Course Planning Overview

Which courses may I take?

High School Graduation Requirements

If you would like to take a UMN Morris course to fulfill a high school requirement, you must discuss this with your high school counselor before you register for a UMN Morris course to verify that the course will count toward your high school requirements.  Guidance counselors are asked to complete the PSEO Balance Sheet which provides detailed information regarding how the student intends to satisfy their high school requirements.

Course Level

• Classes at UMN Morris are divided into 1xxx, 2xxx, 3xxx and 4xxx levels. You will be taking mostly 1xxx-level and sometimes 2xxx-level introductory classes.

• PSEO students are not permitted to take 3xxx level or higher classes without approval from their PSEO advisor. Typically these are approved when the student has the prerequisites for the course or has previously taken a college-level course in that subject area. For example, if a student wanted to take a 3xxx-level HIST course, and they already had taken HIST 1111 or HIST 1301, this may be approved.

• The skill level of the class is normally determined only by the first digit. For example, a first year history class, HIST 1111 Introduction to World History is at the same skill level as a different first year history class, HIST 1301 Introduction to U.S. History. There are a few instances, however, where class numbers do indicate a sequence. For example, CHEM 1101 General Chemistry I is the first course in a two-part sequence, with CHEM 1102 General Chemistry II as the second part.

Transfer Credits / Prior Coursework

• Review AP/IB/CLEP/Transfer Credit to understand how previous coursework may serve as prerequisites for UMN Morris courses. For example, MATH 1102 Calculus II requires MATH 1101 Calculus I, AP Calculus AB exam score of 5 or higher, or Calculus 1 taken at a different college or university that transfers to UMN Morris equivalent to MATH 1101. PSEO students must meet any stated prerequisites including those that are recommended.

Restrictions & Additional Guidelines

• For a listing of special and restricted courses, see the Special/Restricted Courses section below.

• For information on placement tests, see Placement Tests & Auditions.

Course Availability

Keep in mind that the courses you will be taking are also courses that are in demand for degree-seeking students at UMN Morris. While the PSEO adviser will help you as much as possible, being admitted to the PSEO program does not guarantee that you will be able to register for courses, especially specific courses that meet high school graduation requirements.

How many courses may I take?

• During your first PSEO semester, you should take a maximum or 12-14 credits (about three 4-credit courses). You need 12 credits to be considered full time.

  • • Exceptions are granted in rare cases where a student has demonstrated a significant amount of success in college-level coursework (e.g. prior PSEO, AP).

• After your first semester, if you are successful in your courses, your advisor will be open to approving a higher credit load/rigor above the regular maximum.

• STEM courses may have specific guidelines and limits, see below.

STEM Guidelines & Enrollment Limits

Deviation from these guidelines will only be allowed in rare and exceptional circumstances and with the PSEO student understanding that low grades in these courses might prevent them from being admitted into their college and/or major of choice. The PSEO adviser takes an extremely cautious approach when advising students on their enrollment in prerequisite science and math courses for STEM majors and career paths. Admission to some of these programs is very competitive, and many programs have technical GPA requirements for admission.

Enrollment Limits

• Additional information on enrollment policies is listed on the Policies page.

• Only 1 math or science course during the first UMN Morris PSEO semester when taking:

  • • MATH 1101 or higher

    • CHEM 1101 or higher

    • PHYS 1091 or higher

• During the second or third PSEO semester at the UMN Morris, students combining two math/science courses should limit their credit load to 12 credits AND be cautious of extracurricular activities that may limit study time

STEM Sequences

• You should receive a C or higher to advance to the next course in a sequence (e.g. to register for MATH 1102: Calculus II, you need a C or higher in Math 1101: Calculus I)

• Students who receive a W or withdraw in a math/science course may be unable to repeat the course the following semester.

Major & UMN Morris General Education Requirements

Your PSEO adviser will work with you to select UMN Morris courses which:

1.  Meet your high school graduation requirements

2. Meet general education or major requirements if you continue here at the UMN Morris.

Review the requirements by UMN Morris major.

In addition to major requirements, all UMN Morris students must complete general education requirements regardless of major. Therefore, if you are a history major, you will have the same general education requirements as a biology major.  Review the UMN Morris General Education Requirements.

Your PSEO advisor will do their best to help you maximize the number of requirements (high school, major, and general education) satisfied by each UMN Morris course. However, it does not always benefit students to quickly meet all of their general education requirements if they are a STEM bound major. General education courses often balance out a STEM bound major's semester course schedule by providing a non-science course. It's often challenging for STEM bound students to have a full course load (12-16 credits) of only rigorous and demanding science/math courses. General education courses help to balance these demanding schedules.

• Review the path to UMN Morris Graduation .

• Track your progress in meeting the general education requirements using the General Education Requirements Worksheet.

• In Schedule Builder, you can view courses that meet these requirements by clicking on General Education Requirements link in the right-hand navigation.

Where can I find suggestions for classes?

First, read through the Meeting High School Requirements page, which can help you complete all your required courses before graduation. Then visit the subpages on subjects you're interested in for a list of commonly taken courses in that subject area.

You can also search for courses using Class Search or Schedule Builder (Schedule Builder is recommended).

For more information about specific courses, please see Course Descriptions.

Your advisor will help you select possible courses during orientation (for new students) and during your pre-registration advising appointment prior to each semester (for continuing students).

IS 1101: Morris 1101

This course is for new college students in their first semester of enrollment at UMN Morris. PSEO students may not take this course.

Courses with Course Fees

Some classes have fees associated with them. It can be a flat fee for enrolling in the class or a fee assessed per credit. PSEO students may not take courses that have an associated course fee.

Major Courses

PSEO students are restricted from taking some UMN Morris major courses. In Schedule Builder, if the course is restricted to a certain student population, it will be listed in the prerequisite section for the course (e.g. you must be a degree-seeking sophomore to enroll in BIOL 2102 or to enroll in BIOL 1111 you need to be a biology major/minor, chemistry major or health sciences preprofessional program or ELEd or SeEd major with a middle school sciences specialty). PSEO students should not email the instructor to gain access to these courses; contact your PSEO advisor if you have questions. See Course Mode, Prerequisites and Reserved Seating below.

Honors 

PSEO students may take Honors courses if there is space in the class. The honors program per the University-wide policy is for undergraduate degree-seeking students. PSEO students are non-degree seeking students, so they are not automatically eligible. 

• If seats remain open in an honors course, any student may enroll in that class, including non-degree seeking students.

• If a non-degree seeking student completes an honors course and later is accepted into the UMN Morris honors program as a degree seeking student--and the requirements for the honors program have not changed.--that student should be able to apply that course to the honors program.

• Please see Honors FAQ. Contact the Honors Coordinator for more information. 

Directed Study Courses

PSEO students may participate in a directed study. Please read the Directed Study Application Procedures.

IMPORTANT:  You will work with the Office of the Registrar to register for a directed study. Make sure you inform the PSEO adviser once registered so that your credits may be recorded on communications with your high school and the Minnesota Department of Education. 

Internships

PSEO students may participate in an internship. Please read the Internship Application Procedures.

IMPORTANT:  You will work with the Office of the Registrar to register for an internship. Make sure you inform the PSEO adviser once registered so that your credits may be recorded on communications with your high school and the Minnesota Department of Education. 

Study Abroad and Experiential Courses

The fees for study abroad and experiential learning options are not credit-based, but rather they are calculated as a package that includes tuition and books, room and board, transportation, and other miscellaneous items. As such, the PSEO program cannot cover these costs. 

Students may pay out of pocket for this experience as long as they are 18 years old at the time of the abroad experience and meet all other eligibility requirements. Students that choose this option are responsible for all tuition and fees associated with the course and travel. 

If you are considering coming to UMN Morris as an undergraduate and want to explore your study abroad options, visit the UMN Morris Academic Center for Enrichment: Study Abroad.

Summer Courses and Credits

PSEO funding is not available for summer as there is no general education revenue available. Courses offered during UMN Morris Summer Term (May Session, Summer Session I, Summer Session II and Full Summer Session) are not covered by the PSEO program. This includes summer research practicums, summer directed studies and summer internships.

PSEO students are welcome to take summer term courses and credits as non degree-seeking students at their own expense. 

• See Summer Term for more information about summer courses and costs.

• To register for summer courses, PSEO students complete and submit a non-degree seeking student application form. Contact the PSEO Adviser for assistance.

Note: High school students who wish to take a course as a non-degree seeking student after they graduate from high school should check with the institution they plan to enroll in for the next academic year before registering for summer courses. This is because taking courses after high school graduation could affect your first year status, potential first year scholarships and financial aid.

Modality (How is this course being offered?)

When viewing a course at the course level in schedule builder, look for this information to determine the modality of the course.

In person   

• Students and instructors meet in person for class at regularly scheduled days and times. 

• Both a room and meeting time are listed.

Blended - in person and online

• Students can expect a combination of delivery methods: in person, online, or remote. 

• Both a room and meeting time are listed.

Remote - set time and days 

• Students and instructors must be online at the same time, at scheduled days and times. 

• 100% of instruction is online with no in-person meetings.

• Exams are all online. 

• A meeting time is listed, but the room is marked ONLINEONLY.

Online - no set time and day 

• Instructors provide materials and assignments that students access online at any time or within a given time frame (such as one week), rather than instructors and students meeting together as a class on a regular schedule. 

• 100% of instruction is online with no in-person meetings.

• Exams are all online.  

• No meeting time is listed and the room is marked ONLINEONLY.

Prerequisites (What courses are required prior to taking this course?)

For example, to take CSCI 2101, the prerequisites are 1201 or 1301 or instr consent. That means:

• CSCI 1201 

• OR CSCI 1301 

• OR instructor consent.

For example, to take PSY 2001, the prerequisites are 1051, Stat 1601 or Stat 2601 or instr consent:

• PSY 1051 AND STAT 1601 or 2601  Note: comma means AND

• OR instructor consent.

Availability (Does the course have open seats?)

The following color coding helps identify available seats.

• Green Check Open, seats available.

• Yellow Clock Full; no open seats; waitlist available.

• Purple Asterisk Reserved Open, open seats are reserved; waitlist available. 

  • • • • • • • • IMPORTANT: To locate who can access reserved seats, look at the reservation group listed in the course information (see description below). If these seats are not filled before classes start, they will be released to students on the waitlist.

• Red X Closed; no further enrollment; waitlist not available.

Reserved Seating Status (Who can enroll in the reserved seats?)

For example, there may be a total of 18 seats in the class, but if 15 seats are reserved for students with freshman or sophomore status, then there are only 3 seats available for PSEO students.

This may be why you see open seats in Class Search or Schedule Builder, yet I am not able to register you for the class. I may add you to the waitlist.

Schedule Builder Guide

For more information - refer to Schedule Builder How To Guide.