The online class search engine was designed to help you easily locate courses based on a number of search criteria. We hope this search engine will help you when planning your schedule. One important note: This search engine will only help you locate courses, IT DOES NOT ENROLL YOU IN ANY COURSES. Once you have found the courses you wish to enroll for, you must register using either WebTRACS or phone TRACS at 815-753-8900 to enroll for courses at Northern Illinois University.

You can specify any number of criteria when you are searching for a course. The more specific information you provide to the search, the faster the results will be displayed. Large searches may take several minutes. For example, a broad search such for all university courses that meet from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. might take quite some time to complete. On the other hand, a smaller search for all Chemistry courses that meet on MWF from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00pm would take much less time. The more information you provide to the search engine, the faster the results will be found and displayed.

This on-line listing of courses offered reflect all changes made in the student information system during the previous business day.

Term

This allows you to select the term you wish to plan courses for.

Location

This allows you to search for the location of your courses. You have the option of searching for a course that meets at any location, courses that meet only on-line, off campus, or courses that meet only on campus.

Department Name

This field allows you to limit your search to courses offered by a particular department.

Course Number

This field allows you to search for a specific course number. Searches can be limited to a specific department and course number. For example, if you want to search for an English 103 course, you would select English for the department name and enter 103 in the Course Number field.

Alternatively, searches can also be made by entering just a course number. For example, if you want to search for all courses numbered 500 that were being offered for a particular term, you would choose "Any" for the department name, and then enter 500 in the Course Number Field. All courses numbered 500 that were being offered during the selected term would be displayed.

Return All Courses

Clicking yes will return all courses regardless of meeting day and time including those courses without a specified meeting day or time, as long as the course meets all of your other search criteria. Many courses, such as student teaching courses, independent study courses, Master's and Doctoral Thesis courses have no designated meeting time (for example, TBA courses).

If Return all courses is YES, then all courses including those without designated meeting times will be displayed. If NO is selected, then courses without meeting times, will be omitted.

General Education Course

This allows you to search for general education courses by their category. Choosing a particular General Education Category, will display the courses that fall under the appropriate category. Selecting "Science and Mathematics courses" will return any science and mathematics general education course. Selecting "any general education course"will return any general education course.

Choosing"any course", displays all courses, whether or not the courses are general education courses.

NOTE:  Depending on the catalog you are using to graduate, the general education list might contain classes that do not match the ones you can actually count as Gen Eds. Consult your catalog or advisor if there is any question.

Course Levels From

This allows you to specify the level of a course for your search. If you wanted to find all 300-level courses being offered, select the 300 Level Courses from the drop-down menu. All courses in the 300-level range that are being offered for the term will be displayed.

Meets on Days(s)

This allows you to search for courses that meet on particular days. If you wanted to search for all courses that meet on MWF, you would select the appropriate boxes. One important note: The search engine searches all combinations of the days you specify. This means if you do a search for courses that meet on MWF, the search engine will display all courses that meet on MWF and courses that meet on M, W, F, MW, WF, MF, and any courses with no specified meeting day, such as an independent study course. Similarly, a search for TTH will return all courses that meet on TTH as well as all courses that meet on only T, only TH, and all courses with no specified meeting day.

If you do not care to search for a given day, select the any day box.
 

Courses Between

This field, in conjunction with the "Return All Courses" field, allows you to specify a search for courses that are offered between a certain time range. Before specifying a time range, the "Return All Courses" option must be set to "NO" so that ONLY courses offered between the time you specify are displayed.

To search for all morning classes, you would select "NO" for the RETURN ALL COURSES field and enter 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A search for all evening courses would be accomplished by selecting "NO" for the RETURN ALL COURSES field and choosing 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Important Note:

Please be sure that "NO" is selected for the RETURN ALL COURSES FIELD.

12:00 a.m. (midnight) is the beginning of the day, not the end of it. If you want to search for all evening courses, enter something such as 5:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.  Of course, such precision is probably not needed. A search from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. would return all the evening classes at NIU.  If you enter in a begin time of 5:00 p.m. and an end time of 12:00am (midnight), the search engine will return an error.

Instructor

This allows you to search for a course taught by a particular instructor's last name. Do not attempt to search for courses taught by Staff, this would return an error or an empty search.