- * About: Visual Schedule Builder (VSB)

Service overview

Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) is a web-based application to help students build potential class schedule options prior to and during registration periods.

Once the Minerva Class Schedule is available for a particular term, students may enter courses from it into VSB. VSB arranges those courses into possible conflict-free timetables and displays them in an easy-to-read weekly schedule.

VSB allows students to:

Build scheduling restrictions into potential schedules.
Pin down classes that suit a student's schedule in order to rearrange others around it.
Copy-paste the CRNs from their possible schedules to the Minerva Quick Add boxes in the Registration menu.

Note: VSB does not register students in courses -- only Minerva can register a student in a course.

IMPORTANT: In April 2025, Visual Schedule builder was upgraded.

Sign in to see course's location and instructor information.

Also, minor interface changes were introduced with this new version. Want to know more? check out the Training & documentation section below for more details.

Additional notes:

VSB is also useful for faculty and staff who want to generate "what-if" schedules. For instance, displaying course combinations to facilitate the planning of other events.

Who can use it

The Visual Schedule Builder is available to all McGill students, faculty, staff, and the general public. However, certain information (e.g., classroom locations and instructor information) is only viewable by logging in with your McGill credentials.

How to request & access the service

Visit Visual Schedule Builder anytime or access it through myMcGill.

Cost

There is no cost associated with this service.

Availability

This service is available 24 X 7, except during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Check the home page of the IT Support site for announcements regarding service interruptions.

Frequently asked questions

Can students register for classes with Visual Schedule Builder (VSB)?

No. VSB is a way for students to generate possible weekly timetables in which no courses have time conflicts and where additional scheduling constraints can be set up to shape your weekly schedule of courses as desired. Students must use Minerva for registration.

Does all current class schedule information from Minerva get sent to VSB in real time?

No. Enrolment information is updated in real time from the Minerva Class Schedule. This means that when course sections are full, an accurate warning appears in VSB. However, other last-minute schedule updates, such as day or time of class and the availability of new sections or the cancellation of sections, are sent to VSB only once each morning. Therefore, you should always consult the Minerva Class Schedule before you register.

Does VSB help students identify their program requirements?

No. VSB does not replace the role of a student's advisor or a student's ongoing planning toward graduation from McGill (see Degree Evaluation).

I am getting the following error message when trying to login: "Sorry, but we're having trouble signing you in." What is happening?

You are not setup to use the application. Contact the Service Desk to validate your access.

More FAQs on Visual Schedule Builder (VSB)

Best practices & policies

For any questions about your courses, program requirements, etc, please contact your advisor or your faculty/school's student affairs office (see the Advisor directory).

New undergraduate students: Before you begin selecting courses, remember to consult your faculty website for essential information on your program of study.

Training & documentation

VSB was updated on April 30th, 2025.

Here are the main changes to the application:

Log in to see classroom locations and instructor information: Classroom location and instructor information are now available to users who are signed-in to the application. (To sign in: Select the term from the welcome screen, then, once in VSB, click on SIGN IN on the top-right-hand side of the application.)

Visual Schedule Builder interface comparison
Course selection interface (Left pane)
Previous version interface	New interface
	Select all / None / Close section links are now buttons. Only Course numbers are colored and located in the list's left section. Course descriptions are in the right of the list. Remove a course from your selection using the trash can.
Schedule building (Right pane) The schedule display itself has not changed, but some interface elements were aligned with current web interface trends. Course legends are not automatically displayed and must be toggled on. Full classes selector, used to display classes that are full, is now a toggle instead of a checkbox. Tips are no longer automatically displayed as a carousel but now require clicking the "TIPS" button. Sort is still a drop-down menu presenting the same options, but it is more subtle. The Campus links open a map to the appropriate campus. Course detail is automatically displayed in the course selection section (left). S: When Signed in: the course location and instructor are displayed. Additionally, VSB’s accessibility features are now implemented to help visually impaired individuals gain full access to the site’s information.

Support

For any question and issues related to Visual Schedule Builder, contact the Service Point.

If you are unable to login, contact the IT Service Desk.