Waitlists
Waitlists allow you to “get in line” for a class that is full. There is no guarantee that a seat will become available for you, so we highly recommend working with your advisor to register for an alternative class in the meantime.
Once you reach the top of the waitlist, you will receive an email if a seat opens up. Check your UMConnect student email regularly so that you don’t miss this notification. You have 72 hours to register for the class in CyberBear after being offered a seat. After 72 hours, the seat will automatically go to the next student in line, and you will need to add yourself back onto the waitlist.
Be sure to resolve any other registration errors or holds well in advance so that you don't miss your waitlist window once a seat opens up.
Once the semester starts, waitlists are turned off. The instructor can grant you a Closed/Full Course Override at their discretion, depending on their workload and the classroom's capacity.
How to Join a Waitlist
Step One: Attempt to Register for the Class
Attempt to register for the class by adding it to your schedule in CyberBear.
An error message will appear indicating that the class has a waitlist. (e.g. “Closed – 2 Waitlisted”)
Step Two: Add Yourself to the Waitlist
Select “Wait List” from the dropdown menu next to the class on your schedule.
Click the “Submit Changes” button. The class will now appear on your schedule as waitlisted.
Step Three: Wait for a Spot
You will receive a notification sent to your UMConnect student email once a seat opens up for you.
Check your email regularly to ensure that you don’t miss this notification. You have 72 hours to add the class once notified, and you will have to add yourself to the back of the waitlist if you miss your window.
Step Four: Add the Class
Once you are offered a seat, you must go back into CyberBear to officially add the class. Be sure to do so within the 72 hours following your waitlist notification. The 72-hour window cannot be extended if you miss your waitlist window due to other registration errors or holds.
To add the class, select “Register” from the dropdown menu next to the waitlisted class on your schedule. Then, click “Submit Changes” to add the class. The course status will switch from “Waitlisted” to “Registered” if successfully submitted.
Remember to add any linked or corequisite classes at the same time to avoid technical difficulties.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can see the actual size of the waitlist by searching for the course in CyberBear and referring to the “WL Act” column. Classes without a waitlisting option display zero in all three “WL” columns.
Your position on the waitlist for a course can be found in the Register for Classes section on the bottom left under the Schedule Details tab within the Message line.
Example:
Message: Wait List | Hours: 0 | Level: Undergraduate | Campus: UM-Msla | Schedule Type: Lab | Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit | Waitlist Position: 1 | Notification Expires: None
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The short answer is no – waitlists are first come, first served. Instructors cannot provide overrides for full classes until the start of the semester. In the meantime, you must get in line on the waitlist.
If the class is necessary for you to graduate this semester and there are no other alternatives to satisfy the requirement, you can arrange for a “Closed/Full Course Override” with the instructor ahead of time. Once the semester begins, the instructor can then enter the override. Make sure to add to the waitlist in case a seat opens up in the meantime.
If a seat has not opened up for you by the first day of classes, we recommend that you still attend the first day of class. You can ask the instructor to grant you a “Closed/Full Course Override” beginning on the first day of the semester. This option is not available prior to the start of the semester.
Disclaimer: Overrides are at the instructor’s discretion and are not guaranteed. Issuing a closed override past the classroom’s capacity will require the instructor to contact registrar_rooms@umontana.edu to relocate the class to a different room or building.
Once granted a closed override, you must then return to CyberBear to add the class as usual.
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This message means that the class has a waitlist and one (or more) students have dropped the class. The newly opened seats have been offered to the students at the top of the waitlist.
You may add yourself to the waitlist to get in line for a future open seat in the class.
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Return to “Registration and Edit Your Class Schedule” in Cyberbear to view all your registered and waitlisted classes.
Choose “Drop/Delete” from the dropdown box next to the course, then click “Submit Changes.”
You may remove yourself any time and are encouraged to do so if you are no longer interested in the class.
If you have already received a notification that there is an open seat, do not remove yourself from the waitlist. Instead, allow the waitlist notification to expire. The open seat will automatically go to the next student in line after your window expires. A known system defect will cause the waitlist to freeze and no longer allow students to join the waitlist for 72 hours if you drop while your 72-hour window is in progress.
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No, waitlisted classes do not count toward your credit hours, which means you are not charged for these credits and cannot be considered for financial aid purposes.
Once a spot opens and you officially add the class, the credits will be added to your account and billed accordingly.
If you need to meet a minimum number of credit hours in the meantime, you can add an alternative class as a placeholder. Make sure to drop the class by the published deadlines to ensure that you do not receive a W.
Tip: Please be mindful that you are selecting a placeholder class that has plenty of seats available so that you are not taking up a seat from another student who needs the class.