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MANAGEMENT
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Office of Academic Advising

Enrollment Tips

Enrollment Strategies BEFORE the semester begins:

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  • Required Courses in Schedule Assistant

    Some courses in the Degree Planner will be labeled as ‘Required’ in Schedule Assistant. They are labeled this way because they are strongly recommended or required for that term of enrollment. For instance, classes that fulfill General Education Area A2 Written Communication and B4 Mathematics are marked as ‘Required’ for many first year students. You are strongly encouraged to enroll in these classes.

  • Waitlisting Courses

    How to Waitlist a Course (PDF)

    1. During the enrollment process or in the Shopping Cart, click on the class to view course details.
    2. Under Class Preferences, check the Waitlist if Class is Full box.
    3. Click Next.
    4. Click Proceed to Step 2 of 3.
    5. Click Finish Enrolling.

    Your waitlist position number is displayed in the message. Check My Class Schedule to monitor waitlist position and enrollment status.

  • Still Looking for Classes?

    Still Looking for Classes? (PDF)

    • Strategy 1: Monitor My Class Schedule closely
    • Strategy 2: Regenerate Schedules to find other sections of that same class
    • Strategy 3: Adjust filters and breaks for more flexibility
    • Strategy 4: Make a new class selection from that same requirement line in the Degree Planner
    • Strategy 5: Arrange Degree Planner to find a different requirement to consider
    • Strategy 6: Monitor the Class Schedule regularly

    CSU Fully Online

    •  If you are a continuing student you may be eligible to take a CSU Fully Online course. 
    • The enrollment window for CSU Fully Online courses is limited, the link will only be available to you in your Student Center prior to the start of the semester.
    • Instructions: Enrolling in CSU Fully Online Courses

    UNIV 495: Internships

    • UNIV 495 was developed primarily to meet the needs of students from majors that do not have or are not currently offering an internship course, as well as for students wanting to do an internship outside their major.
    • This variable-unit (1-6 credits) course is also ideal for students who may only need 1 or 2 elective units to graduate.  More information about UNIV 495: Internships.
  • Reserved Courses

    You may receive a message stating the class you are attempting to enroll in has reserved seats for students in particular majors or minors. Therefore, this may be the reason you are unable to enroll. Placing yourself on the course waitlist may be a good strategy until which time open seats become available to all students.

    Helpful Hint: Reviewing class notes carefully can be a very helpful part of your enrollment experience as these notes will reveal important information about the class.

  • Unit Overload

    A Unit overload is when an undergraduate student wishes to pursue more than 19 units in a traditional Fall or Spring Semester. 

    A student who is either a Veteran or will be graduating in the semester in which this overload is requested: An advisor may approve this request before the semester begins*. It should be noted that any request over 22 units is highly discouraged as the demand on even the best of students is extraordinary. GPA, previous success with high course loads and other criteria will be considered and these request can be denied with the well-being of the student in mind

    *Unless further stipulated by the student’s college and/or major.

    If a student is not graduating in that term, the advisor may not approve the overload until the first day of the semester unless a unit limit remains in effect once the semester begins. It should be noted that any request over 22 units is highly discouraged as the demand on even the best of students is extraordinary.

    To seek approval once classes have started students would need to connect with an academic advisor. Criteria will include: demonstrated need to enroll above 19 units, superior academic record of 3.2 GPA or above, no history of Academic Notice or disqualification, previous success with high course loads. These requests cannot be approved until the start of classes.

  • What if I get an error message that says I "need a permission number"?
    Some classes require that you get permission from the instructor to enroll in that class.  Follow these instructions to get a permission number. 
  • What if I get an error message that says “prerequisite needed”?
    Some classes require a prerequisite course to be completed before you can enroll.  If you have not taken the prerequisite, you will need to take that first.  If you receive this error message and believe that you have taken the prerequisite course, follow these instructions to get a prerequisite waiver. Please note that approval to override prerequisites does not guarantee enrollment into a course.

Enrollment Strategies AFTER the semester begins:

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  • Adding Courses

    During the first week of the semester, a permission number will not be required to enroll in an open course. You may add the class yourself, online in your Student Center.

    • If instructor consent is required, a permission number is still needed to enroll.
    • If a class is not displayed as "open", a permission number is still needed to enroll.
    • Additional add/drop details

    During the second week of the semester, the only way to add a course will be with a permission number provided by the instructor.

  • Dropping Courses

    If you are enrolled in a course you do not intend to complete, you are encouraged to drop the course prior to the start of the semester to avoid tuition related fees and negative grading.

    How to Drop a Course (pdf)

    Be sure to check the enrollment calendar for the last day to drop a class without receiving a W.