Waitlisting

Students will have the option to choose to waitlist for a course that is closed.

Faculty and Chairpersons will have the option to review students on a waitlist for a specific course.

When a student registers for a course and that course is closed, the waitlist option will be available to choose from under your registration options.
Students will be notified through email when a seat becomes available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a 24-hour window for a student to register for the available seat. After that, the next student on the waitlist will be emailed regarding the available spot.
Administrators can track the demand for certain courses and better manage curriculum offerings.

Tutorials

Student Tutorial

Student Tutorial - Video

Faculty Tutorial

Procedural Instructions

Instructors and departments can see waitlisted students in their class rosters on Self-Service.

If a student wants to get into a waitlisted class, advisors need to direct the student to sign up for the waitlist.

Waitlisting eliminates the need to use capacity overrides or permission forms to enroll a student.

In order for the system to work correctly, capacity registration overrides and/or add/drops cannot be processed during the waitlist period.

Instructors and departments will still be able to override other restrictions such as pre-requisites, co-requisites, duplicates, and special permissions.

Students should be encouraged to drop waitlisted sections if they are no longer wanted. This enables other students to move up more quickly on the waitlist.

Pre-requisite for Waitlisting

Students must meet all of the course prerequisites and requirements in order to sign up for a waiting list.

Common Questions

How do I sign up for a waiting list?

All registration for waiting lists must be done online.
Is there a way for me to see how close I am to the top of a waiting list?

Yes. If your waitlist position is number 1 (one), it means that you are next in line to receive an e-mail when an open seat becomes available. If you are in the number 1 position when a seat becomes available, you will move into the number 0 (zero) position and an e-mail will be sent to your MU e-mail address in Self-Service.
What happens if I don’t register for a course within 24 hours after receiving an email notification?

If you do not register within 24 hours from the time the email was sent, you will automatically be dropped from the waiting list. The next student on the waiting list will move to the top of the list. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you check your MU email at least twice a day, especially if you know that you are close to the top of a waiting list.
What if I am a senior? Shouldn’t I get priority over a freshman?

Priority registration occurs only once at the beginning of the registration period. After the initial week of registration, all other registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual departments who choose not to use the automated waitlisting feature and manage their own waiting lists may give priority according to class level. All classes that use the automated waitlisting feature will function on a first-come, first-served basis.
May I get on the waiting list for more than one section of the same course?

No, you may not register for two or more sections of the same class, you may add yourself to the waiting lists of one section of a course. As a common courtesy to other students, it is expected that you will drop yourself from any classes or waiting lists that you do not intend to take.
May I get on the waiting list for a class that has a time conflict with another course?

Yes. Although you may not register for courses with time conflicts, you may add yourself to the waiting lists of courses that have time conflicts with courses for which you are registered or with other courses that you have waitlisted. If you are notified via email that a seat is now available for a waitlisted class, you must drop any course for which you are registered that has a time conflict before you may register for the waitlisted course.
Are departments required to use the Waitlisting feature?

No. Individual departments may choose to maintain their own waiting list and not use the automated feature. All courses with an electronic waiting list will be easily identified in Self-Service.
I received a waitlist email, but when I tried to register I couldn’t because I had a hold. What’s wrong?

All registration holds must be cleared prior to any registration activity (this includes waitlisted classes). Types of Holds: Admissions Hold, Advisor Hold, Athletics Hold, Bursar Hold, Campus Ministry Hold, Health Services Hold, Library Hold, Registrar Hold, Security Hold, etc.
I accidentally dropped my waitlisted class. How do I get back in?

As long as you are still within the 24-hour window you can add the class by going to the Add or Drop Classes screen in Self-Service. You will then need to type in the CRN in the Add Classes Worksheet and click “submit changes”. This will register you for the class and not put you on the waiting list.
Can a chair/director/advisor override a waitlisted course?

No.