booked student:
- Drop — removes you from the waitlist
- Switch — moves you to another waitlist, or to a section of the same course that has open seats
Understanding Your Course Status
|
Status |
What it means |
|---|---|
|
Booked |
You're enrolled in the course |
|
Conditionally Booked |
You're booked in one component of a multi-component course but are missing the other |
|
Waitlisted |
You're on the waitlist for this course |
|
Waitlist Active |
The course is full but the waitlist is open — you can add yourself to it |
|
Waitlist Inactive |
The course is full and the waitlist is unavailable |
|
Blank |
You're not enrolled in or waitlisted for this course |