Enrolment waitlisting
Queue up to join full courses or classes if a space becomes available.
What is waitlisting?
Waitlisting is a type of automated queuing that will let you select full courses or classes (that have no spaces left) and join a list of students waiting to enrol. If a spot opens up, you’ll be automatically enrolled and notified by email.
Most courses and classes offer waitlisting. If your course doesn’t offer waitlisting, submit a Full Class Enrolment Request form, opens in a new window.
Waitlisting only works until the enrolment deadline. If you wish to enrol after this date, submit a Late Enrolment Request form, opens in a new window.
Important notes
Joining a waitlist does not guarantee enrolment. You’ll only get into a full course or class when you’re at the top of its waitlist, and you meet all the enrolment requirements and rules.
Do not exceed your maximum study load (UOC)
- If the combined UOC for your enrolled and waitlisted courses exceed your maximum study load, all of your waitlists will be put on hold and you won't be enrolled even if a spot opens. To reduce your counted UOC and take your waitlists off hold, you can drop courses, swap into waitlists or leave waitlists.
Check conditions of enrolment
- You need to fulfil course requirements (e.g. prerequisites, opens in a new window, co-requisites, opens in a new window, program requirements, opens in a new window, School or Faculty consent etc.) to join a waitlist. If you don’t meet these, you won’t be enrolled even if a spot opens.
Stay enrolled with a backup class
- If you're not registered for at least one class for a course (waitlisting does not count), you might be dropped from the course to let other students enrol instead. To avoid this, keep your place on the waitlist for your preferred class and register for a backup class.
Note: If you can’t join a waitlist, get an email saying you couldn’t be enrolled, or are frozen at the top of a waitlist while spots are available, check our FAQ page before contacting The Nucleus: Student Hub.
Score a spot in a currently full course or class.
View Courses to learn how to:
- Join a waitlist for a full course
- Waitlist to swap into a full course.
View Classes to learn how to:
- Join a waitlist for a class
- Join separate or combined waitlists for a classes while on a course waitlist
- Register for a backup class while on a class waitlist.
- Courses
- Classes
How to join a course waitlist
Instruction guide
Follow Enrol in a full course below if:
- You're not enrolled in the maximum number of courses for the term and wish to enrol in a currently full course.
Follow Swap into a full course below if:
- You're enrolled in the maximum number of courses for the term and wish to enrol in a currently full course, or
- You wish to swap one of the courses you're enrolled in for a currently full course.
Monitor your UNSW student email account, opens in a new window for notifications about your waitlist status. When a spot opens up and you’re at the top of the list, you will be enrolled in the course automatically and notified via email.
You will still need to complete your Class Registration and will be liable for the course as with standard enrolment.
How to join a class waitlist
Instruction guide
Already enrolled in a course? Follow Register for or swap into a full class below to:
- Join the waitlist for a full class, or
- Waitlist to swap into a full class if you've already registered for a class of the same type.
On a course waitlist? Follow Register for classes while on a course waitlist to:
- Join a combined or separate waitlist for its classes.
On a class waitlist? Follow Register for a backup class to:
- Register for an alternate class with spaces available in case a spot doesn't open up in your waitlisted class.
See also
Have a question?
Contact us for advice on all things UNSW, including faculty-specific questions, essential services, and even support and development. We’re here to help.