Undergraduate Overrides
The Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences only allows students who have met the stated prerequisite(s) and who meet the eligibility requirements to enroll in our courses, subject to available seats. An override request is essentially a petition for special permission to enroll, though not all requests result in enrollment—it depends on the course and whether there are available seats.
SPIRE Enrollment
Enrollment numbers on SPIRE do not always reflect the true picture while we are managing override requests. Do not assume that there is plenty of room in a course; register as early as possible.
Goal
Eligible students enroll themselves either directly into the course or by getting added to the SPIRE Waitlist. If the course is full, then keep trying to enroll (do not request overrides). Students who do not meet the prerequisites and/or eligibility cannot enroll on SPIRE, even if the course is open. Before requesting an override, try enrolling on SPIRE.
If you are enrolled in the course or added to the SPIRE Waitlist, your registration is successful, so we suggest you keep trying if you meet prerequisites and eligibility restrictions.
SPIRE Waitlists
Some courses will offer automated waitlists through SPIRE while others will not. If you see that a course is full, add yourself to the SPIRE waitlist (if one exists).
You will be assigned a position number on the waitlist, but departments and instructors may exercise their own judgment in altering positions on the waitlist. A position on a waitlist indicates a possibility, not a promise. You will never move from the waitlist to enrolled if the move would cause a time conflict in your schedule, if you are fully registered into another section of the same course, or if you are already registered for the maximum number of credits in your unit limit!
If you are on a waitlist and there is a time conflict in your schedule, you may be removed from the waitlist without notice if your position number on the waitlist prevents others with no time conflicts to register. Once classes have begun, CICS is in total control of which students, if any, will be moved from a waitlist into newly-opened seats in classes. More information about waitlists can be found on the Registrar Waitlist page.
Priority
Priority for seats in the CICS courses is as follows: majors, applicants, other majors requiring our courses, and minors.
Override Requests (Not on SPIRE)
The Academic Program Staff (working closely with the Program Committees/instructors) handle override requests manually and enrollment decisions vary depending on the course. Some decisions will happen quickly while others may take several weeks. Certain decisions are made in groups and may not be made until closer to class start.
- One request per course (duplicate requests are not considered/deleted).
- Decisions are emailed to students using @umass addresses. We know your schedule is important.
- CS major requests will be reviewed, but decisions may be delayed, depending on the course. In general, CS majors should not be requesting overrides, unless there is a legitimate reason specified in the Chart below (see FAQ).
- Informatics major requests will be reviewed, but decisions may be delayed, depending on the course. In general, Informatics Majors should not be requesting overrides, unless there is a legitimate reason as specified in the Chart below (See FAQ).
- CS applicant requests (AOC) will be reviewed after grades are finalized for the current semester.
- Informatics applicant requests will be reviewed after grades are finalized for the current semester.
- CS minors (on list) requests will most likely be reviewed after grades are finalized for the current semester, but decisions may be delayed until closer to class start.
- Non-major requests (not listed above) may be delayed until major/applicant/minor requests are processed. Decisions may be delayed until just prior to class start (maybe during add/drop).
- Non-majors/IT minors may request overrides for non-major/IT CS courses without having to worry about priority issues. CS majors/minors are not allowed to enroll in non-major/IT CS courses (see FAQ).
- Five College requests will be dealt with as quickly as possible but could be delayed until class start, depending on the course (see FAQ).
- UWW (formerly CPE) requests will most likely be reviewed closer to class start, but this could depend on the course (see FAQ).
Undergraduates: How to register for COMPSCI, INFO, CICS Courses
- Chart: How to Register — Undergraduates
- Override Form — Fall 2024
- Override Form—Summer 2024
This form is now closed.
Conflicts, Maximum Credits, and Registration Holds
We do our best to give seats in courses given classroom size limitations. CS and informatics majors should use SPIRE to self-enroll (or SPIRE waitlists if available). For others, if your override request results in a seat and we can't enroll you because of conflicts or credit overloads, we will contact you to adjust your schedule. Please reply immediately to let us know that you are working on the problem. Your immediate response is required so we can help you to enroll via override.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a non CS Major enroll in introductory Compsci courses (cics 110, 160, 210)
After newly admitted students have registered over the summer, we will will release the major restriction on these courses. We are anticipating releasing available seats on August 1.
I can't register for an Honors Colloquium on SPIRE (e.g., COMPSCI H320). How do I register?
See Class Notes on SPIRE then submit an override request.
I'm a OIM major pursuing my Business Data Analytics Certificate and I want to take COMPSCI 119, but I can't enroll because I'm a Junior. Do I use the online form?
Yes. Be sure to note 'BUSINESS DATA ANALYTICS CERT' on your override request. Juniors/Seniors (57+ credits earned or projected after current semester) will need to request an override. Decisions about override requests from Juniors/Seniors will be delayed until Freshmen/Sophomores are allowed to enroll. We do our best to accommodate requests from all students, giving priority based on graduation date whenever possible.
I want to take COMPSCI 110, but I'm not a Freshmen/Sophomore so I can't enroll on SPIRE. Do I use the online form?
Yes, juniors/Seniors (57+ credits earned or projected after current semester) will need to request an override. Decisions about override requests from Juniors/Seniors will be delayed until Freshmen/Sophomores are allowed to enroll. We do our best to accommodate requests from all students, giving priority based on graduation date whenever possible.
I'm a Five College student and I have special paperwork. Do I use the online form?
Yes, we try to give Five College students priority—but if we don't know about you, we can't arrange for a seat. All students should request overrides via the online form so we know of interest when making enrollment decisions. We can't enroll Five College students, but we can arrange permission with both Registrar's Offices via email.
I'm a University Without Walls student and I have special paperwork. Do I use the online form?
Yes, UWW students should request overrides via the online form so we know of interest when making enrollment decisions. We can't enroll UWW students but we do try to communicate interest with instructors and the UWW Registrar's Office when seats are available.
I don't meet the CS prerequisite but I have a transfer course that I think meets prerequisite. Do I use the online form?
Yes, you also need to complete the Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE) process to have the CS prerequisite course vetted. It is important to attend to this as early as possible so as not to miss out on a seat as courses fill.
I'm not a CS major and I don't meet CS prerequisite but I have a UMass course that I think should be considered with an alternate prerequisite. Do I use the online form
Yes, but only for the following alternate prerequisites:
- ECE 122 in place of COMPSCI 186
- ECE 214/314 in place of COMPSCI 240
- ECE 241/242 in place of COMPSCI 187
- ECE 322/373 in place of COMPSCI 230
- MATH 455 in place of COMPSCI 250
- MIE 273 in place of COMPSCI 240
Note: MIE 124 is not an alternate prerequisite for COMPSCI 121.
I'm a CS major and the course I want is full. I'm told not to submit an override. Why not?
CS majors can enroll in most CS courses on SPIRE and/or add themselves to a SPIRE Waitlist, if available. In most cases, eligible students who are still trying to enroll are all equally qualified for any seats that open so we do not keep override request lists outside of SPIRE.
I'm an Informatics major and the course I want is full. I'm told not to submit an override. Why not?
Informatics majors can enroll in relevant CS courses on SPIRE and/or add themselves to a SPIRE Waitlist, if available. In most cases, eligible students who are still trying to enroll are all equally qualified for any seats that open so we do not keep override request lists outside of SPIRE.
What is the program policy on CS undergraduates taking regular 3-credit 600+ level courses? Does it depend on previous coursework, or is it up to the professor teaching the class?
Undergraduates with exemplary course performance may request an override for a regular 3-credit 600+ level CS course under the following conditions:
- Students must have at least a 3.7 GPA
- Students must be in good standing with the university
- Students must have completed all 200-level CS courses, and
- Students must have completed at least 1 CS300+ course.
Undergraduates meeting these minimum requirements may submit an override request. The student's request will be evaluated by both the Instructor and UPD and requires the approval of both. All decisions are final.
What is the program policy on non-CS undergraduates taking regular 3-credit 600+ level courses? Does it depend on previous coursework, or is it up to the professor teaching the class?
Non-CS undergraduates with exemplary course performance may request an override for a regular 3-credit 600+ level CS course under the following conditions:
- Students must have at least a 3.7 GPA
- Students must be in good standing with the university
- Students must have completed at least 1 CS300+ course or one advanced course in a related area such as computer engineering or math
Undergraduates meeting these minimum requirements may submit an override request. The student's request will be evaluated by both the Instructor and UPD and requires the approval of both. All decisions are final.
What is the program policy on undergraduates taking 1-credit 600+ level seminar courses? Does it depend on previous coursework, or is it up to the professor teaching the class?
Undergraduates with exemplary course performance may request an override for a 1-credit 600+ level CS seminar with permission from the instructor, so students should submit an override request.
I have a P grade in 250 from Spring 2020 and we were told that the P would count as a valid prereq for my next courses (311). Why can't I enroll myself? Do I submit an override request?
P grades in prerequisite courses from Spring 2020 should be recognized as valid prerequisites to self-enroll. If you discover an issue with a particular course, email overrides@cs.umass.edu to let us know about the problem and we'll look into it.