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GENERAL ELECTIVE PLACES

Online module registration is now closed. If you need to make any changes to your Semester 1 registration please contact your Programme Office.

You will have a chance to review your Semester 2 registration online during the 'Change of Mind' window - 11 January 2013 to 1 February 2013.
WHAT ARE ELECTIVES?
  • As well as your Core and Option modules you can also study Elective modules that either deepen your knowledge in your chosen programme (In-Programme Electives) or allow you to explore subjects outside of your area of study (General Electives).
  • When Online Registration opens for you in August, you will be able to register to all your modules in one go, including Electives.
  • To view the frequently asked questions click here.
  • Choosing your Electives - A brief guide for Undergraduate Students
  • For help with picking Electives read the step by step guide or watch the video tutorial.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO ?
  • Go to the Electives page of Online Registration.
  • If you want to search for an In-Programme Elective simply click on Search and the relevant modules will be displayed on screen.
  • If you wish to search for General Electives go to the Show Modules for section and select the All option. Then select your criteria (e.g. Category, Subject) and click on Search to get a list of relevant modules.
  • Choose a module from the list and click on the module title (highlighted in blue).        
  • Read the information about the module and if you wish to choose it simply click on Register.
  • Your choices will be recorded in the Electives Modules section of the Electives page.
    • If you see Confirmed beside an elective choice that means that you have a place in it. In most cases, registration to an In-Programme Elective will be confirmed immediately.
    • If you see Provisional beside an elective choice it means that places for that module will be randomly allocated on the evening of Friday, 7 September and Saturday, 8 September.
    • Electives that are Provisional do not add up in the Credit Information box on the right hand side of the Electives page.
  • Check your UCD Connect email for daily status updates on the General Electives that you have chosen.
  • Check your UCD Connect email on Saturday, 8 September to see if you were successful in getting a place in your elective modules.
  • If you get a place in an elective module, the status will change to Confirmed and your credits will accumulate on 8 September
Who can take Electives?
Most undergraduate degree students.

Note: if you are a student in Stage 1 Arts or Stages 1 and 2 of Science you can (but don't have to) take your elective credits as part of your Core/Options rather than taking Electives.
What types of Electives are there?
There are General Electives ('go broader') and In-Programme Electives ('go deeper').

General Electives give you the chance to study modules from outside your programme area. Always read the information about a module to see if you will be interested in it and if you meet the module requirements.

Note: up until 5.00pm on Friday, 7 September 2012, when you choose a General Elective its status will be Provisional on the Electives page.

In-Programme Electives are intended to deepen your knowledge by focusing on modules within your core degree area. Note: In-Programme Electives places are offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis so in most cases registration will be confirmed immediately. This means that if you meet the requirements, there are places available and it fits in with your timetable then you will see Confirmed appear as the module status on the Electives page.
When do I choose my Electives?
From your Start Time for module registration (check your UCD Email for confirmation of the exact date/time) - watch out for 7 and 21 September 2012.
How many Electives can I take?
Most students can choose up to 2 Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. From 8 September onwards, most students will be able to take up to 10 extra elective credits.

Have a look at the Credit Information box on the right hand side of the module registration pages to see how many credits, including how many elective credits, you need to have.
How do I search for an Elective?
Go to the Electives page of Online Registration.
  • If you want to search for an In-Programme Elective simply click on Search and the relevant modules will be displayed to you.
  • If you wish to search for General Electives go to the Show Modules for section and select the All option.
    Then select your criteria (e.g. Category, Subject) and click on Search to get a list of relevant modules.
  • You can also search for electives in the following ways: by Subject, by School, Keyword Search, Timeslot Search.
To start a new elective search you must always click on Clear Search and then enter your new information.
For full instructions take a look at the registration guides at http://www.ucd.ie/students/regguides.html
How do I choose an Elective?
Once you complete your search a list of relevant modules will be displayed on the page:
  • You can click on the module titles to get more information.
  • Click on the different headings to read about a module. Always read the information in Am I eligible to take this module? before you make your decision.
  • If you wish to choose a module simply click Register. Your elective choices will be recorded in the Electives Modules section of the page.
    • If you see Confirmed beside an elective choice that means that you have a place in it. In most cases registration to an In-Programme Elective will be confirmed immediately and will not be part of random allocation.
    • If you see Provisional beside an elective choice it means that places for that module will be randomly allocated on the evening of Friday, 7 September and Saturday, 8 September. Please note that prior to Friday, 7 September; confirmed places are available on In-Programme Electives only.
An In-Programme Elective may also be available to you as an Option module. If you choose the module as an In-Programme Elective (on the Electives page) that module will appear on both the Option page and the Electives page. Make sure you have all your option modules before you choose your electives.

If you are repeating a programme with an undeclared major, e.g. Arts or Engineering Omnibus, you will be able to select modules that you may wish to study for your next stage on the Electives page.
What is a 'provisional elective registration'?
As different programmes/stages begin registering to their modules at different times we want to give all students who are entitled to choose General Electives a fair chance to secure a place on the modules they want.

This means that, up until 5pm on 7 September 2012, when you choose a General Elective module you will see Provisional beside it on the Electives page. On the evening of Friday, 7 September we will randomly allocate places in the General Elective modules to students.

If you get a place in the module the Provisional will change to Confirmed and the credit value of the module will be recorded in the Credit Information section of the screen.

Check your UCD Connect email on Saturday, 8 September to see what modules you got and for details on when you can access elective registration again.
What is a 'confirmed elective registration'?
If you see Confirmed beside an elective choice that means that you have a place in it.
  • In-Programme elective modules are ‘first come, first served’ so if you are successful in getting a place you will see Confirmed beside it immediately.
  • If you are successful in getting a place in a General Elective (after allocation) then you will see Confirmed beside it on the Electives page once registration reopens for you.
  • From 8 September all elective module registration will be ‘first come, first served’ so if you are successful you’ll see Confirmed immediately.
How will I know what my chances are of getting a place on a General Elective?
We will send nightly updates to your UCD Connect email address, to tell you:
  • if you are 'competing' for elective places on the module(s) you have chosen
  • if you have not met the requirements for the module
These emails will help you assess your 'chance' of getting what you want.
What happens if a module I want is full?
If you want an In-Programme Elective that is full you may still have a chance at getting the module as a General Elective.

Remember that places in General Elective modules will be randomly allocated on 7 September so you will not know if they are full or not until after that.

You will find that places become available on many Option and Elective modules as other students change their minds about what modules they want to study.

Schools may, where appropriate, create and release additional places on certain modules so keep an eye on the Extra Places page on the website for details.
How will I know if extra places are made available?
Where a module is full, and there might be some competition for additional places, we will formally announce a release and, at specified times, release those places. Check here for news on this. Bookmark this webpage and check it regularly throughout the registration period.
What happens on Friday, 7 September?
On Friday, 7 September we will allocate places to General Electives and then email you on Saturday, 8 September to tell you what modules you have.

No module registration, in any form, will be available from 5.00pm on 7 September to 6.00pm on 8 September 2012.
What happens on Saturday, 8 September?
The online module registration system will be fully open to all students from 9.00pm on Saturday, 8 September. It will open from 6.00pm that evening on a phased basis for students who were not successful or only partly successful in the allocation of electives process. These students will receive an email in advance of 6.00pm that day giving them a specific time that they can go online between 6.00pm and 9.00pm to recommence their module registration.

From 8 to 21 September 2012 all elective registrations are on a first come, first served basis - if there's a place, you get it, if there isn't, you don't.

You can also register to one or two extra elective modules (5 or 10 extra elective credits). You pay for these extra credits.
Why is Monday, 10 September so important?
This is the first day of lectures for most students so if you want to be ready for the start of the academic year make sure to have your registration complete.
What is the significance of Friday, 21 September?
On Friday, 21 September, module registration closes at 5.00pm so you need to have completed your module registration by that time. You cannot choose modules after this - you are already well into the semester and cannot join a class after this point. The online registration 'change of mind' window for Semester 2 modules is in January 2013. Details will be published on 31 October 2012.
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