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Frequently Asked Questions
Individuals are considered a student of La Sierra University once they have registered for classes. This may be as part of a program of study or as a non-degree, visiting student.
Your username for My La Sierra is your first initial, the first three letters of your last name, and the last three numbers of your ID.
For example, the username for Eko Eagle with La Sierra ID number 1000000 would be "eeag000".
Your La Sierra email address is your first initial, the first three letters of your last name, and the last three numbers of your ID (i.e., your La Sierra username), followed by "@lasierra.edu".
For example, the email address for Eko Eagle with La Sierra ID number 1000000 would be "eeag000@lasierra.edu".
The password for your La Sierra email address is the same as for My La Sierra, and is created when you activate your La Sierra account. You can access your email directly at email.lasierra.edu.
If you forget your password, click on “Reset Password” and enter your La Sierra username. You will receive an email to your personal account with instructions to reset the password. If a personal email address is not saved to your account, or if you do not receive the reset instructions, please complete the IT Problem Solver request for further assistance.
Priority Registration opens for seniors, graduate students, and students registered with the Office of Accessibility Services on Week 4 of the preceding quarter. Regular Registration for all students begins on Week 5 of the preceding quarter. Registration closes on the first Friday of the quarter. These deadlines are different during the Summer Quarter because class timelines are often condensed. Please email registrar@lasierra.edu if you have a question about a specific deadline.
Please bookmark the Academic Calendar on the La Sierra website to stay informed about current deadlines.
Undergraduate students should seek advising from the Office of Academic & Career Services (OACS), their departmental advisor, or their faculty mentor. Graduate students should seek advising from their departmental advisor. Advisors will help students develop a multi-term course schedule so that they can stay on track for a timely graduation.
Full-time status is a minimum of 12 units for undergraduate students and 6 units for graduate students.
First, log into your My La Sierra account, then click on the Registration icon on the Student home page. Verify the term for which you want to make changes and then enter the course CRNs in the boxes at the bottom of the page. Click Submit Changes when you are done. Check the Course Schedule to find available CRNs and contact OACS or your graduate department for advising.
You must complete the Confirmation of Registration after the initial registration each quarter, or your classes will be dropped at midnight. Click on the green Check or Confirm Registration button if you are not automatically taken to the confirmation process.
A registration hold is placed on a student’s account when there is an issue that needs to be resolved. Holds may be viewed under the Holds link in My La Sierra. Students should contact the department that issued the hold to find out how to settle the issue and clear the hold.
An override gives you permission to register for a restricted or closed class. Overrides are commonly used to override a pre-requisite error, to bypass an instructor or department restriction, or to grant entry into a full class, among other reasons. Course Instructors may approve overrides for class capacity, class standing, special approval, and/or time conflict. Department Chairs and Deans may approve overrides for student level, missing pre-requisite/co-requisite, and/or major restrictions, in addition to the items above.
Overrides may be issued by the appropriate faculty or department online through My La Sierra, or by submitting a signed Course Override Form to the Records Office. Once an override is placed on your account, you have 48 hours (or until the close of registration, whichever comes first) to register for the class online through My La Sierra or with the Records Office.
You may have received this error because you haven't taken or didn't pass the required pre-requisite/co-requisite course(s) or placement exam(s) to qualify to take the current class. Pre-requisites are common for sequence classes and upper division classes. Whenever there is a lecture and lab combination, be sure to register for both at the same time. The minimum grade for all pre-requisite classes is “C.”
Please contact the Records Office or OACS if you have questions about pre-requisite or co-requisite registration errors.
A level restriction occurs if you have attempted to register for a course that is numbered above your class standing. For example, freshman students may not register for 400-level courses and undergraduate students are generally not allowed to register for graduate-level classes without prior approval.
If you believe you have been approved to register for the course, please obtain a signed Course Override Form from the Department Chair or Dean of the School or College and send it to the Records Office.
You will receive the "Maximum Hours Reached" error if you have attempted to register for more than 18 units (or more than 13 units under provisional status) and you have not been approved for a unit overload. Please contact the Dean's Office of your school or college to petition for an overload. An example form provided by the College of Arts and Sciences is linked here.
Any enrollment above 18 units carries additional charges. It is highly recommended that you contact your Student Financial Services Counselor to make financial arrangements.
This error means that your student status is inactive and can occur when you have been away from La Sierra for one term or more. Please contact the Admissions Office for instructions to reactivate your account at admissions@lasierra.edu or (951) 785-2176.
If you are a visiting "Unspecified" student and are not in an academic program, you must work with the Records Office to complete a new Unspecified Student Registration Form each quarter. Please email registrar@lasierra.edu if you have questions.
If a class is full, you must select a different section or contact the instructor to see if adding is a possibility. Some professors ask students to attend the class on the first day to request permission to add using the Course Override Form. Capacity overrides for Interdepartmental Theme courses in University Studies must be requested from the Division of General Education Dean's Office at universitystudies@lasierra.edu (includes SSCI, HUMN, RLGN, NSCI, and UNST courses).
Please fill out a Data Correction Form and submit it to the Records Office. Appropriate documentation (e.g., driver's license, Social Security card, marriage license, etc.) showing your name as you would like it to appear must be attached to process a name change.
To transfer credits, you should contact your former school and request that an official transcript be mailed to the address below. Official e-transcripts are also accepted at admissions@lasierra.edu. Transcripts are only considered official if they are sent DIRECTLY from the institution to La Sierra. We cannot accept any hand-carried transcripts or those sent to a third party first.
Please see our Transcripts & Transfers page for more details.
La Sierra University
Office of Admissions
4500 Riverwalk Pkwy
Riverside, CA 92505
Before taking classes at a different college, you must fill out the Off-Campus Registration Form to make sure the courses are transferable to La Sierra and will count toward your degree requirements. Please do not register off campus before getting approval to do so. Once submitted, the Off-Campus Request takes 5-10 business days to process.
Keep in mind that seniors may transfer in a maximum of three classes with labs OR 12 units (whichever is more) within their last 56 units. Please contact your Degree Auditor in the Records Office if you have questions about this limit.
You may order your official transcript online through the National Student Clearinghouse. The cost is $10 per regular transcript or $50 for expedited shipping (depending on service availability). Please see our Transcripts & Transfers page for more details.
Course Withdrawal
Drop courses
Students may withdraw from courses within the current quarter on or before the last day to withdraw as published in the academic calendar. Dropping courses after the Friday of the second week of the quarter will result in a “W” appearing on the academic record, including the official transcript. Students can withdraw courses through their online account or in person at Records Office. It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop the class if he or she stops attending. Students who do not attend classes and do not drop will receive ‘F’s and will be financially responsible for the courses.
It is important to note that dropping one or more courses may impact a student's financial aid. We strongly recommend that students consult with their Financial Counselor prior to dropping any courses.
Administrative and Medical Withdrawals
Students who cannot complete the quarter due to medical or significant extenuating circumstances may appeal for an Administrative Withdrawal. The Administrative/Medical Withdrawal Petition should be completed and sent to registrar@lasierra.edu to begin the request process. Administrative Withdrawal Petitions will be considered until five years after the term of enrollment, after which time no appeal is possible.
Withdrawals
- completely withdraws, or
- stops attending before completing the quarter, or
- does not complete all modules (for example, sequential classes offered in the summer term).
Contact the Records Office
La Sierra University
4500 Riverwalk Parkway
Riverside, CA 92505
Email: registrar@lasierra.edu
Phone: (951) 785-2006
Fax: (951) 785-2447
Office Location
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday:
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday:
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.