Summary
At the beginning of each semester, it’s common for students to log into Canvas and find that one or more of their courses are missing. This issue is typically caused by one of a few simple factors, such as course availability settings, registration timing, or account access issues. This article will walk you through the most common causes and self-service solutions.
Content
Here are the most common reasons why your course might not appear in Canvas — and what you can do about it:
1. The course is not published yet by your instructor
- Even if you're officially enrolled, you won’t see the course on your Dashboard until the instructor publishes it.
- What you can do: Check your “Courses > All Courses” list to see if the course is listed there but unpublished. If so, no action is needed on your part — just wait until the instructor publishes the course, usually by the first day of class.
2. You recently registered or changed your schedule
- Course enrollment updates can take up to 24 hours to appear in Canvas after you add or drop a class through E-Services.
- What you can do: Wait a few hours and refresh Canvas later. If it’s been more than a full day, move on to the next steps.
3. You’re using the wrong UHCL login or account
- Double-check that you’re logging into Canvas at UHCL with your correct UHCL student email (e.g., StarkT1234@uhcl.edu).
- Using a personal email or an old account (e.g., from another school) may result in a blank dashboard.
4. You’ve customized your Dashboard and accidentally hid the course
- You may have favorited only specific courses, which hides others.
- What you can do: Click Courses > All Courses, then click the star icon next to any current semester courses to pin them to your Dashboard.
5. Holds or unpaid balances
- In rare cases, a registration hold, or financial block may prevent you from being fully enrolled in a course.
- What you can do: Check your E-Services account for any holds or contact the Office of the Registrar.
Additional Resources
Need Additional Help?
On behalf of OIT’s Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) team, we hope this article was useful. If you encounter any difficulties or have questions related to this procedure, please contact our colleagues in OIT’s Support Center to have a help ticket created and assigned to the IDT team. You may contact the Support Center via email (supportcenter@uhcl.edu) or by telephone (281.283.2828).
Once we receive your inquiry, a member of the IDT team will contact you as quickly as resources permit.