diff --git a/app/coffeescripts/handlebars_helpers.coffee b/app/coffeescripts/handlebars_helpers.coffee
index a59156d808d..03b451f060a 100644
--- a/app/coffeescripts/handlebars_helpers.coffee
+++ b/app/coffeescripts/handlebars_helpers.coffee
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ define [
   'underscore'
   'str/htmlEscape'
   'compiled/util/semanticDateRange'
+  'compiled/util/dateSelect'
   'jquery.instructure_date_and_time'
   'jquery.instructure_misc_helpers'
   'jquery.instructure_misc_plugins'
-], (ENV, Handlebars, I18n, $, _, htmlEscape, semanticDateRange) ->
+], (ENV, Handlebars, I18n, $, _, htmlEscape, semanticDateRange, dateSelect) ->
 
   Handlebars.registerHelper name, fn for name, fn of {
     t : (key, defaultValue, options) ->
@@ -162,5 +163,9 @@ define [
     toSentence: (context, options) ->
       results = _.map(context, (c) -> options.fn(c))
       $.toSentence(results)
+
+    dateSelect: (name, options) ->
+      new Handlebars.SafeString dateSelect(name, options.hash).html()
+      
   }
   return Handlebars
diff --git a/app/coffeescripts/registration/signupDialog.coffee b/app/coffeescripts/registration/signupDialog.coffee
index dcff31dec27..b86b3d370c3 100644
--- a/app/coffeescripts/registration/signupDialog.coffee
+++ b/app/coffeescripts/registration/signupDialog.coffee
@@ -44,11 +44,15 @@ define [
             class: 'btn-primary'
           ]
           return
-        $form.formErrors flatten
+        errors = flatten
           user: User::normalizeErrors(errors.user)
           pseudonym: Pseudonym::normalizeErrors(errors.pseudonym)
           observee: Pseudonym::normalizeErrors(errors.observee)
         , arrays: false
+        if errors['user[birthdate]']
+          errors['user[birthdate(1)]'] = errors['user[birthdate]']
+          delete errors['user[birthdate]']
+        $form.formErrors errors
 
     $node.dialog
       resizable: false
diff --git a/app/coffeescripts/util/dateSelect.coffee b/app/coffeescripts/util/dateSelect.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..539ebbcc1cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/coffeescripts/util/dateSelect.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+define [
+  'i18n!instructure',
+  'jquery'
+  'underscore',
+  'str/htmlEscape'
+], (I18n, $, _, h) ->
+
+  builders =
+    year: (options, htmlOptions) ->
+      step = if options.startYear < options.endYear then 1 else -1
+      $result = $('<select />', htmlOptions)
+      $result.append('<option />') if options.includeBlank
+      i = options.startYear
+      while i*step <= options.endYear*step
+        i += step
+        $result.append($('<option value="' + i + '">' + i + '</option>'))
+      $result
+    month: (options, htmlOptions, dateSettings) ->
+      months = dateSettings.month_names
+      $result = $('<select />', htmlOptions)
+      $result.append('<option />') if options.includeBlank
+      for i in [1..12]
+        $result.append($('<option value="' + i + '">' + h(months[i]) + '</option>'))
+      $result
+    day: (options, htmlOptions) ->
+      $result = $('<select />', htmlOptions)
+      $result.append('<option />') if options.includeBlank
+      for i in [1..31]
+        $result.append($('<option value="' + i + '">' + i + '</option>'))
+      $result
+
+  # generates something like rails' date_select/select_date
+  # TODO: feature parity
+  dateSelect = (name, options, htmlOptions = _.clone(options)) ->
+    validOptions = ['type', 'startYear', 'endYear', 'includeBlank', 'order']
+    delete htmlOptions[opt] for opt in validOptions
+
+    year         = (new Date()).getFullYear()
+    position     = {year: 1, month: 2, day: 3}
+    dateSettings = I18n.lookup('#date')
+
+    if options.type is 'birthdate'
+      _.defaults options,
+        startYear:    year - 1
+        endYear:      year - 125
+        includeBlank: true
+
+    _.defaults options,
+      startYear: year - 5
+      endYear:   year + 5
+      order:     dateSettings.order || ['year', 'month', 'day']
+
+    $result = $('<span>')
+    for i in [0...options.order.length]
+      type = options.order[i]
+      tName = name.replace(/(\]?)$/, "(" + position[type] + ")$1")
+      $result.append(
+        builders[type](
+          options,
+          _.extend({name: tName}, htmlOptions),
+          dateSettings
+        )
+      )
+      delete htmlOptions.id
+    $result
diff --git a/app/stylesheets/registration.scss b/app/stylesheets/registration.scss
index 829df8bd3fc..a220a157325 100644
--- a/app/stylesheets/registration.scss
+++ b/app/stylesheets/registration.scss
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@ a {
 .registration-dialog {
   margin-top: 2em;
   font-size: 1.1em;
-}
-
-.registration-dialog .spinner {
-  width: 100px
+  .registration-dialog .spinner {
+    width: 100px;
+  }
+  .select-birthdate {
+    width: auto;
+  }
 }
 
 .help-block-small {
diff --git a/app/views/jst/registration/studentDialog.handlebars b/app/views/jst/registration/studentDialog.handlebars
index 05269767c5c..1078feafee8 100644
--- a/app/views/jst/registration/studentDialog.handlebars
+++ b/app/views/jst/registration/studentDialog.handlebars
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     <div class="control-group">
       <label class="control-label" for="student_birthdate">{{#t "labels.birthdate"}}Birth Date{{/t}}</label>
       <div class="controls">
-        <input type="text" id="student_birthdate" name="user[birthdate]" class="date-field">
+        {{dateSelect "user[birthdate]" id="student_birthdate" type="birthdate" class="select-birthdate"}}
       </div>
     </div>
     <div class="control-group">
diff --git a/app/views/jst/registration/studentHigherEdDialog.handlebars b/app/views/jst/registration/studentHigherEdDialog.handlebars
index f86d449e4f9..da52fa92f33 100644
--- a/app/views/jst/registration/studentHigherEdDialog.handlebars
+++ b/app/views/jst/registration/studentHigherEdDialog.handlebars
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     <div class="control-group">
       <label class="control-label" for="student_higher_ed_birthdate">{{#t "labels.birthdate"}}Birth Date{{/t}}</label>
       <div class="controls">
-        <input type="text" id="student_higher_ed_birthdate" name="user[birthdate]" class="date-field">
+        {{dateSelect "user[birthdate]" id="student_higher_ed_birthdate" type="birthdate" class="select-birthdate"}}
       </div>
     </div>
     <div class="control-group">
diff --git a/public/javascripts/i18nObj.js b/public/javascripts/i18nObj.js
index c4ad521079a..49b9df401c7 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/i18nObj.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/i18nObj.js
@@ -563,6 +563,9 @@ I18n.scope.prototype = {
   },
   toPercentage: function(number, options) {
     return I18n.toPercentage(number, options);
+  },
+  lookup: function(scope, options) {
+    return I18n.lookup(this.resolveScope(scope), options);
   }
 };
 I18n.scope.prototype.t = I18n.scope.prototype.translate;
diff --git a/spec/selenium/users_spec.rb b/spec/selenium/users_spec.rb
index 0cfe7b894c5..df55e53def1 100644
--- a/spec/selenium/users_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/selenium/users_spec.rb
@@ -129,7 +129,9 @@ describe "user selenium tests" do
       form = fj('.ui-dialog:visible form')
       f('#student_join_code').send_keys(@course.self_enrollment_code)
       f('#student_name').send_keys('student!')
-      f('#student_birthdate').send_keys('1/1/1980')
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(1)]'] option[value='#{Time.now.year - 20}']").click
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(2)]'] option[value='1']").click
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(3)]'] option[value='1']").click
       f('#student_username').send_keys('student')
       f('#student_password').send_keys('asdfasdf')
       f('#student_password_confirmation').send_keys('asdfasdf')
@@ -147,7 +149,9 @@ describe "user selenium tests" do
       form = fj('.ui-dialog:visible form')
       f('#student_higher_ed_name').send_keys('student!')
       f('#student_higher_ed_email').send_keys('student@example.com')
-      f('#student_higher_ed_birthdate').send_keys('1/1/1980')
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(1)]'] option[value='#{Time.now.year - 20}']").click
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(2)]'] option[value='1']").click
+      form.find_element(:css, "select[name='user[birthdate(3)]'] option[value='1']").click
       form.find_element(:css, 'input[name="user[terms_of_use]"]').click
 
       expect_new_page_load { form.submit }