Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Registration

General questions pertaining to all students:

Q. Why do I get an error when I type in my course number on the enrollment screen?

A. Most likely you are entering the academic course number in the Class Number field. The Student Administration System assigns each class an internal class number. For example, for Fall 2008, GRAD 5910 Section 001 (Responsible Conduct of Research) on the Storrs campus has a Class Number of 8143. If you know this number, you may enter it in the Class Number field when you enroll. Most often, however, you will not know the Class Number. Without this class number, you access the class you want by entering the academic subject and course number in the enrollment screen, then picking the section from the list (if there is more than one section). The system then uses the information you gave it to determine the internal Class Number, with which it enrolls you in the class. If you enter the course number (e.g., 5910) in the Class Number field, you will get either an error message or the wrong class.

Q. What do the letters in front of some of the class sections mean?

A. These are residues from the old pre-PeopleSoft system. They represent the various campuses of the University and other sites where instruction is offered. Thus, a class with no letter in front of it (e.g., 001) is a section of the course offered on the Storrs campus, while the prefix letter 'F' represents a class offered at the Health Center in Farmington. There are many different letters and symbols for some very obscure sites.

Q. Do I need to worry about which letter is on the section number for a class?

A. Absolutely. If you enroll in an MBA course being taught on the Stamford campus (prefix letter 'M') you will have to commute to Stamford for the course. The best way to avoid this problem is to include the Campus in your search for classes.

Q. For some of my courses the system tells me that I need instructor consent. Why is this and what do I do now?

A. The Student Administration system enforces instructor consents on those classes so designated by the faculty. To enroll in these classes, you need to contact the instructor and obtain a Permission Number. This is a unique 5-7 digit number that you will enter into the Permission Number field on the enrollment screen. Different departments and faculty are handling these permission numbers in different ways. Some faculty are distributing the numbers themselves, others are permitting departmental staff to distribute them. If you cannot make contact with the instructor for the class, contact the department office. If that does not produce results, let us know by phone at 486-3615 or by email at gradschool@uconn.edu.

Q. I chose the right classes, but they do not show on my class schedule. What is the problem?

A. Make sure you submit your enrollment request after you have chosen your classes. Refer to the PeopleSoft Help tutorial for explicit instructions.

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Questions Pertaining to Graduate Students:

Q. I am trying to register for GRAD 5950. Why am I told that I do not meet the requisites?

A. To enroll in GRAD 5950 (Thesis Research) you must be a Plan A (Thesis) master's student. If you cannot register, one of two things may be wrong:

• Are you a doctoral student? If so, you should enroll in GRAD 6950 (Dissertation Research), the equivalent course for doctoral students.
• Have you told the Graduate School that you are a Plan A student? Until we hear from you, we have no way of telling if you are in a Plan A track, and the default track is Plan B (non-thesis). Call the Graduate School (486-3615) or send us an e-mail (gradschool@uconn.edu) and we will set you up as a Plan A student. Remember, however, that if you change your mind and switch to a Plan B track, the GRAD 5950 classes you take will not count on your plan of study.

Q. I am trying to register for GRAD 6950. Why am I told that I do not meet the requisites?

A. To enroll in GRAD 6950 (Dissertation Research), you must be enrolled in a doctoral plan of study. If you are a thesis master's student, register for GRAD 5950. If you really are a doctoral student and still cannot register, contact us (gradschool@uconn.edu or 486-3615) so we may check on your status.

Q. There are quite a few different GRAD research courses. What do the various GRAD courses represent and how are they used?

A. You are right, there seems to be a lot of them, but they are pretty logical once you know how they are used. The first rule is that the 5000 level courses are for master's students, while the 6000 level is for doctoral students. The PeopleSoft system knows which degree you are seeking and will check to make sure you are enrolling in the appropriate level of research class. Here is the set of courses at the master's level:

• GRAD 5950 is for master's thesis research. You must be in a Plan A (thesis-based) master's program to enroll. It is a variable credit course, from 1 to 9 credits. The section of the class corresponds to the number of credits the course is worth. Toward the end of the semester the system will automatically associate your enrollment with a section associated with your major advisor, who will assign you a grade for the class.
  
• GRAD 5960 is a special 3-credit class for students who have completed all of the requirements for the Plan A master's degree except the thesis. When enrolled in this course you are defined as a full-time student and you may not hold a graduate assistantship. This course requires consent from the Graduate School.
  
• GRAD 5930 is a special 3-credit course called Directed Studies. It is intended for those students who are off-campus for the entire semester pursuing their academic studies. Typically, students who are doing field studies or required internships enroll in this course. It requires consent from the Graduate School.
  
• GRAD 5998 is a zero-credit course for Plan B (non-thesis) master's students who wish to remain registered with the Graduate School when they are taking no credit-bearing courses. You do not have to enroll in this course if you are enrolling in some other course for credit.
  
• GRAD 5999 is a zero-credit course for Plan A (thesis) master's students who wish to remain registered with the Graduate School when they are taking no credit-bearing courses. You do not have to enroll in this course if you are enrolling in some other course for credit.
  

The 6000-series is identical in purpose to the 5000-series and each course corresponds to the same course in the 5000-series:

• GRAD 6950 is for dissertation research. The section number of the class corresponds to the number of credits the course is worth. Toward the end of the semester the system will automatically associate your enrollment with a section associated with your major advisor, who will assign you a grade for the class.
  
• GRAD 6960 is a special 3-credit full-time research course for "ABD" students. When enrolled in this course you may not take any other courses and may not hold a graduate assistantship. This course requires consent of the Graduate School.
  
• GRAD 6930 is the Directed Studies course corresponding to GRAD 5930. It also requires consent of the Graduate School.
  
• GRAD 6998 is a zero-credit course used by doctoral students who have not passed the general exam and who are not taking any credit-bearing courses but must remain registered.
  
• GRAD 6999 is a zero-credit course similar to GRAD 6998, but used by doctoral students who are candidates for the degree, i.e., are "ABD."