Non-Harris Student Registration

All elective courses are available to non-Harris students, unless noted by consent or pre-requisites. Courses may be added by a student or their advisor directly in my.uchicago if there are open seats, no waitlist, and no consent requirements or pre-requisites. Courses may be added starting the day registration opens each quarter through the end of the second week. For any enrollments during the second week, students should reach out directly to the instructor first for consent and then forward the consent to their advisor for enrollment. If a course is full and closed, students may add themselves to the waitlist (further information below).

Harris core curriculum is not available to non-Harris students. There are no exceptions, even by consent. The curriculum includes the following courses:

• PPHA 30800 Analytical Politics I: Strategic Foundation
• PPHA 31610 Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions
• PPHA 31002 Statistics for Data Analysis I
• PPHA 31102 Statistics for Data Analysis II: Regressions
• PPHA 31202 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis I
• PPHA 31302 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis II
• PPHA 32300 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I
• PPHA 32400 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II

If a course has a pre-requisite or consent requirement, students should reach out directly to the instructor to petition for enrollment. If the instructor approves the request and the course has seats available, please forward the consent to harrisregistration@uchicago.edu. Consent does not guarantee enrollment, which still depends on seat availability.

Non-Harris students may add themselves to waitlists in my.uchicago for courses that are full and closed.  Waitlists are processed from the day registration opens until the second week of each quarter. Waitlists are first-come, first-served, though Harris students receive priority over non-Harris students. The only way to receive a waitlist seat is through this process.  If you are offered a waitlist seat, we will email you directly with information on how to claim the seat and a deadline by which you need to enroll. If you do not claim your seat by the deadline, you will forfeit the waitlist spot and the seat will be offered to the next student on the waitlist. If you would like to informally “shop” a course while you are on the waitlist, you should reach out to the instructor directly to request permission.

If you need help adding yourself to a waitlist, please see this waitlisting guide.

If you are a student in another division and you wish to take a Harris class pass/fail you should use this webform. This form opens on the Monday of week 3 of each quarter and closes on the Monday of week 6.

Please inquire with your own home department/advisor to ensure that taking a course pass/fail will not negatively impact your degree progress.

You can find more information about pass/fail policies on the Harris Dean of Students Policies page.

Best Practices for Undergraduate Students Enrolling in Harris Classes

1. Enrolling in a Harris (PPHA) Course

PPHA graduate level courses are not available to undergraduate students during undergraduate pre-registration, but they are open during add/drop, unless full/closed or restricted to Harris graduate students only (such as Harris Core classes). There is no limit on how many graduate level courses undergraduates can take towards their BA. Please read any course notes carefully for pre-requisites or other restrictions. Undergraduate students should email harrisregistration@uchicago.edu to be registered for a graduate class, pending seat availability. Instructor consent does not apply to enrollment in closed/full classes; for those classes, please see #4 below for the Harris graduate waitlist process. Harris does not use the undergraduate online consent system for consent, or as a waitlist.

2. Enrolling in a Combined PPHA/PBPL Course with Cross-list

In most cases of graduate/undergraduate cross-listed classes, open seats are equally available to both interested graduate and undergraduate students once add/drop opens. Undergraduate students may be able to register for the undergraduate level cross-list during pre-registration and will be able to do so for open courses during add/drop. Harris does not use the undergraduate online consent system for consent, or as a waitlist. Interested students should monitor my.uchicago for an open seat, which may be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, students should not contact the instructor for closed/full classes. Harris courses are generally set with a seat limit equal to the room capacity, which can not be increased.

3. Using a Harris Waitlist

When a Harris graduate course reaches seat capacity, it will close, and a waitlist will start. Undergraduate students may request to be added to a Harris waitlist by emailing harrisregistration@uchicago.edu. Waitlists are processed manually by Harris Registration staff, as seats open. Waitlist priority is given to Harris graduate students first, and then other students. When a seat becomes available for a waitlist student, they will be notified via email from harrisregistration@uchicago.edu and must claim their seat within a specified time. Students should regularly check their UChicago email to ensure they don’t miss their opportunity to enroll. Students should be aware that a course may look like it has a seat available because another student hasn’t claimed their waitlist seat yet. If they don’t claim the seat, it will be offered to the next student on the list once their approval expires. Students should email harrisregistration@uchicago.edu with any questions about closed/full classes and waitlists and not the course instructor.