Enrollment Limit and Waitlist

Fall 2021

See the following topics for details and updates:

• Enrollment Limit

• How does waitlist work?

• Automated Waitlist Reprioritization

• Variable Waitlist Unit Limit

Enrollment Limit 

• All undergraduate students will have an initial unit limit of 17 units.
• Graduating seniors who applied by March 15, 2021, will have their enrollment limit raised to 19 units on Friday, June 25, 2021. These students may file the Excess Units Petition to register for up to 21 units. 
• Continuing undergraduate students in good standing with a cumulative SJSU GPA of 2.0 or higher will have their enrollment limit raised to 19 units on Friday, July 2, 2021. Those who want to enroll for up to 21 units can file the Excess Units Petition.
• Graduate students will have an enrollment limit of 16 units throughout the advance registration period.  If you need over 16 units limit, submit the Excess Units Petition which is available at the Graduate Admission & Program Evaluation (GAPE) website.

Enrollment Limit Chart for Undergraduate Students

*Excess Units Petition required to raise the enrollment limit above 19 units, and up to 21 units. This petition will be available on Registrar's Forms page beginning August 2, 2021.

How does waitlist work?

The waitlist provides students with a process to help them enroll in a class that is full, if seats become available.

See SJSU catalog for assistance with:

• Signing up for waitlist
• Issues that prevent you from being enrolled
• Billing information

Automated Waitlist Reprioritization

The waitlists will be adjusted to give priority to graduating seniors and graduate students starting June 1, 2021 through 9 days after the start of the term (August 27, 2021).  In order to move to the top of the waitlist, you must meet one of the following categories:

• Graduating seniors who have applied for Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022 graduation
• Graduate students with an approved candidacy form on file and a minimum of 21 units earned

Variable Waitlist Unit Limit

Undergraduate Students

• During the first three weeks of the advance registration, students are limited to 5 waitlist units.
• Starting June 1, the Variable Waitlist Unit Limit will apply.   
  • The Variable Waitlist Unit Limit defines the available units a student can waitlist at a given time. Here is the formula: Variable Waitlist Unit Limit = 17 minus Enrolled Units
  • Waitlist units formula remains at 17 despite the raise of enrollment limits or approved of excess units petition.
  • The system will refresh the student’s enrollment on a nightly basis. See table below for an example of the nightly changes on the variable waitlist:

*The available waitlist units will remain at 5 once your enrollment has reached 12 or more units.

Graduate Students

• Waitlist is limited to 5 units for the entire advance registration period.