New Student Registration Guide & FAQ Page — Pre-Seminary Program

Welcome to Martin Luther College! The information found on these pages will help you get registered for the proper courses as you begin your preparation for enrollment at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary!

You are ultimately responsible for understanding your degree requirements and meeting them. The dean and your advisors stand ready to help you.

Video Tutorial

The MLC Registration Guide Video walks you through the process of registering for your courses. Before proceeding, watch it and follow its guidance step by step. 

No, really. Before proceeding, watch the MLC Registration Guide video tutorial. Nothing else will make sense unless you do! (Note: First, watch the whole thing. Then, go back and follow the instructions step by step.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

• First, click here to access the MLC Portal. Log in using your MLC username and password. Click on your name in the upper right-hand corner to get to your individual Portal Directory page. Here is where you will start putting together your schedule.

• The Program Plan PDF linked on your Portal Directory page is dictated by your emphasis/minor choice. 

  • • Read the general information in the yellow box at the top and note what applies to you.

    • This is a template; it shows all the specific courses or course menu requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree with your chosen emphasis/minor. You may have to adapt it to your specific situation.

    • The pages that follow the template provide a full list of all courses in the various menus that are part of your degree. 

      • • To see what options you have, refer to the list of courses in the Program Plan PDF, in particular the "Literature Seminar Elective" menu and the "Pre-Seminary Vocal Music Course" menu. Clicking on any course in this list will take you to the course description.

• In the Portal (Scheduling>Program Planner), create a Program Planner by clicking Create New and selecting your plan under Use Standard Plan.

  • • For most first-year students, the majority of the specific courses you need to take will automatically populate in the Program Planner. The only courses you will need to choose are the ones in the gray boxes. 

    • Make any necessary adjustments to your first two semesters based on . . . 

      • • course requirements you’ve already met (AP tests, dual-enrollment courses)

        • non-biblical language placement (applies only to German, Latin, Confessional, and Spanish emphasis/minor). The MLC Registrar’s Office has already enrolled you in your initial German, Latin, or Spanish course(s) based on the results of the language placement test.

• For any gray box in your Program Planner (if applicable), select a specific course and drag it into that box. (The lists of courses you can choose from are on the Program Plan PDF.
• If you are entering the Pre-Seminary Program with no non-biblical language experience, you must delay Greek until your sophomore year. (The Registrar’s Office will already have enrolled you in the elementary level of a non-biblical language.)
• If you want to change your emphasis/minor, contact the pre-seminary dean via email at danelljc@mlc-wels.edu.

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

MLC Scheduling Help Desk

If you have any questions during the scheduling process (that aren’t answered in the FAQ section below) 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 22 - July 10, 2026

• By phone: 507.233.9102
  • • 8 am to 4 pm CDT Monday - Thursday
    • 8 am to 12 pm CDT Friday
• By email to records@mlc-wels.edu 

July 13 - July 17, 2026

• By phone: 507.233.9102 
  • • 8 am to 8 pm CDT Monday - Wednesday
    • 8 am to 6 pm CDT Thursday
    • 8 am to 12 pm CDT Friday
• By email to records@mlc-wels.edu 

After July 17, 2026

• By phone: 507.233.9102
  • • 8 am to 4 pm CDT Monday - Thursday
    • 8 am to 12 pm CDT Friday
• By email to regoffice@mlc-wels.edu 

Important Dates

• Week of June 22, 2026 - Receive your scheduling instructions in the mail.
• June 22 - July 10, 2026 - Plan your schedule in the MLC Portal-Schedule Planner. (See Help Desk contact information and availability above.)
• July 13 - July 16, 2026 - Online course registration is open. Please note the day and time for scheduling. (See Help Desk contact information and availability above.)
• July 21, 2026 - Final Day for self-registration.

FAQs

AP: Do AP courses I took count for college credit?  

Yes, provided you received the necessary score on the AP Test. When MLC receives official notification from the College Board of tests taken and scores received (this is usually in early July), the Registrar’s Office will update your transcript, and you will see this near the top of your Program Planner. You can then remove the requirement from your Plan. (Please be sure you have requested that your AP scores be sent to MLC. Our AP code is 6435.)

Auditing: May I audit courses?  

Yes, beyond 18 credit hours, students may audit courses up to 21 total credit/audit hours. Students often audit choir, Wind Symphony, etc., after they have reached 18 credits. (Audits do not earn credit. Refer to the 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog, p. 30, for audit policies.) 

Course Descriptions: Where do I find course descriptions?

See the Course Description page on the MLC Portal. (This page can also show you when the course is being offered.)

Credit Limits: How many credits may I schedule?  

Students may not take more than 18 credits per semester. 

Dual-Credit Courses: Do college courses I took in high school transfer to MLC? 

In most cases, yes—though not until MLC receives an official transcript and evaluates it. Once that happens, the MLC Registrar’s Office will enter that credit into your transcript and notify you. You will see this near the top of your Program Planner. If you took courses at another college, please be sure to request that an official transcript from that college be sent to MLC. 

Financial Aid & Credit Benchmarks

• The Standard Load: A typical first-year semester is 15 to 18 credits.

• Financial Aid Baselines: You must take at least 12 credits in your program for full federal financial aid, and 15 credits if you receive a Minnesota State Grant. CRITICAL: Financial aid will only pay for courses that are explicitly required for your degree. (If you have at least 12 credits in your program, you may add “extra” credits that are not part of your program, up to a total of 18 credits (21 if 3 are an audit). You cannot take random "extra" courses to boost your credit count for financial aid.

• If you DID NOT bring in AP or Transfer Credits: Look at your Semester 1 and Semester 2 columns. If your Program Planner totals fewer than 15 credits, you should look at the General Education menus and "move a course up" to comfortably hit your credit goals.

• If you DID bring in AP or Transfer Credits: Do not pull future courses forward. If you bring in credits (e.g., 9–15 credits from high school), you will have lighter semesters in your first year (12–14 credits). Leave them light! Spreading your remaining required courses across all 8 semesters ensures you maintain financial aid eligibility your senior year without running out of degree-required classes.

MN State Grant Note: If you have a MN State Grant and brought in more than 11 credits, contact the Financial Aid Office and pre-seminary dean immediately to strategically map out your 4-year plan.

General Education Requirements: What do I need to know about General Education courses?  

Many General Education requirements are met by choosing one or more courses from a menu.

• English 

  • • Many (but not all) students can flip-flop the semesters in which they take ENG1303 and ENG130x (Literature Seminar) if needed. Don’t schedule them both for the same semester. 

    • ENG3310 must wait until at least junior year.

• History-Social Science

  • • Pre-seminary students are required to take HIS2113 Modern West and HIS3011 US History II. 

    • Try to schedule HIS2112 Rise of the West before scheduling HIS2113 Modern West.

    • HIS3011 US History II must wait until at least junior year.

• Intercultural

  • • It’s best to wait and schedule this in consultation with your Advisor.

• Mathematics 

  • • MTH1012 Organizational Personal Finance is available either semester.

    • MTH2010 Calculus I is available first semester only (prerequisite is high school pre­calculus or equivalent).

    • MTH2020 Elementary Statistics is available second semester only.

    • MTH2022 Discrete Math is available first semester only.

• Physical Education. 

  • • You are required to take two activity courses. These courses all begin with PED11xx. Each of these courses lasts one quarter.

    • If you have participated on a high school varsity soccer team, do not take PED1131 Soccer. This course is intended for students with beginning or intermediate skill levels only.

• Science

  • • SCI1003 Biology / SCI1004 Biology Lab and SCI1102 Physical Science are available either semester.

    • SCI2021 General Chemistry I is available first semester only.

    • The two physics courses offered this year (SCI3102 & SCI4102) have prerequisite or class standing requirements.

• Theology

  • • All three of these courses are required at some point, and are generally taken during the first three semesters. However, you may not start with THE2001 Biblical History & Literature III.

ENG0001 & ENG1303: Why are these 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. If this applies to you, then you will have to take your English Literature Seminar course in Semester 2. 

Moving Courses: Can I move courses around?  

• What You Can Move: 

• Courses that appear in red in your Program Plan template, provided they are 1000- or 2000-level courses. 

• General Education Fine Arts, Math, and Science menus are excellent options to pull into your first year if necessary, but only for students without transfer credits who fall below the 15-credit baseline. (See “Financial Aid & Credit Benchmarks” above.)

• What You Shouldn’t Move: 

• Generally speaking, do not schedule 3000-level or 4000-level courses for your first year.

• Do not move Biblical Languages out of their designated years, unless you are required to delay the start of Greek.

• Do not schedule ENG1303 Rhetoric and Composition and your ENG130x Literature Seminar in the same semester.

• Do not schedule more than one Biblical History & Literature course (THE1001, THE1002, THE2001) in the same semester, and don’t schedule THE2001 in the first semester.

• Try to take HIS2112 Rise of the West first, then HIS2113 Modern West.

• ENG3310 Interpersonal Communication and HIS3011 US History II are reserved for the junior year and cannot be taken early.

• If you are moving a Gen Ed Science course forward, remember that some science courses have prerequisites or class standing preferences.

MTH0003: Why is this course already in my schedule?

If your Math ACT score was 17 or below, you may be required to take MTH0003 Developmental Mathematics during the first year. MTH0003 does not fulfill any of the math requirements for graduation. It is normally taken concurrently with MTH1012 Organizational & Personal Finance.

Music Courses: How do I schedule Music courses like Wind Symphony, piano, organ, or a choir?

• Music Experience Inventory: Complete this form online (it’s part of the New Student Checklist) as soon as possible, even if you have no music experience. Wind Symphony will be scheduled automatically for those who indicate that on this form.

• Always Register for Section 01: For all choirs, piano, organ, or instrumental lessons, always select Section 01. This is a temporary placeholder.

  • • Please note that MUS2048 Chorale and MUS3036 College Choir meet during the 8th hour (which might impact athletes). MUS3036 College Choir is mostly upperclassmen, with very few spots for first-year students. It meets five times per week and goes on tour.

• Auditions & Adjustments: Your actual ensemble placement or lesson teacher will be determined during orientation auditions. The music department will automatically adjust your schedule to the correct section after auditions.

• Auditing Ensembles: If you are already at 18 credits and want to join a choir or Wind Symphony for enjoyment without earning credit, you may audit it. You must still fulfill your 1-credit vocal music graduation requirement for credit at some point.

• Choir Alternatives:

  • • If you have zero singing experience, choose MUS1103 Sight Singing Fundamentals.

    • MUS203x Applied Voice is an option for accomplished singers wanting individual training.

Helpful Links