Course Full? Join the Wait List

You may face the dilemma of preferred class sections being full during registration. In this case you’ll either have to choose a different section of the course, watch for an opening in the preferred section, or not take the course at all that semester. Some departments on campus maintain wait lists in designated sections based on departmental requests to the Office of the Registrar.

How do I know if a class has a wait list?

The wait-list information will appear as shown in the highlighted area on a class section in the Schedule of Classes. If a class does not have a wait list, these columns will all contain zeros.

How do I add myself to a wait list?

When you attempt to enroll in a class section by typing in the course reference number on the Registration-Add/Drop Classes page, you may see one of the following error messages on classes designated for wait listing:

1. Section is full. There are currently (#) on the wait list.

“Closed” indicates that no regular seats are available. The number (#) provided indicates the number currently on the wait list. You may wait-list only this class or choose another section.

2. Seat available, but reserved for person on wait list, (#) wait-listed.

“Open” indicates that regular seats are available. The number (#) provided indicates the number of students currently on the wait list. You may only wait-list this class, since current wait-listed students have preference to enroll.

If you receive error message 1 or 2 above, you may choose to wait-list the class by selecting Wait List in the Action column drop-down box and then clicking on the Submit Changes button below.

3. Section and wait list are both full.

“Closed” indicates that no regular seats are available. “Wait list full” indicates that no wait-list seats are available. You may not register or wait-list this class.

How will I be notified of an opening in the class?

When a seat becomes available in a class, the first person on the wait list for that class will receive a system-generated email to their Purdue Fort Wayne email account. It is essential that you check your Purdue Fort Wayne email daily. Here is an example of the email:

You have 24 hours to enroll in the class section in goPFW. After 24 hours from your time stamp on the wait list, you will be dropped from the wait list, and the next student on the wait list will be offered the seat. No notification of this drop will be sent.

How do I enroll when notified?

Go to the Add/Drop Classes page on goPFW. Click on the drop-down arrow in the Action column for the class you wait-listed that is now available. Choose Web Registered. Click on the Submit Changes button below.

Your status will change to Web Registered on this page, indicating that you have successfully enrolled.

Important Details

Please keep the following information in mind about registering.

Holds

Make sure that you do not have registration holds on your goPFW account. A hold will prevent you from enrolling or placing yourself on a wait list.

Registration Restrictions

Wait lists will enforce the same registration restrictions when it comes to prerequisite or corequisite courses as regular enrollment. You must have the needed prerequisite or corequisite courses to wait-list. Another wait-listed course will not count as a prerequisite or corequisite.

Multiple Sections

You can only wait-list one section of a course. You can be enrolled in one section and wait-list a different section of a course, but only one.

Fees

Fees are not assessed for wait-listed class sections. Fees are assessed only if you register for a class section.

Dropping

Please be considerate of your fellow students. If you decide you no longer want a wait-listed section, please drop it as you would drop an enrolled section.

How long are the wait lists available during a term?

The wait list functionality is turned off at 5 p.m. on the Friday at the end of the first week of classes in the term (fall, spring, or summer), and all students will be purged from the wait lists at that time.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

You can contact the Office of the Registrar at 260-481-6815 or registrar@pfw.edu, or the department offering the course, if you have questions about wait listing.