Registration: First-Year Scheduling
Use myWCU to:
- Complete the First-Year Placement Portal.
- Find Your Advisor
- Request to Change First Semester Schedule
- Schedule Advisor Appointments
- Search Classes
- Schedule Classes in your myWCU
- Sign up for Wait List
Welcome Golden Ram! We are excited to have you join our campus community this Fall!
The first step after paying your deposit is to make sure you initialize your password. This will allow you to access important campus resources, such as myWCU, Navigate, D2L, and campus WiFi. Need directions? Click here to watch a video. Click here for written instructions.
Details about Spring 2024's first-year scheduling will be released in early December. Keep an eye on your WCU and personal emails used in your Admission application for more information.
Details about Fall 2024 first-year scheduling will be released in April.
General Information about First-Year Scheduling
- First-Year Enrollment Portal contains a series of questions, surveys, and placement exercises that all first-year students are required to complete prior to being registered for their first semester at WCU.
- We ask that all students complete their portal as soon as possible.
- It is important to complete the test as soon as possible, but it is equally important
for students to complete the exercises with care and attention. Students should not
rush through the Portal or try to inflate scores. Just do your personal best.
Assessments are used to place you into a relevant level of classes to your abilities and past education. Under preparation or attention can result in being placed in courses of material you may already know which may result in disengagement or the requirement to take unnecessary coursework. Inflating your score or seeking outside help could result in taking course(s) too hard for your abilities which may affect your ability to do well in the course. - Once schedules are created, they will be visible on the student's myWCU account and the Navigate Student App.
- Schedules can be discussed with advisors at New Student Orientation so make sure you complete your First-Year Placement Portal in advance of your orientation date.
- Until the first day of the first semester, students who wish to change their major must request this change through their Admissions Portal, which is monitored by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. When the change is completed, the new major will be reflected on myWCU in a few days. We have a process in place to update your first-semester schedule. This typically takes 7-10 days from the major change in myWCU. Once the semester begins, all change of major requests can be placed through myWCU.
- Students will be able to adjust their schedule beginning the Monday prior to the start of the semester. Changes should be made in consultation with an advisor or program chairperson.
- Student advisors will be assigned prior to the start of the Fall semester. Until then, any scheduling questions can be directed to the student’s major department chairperson or fyscheduling@wcupa.edu.
- If the student experiences any problems logging into their myWCU account, they should contact the Student Help Desk at (610) 436-3350.
What examinations are found in the First-Year Enrollment Portal?
The Enrollment Portal is unique to each student and their selected major, therefore it could contain any of the below exercises:
- Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement
- Exploratory Studies Survey
- Previous Level Course Work
- Personal Identifiers
- Student Support Question
- Student Questionnaire
- Writing Self Placement (WRITE Survey)
- Mathematics Placement
- Second Language Placement
Do not be concerned if your Portal does not contain all the exercises listed above. Remember, it is unique to each student and their college career.
Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement
In order to be registered for courses, all students attending West Chester University are required to complete the West Chester University of PA Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement prior to registering each semester. Read the information carefully and please be sure to print the agreement if you would like to retain a copy.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answer.
Exploratory Studies Survey
The Exploratory Studies Department created a survey for students who are admitted as undeclared to help them understand the future major and career interests of each of their advisees. Input on this survey assists to create a schedule that is best suited to help their students gain admission to their major of choice.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.
Previous Level Course Work
This section is a series of questions meant to help WCU staff and faculty understand what Advanced Placement (AP) and college-level course credits a student might be transferring into WCU. This information may be used to assist in developing the student’s first year schedule, if the student would like us to take it into consideration. The information provided in this Enrollment Portal does not serve as an official evaluation of potential credits a student may receive as transfer credits.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.
Personal Identifiers
This section allows students to provide personally identifying information. Pronoun information provided will be made available to faculty and staff to assist with supporting students.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take less than 5 minutes to complete. Updates to this information can be made directly in myWCU.
Student Support Question
The Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) is an on-campus resource designed to help students with various learning, physical, and/or emotional disabilities. OEA assist students in making a successful transition to college life and encourages students to understand their needs and strengths to best advocate for themselves. Students will need to register with OEA to take advantage of services, such as academic coaching, mindfulness coaching, adaptive technology, and/or ADA accommodations. This section allows students who have a disability or a history of accommodation (IEP, 504, SOP, etc.), to request an appointment to discuss what supports are available at WCU.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take less than 5 minutes to complete.
Student Questionnaire
This section contains a series of questions meant to help WCU staff and faculty create a schedule specifically based on individual student needs and includes questions regarding extracurricular activities and interests. It also asks students about their availability to technology and general education interests.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.
Writing Self Placement (WRITE Survey)
More information can be found by visiting the WRITE Survey FAQ Page.
If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please
contact the English Department.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.
Mathematics Placement Examination
More information can be found by visiting the Mathematics Placement Policy Page.
If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please
contact the Mathematics Department.
The Mathematics Placement Exam was designed by the Mathematics Department to determine the most appropriate course for a student based on their current knowledge. Students will be placed in a mathematics course based on the following criteria:
(1) Mathematics Placement Examination Score AND (2) Declared Major
Each academic department has identified the mathematics course(s) that are most appropriate for their first-year students. While students may be eager to be registered for the highest level mathematics course they qualify for, they must remember that the highest level mathematics course may not fulfill the requirements for their major. Students entering as Pre-Major or Undeclared will most likely not be scheduled for a mathematics class their first semester.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. Once you begin, we highly discourage your from stopping in the middle, so please make sure you have allotted adequate time to complete in one sitting.
When the First-Year Enrollment Portal is submitted, the student will not be able to
modify their answers, however if the student make retake the examination after completing
their Prep and Learning Modules.
Second Language Placement
If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please
contact Languages and Cultures Department.Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or who enter WCU as an Exploratory Studies (Undeclared) student are required to take the Second Language Placement Examination. The score received on this examination will be used by the Department of Languages and Cultures as one of several variables to determine a language placement. Based on other factors (years of language study in high school, at-home use of the language, time since the language was last taken, etc.), final placement may be different from the equivalence indicated by the online test score.
This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Once the First-Year Placement Portal is submitted, the student will not be able to modify their answers, however if the student is interested in re-taking the examination, they can contact the Languages and Cultures Department.
What is the WCU General Education Curriculum?
A liberal arts education prepares students to think and communicate as professionals, to understand the social and global contexts of their lives, to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another, to recognize difference and make informed decisions using reasoning skills, and to balance the various dimensions of their personal and professional lives. With these important goals in mind, West Chester University’s General Education Program strives to provide students with the experiences necessary to achieve the following goals:
- Communicate effectively
- Think critically and analytically
- Employ quantitative concepts and mathematical methods
- Demonstrate the ability to think across and about disciplinary boundaries
- Respond thoughtfully to diversity
- Understand varied historical, cultural, and philosophical traditions
- Make informed decisions and ethical choices
Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.
What are the General Education Components?
Students will need 6 credits in each of the following areas:
- Humanities
- Social/Behavioral Sciences
- Natural/Computer Sciences
Students will need 3 credits in the following area:
| ACADEMIC FOUNDATIONS: | Credits |
|---|---|
| First-Year Experience (FYE) | 4 |
| English Composition (WRT) | 6 |
| Mathematics | 3 |
| Interdisciplinary | 3 |
| Diverse Communities | 3 |
| DISTRIBUTIVE REQUIREMENTS: | Credits |
|---|---|
| Arts | 3 |
| Behavioral & Social Science | 6 |
| Humanities | 6 |
| Science | 6 |
Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.
What courses fulfill the General Education Curriculum?
Approved General Education courses are listed in the undergraduate catalog. All students should consult with their adviser to see if the department has specific requirements in these areas.
Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.