FAQs

Advising Bars

Q Will I have an advising bar? If so, how do I get it removed?
A Economics majors will have an advising bar if they meet one or more of the criteria below:
New to the major (1st semester declared)
Sophomore standing and have NOT had a Strategic Advising session.
Below a 2.0 UT GPA

FYI: A student can check to see if they have a bar on their Registration Information Sheet (RIS). It is important to view your RIS as part of your preparation for registration. If you have an advising bar, you will need to see an advisor.

Q What if my bar is with another college/major but I have switched to Economics?
A In most cases we cannot clear bars imposed by another college or major, even if you have
declared Economics as your major. You must contact the office imposing the bar: Advising Office contacts

Q I didn’t realize I had a bar, and now I need to register. Can I just call and have it cleared?
A No. The bar has been imposed because we need to meet with you. To clear an advising bar you must come in to the advising office in-person. We will not clear bars over the phone, except for rare circumstances. It is important to view your RIS (see link above) as part of your preparation for registration.

Prerequisites

Q Do I have to meet the prerequisite before registering for a class?
A ROSE will prevent you from registering for an economics class if you have not met, or are not currently enrolled in (at UT) the required prerequisites. If you expect to have the prerequisites completed prior to the first day of class (via transfer, credit-by-exam, etc) you may come to our office for a temporary prerequisite waiver in order to register. You will need to have proof of completed prerequisites by the 12th class day to avoid being dropped.

FYI: Some other departments do not enforce prerequisites at the point of registration. You may be able to register for a course for which you have not met the prerequisites, but you will need to complete them by the beginning of the semester to avoid being dropped.

Q ROSE says I do not meet the prerequisites but I think I do. What’s going on?
A The culprits usually are credit-by-exam; or an undocumented transfer course; or an unusual calculus combination (if calculus is a pre-req). You can claim credit-by-exam online. If you have CR (credit only) via credit-by-exam for ECO 304K/304L, ROSE may not recognize it—contact our office for a prerequisite waiver. If you took the prerequisite course at another institution but have not transferred it yet, contact our office for a temporary pre-req waiver then make sure your transfer transcripts have been/will be sent to UT Admissions. If you have an unusual calculus sequence (for example M408C, M408L, & M408M) contact our office for a pre-req waiver.

Q I don’t meet the prerequisite. Can I get the instructor’s permission to take the class?
A No. Prerequisites are enforced across the board in all of our economics courses.

Restricted Classes

Q Can I register for an economics class if it says it is “restricted”?
A Some economics classes are reserved for declared Economics majors only. If you are declared, you should be able to register for a restricted eco class; unless it is a special section reserved for a specific population (indicated in the course description). If you have recently declared, your major code may not have changed yet, so ROSE may not recognize you as a major. ROSE does not recognize Economics minors, either. Contact our office for assistance.

Q What if I am not an Economics major and want to take a restricted eco class?
A Generally, you need to declare the major in order to gain access to restricted eco classes. You can declare the major online. Non-majors may gain access (through our office) starting on the 1st class day, if seats are available and if the pre-requisites have been met. Non-majors do NOT have access to waitlists for restricted eco classes (see Waitlist FAQs).

Q What if I want to register for a class in another department that is listed as “restricted”?
A Most likely the class is restricted to majors in that department or to another specific population. Contact the advising/undergraduate office in the offering department for information. Contact info

Waitlists for Economics Classes

Q I want to get into an economics class but it says it’s “Waitlisted”. What do I do?
A Get on the waitlist immediately! To do this, attempt to add the class via ROSE during your access time, it will say the add was unsuccessful but should give you the option of getting on the waitlist.

Important Tip- Be sure to read the waitlist directions provided to you and monitor My Waitlists for updates on your status. This will inform you of common pitfalls that may prevent you from being added to the class. Those who ignore repeated error warnings may be removed from the waitlist.

Q If a class is waitlisted do I stand a chance of getting added?
A Yes! It is not hopeless to get into a “waitlisted” class. Here’s why:
If the waitlist system is turned on for a class, it will say “waitlisted” as soon as it is full, even if no one is on the waitlist yet. So you could be the first person on the list.
It is common to have several people drop during the add/drop periods. If you are in the first five, or so, on the waitlist before the 1st class day, your chances are usually pretty good.

Q What if I can’t get on the waitlist?
A If you have recently declared your major as economics, your major code may not have changed yet. Or, if your minor is Economics, your major code does not reflect this. Without an eco major code, ROSE will not allow you access to waitlists for “restricted” economics classes. Advisors can’t put students on waitlists. We suggest you add an open section, if possible, and check with our office to see if you have any other options. (See next question, also.)

Q Is there any other way to add the class?…with instructor permission?
A No. You must utilize the waitlist system. However, the waitlists shut down after the 4th class day. From the 5th to12th class days, open seats are filled on a first-come first-served basis, through our office, with signed permission from the instructor. Visit our office for an add request form.

Q What if the class is listed as “Closed” instead of “Waitlisted”?
A A full economics class would normally be “Waitlisted”. It may be that the class is closed for some other reason. Contact our office for assistance.

Q I want to add a class in another department that is listed as “closed”. What do I do?
A The possibility of, and procedures for, adding a closed class varies by department. You would need to contact the advising/undergraduate office for the offering department to see what must be done. Contact info

Add/Drop

Q I’m having trouble adding an economics class. Why?
A The usual culprits are a restriction or a prerequisite. If the class is listed as “Open, Restricted” and you are newly declared, or Economics is your minor, you may need our assistance to gain access to the class. (See “Restricted Classes” FAQs for more info). If you do not meet the pre-requisites, you cannot register for the class without a temporary prerequisite waiver. (See “Prerequisites” FAQs for more info).

Q I need to adjust my schedule but it is not my add/drop access time. Can an advisor do it for me?
A No. Advisors only have access to your registration record during your assigned access times. You will need to wait until the next access time to adjust your schedule. You can view your access times on your Registration Information Sheet (RIS).

Q Can I still add or drop once classes start?
A You can add and/or drop yourself through the 4th class day (2nd class day for Summer) via ROSE. During the 5th-12th class days (3rd-4th class days for Summer) you can still drop yourself via ROSE, but you can only add with permission from the offering department’s advising/undergraduate office. The policy for adding after the 4th class day varies with each department. Contact the offering department for policy information.

FYI: The Economics Department allows students to add economics classes during the 5th-12th class days, if seats are available and with signed permission from the instructor. As always, the prerequisites MUST be met. Visit our office to get an add request form.

Q Where do I go to drop a class?
A You can drop yourself from a class via ROSE during the first 12 class days of the semester. After that, you must go to your Dean’s Office. For Liberal Arts majors that would be the COLA Dean’s Office Student Division (GEB 2.200). See the Academic Calendar for the last date to drop a class in a given semester. It is usually mid-October for Fall semesters and mid-March for Spring semesters.

Q The academic calendar shows a drop deadline “without academic penalty” and then another one later on. What does this mean?
A Basically “without academic penalty” means you do not have to get the instructor’s permission to drop. After that deadline, up to the final drop deadline (see Academic Calendar for exact dates) you will need the instructor’s signature in order to drop the class. The instructor has the right to refuse.

Q Does it look bad to Q-drop a class?
A A class dropped after the 12th class day is recorded with a Q (in place of a grade) on your transcript. It is not uncommon for students to have one or two Q-drops by the time they graduate. It is not likely that one or two would impact you negatively; however, it is possible that it would be noted by those who would review your transcript, such as graduate school admissions. Multiple Q-drops, or Q-drops in key classes, could be viewed unfavorably.

Q I heard there is a special drop you can use after the Q-drop deadline. Is this true?
A Not anymore. Liberal Arts majors used to have a One Time Exception Drop which could be used up to the last class day, one time only during their college career. This is no longer available. Liberal Arts majors who wish to drop a class must do so by the posted Q-Drop deadline or go through an official appeal process in the College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office Student Division (GEB 2.200).

Pass/Fail

Q Can I take this class pass/fail?
A Only electives can be taken P/F. This means any class you are taking to satisfy a requirement in Areas A through D, or the major, or the minor, must be taken for-a-grade. If changed to P/F it will become an elective. If the class is retaken, the previous hours earned (in the same class) will be lost.

FYI: You must have 30 hours completed to be eligible to take a class P/F. No more than two classes a semester can be taken on a P/F basis. No more than 16 hours total can be taken P/F.

Q What is “passing” in a pass/fail class?
A A grade of D or better counts as passing for a P/F class. Passing is recorded as CR (credit) on your transcript and does not affect your GPA. Failing is recorded as an F on your transcript and it DOES affect your GPA.

Q How do I change a class to pass/fail?
A You can change a class to P/F yourself via ROSE during the first 12 class days of the semester. After that, you must go to your Dean’s Office. For Liberal Arts majors that would be the COLA Dean’s Office Student Division (GEB 2.200). See the Academic Calendar for the last date to change a class to (or from) P/F in a given semester. It is usually mid-October for Fall semesters and mid-March for Spring semesters. Once changed, it cannot be changed back.