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U of A Bear Tracks, Launchpad and Canvas: Course Registration Guide
You use three U of A systems in order. Launchpad is where you accept your offer and pay the tuition deposit. Bear Tracks is where you register in courses, see your fees and pay them. Canvas is the U of A's learning management system, where your courses run once classes start. You log in to all of them with your CCID.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. View sources
Which system does what
Older U of A pages and upper-year students may still say eClass. The U of A now calls Canvas its learning management system. The eClass site shows a restricted-access notice, and technical help for Canvas still goes to eClass support.
| System | When you use it | What you do there |
|---|---|---|
| CCID | Within days of applying | Your Campus Computing ID for Bear Tracks, U of A Gmail, the library and residence applications |
| Launchpad | After you receive an offer | Read your status letter and conditions, accept the offer and pay the deposit |
| Bear Tracks | From your enrolment date onward | Find your enrolment date, build a schedule, register, see your exam schedule and pay fees |
| U of A Gmail | From the day you get a CCID | Official email from the university, including residence room offers |
| Canvas | Once classes start | Course materials, assignments and grades. Course Material Access items are delivered here too. |
Before you can register
Your CCID arrives by personal email after you apply online. The IT services page says within two days, while the residence page says within 72 hours.
To register, you accept your offer in Launchpad and pay the non-refundable tuition deposit: $500 for Canadian students, $5,000 for international applicants, or $1,000 for international applicants already studying in Canada. It's applied to your tuition later.
The pages give different waits after you pay. The registration page says access takes two business days after the deposit posts to Launchpad. Registration 101 says the deposit can take up to five days to be received. Pay early rather than on your enrolment date.
| Fall 2027 offer made | Deadline to accept and pay |
|---|---|
| On or before April 1 | May 1 |
| April 2 to August 1 | 30 days after the offer |
| After August 1 | 14 days after the offer |
When registration opens
Each student gets an enrolment appointment date and time. Find it in Bear Tracks under Manage Classes, then My Enrollment Dates, or under each term in My Schedule Builder. Times are Mountain Time.
For Fall 2027 applicants, the admissions timeline says the class schedule is released and registration opens in late May or early June 2027. The registrar's general timeline runs like this:
- May 17: students start building schedules in My Schedule Builder.
- May 25: advanced registration opens for students continuing in the same program, with priority by credits completed.
- Early June: open registration for all programs and years.
- On your date, only students with that appointment can log in from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Most students can register from 7 a.m.
How to register in Bear Tracks
Bear Tracks has three tiles: My Schedule Builder, Manage Classes, and My Schedule and Exams. The registrar recommends building your schedule in My Schedule Builder and finishing registration in Manage Classes on your enrolment date.
- Check that Bear Tracks shows the right program under Academic Records before you build a schedule.
- Search by course code, name or instructor. Block off personal time and pin classes you must have.
- Save up to 15 schedules as favourites so you have backups if a section fills.
- Add a schedule to your cart and validate it before your date. Validating flags missing prerequisites, but it doesn't register you.
- On your date, go to Manage Classes, then Shopping Cart and Watch List, and enrol.
- Don't process registrations in My Schedule Builder and Manage Classes at the same time.
Fall 2026 and winter 2027 deadlines
Fee assessments are usually released in July for fall and winter. Missed deadlines can't be appealed on fees, so note these for 13-week classes.
| Deadline | Fall 2026 | Winter 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Add or delete with no record | September 15, 2026 | January 15, 2027 |
| Pay fees | September 30, 2026 | January 29, 2027 |
| Last day for a 50% fee refund | October 1, 2026 | February 3, 2027 |
| Withdraw with a grade of W | December 1, 2026 | April 2, 2027 |
Getting help
New students can join a faculty Registration 101 workshop or use the faculty tip sheets and self-guided modules. When we checked on September 30, no workshops were scheduled yet. Augustana has its own registration page and dates.
For registration questions, contact the Student Service Centre. For program advice, ask your faculty's advising office. Report Bear Tracks system problems through the IT service portal linked from the registration page.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- University of Alberta Registrar: registration and courses
- University of Alberta Registrar: course registration and enrolment dates
- University of Alberta Registrar: Student Registration Experience Guide
- University of Alberta Registrar: registration dates and deadlines 2026-27
- University of Alberta Admissions: Registration 101
- University of Alberta Admissions: accept your offer
- University of Alberta Admissions: Fall 2027 dates and deadlines
- University of Alberta IST: CCID and passwords
- University of Alberta Residence: apply to live in residence
- University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning: Canvas supports
- University of Alberta eClass: access notice
- University of Alberta Registrar: non-instructional fees, including Course Material Access