New Student Registration Guide & FAQ Page — Education & Staff Ministry Program

Welcome to Martin Luther College! The information on these pages will help you register for the proper courses as you begin your preparation for ministry!

Please read through this entire document before beginning.

Scheduling Resources

Use this page as a “registration central” for your process. It contains important instructions and links to help you with this process. The Navigation panels on the left give quick access to important sections. Here are links to other helpful resources.

The MLC Undergraduate Catalog

pp. 44-46 provide details about general education requirements. These pages also list all the general education course menus.
pp. 44-72 provide details about the Education & Staff Ministry program requirements and curriculum.
pp. 82-103 provide course descriptions for specific courses.

MLC Portal is where you access your Program Plan and the Schedule Planner.
Consult General Education Courses for requirements and menu options.
Consult the Course Status (toggle between semesters as needed) & the 5-Year Master Plan on the Portal to see which years and semesters courses are offered.

Getting Started

Consult your specific program plan. Make sure to note the differences among the various programs - single middle & secondary, elementary education only, early childhood, double majors, etc. Review the notes at the top of each program plan to understand how to read the plan.

If you have decided to change your major or program from what is listed in your registration letter, you need to notify the MLC Registrar — Mrs. Kelly Diersen at 507-354-8221 ext. 222 or via email at registrar@mlc-wels.edu.
If you took an AP test, please be sure you have asked the College Board to submit your scores to MLC. The MLC code for reporting scores is 6435. (See pp. 25-26 in the Undergraduate Catalog for a list of AP exams, minimum required score, and corresponding MLC course.) Check your Unofficial Transcript after approximately July 8 to see what credits you have earned.
If you took a college course during high school, be sure you have requested that the college from which you earned credits send an official transcript to MLC for a formal transcript evaluation. Once this process is completed, check your Unofficial Transcript to see what credits have transferred.

Read through the Education & Staff Ministry FAQs at the end of this page (use Navigation Panel on left). They answer many questions and provide specific information for your major. Read carefully to be aware of specific requirements for some courses (e.g. PE, math, vocal/choral, piano/organ). Middle & secondary majors should pay attention to scheduling nuances noted in order to stay on track with their program.

Watch the Scheduling Video

After reading everything, watch the Scheduling Video for a visual guide on how to use the MLC Portal Schedule Planner.

Planning Your Schedule

Log on to MLC Portal using your MLC Account username and password which you set up earlier. Contact MLC IT Services if you have issues logging in.

Select the “Scheduling” tab and then choose:

“Schedule Planner”
Select “Preference” for personal preference choices (you do not need to do this, but it may be helpful with first planning).
Select “Modify Courses” to select courses and the semester you desire. Courses are in the middle and are organized by course number. To put the course into a semester, click on the “Add” button pointing to the appropriate semester. To switch semesters, you must delete the course from one semester and then use the “Add” button to put it in the other semester.
Select “Plan Schedule” to put the courses you have chosen into a weekly schedule. Be careful to note on the upper right the semester you are working with. You must develop a plan for both first and second semester if you are attending the full year. To switch between semesters in “Plan Schedule,” hover over 2024-25 Semester 1 in the upper right-hand corner and select 2024-25 Semester 2.
Select “Make It Fit” to design your schedule automatically according to the preferences you set in step #2 above. If a course does not fit, the course will appear in a white box on the left side of the screen. Clicking on the course in white will make potential meeting times appear in red boxes on the schedule grid. If you are unable to make your schedule fit your selected courses, you must go back to “Modify Courses” to make changes, by either switching semesters or dropping a course and adding another one. Many first-year courses are offered both semesters.
Note: to the left of your registration time, it will say "not approved." You can disregard that. Incoming new students do not need their schedules approved before finalizing.

If you have conflicts that you are not able to resolve, please contact the MLC Scheduling Help Desk at 507-233-9156 ext. 279.

Your plan is automatically saved. You can go back to it any time through the MLC Portal.

Registration Day Procedure

You will be eligible to finalize your classes at your appointed time. Individual registration times can be found by selecting “Schedule Planner” under the “Scheduling” tab on the Portal. Times have been randomly assigned and are staggered. Registration for first-year students begins at 8 am on July 8. Reminder: to the left of your registration time, it will say "not approved." You can disregard that. Incoming new students do not need their schedules approved before finalizing.

Click on “Register” on the “Schedule Planner.” Note: This tab won't appear until your assigned registration day.
Click on “Finalize.” This finalizes the registration process.

Your registration time will remain open until you complete registration by finalizing your schedule. It is in your best interest to schedule at the appointed time.

IF YOU DO NOT FINALIZE YOUR SCHEDULE BY THE MAKE-UP DATE, THE RECORDS OFFICE WILL SCHEDULE FOR YOU.

Important Dates

June 24, 2024 | You should receive via mail instructions to register for your courses online.
June 24 - July 7, 2024 | Begin planning your schedule in the MLC Portal Schedule Planner.
June 24 - July 3, 2024 | MLC Scheduling Help Desk available for questions from 8 am - 4 pm CDT. (507) 233-9156 ext. 279
July 18 - July 12, 2024 | Online course registration is open. Please note the day and time for scheduling. The MLC Scheduling Help Desk is available from 8 am - 8 pm CDT. (507) 233-9156 ext. 279
July 16, 2024 | Make-up day

MLC Scheduling Help Desk

If you have any questions during the scheduling process or about anything on this page, call the MLC Scheduling Help Desk. The people at the help desk are there to help you with your scheduling needs.

MLC Scheduling Help Desk Availability

June 24 - July 3, 2024

By phone (507) 233-9156 ext. 279 from 8 am to 4 pm CDT
By email to records@mlc-wels.edu

July 8 - July 12, 2024

By phone (507) 233-9156 ext. 279 from 8 am to 8 pm CDT

After July 12, 2024

By phone (507) 233-9156 ext. 279 from 8 am to 4 pm CDT
By email to registrar@mlc-wels.edu

FAQs

Always refer to your program plan when selecting courses! Following the program plan will ensure that the appropriate general education electives are taken. Pay close attention to courses that are only offered in alternate years. Note that some courses are offered in both semesters and may be switched.

Are there specific things to keep in mind for my first year?

Many first-year students take these courses:

ENG1303, Rhetoric and Composition – take opposite semester of Literature Seminar
ENG1304 or ENG1305, or ENG1306, Literature Seminar – take opposite semester of ENG1303
SCI1003 and SCI1004, Biology Lecture and Lab must be taken in the same semester (listed in the sophomore year on the Elementary Ed/Spanish double major program plan)
Do not schedule multiple BHL courses (THE1001, THE1002, or THE1003) in the same semester

Policies and other items to note:

Students may not take more than 18 credit hours per semester
Beyond 18 credit hours students may audit courses up to 21 total credit/audit hours (Audits do not earn credit. Refer to the 2023-24 Undergraduate Catalog pg. 30 for audit policies.)
Students can audit choir, wind symphony, etc. after they have reached 18 credits
Many courses can be taken in either semester during the first year (e.g. Rhetoric & Composition, Literature Seminar)

APP - Advanced Placement Program

How do I schedule if I’ve taken AP courses?

If you have taken AP courses, please be sure that you had your scores sent to MLC. The courses you received credit for will be listed on your unofficial transcript on the MLC Portal by approximately July 8. The unofficial transcript is located on the MLC Portal. (After logging in, click “Grades” and select “Unofficial Transcript”). The AP courses, along with the scores required, are listed in the MLC Undergraduate Catalog.

If the AP courses you received credit for are freshmen courses, you can choose to take other courses in their place. If you need to schedule extra courses because your AP courses have fulfilled many of your freshman course requirements, you can look to schedule courses listed in the sophomore year of your program plan. However, it is best not to schedule sophomore EDU courses in your freshman year.

English

Why are there English courses already in my schedule planner?

If your English ACT score was 17 or below, you may be required to take ENG0001 Essential Skills for College Composition and ENG1303 Rhetoric and Composition concurrently during your first semester of studies. ENG0001 does not fulfill any of the English requirements for graduation. These courses will already appear in your schedule planner.

Consult the General Education Courses page on the MLC website to view menu options.

Fine Arts Elective

Which Fine Arts elective should I schedule?

If your program plan calls for a Fine Arts Elective in the first year, MUS2201 Introduction to Fine Arts is available for you to schedule. If you wish to select a different course from the Fine Arts Electives in the MLC Undergraduate Catalog and postpone taking the Fine Arts Elective until a later time, you can choose to take courses listed in the sophomore year of your program plan. However, it is best not to schedule sophomore EDU courses in your freshman year. If you are considering a Music minor, you should postpone the Fine Arts elective until a later year and replace the course with a different course from your program plan.

Consult the General Education Courses page on the MLC website to view menu options.

Math

Which Math elective should I schedule?

If your program plan requires you to choose a math course, you are encouraged to choose a course based on your ACT score. Some program plans call for a “General Education Math Elective.” In this case, any of these courses can be selected. The semester these courses are offered are listed below:

MTH1012 Organizational Personal Finance –- take either semester
MTH2010 Calculus I – take first semester only (pre-requisite is a high school course in precalculus)
MTH2020 Elementary Statistics – take second semester only
MTH2022 Discrete Math – take first semester only

Note: Students with an ACT mathematics score of 17/SAT of 470 or lower are required to complete MTH0003 Developmental Mathematics, which can be taken concurrently with MTH1012 Organizational and Personal Finance or before taking any other math courses. MTH0003 Developmental Mathematics does not fulfill any of the mathematics requirements for graduation. These courses will already appear in your schedule planner.

Music

How do I schedule music courses?

Complete the Music Experience Inventory form online as soon as possible, even if you have no music experience. If you indicate an interest in joining Wind Symphony on the form, Wind Symphony will automatically be entered in your schedule planner. You must add all other music courses to your schedule planner.

Schedule section 01 for piano, organ, choir, instrument, and vocal lessons. After your Music Experience Inventory form has been reviewed and after your brief audition during student orientation week, your music course level may be adjusted in your schedule. You will also then be assigned an instructor for keyboard, instrument, and/or vocal lessons. Students registered for lessons will receive an email from their assigned instructor before the semester begins. It will include their assigned lesson time.

Students desiring to participate in a choir should register for section 01 of the course in one of the following ways:

New students who are joining Wind Symphony, which meets fourth hour, should register for Chorale, MUS2048, which meets eighth hour.
New female students who wish to sing in choir should register for MUS2038, Women's Choir. New male students who wish to sing in choir should register for MUS2048, Chorale.
Note: if the male population can support an additional choir, it is possible that a 4th-hour option (MUS2039 Männerchor) may be opened up. Students will have an opportunity to declare interest in the 4th-hour option at their choir audition.

Your choir registration is a temporary registration until auditions are completed. After the auditions, the choral conductors will place you into one of the choirs or determine that a vocal class will serve you better. If you are accepted into choir, the conductors will, if possible, attempt to honor your choir preference you included on the Music Course Placement and Inventory Form you completed online. However, placement of students into these choirs is also affected by sizes of the choirs, balance of voice parts, and other considerations. All preferences may not be able to be accommodated.

If you have added choir, MUS 1103, or MUS 1104 to your schedule planner, an audition time will be given to you during orientation week.

For programs that have a vocal/choral requirement, this requirement can be met in the following ways (Choose one option):

MUSxxx Choir (2 semesters)
MUS1103 Sight Singing Fundamentals and MUS1104 Vocal Skills
MUS1103 Sight Singing Fundamentals and MUSxxxx Choir (1 semester)
MUS1104 Vocal Skills and MUSxxxx Choir (1 semester)

Phy Ed Activity Courses

Can I take any PED11xx courses to fulfill my Phy Ed activity course requirements?

Yes, except if you have participated on a high school varsity soccer team, do not take this as an activity course. PED1131 is to be taken by students with beginning or intermediate skill levels only.

Note:

To fulfill your PE activity course requirements, your PED11xx courses need to be different activities. You may not repeat the same activity for additional credits.
PED1205 First Aid is not a Phy Ed activity course. All Phy Ed activity courses are numbered PED11xx.

Spanish

Spanish is a specialized course of study at MLC. Whether as a major, a minor, a language emphasis, or for free elective, you need to have taken the placement test offered by MLC. You may not register for Spanish courses on your own. After you have completed the placement test, MLC will add the proper course to your schedule planner. Depending on where you were placed, your first Spanish course may not begin until your second semester. Please do not schedule Spanish courses on your own.

If you have not taken the placement test and are considering taking a Spanish course, please contact Prof. Degner (degneriw@mlc-wels.edu). You may want to leave room for 3 credits open in your schedule for a Spanish course.

Specific Program Helps

Physical Education Majors

The Physical Education Teacher Education major courses or pre-requisites should begin in the first year. It is difficult to become a double major that includes PE, if you don’t start it as a first-year student.

All PE Teacher Ed majors should schedule SCI1003 and SCI1004 Biology and Lab in the first year.
All PE Teacher Ed majors should schedule PED3004 Care and Prevention (Sem I) and PED2010 Foundations of Physical Education (Sem II) in the first academic year.

During your first year, it is best to take ENG1303 first semester, if possible. HIS2001 has already been added to your first-semester schedule. You should take SSC3210 in your second semester. Following these suggestions will allow you to take other classes in your program during your sophomore year.