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Office of the Registrar

Waitlists

Class waitlists let you get in line for a class that is already full.

If a seat opens up, you will be offered the seat by email to your UM student email account.

You will have 72 hours to register for the class in GrizPortal after being offered the seat.

Shortly before the semester starts, waitlists are turned off. The instructor may grant you a Closed/Full Course Override at their discretion, depending on their workload and the classroom's capacity.

Waitlist Tips:

  • Check your UM student email regularly so that you don’t miss your waitlist notification. After 72 hours, the seat will go to the next student in line. If you miss your window, you can add yourself back to the waitlist in GrizPortal.

  • Work with your advisor to select and register for an alternate class in the meantime. Most courses allow students to waitlist, but there is no guarantee that a seat will become available for you.

  • Clear any registration holds as soon as possible so that you don't miss your waitlist window if a seat opens up.

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 GrizPortal.

An error message will appear indicating that the class has a waitlist. (e.g. “Full – 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 UM 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. 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 GrizPortal to officially add the class. You must 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 registration errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can see the actual size of the waitlist by searching for the course in GrizPortal 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

  • The short answer is no – waitlists are first come, first served. Instructors cannot provide overrides for full classes until waitlists are released shortly before 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 waitlists are released, the instructor can 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.” This option is not available until waitlists are released shortly before the start of the semester.

    Disclaimer: Overrides are at the instructor’s discretion and are not guaranteed.

    Once granted a closed override, you must then return to GrizPortal to add the class as usual.

  • Most courses allow waitlisting in GrizPortal, but here are some exceptions:

    • It's a linked course.
      • Waitlists are turned off for most lecture courses with multiple linked sections. This is a functional requirement to avoid waitlist sync problems. Enrollment capacities should be set so that if a seat is offered in a linked section, you will also be able to register for the lecture section.
    • It's a graduate course.
      • Graduate level courses are not necessarily set up for automated waitlisting. Contact the instructor with questions.
    • It's after the deadline.
      • Students cannot add to waitlists after the first couple days of the term. If you want to register for the class, contact the instructor to request a Closed/Full Course override. Instructors may grant overrides at their discretion.
    • There's a prerequisite or another registration error.
      • Time conflicts and link requirements won't prevent you from waitlisting, but most other registration errors will. Contact the instructor or your advisor to help you handle the error before you can add to the waitlist.

  • 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.

    If the dropdown menu doesn't give you the option to add to the waitlist, email us at registration@umontana.edu with your student ID number and the 5-digit CRN.

  • Return to “Registration and Edit Your Class Schedule” in GrizPortal 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 may cause the waitlist to freeze and temporarily prevent other students from joining the waitlist.

  • No, waitlisted classes do not count toward your credit hours. You are not charged for waitlisted credits and they cannot be considered for financial aid purposes until you register.

    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 your backup class.

    Warning:  Once you are able to register for the waitlisted class, don't forget that you must drop any classes you do not intend to complete by the published deadlines to ensure that you do not receive a W and are not required to pay for those withdrawn credits.