To get into any closed course at the U of M, please email your PSEO advisor before contacting the instructor or department.
Your PSEO advisor can provide the best guidance to get into a closed course.
Common types of closed classes and how to try getting in. Includes classes that seem open but block PSEO students from registering anyway.
Monitor Schedule Builder for these closed classes to open up (when the red X turns into a green check mark), either because previously enrolled students withdrew or the department added new seats.
You shouldn't email anyone to request permission here. See Course Exceptions below for exceptions, such as math.
If a class has a full wait list, keep checking the schedule for possible wait list openings.
how to add yourself to a wait list
How wait lists work:
The wait list is automated. When a spot in the class opens, the first person on the wait list would get added and notified by email. Everyone else on the wait list would move up one spot. This process happens about once per day.
The system will not add you to an opening if doing so would cause a time conflict with another of your enrolled courses.
There's no way to check your spot on a wait list.
Do not email anyone to get into a waitlisted course. They are using the waitlist system, and won't give out permission numbers.
Wait list notification emails: If a spot opens in a class with a wait list, sometimes the system will email everyone who didn’t get that spot. Common reasons:
Other students were ahead of you on the wait list (for example, if you’re #10 on the list but only one spot opened).
The seat that opened was reserved for non-PSEO students.
Space opened in the lecture section but not in the specific discussion/lab section you’re on the wait list for.
This process makes it so that getting into your wait listed class automatically swaps you out of the back-up class.
Use this if both the following are true:
A priority course you want to get into is full and uses a wait list.
A back-up class you enrolled in has a time conflict with the priority course.
These classes have open seats, but those seats are reserved for non-PSEO groups, such as for transfer students or economics majors.
Treat these like closed classes by either going on a wait list (if one is available) or by watching for non-reserved openings (when the purple star turns into a green check mark).
Departments release these reserved seats if they remain open near the start of the semester.
If you see this message when trying to register for an open class and believe you have met the class's prerequisites (other than a listed requirement to be in a college or major) through PSEO coursework, AP testing, etc., some departments have a specific process to help get in.
Examples: biology, computer science, statistics.
See Course Exceptions below.
Some classes are only open to students in a particular college or major. These are usually closed to PSEO students; see Course Exceptions below for exceptions.
Examples: business ("CSOM," Carlson School of Management"), engineering ("CSE," College of Science & Engineering).
Special notes & exceptions to the processes above for PSEO students to deal with closed classes. Unless otherwise stated below, hold off until around your registration date to try getting into closed courses.
If you've met any biology prerequisite through AP or prior PSEO, email the instructor to request permission to join. See "Permission Requests" below for details. Make sure to attach a copy of your AP score sheet or prior PSEO transcript confirming the prerequisite completion.
Most classes with requirements like "Carlson School of Management" or "CSOM-only" (e.g. BA 1011, 1021, 2021) are closed to PSEO students. Some exceptions:
ACCT 2051, BA 2051, & BA 2551: PSEO students can request permission to join open Carlson-only sections by completing the Carlson Registration Assistance and Permission Number Request form after PSEO registration opens.
BA 2005 and BA 2062: PSEO seniors who have been admitted to Carlson for next year can request permission to join open Carlson-only sections by completing the Carlson Registration Assistance and Permission Number Request form after PSEO registration opens.
ECON 1165: CSOM-only reserved seats may be released the Friday before the semester starts.
ECON 3XXX-level courses: If you have completed the prerequisites with college credit from outside the U of M you can submit their Econ course access request form (you will need to upload a PDF of your AP score report or previous college transcript to that form).
The "prerequisite" to getting into a chemistry lecture (e.g. Chem 1061) is to first or simultaneously enroll in a related chemistry lab (e.g. Chem 1065). Getting into a lab section should remove this message and let you enroll in a lecture.
CHEM 1086 (lab): If you have met the chemistry prerequisite for this class through an AP Chem score or non-U of M PSEO class, email the instructor to request permission to join, including a copy of your AP score sheet or prior PSEO transcript. See "Permission Requests" below.
Not available to PSEO Students: Chem 1071 and Chem 1072, "General Chemistry for Physical Scientists and Engineers"
Students must meet listed CSCI class prerequisites. No exceptions.
If you've met a CSCI prerequisite through AP or prior PSEO, complete this Enforced Prereq Help Form to request permission. Fill this out only after your registration period has opened.
Classes that require "CSE" or "CSE upper div": Usually closed to PSEO students. However, if you are set on a CSCI major and have few other course options to progress, email csciug@umn.edu to request permission.
If you met an INET prerequisite outside the U (e.g. through AP or prior PSEO), you may need to complete a permission request form for course access.
See this IT Infrastructure permission guide for details.
PSEO students who have met course prerequisites for courses with a "CSE" requirement in the following departments can request permission to join through the following links:
For all other engineering departments, email the instructor to request permission to join.
Courses usually starting with 19xx (e.g. CSCL 1925, ENGL 1929), tagged in Schedule Builder with a yellow "Freshman Seminar" in the course description.
Instructors mostly reserve these for first-year undergraduates. If spaces remain open for a long time, they may choose to grant permission.
Interested PSEO students can email the instructors to request permission 1-2 weeks before the semester starts. See "Permission Requests" below.
(e.g. ENGL 1001V; PSY 1001H)
These classes are mostly reserved for undergraduates in the University Honors Program (UHP). PSEO students may request permission into these courses on a space-available basis.
Complete the Request to Enroll in an Honors Course form to begin the process. Do not contact the instructor or department for permission.
PSEO students are not allowed in HSEM-designated courses. No exceptions.
If you wish to use a Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessment gold or platinum bilingual seal to complete the prerequisite for a third-year language course, submit a copy of your seal to request permission to join the course if there are open spaces. See "Permission Requests" below for details.
Spanish: Email spadvise@umn.edu with this request.
Other languages: Email the course's instructor with this request.
AP Spanish Lit: If you pass the AP Spanish Literature test and wish to use that score to access courses with a prerequisite of SPAN 3015W, email the Spanish advising office at spadvise@umn.edu (including a free, unofficial copy of your AP score report) to request permission. See "Permission Requests" at the bottom of this page for details.
PSEO students may not enroll in Learning Abroad courses. There are no exceptions.
The fees for study abroad and experiential learning options are not credit-based, but rather 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 can pay out of pocket for this experience. Additionally, students must be 18 years of age by the time they go abroad.
If you are considering coming to the University as an undergraduate and want to explore your Study Abroad options, visit the Learning Abroad Center.
Closed 1XXX-2XXX-Level Courses:
PSEO students may email the math department (ugrad@math.umn.edu) after their registration begins to request permission to join a closed math course. See "Permission Requests" below for what to include in your email.
Providing multiple sections of a popular class that would fit your schedule may increase your likelihood of receiving permission.
If you cannot demonstrate that you are unable to attend an open section, you may be asked to register for an open section.
Staff will try to respond to your request for a permission number within 48 hours. If you have not received an email reply within five days, please email ugrad@math.umn.edu.
If the math department grants you permission, they’ll set it up so that you can register for the closed section. This permission will have an expiration date, so keep a close eye on your email.
Closed 3XXX-5XXX-Level Courses: Follow the above process, but only send your request close to the start of the following semester. (Replies to your requests may be delayed.)
Fall requests: Send no earlier than the last couple of weeks of August.
Spring requests: Send no earlier than January.
Math 1371, 1372, 2373, and 2374 ("CSE Calculus"): Not currently available to PSEO students due to lack of space.
Math 2142, 2263: The math department will not grant PSEO students permission to join closed sections.
Email the statistics department to request permission using their process, including some proof that you've completed the prerequisite, such as an unofficial transcript or AP score sheet.
Caution: They will not grant you multiple permission requests, so be sure the section you're requesting is the one you really want. You will not be able to swap to a new section or re-add it if you drop it.
FM 5xxx-level are graduate-level courses. They may not all list prerequisites, but interested students should still contact the listed instructor for evaluation on whether they meet the following expectations:
significant math experience, such as completing the UMTYMP sequence or MATH 2243, 2263, 3283W
proven knowledge of calculus-based probability, linear algebra, and programming
preferred: Python experience, some familiarity with finance
See "Permission Requests" below for the other information to share in this email request.
If you see 1000-level physics labs accepting no more than 12 students or so soon after registration opens, monitor Schedule Builder. After enough lab sections fill, they sometimes increase the enrollment cap until the related lecture section fills up.
Some online College of Science & Engineering courses are organized through a special format called UNITE Distributed Learning Sections. They have unique features such as requiring students to find a testing proctor for exams.
PSEO students cannot automatically add these sections. Contact your advisor for details if you're interested in signing up for a UNITE section.
Even if there are open seats, PSEO students cannot register themselves for WRIT 1301. See our guide to the WRIT 1301 lottery and registration process.
What to include in an email requesting permission to join a class and how to register once you get permission.
Caution: Only contact an instructor or department to request special permission to join a class if directed to do so by Course Exceptions above or your advisor.
Include the following information in your email request to give yourself the best chance to get in:
Subject line: "[Course Number] Permission (e.g. "Math 1271 Permission")
Student name and University ID number
Course number (e.g. MATH 1271)
Discussion section number (e.g. DIS - 012)
Five-digit class number (e.g. 12345)
Explain how you meet the prerequisite for the course. (e.g. placed into the course via the placement test, received a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc AB/BC, or took Calc 2 at a community college) and attach documentation such as an AP score, transcript, etc.
Reason for requesting this class (e.g. "I need it for my planned engineering major")
Reason for requesting this specific section (e.g. "I'd much rather take online because travel would be hard" or "it fits my schedule better than the other sections")
Permission numbers are special access codes that instructors or departments sometimes grant which let you enroll in a course, even if it's full or if the requirements would block you. Visit this page to learn how to use a permission number to enroll.
Permission numbers often expire after 24 or 48 hours. Check your email regularly after requesting one.