Can't Enroll in a Course? | Undergraduate Advising

Instructor Consent: Any student wishing to enroll needs permission from the instructor. This means you must contact the instructor for a permission number. “Instructor consent” will appear in the class info. Before contacting the course instructor, please review the following.

Reasons Why You May Not Be Able to Enroll in a Course

1. You have not met ALL the prerequisites. Look at the catalog course description. This can include:

Class standing (e.g. juniors or higher) – based on # of credits completed by the time the class begins.
Course prerequisite – must be completed prior to this class.
Read the prerequisites carefully. “And” means you need both/all listed. “Or” means you only need to meet one of those listed.
Prerequisites exist because the higher level course builds on the knowledge acquired in the prerequisite course.

2. You have met your credit maximum.

You will need to request excess credit to enroll in more credits each semester. If you have questions about how to request excess credit, please contact your advisor.
See also: information on maximum credits for Honors students.

3. A component of the class conflicts with another class currently on your schedule.

Check lab, lecture, and discussion times. You cannot enroll in overlapping courses, even by 1 minute.

4. You have a hold (e.g.: advising hold, bursar hold, health services, library).

You need to resolve the hold before you can enroll.
The hold can ONLY be lifted by the office that placed it.
Check holds long before your Pick Time to resolve them in time.

5. It is not yet your enrollment date and time.

NOTE: The online registration system closes for continuing students during summer orientation in May and reopens again in July.

6. Class is full.

Some classes may allow over-enrollment, some do not.
If they do, you will need to get a permission number to enroll.
Procedures for issuing permission numbers vary by School/College and department.

7. Reserved capacity (RC): remaining open seats are reserved for a certain population of students.

Check Dynamic Class Search to see if the seats are reserved and if so, if you fall within that group of students.
If you do not meet the reserved seating requirements, see if the course has a waitlist in Student Admin and if so, place yourself on the waitlist.
After the reserved seating students enroll, the remaining open seats (or seats that open as others drop) may be given to students on the waitlist.
Note: Before fall registration, the university reserves seats in courses that are part of “package schedules” – a process that is used to ease course registration for incoming freshman and transfer students. In these “packages”, sections have been chosen to form a cluster of courses without conflicts, and priority is given to students in specific majors. These seats (RC-Block Enrollment) are not available to continuing students.

8. Class requires instructor consent.

Any student wishing to enroll needs a permission number.
Contact the instructor and briefly explain your preparation and why you wish to enroll in the course.

9. You have enrolled in the course twice before. If taking the course a 3^rd time, you need consent from your advisor and dean.

You can enroll in a course a 2^nd time and Student Admin will give you a note that it is a repeat course.

10. You want to repeat a course that is high demand.

You will not be able to enroll in a course that you have previously passed until all other students have had the chance to register for it. This applies only to the Fall and Spring semesters. Winter and Summer registration is not restricted. The list of high demand courses is available here.

What’s the difference between prerequisite, reserved capacity, instructor consent?

Prerequisite: Prerequisites are listed in the course description in the university catalog. This can include specific courses that must be taken prior to this class or could include required class standing (e.g.: juniors or higher; only open to freshmen and sophomores). You cannot waitlist for the course if you do not meet all the prerequisites.

Reserved Capacity (RC): Specific seats are reserved for certain types of students (ie: majors, honors, freshmen and sophomores). This is not a prerequisite in the course description, so others may waitlist for the class (if the class has a waitlist available). After the designated population of students register for classes, the remaining open seats may be issued to those on the waitlist, if the course administrator chooses, by emailing the students a permission number to use.