Taking Booth Classes Frequently Asked Questions

All current University of Chicago college, master’s, professional school, and doctoral students are eligible to enroll in courses offered by Chicago Booth within the guidelines set forth by Booth and the student’s department or division. Tuition charges are based on the tuition policy and rate for your department or division.

If you are not a current University of Chicago student, enrollment is possible through the Graham School of General Studies.

Booth alumni can take up 300 units of Booth courses tuition-free at any time after graduation.

Only Booth alumni are eligible for the Post-Grad Take 3 free program. University of Chicago alumni wishing to take classes should do so through the Graham School of General Studies.

Each July, Booth publishes its course schedule for the entire academic year (autumn through summer). Consult the online course search tool to narrow down your choices.

Booth syllabi (listed by faculty member) can be found here. A CNet ID and password are required. Note: The information contained in these documents is confidential, privileged and only for the information of the intended recipient and may not be used, published, or redistributed without the prior written consent of the Booth faculty member(s) teaching the course.

The Chicago Approach focuses on teaching critical thinking skills. Students gain the tools and analytical frameworks to make sense of complex data. Booth course material may take many forms, including lectures, discussions, case studies, group projects, and group presentations. Consult the course descriptions and read course syllabi for details.

Some general guidelines are:

• Most Booth classes meet once a week for three hours over a 10-week quarter. 
• Attending every class is imperative in order to not miss out on critical course materials. Classes are not recorded.
• Students report spending an average of 5 to 10 hours per week on coursework or group projects outside of class.
• Final exams for MBA-level courses are held at different days/times than the university's canonical exam times.

Attendance is expected at all sessions. Most Booth MBA courses meet only once a week. In the quarter system, in which classes only meet for 10 weeks, missing one class means missing 10 percent of the material. Business Economics courses follow the college’s canonical hours and may meet two or three times a week. Regardless of what type of Booth course you are taking, many faculty have a strict attendance policy, and some require attendance at the first session.

Booth students use name tents to identify themselves in the classroom. It is recommended that you have one. Graham School students and undergraduates in an undergraduate-only section will have name tents printed and distributed early in the quarter. Name tents are available for purchase at the Booth Business Center, located in the Harper Center (Room 108B). Hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The fee is $2 and you must pay with your Chicago Card (UChicago ID); cash and credit cards are not accepted.

Tuition charges are based on your department/division's tuition policy.

A faculty member may not exceed a maximum grade point average of 3.33 (B+) for all sections of each course they teach.

By taking a Booth course, you are expected to abide by the Chicago Booth Honor Code. The Honor Code requires that each student act with honesty and integrity in all activities. The full text of the code can be found on page 13 of the Booth Student Handbook.

The final exam schedule is based on the day and time of the class. Check our calendar and exam schedule for details.

UChicago Student ID numbers are 8 digits long. If you are unsure of your Student ID number, log in to WhoAmI.UChicago.edu, search for your CNetID or last/first name, click your name, and look for your "Student ID" number. If you are a continuing student, add "10" to the beginning of the 6-digit Student ID on the back of your Chicago Card.

The $25 Booth Book Fee is nonrefundable for courses dropped after Friday, Week 2. If you drop a course before the deadline, your tuition bill will automatically adjust to reflect the refund within three to five business days.

A Booth faculty member can designate a prerequisite for a course as “strict,” meaning you cannot enroll in the course without having taken the course or getting a waiver from the faculty member. Strict prerequisites are marked “strict” in the Booth course description; all others are recommended (a waiver is not needed).

Business Economics courses may have strict prerequisites, which will be noted in the online course description. The My.UChicago.edu system will prevent you from self-enrolling if you have not met the strict prerequisite(s).

Some faculty do not allow non-Booth students in their MBA courses. The course description in the Booth online course tool will note any such restrictions. Students can also consult the eligible course list, which is updated each quarter and can be found in the "Enroll in an MBA course" section of this website.

If the prerequisite is noted as “strict” on the Booth course description, then a waiver is needed if you have not taken that course at Booth. If it is not designated as “strict” then no waiver is needed.

If a course has a strict prerequisite that you have not taken at Booth, email the faculty member and ask for a waiver. Describe your relevant experience and skills so the faculty member can determine whether to grant the waiver. Once granted, forward the email to prereq@lists.chicagobooth.edu.

Possibly. Requests for Incomplete grades must be approved by the instructor, and an Incomplete form must be emailed to the Booth Registrar's Office by Friday, Week 9.

For students in MBA-level courses, the deadline to withdraw without faculty consent is Friday of Week 7. Starting Monday of Week 8, an email showing consent from your professor must accompany any withdrawal request. The final deadline to withdraw is Friday, Week 9.

For undergraduates in college-level Booth courses, you must request a W from your advisor and notify the Booth Registrar’s office by the Friday of 9th week or the day before the final project/exam is due, whichever is earlier. When made before the deadline, a request for a withdrawal cannot be denied except in cases of academic dishonesty. A withdrawal may not be granted after completion of the course.

• Weeks 1–3: Drop (tuition penalty according to your home program)
• Weeks 4–7: Withdrawal
• Weeks 8–9: Withdrawal (faculty consent required)

Possibly. Sitting in on a course without official registration is considered an "unofficial audit," and permission to do so is at the discretion of the instructor. Without official registration the course will not appear on your transcript and no grade will be assigned. Retroactive registration for an "unofficial audit" is not permitted, and there are no exceptions. To do an “official audit,” official registration is required. In that case, the course will appear on your transcript with a grade of “R.” Some faculty do not permit any auditors, so please check the course conditions in the Course Search before selecting this option.

Note that unofficial auditing is the only audit option available for College students in any Booth course, and is generally discouraged.

OFFICIAL AUDIT (GRADE OF R)
In addition to registering for the course, students must receive written consent (email) from the instructor and email it to the Booth Registrar's Office by Friday, Week 2, to audit a Booth course.

• Some Booth professors do not allow auditors; check the Booth course description. No exceptions are granted.
• An official audit cannot be changed to a letter grade.
• The College does not allow undergraduates to officially audit any course. 

PASS/FAIL GRADING
Some Booth faculty members do not allow Pass/Fail grading; check the Booth course description (or the syllabus for Business Econ courses). No exceptions are granted. To request Pass/Fail grading, students must complete the online pass/fail request form by Friday, Week 4. After this deadline, no changes to the Pass/Fail grading request may be made. NOTE: The Booth Pass/Fail request deadline includes Business Economics courses and is earlier than the College's deadline.

Registration requests are collected via an online request form and are processed during Week 1 of the quarter. After submitting your request, you will get an email summary (typically within 6 hours--check your spam folder). This is not a confirmation of enrollment. The Booth Registrar’s Office will send you an email with results after enrollments have been processed, according to the schedules outlined on the website.

Since the poll email is sent automatically by the Qualtrics system, it might wind up in your spam folder, so check there first. If you don’t find it, you may have mistyped your email address in the email field. Or you may not have hit the “submit” button at the end of the poll.

The last day to add a Booth course—including switching from one section to another—is Friday, Week 1. There are no exceptions, even with faculty permission.

• To drop a Business Economics course, use the self-service function in My.UChicago.edu.
• To drop a Booth MBA or PhD course, fill out the online drop request form. You will get a response within one business day. Do not drop the course using your My.UChicago.edu dashboard; it will not result in a complete drop. 
• The deadline to drop a course is Friday, Week 3.

Possibly. To officially audit, in addition to registering for the course you must receive written consent (email) from the instructor and email it to the Booth Registrar's Office by Friday, Week 2. The course will appear on your transcript with a grade of “R.” Some faculty do not permit any auditors, so please check the course conditions in the Course Search before selecting this option; no exceptions are granted. An official audit cannot be changed to a letter grade.

Sitting in on a course without official registration is considered an "unofficial audit," and permission to do so is at the discretion of the instructor. Without official registration the course will not appear on your transcript and no grade will be assigned. Retroactive registration for an "unofficial audit" is not permitted, and there are no exceptions. 

Note that unofficial auditing is the only audit option available for College students in any Booth course, and is generally discouraged.

Possibly. Some Booth faculty members do not allow Pass/Fail grading. Reference the Booth course description to see what the policy is for the class you are enrolled in; no exceptions are granted. To request Pass/Fail grading, students must complete a Pass/Fail form by Friday, Week 4. After this deadline, no changes to the Pass/Fail grading request may be made.

You will receive an email from the Booth Registrar’s Office with the status of your registration request. If successful, you can view your enrollment(s) on My.UChicago.edu within 24 hours of confirmation.

No. If a course is closed, you may not register for it unless a seat becomes available at the time your registration is processed. Waitlists are not maintained for non-Booth students.

No. Booth does not use pink slips or consent forms. The only way to be added to a Booth course is to submit a request via the online poll or to self-enroll using My.UChicago.edu for undergraduate-only sections.

Consult the Seat Availability chart. This chart is not a live view, but it is updated periodically throughout registration each quarter. Booth students register before and during Week 1, and have priority for open seats.

Seats listed as available on My.UChicago do not reflect the actual seats available for Booth courses.

The Seat Availability chart is not a live view of open seats. It is a snapshot periodically updated during registration.

No. The deadline to add a Booth course is Friday, Week 1. No exceptions can be made, even with faculty permission.

Log in with your CNet ID and password to Canvas.uchicago.edu.

Being added to a Canvas site does not constitute enrollment. You are not officially enrolled unless you receive a confirmation from the Booth Registrar's office. You can also check your course list in My.UChicago.edu to verify enrollment.

If you are officially enrolled in a course, your Canvas access will activate within 24 hours. If your instructor uses Canvas, the course link will appear in the Courses menu of your Canvas dashboard.

Your access should automatically activate within 24 hours of receiving an enrollment confirmation email from the Booth Registrar's Office. A delay may be because:

• You are already at your maximum course load and the Booth course could not be added to the university’s system. You will need to drop another course and notify the Booth Registrar’s Office so your registration can be re-sent.
• You are not officially enrolled.
• You have a hold on your account. Check your My.UChicago.edu dashboard for any holds affecting registration and instructions for resolving them. Notify the Booth Registrar’s Office so your registration can be re-sent.

In some cases, a faculty member may add you to their Canvas site before you are officially registered so you can access course materials. However, being granted access to Canvas does not constitute official enrollment.

Use your CNet ID and password to log into the Booth Intranet.

Some course materials (typically found on faculty websites rather than Canvas) are only available with a Booth ID and password. If you need a Booth ID, you must call the Booth IT HelpDesk so they can verify your identity and assign you a password. You will need to provide your 8-digit Student ID number when you call. You can reach the Help Desk at 773.702.7414 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Yes. You can use your CNetID and password to sign in to computers and use the printers in the computer labs.

No. Non-Booth students are not permitted to reserve study rooms for individual study. You may use a study room if the room has been reserved by a Booth student and a Booth student is present during its use.

No. Booth facilities are available to non-Booth students only during regular business hours.

Use the self-enrollment feature in My.UChicago.edu. Waitlists are not created for these courses, and seats are not added to full sections. 

The deadline is Friday, Week 2. Some instructors may require a mandatory first class session for which the Friday, Week 1 deadline will remain. There are no exceptions, even with faculty consent.

Forty-five percent of students report spending 5 to 10 hours per week on work outside of class; 21 percent report spending 10 to 15 hours.

There are no waitlists for Business Economics courses. You may only add a seat if one is available in My.UChicago.edu. Do not contact faculty to ask for additional seats; exceptions are not granted.

DROPS
To drop a Business Economics course in Weeks 1–3, use the self-serve function in My.UChicago.edu.

WITHDRAWALS
Starting Week 4, a drop is a withdrawal. The course will appear on your transcript with a grade of "W."

For undergraduates in Business Economics courses, you must request a W from your advisor and notify the Booth Registrar’s office by the Friday of 9th week or the day before the final project/exam is due, whichever is earlier. When made before the deadline, a request for a withdrawal cannot be denied except in cases of academic dishonesty. A withdrawal may not be granted after completion of the course.

Courses are held on the Hyde Park campus. In my.UChicago.edu, go to your “My Academics” dashboard and click the Classes pagelet. Once there, click any class to see more detail, including building/room. You can also click the calendar icon to export your schedule to your preferred calendar program.

Business Economics courses (BUSN 20000) follow the college’s academic calendar and exam schedule, but may be held at times other than canonical class hours.

Booth MBA-level courses (BUSN 30000) follow the Booth academic calendar, Booth time schedule, and Booth exam schedule. 

In some quarters (usually Autumn), the College and Booth do not start in the same week and will not be aligned. Email BoothRegistrar@Lists.ChicagoBooth.edu with questions.

Courses use the Common Grade Policy and follow the College Rules.

Tuition is charged according to your home program. You will also be charged $25 per course for the Booth Book Fee, which covers access to online course materials. This is in addition to any required textbooks for the course, which you would purchase through the bookstore or other source.

It depends. Not all faculty allow pass/fail grading; check the syllabus or ask your professor or TA if you are unsure. To request Pass/Fail grading, fill out the online form by Friday, Week 4. A Pass/Fail request may be rescinded within this time period, but after this deadline no changes may be made.

The first step is to reach out to your advisor, who will give you more details about the process. Further information can be found on the College advising site.

Yes. Each course has an additional $25 Booth Book Fee that covers access to online course materials. This is in addition to any required textbooks for the course, which you would purchase through the bookstore or another source.

Booth syllabi (listed by faculty member) can be found here. A CNet ID and password are required.

Note: The information contained in these documents is confidential, privileged, and only for the information of the intended recipient and may not be used, published, or redistributed without the prior written consent of the Booth faculty member(s) teaching the course.

Graduating students in BUSN 20000-level courses are eligible to receive an early final grade if the course is counting as part of the degree requirements. If you are graduating and using the course as an elective, you will receive a grade about 10 days after the end of the quarter--your graduation will not be impacted. Check with your advisor to make sure there are no additional issues with taking a Business Economics course your graduating quarter. 

Yes, but it’s not advisable, especially if you plan on applying to Booth for an MBA. Business Economics courses are college-level courses and can only transfer as electives; they cannot transfer toward degree requirements for the Booth MBA. Also, Business Economics courses take place during the day at the Hyde Park campus, which is less convenient for most GSALB students. Finally, you would still have to pay the full GSALB tuition rate for these college-level courses. Consult with GSALB program staff before requesting enrollment in a Business Economics course.

No. Only courses in the Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend MBA Programs are eligible for the Post-Grad Take Three Free program for Booth alumni.

Possibly. Because Business Economics courses are undergraduate-level, you should check with your degree/program advisor to see whether you are eligible to take an undergraduate-level course and if so, whether you need your program’s permission before enrolling. If you are eligible to take an undergraduate-level course, you may request registration by filling out the Booth online registration request poll. Requests are processed along with BUSN 3XXXX-level course requests, and enrollment is not guaranteed.

No. Law students are not eligible to take undergraduate-level courses.

We recommend that you do not take a Booth MBA course in your graduating quarter unless you are sure that the course is not needed to fulfill your degree requirements. Booth grades are not due until 10 days after the end of the quarter, and not all Booth faculty are willing to give provisional grades to fulfill the University Registrar's grading deadline for graduating students. Check with your program advisor to make sure that enrolling in a Booth course will not impact your eligibility for graduation.

Graduating College students in Business Economics courses (20000-level) are eligible to receive early final grades if the course is a degree requirement.

A provisional grade is an early indication that you are making satisfactory progress in a course and are expected to receive a final passing grade. Provisional grades satisfy the University Registrar’s grading deadline for graduating students. Provisional grades are for internal purposes only; they are not distributed and do not appear on your transcript.

Booth faculty members may choose to issue provisional or early final grades or not, so it depends on who is teaching the course (the exception is Financial Accounting, which never allows provisional or early final grades regardless of instructor). Consult the chart to see which faculty members do not issue provisional or early final grades for their courses.

A provisional grade is an early indication that you are making satisfactory progress in a course and are expected to receive a final passing grade.

• Provisional grades are administrative placeholders that satisfy the University Registrar’s grading deadline for most graduating students who do not need the course for their degree requirements.
• Provisional grades are for internal purposes only. Students cannot view them, and they do not appear on a transcript.
• Provisional grades are replaced by the final grade, which is due nine days after the end of the quarter.

An early final grade is a final grade for a course, issued by a Booth faculty member one week prior to the end of the quarter.

• Early final grades are only granted in exceptional cases to certain populations of students.
• You can view early final grades on My.UChicago.edu and on your transcript one week before the end of the quarter.
• Early grades cannot be updated following the end of the quarter.

MBA Courses

We recommend that College students do not take an MBA course in your graduating quarter unless you are sure that the course is not needed to fulfill your degree requirements. Booth grades are not due until 10 days after the end of the quarter, which is later than the University Registrar’s deadline for graduating college students. Booth faculty do not issue early final grades in MBA courses, so taking an MBA course in your graduating quarter may impact your ability to graduate on time. Contact your college advisor to discuss whether taking an MBA course in your final quarter is a good option. 

Business Economics Courses

Graduating College students can take Business Economics (20000-level) courses in their final quarter and graduation will not be impacted. Note that only students using a course as part of a degree requirement are eligible to receive an early final grade. All other graduating students will turn in coursework and exams as outlined in the syllabus and receive a final grade 10 days after the end of the quarter; graduation will not be impacted. 

Use your My.UChicago self-enrollment dashboard to add a Business Economics course during the College add/drop period. If the “Add” option is not available, it either means the course is full or the period to add a course has ended. Faculty cannot add seats to full courses and there are no waitlists. The deadline to add a Booth course is Friday, Week 1. No exceptions are made.

For Business Economics (20000-level) courses, use My.UChicago.edu. For all other Booth courses, use the online request form link found on the enroll in an MBA course section of this website.

To drop a Business Economics course, use the My.UChicago dashboard. 

To drop any other Booth course, use the online drop request form. You will get a response within one business day. Do not drop the course using your My.UChicago dashboard; it will not result in a complete drop.

No. The deadline to add a MBA-level Booth course is Friday, Week 1. No exceptions can be made, even with faculty permission.

The deadline to add a Business Economics course is Friday, Week 2.  Some instructors may require a mandatory first class session for which the Friday, Week 1 deadline will remain. No exceptions can be made, even with faculty permission.

No, undergraduate students, including Dougan Scholars, may not enroll in 50-unit courses. As mentioned online, courses valued at less than 100 units may not be used to satisfy degree requirements for undergraduate students.

Alumni can take up to 300 units of courses offered within the Full-Time, Evening, or Weekend MBA Programs. Tuition is not charged for the course, but you will be responsible for a $25 Booth Book Fee per course for digital course materials. In addition, if you graduated before 2005 you will be charged a one-time $65 lifetime transcript fee.

The state of Illinois and the University of Chicago require students to have proof of immunity and/or vaccinations for certain diseases. After the completion of your first quarter taking a Post-Grad 3 course, you will be required to submit immunization verification before being allowed to register for another Post-Grad 3 course in a subsequent quarter. If you do not plan on taking any other courses, no action is needed. If you plan on taking additional Post-Grad 3 courses, consult the detailed instructions.

Depending on when you graduated, you will need to recertify your CNet ID in order to access course materials via My.UChicago.edu and Canvas. If you have forgotten your CNet ID and/or password, visit UChicago IT Services' website for details and next steps. 

A red mail folder containing a Booth name tent will be made available for you at Gleacher Center on the first floor in Week 2.

A red mail folder containing will be made available for you at Gleacher Center on the first floor in Week 2. Any exams or papers not returned in class can be picked up from your mail folder.

Post-Grad Take 3 courses will appear on your official University of Chicago transcript but do not retroactively apply toward your degree or concentrations. Grades for Post-Grad Take 3 courses do appear in your official academic record and are included in your cumulative GPA. Booth does not share grade or GPA information without your express permission.

Using your My.UChicago.edu dashboard, click “Financials” and then “Account and Billing” to view your balance and pay your bill.

You can pay your balance online by following the instructions on My.UChicago.edu: click “Financials” and then “Account and Billing.” You can also mail a check payable to The University of Chicago to: Office of the Bursar, University of Chicago, 6030 S. Ellis Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago IL 60637. Make sure your 8-digit Student ID number is written on your check.