Wait List

When a department has designated a class to allow wait list, the student has the option during registration to wait list the class if the class is full. If a seat opens in the class, eligible students are moved from the wait list in the wait list order.

Eligibility

A student is eligible to join a wait list if the following occurs:
  • The class must be enabled by the department to accept wait list seats.
  • The class has to be in a wait list status.
  • The student must have a valid enrollment appointment or it is the open enrollment period.
  • The student has no negative service indicator(s) or hold(s) that prevent registration.
  • The student meets class pre‐ and co‐requisites, and class reserves (if any).
  • Registration complies with UB’s repeat policy.
Students on the Wait List May Be Skipped Over If They Don’t Meet Criteria

Even if a seat becomes available, HUB will not be able to add a student to the class if:

  • They are already registered in another section of the class; the student may be able to Swap Classes in these scenarios.
  • The wait listed class poses a time conflict with another course on their schedule.
  • Enrolling in the wait listed class would make the student exceed the maximum unit load for the term.
  • The student has a negative service indicator (hold) that prevents enrollment into a class.

In these cases, the student will remain on the wait list, but the seat will be given to the next eligible person on the wait list, and the student must resolve the issue and wait for another seat to be open.

Note that these situations will not prevent a student from signing up for the wait list.

A Wait List Becomes Available When a Section Is Full

  • For a course that has wait list enabled, the wait list will become available as soon as the section fills up.
  • It will remain available until the wait list capacity is reached, at which point the class will close completely.
  • A wait list may be available as early as the first day of enrollment, and students may add themselves to the wait list through the end of drop/add as long as space remains. 
  • After the drop/add deadline no students will be moved from the wait list into the course.
  • Each department will choose which class sections have a wait list, and how many spaces to keep on the wait list. The system also has limitations in place which will impact which classes are able to have a wait list and which are not.

View and Join the Wait List in HUB

The wait list option only shows in HUB once all of the seats in the class section have been filled. When a class search is performed to include these classes, users will notice a clock icon beside classes that have available wait list seats.

Clock next to text of wait list class details.

Once the wait list capacity has been reached, the wait list feature is unavailable and the red closed class icon will display beside the section in class search.

Closed text next to text of wait list class details.

For classes that are closed but that a student would like to attempt to enroll in, it is recommended they continue to check HUB regularly, as space in the class (green circle) or space on the wait list (clock icon) may open at any point.

Open text next to text of wait list class details.
HUB Guide Available

> Learn how to get added to the wait list in HUB

The Wait List Process Runs Regularly

The wait list process will run at least once every 24 hours when enrollment begins for the semester. Beginning the week before the start of the term through the end of the drop/add period, wait list will run hourly.

Joining the Wait List Does Not Guarantee a Spot in the Class

Students are not guaranteed a spot in the class by joining the wait list and should not expect to be enrolled. A student will only be enrolled if another student drops the course before the end of drop/add and the student on the wait list meets all eligibility requirements at the time enrollment is processed.

Students Are Automatically Enrolled as Seats Open

As seats in the class open, students will be automatically enrolled in the order in which they joined the wait list. An email will be sent to the student’s @buffalo.edu account letting them know of the automatic enrollment.

Students Are Notified If the Wait List Process Was Unsuccessful for Them

An email will be sent to the student’s @buffalo.edu account if the wait list process was unable to successfully add them to the course.

Limits on Wait List Credits

Each student is permitted to wait list the following:

  • Fall, spring and summer terms: up to 8 credit hours.
  • Winter term: up to 4 credit hours.

Students Are Responsible for Removing Themselves from the Wait List

If a student is no longer interested in being on a wait list, it is their responsibility to drop the course (remove themself from the wait list).

If a student does not remove themselves from the wait list and the result is enrollment in a course, the student must drop the course before the end of drop/add, otherwise they will be responsible for any financial and academic impacts.