Prerequisites
Prerequisites and corequisites are courses or tests that must be completed in order to register for a class.
Course prerequisites and corequisites are stipulated in course descriptions in the University Catalog. These requirements can also be viewed in CyberBear when registering for a class by clicking on the course title then viewing the "Corequisite" and "Prerequisite" tabs.
Some courses require both a prerequisite and a corequisite. These course descriptions typically contain the phrase "Prereq. of [course] and Coreq. of [course]."
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Prerequisites
A prerequisite is a course or test requirement that must be completed prior to registering for a subsequent course. Prerequisites are indicated in the course description with the "Prereq." notation.
Minimum Grade
Unless otherwise specified, a C minus (C-) is required in order to meet the prerequisite requirement. Some courses specify a higher minimum grade in the course catalog. If the course is taken for credit/no credit, it will not satisfy the minimum grade requirement for the prerequisite.
Prerequisite In Progress
If a student is registered for a prerequisite in the current semester in progress, they will be able to register for the subsequent course in an upcoming semester. However, they will be dropped from the upcoming class if they drop the prerequisite or do not receive the minimum grade required.
Students who do not satisfy the prerequisite requirements after grades are posted will be notified before they are dropped from the class. The student must either drop the upcoming course or obtain a prerequisite override in order to remain in the class.
Concurrent Prerequisites
Some prerequisites may be taken concurrently with the subsequent class, meaning that the prerequisite may be taken either before the subsequent class or at the same time. These requirements are indicated in the course description with the "Prereq. or Coreq." notation.
Transfer Work
Students may satisfy prerequisite requirements through transfer coursework as long as the transfer course is articulated as the exact prerequisite requirement.
Use the Transferology tool to evaluate how a course will transfer to the University of Montana. If the course does not appear to have a match, you can send the course to the Admissions Office by clicking on the “Contact School for More Information” link and request your course equivalencies.
If a transfer course is not equivalent to the prerequisite requirement, a student may email the instructor a completed Prerequisite/Corequisite Waiver Form using the course description from their previous school as supporting documentation.
Corequisites
A corequisite is a course that must be taken at the same time as another course. Common examples include labs and recitations. Corequisites are indicated in the course description with the "Coreq." notation.
Adding and Dropping
Students must add both classes at the same time, otherwise they will encounter a registration error. Similarly, a student cannot drop one class without dropping the other.
Passing Both Classes
In order to satisfy a corequisite requirement, a student must pass both classes. If the student does not receive a sufficient grade in one or both classes, they must retake both classes.
Prerequisite and Corequisite Waivers
If you receive a "CyberBear cannot determine that you have met the prerequisites" error, take the following steps.
Step One: Review Course Description
Review the course description in the University Catalog to review the necessary prerequisites and corequisites.
Step Two: Review Your Academic History
Review your transcript to confirm that the necessary prerequisite courses appear on your transcript with the minimum grade of C minus or above (unless otherwise specified in the Catalog).
Navigate to the Student Services menu in CyberBear, then select Student Profile to access your Prior Education and Testing information.
Contact your advisor if you need assistance determining whether you have met the prerequisite and corequisite requirements.
Step Three: Contact the Instructor
If you believe you have met the prerequisite requirements (including the minimum grade) after reviewing the course description and your academic history, then you may email a completed Prerequisite/Corequisite Waiver Form to the instructor or department offering the course. Prerequisite waivers are issued at the department's discretion and are not guaranteed.
Step Four: Register for the Class
If the instructor or department issues you a prerequisite override, you must then go back into CyberBear to register for the class.
To check whether a prerequisite override has been issued, navigate to Student Services menu in CyberBear, then select Registration followed by Prepare for Registration. The override will appear under Permit Override. If no overrides are granted, the Permit Override section will not appear.
Troubleshooting
Why am I receiving a prerequisite error for courses that are taken at the same time?
If a student receives a prerequisite error for classes intended to be taken together, it is because they are not registering for both classes at the same time. The student must add both classes to their schedule first before clicking "Submit."
What should I do if I am a transfer student and took a prerequisite at my previous school?
First, you should confirm with the Admissions Office that your transfer transcript has been articulated on your University of Montana transcript.
If your transfer credits have already been evaluated and your transfer course was not equivalent to the exact prerequisite, you may email the instructor a completed Prerequisite/Corequisite Waiver Form using the course description from your previous school as supporting documentation.
Who should I contact if I suspect there is a prerequisite problem in CyberBear or Banner?
Please email the department offering the course if you believe there is a prerequisite problem. You can use the UM Directory to find the department's contact information.
The department can then contact the Registrar's Office at OfficeoftheRegistrar@umontana.edu to modify their prerequisite requirements as needed.