FAQs

General Advising Questions for Current Students

What are free electives? Free electives are courses that you get to choose. You can take any course you want to complete those credits. Some students will use a few free electives toward 18-hour minors. Other students will use a few free electives to take courses on topics they want to learn more about. Some dual-credit courses taken in high school will fall into the free elective category.
What is a degree audit? The degree audit tool allows you to see your progress toward graduation. You can run your degree audit from MyRed. Use the degree audit website from the registrar’s office to learn how to run and understand your degree audit.
How do I calculate my GPA if I have a grade replacement? Use the GPA calculator.
How do I appeal my academic dismissal? Contact your advisor to begin the appeal process and to obtain the Appeal for Academic Reinstatement form.
How do I identify a class to take at a community college that will transfer back to UNL and count for a specific degree requirement? Use the transfer course equivalency website to determine the course that will transfer back to UNL for the specific requirement you are wanting to fulfill. Most community colleges allow you to take a few courses without applying for admission.
What is academic bankruptcy and how can this improve my GPA? Academic bankruptcy removes the grade points associated with up to two semesters from your cumulative grade point average. Additional information about when you are eligible, consequences, and how to declare academic bankruptcy is found at on the registrar’s webpage.
What options do I have if I am unable to complete a course because of illness, military services, death of an immediate family member or other hardship? You may want to consider taking incompletes in courses or withdrawing from courses. You can only receive an ‘I’ or incomplete if you have completed a majority of the course requirements. If you take an incomplete in a course, you need to make arrangements with the instructor to determine how and when the course will be completed. If you withdraw from a course, a ‘W’ will be noted on your transcript. Check the academic calendar to determine the last date to withdraw from a course.
What does taking a courses P/N mean? Taking a course P/N means that you complete the course without earning a grade that contributes to your GPA. To receive a pass or a ‘P’, you must earn an equivalent of a C or better in the course. A ‘P’ completes the degree requirement. Earning a C- or below results in an ‘N’ or no pass. Check your degree program for specific requirements regarding how many classes (if any) you can take P/N.
Can I take classes in the Agronomy, Plant and Landscape Systems, and Plant Biology majors pass/no pass? Yes, you can take up to 24 credits as pass/no pass. Plant Biology students may not take any of the core or option courses required for the degree Pass/No Pass except for the Exploring Plant Biology and Career Experience courses.
How do I appeal my scholarship award loss from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (Regents, David, etc.) if I did not meet the renewal criteria? In order to have your scholarship considered for reinstatement, you must complete the Scholarship Appeal form. You will also need to schedule a meeting with your advisor to complete a two semester course plan.

Enrollment Questions and Problems for Current Students

How many credit hours do I need to be considered a sophomore, junior, or senior? 0-26 credits = freshmen; 27-52 credits = sophomore; 53-88 credits = junior, and 89+ credits = senior. Priority registration is based on class standing, with seniors enrolling first followed by juniors, sophomores, and then freshmen. Credit hours in progress do not count toward class standing.
How do I know what semester classes are offered? The classes offered by semester table contains a list of all the courses in the Plant and Landscape Systems major (CASNR core, major core, options, emphases) and the semester in which they are offered. Use this table to help you create your 4-year plan in Degree Planner (found in MyRed).
How do I get into a class when I receive the following error, ‘unable to add this class – requisites have not been met, Description: (course name that you are missing)’? Identify what pre- or co-requisite course that is keeping you from enrolling. It will be listed in the error statement. If you believe you have taken that course or have a course that was subbed for that course, contact Anne Streich, astreich2@unl.edu and ask about acquiring a permission code. If there are multiple sections of the course you are trying to get into, identify the time and section number that fits into your schedule.
The course requires instructor permission to register for the course. How do I get permission? Contact the instructor and indicate you are interested in taking the course. Let the instructor know why you are interested in taking the course – is it for a degree requirement? Some courses require a pre-semester or weekend field trip. All faculty emails can be found by using the search function on UNL’s homepage.
Can I get into a course that is full? Occasionally instructors will provide permission codes for students to enter closed courses. If it is critical you get into the course that semester, inquire with the instructor about this possibility. If you are not able to get a permission code, keep checking MyRed. Seats often become available after final grades are posted. Contact your advisor if you need help identifying an alternative course to take.
What is a permission code and when should I request a permission code? Permission codes allow you to register for courses when there are no seats available or if you have not completed course prerequisites, but have instructor approval to take the course.
Where do I enter the permission code? After you send your schedule to the shopping cart, you will click through a series of screens that has information about each of your courses. There will be a permission code box for each course. For most classes, you will not need any permission codes to enroll and you can just click on ‘next’ until you get through your last course. However, if you have a course that needs a permission code entered, place it in the permission code box on the page that has that course information, then click on ‘next’ and finally ‘finish’.
What should I do if I have two classes that have a time conflict? Under most circumstances, enroll for one course and select a different course to take. Contact your advisor to see which course is most critical to take. On rare occasions you may be able to get a time conflict over-ride if one instructor is able to manage the time conflict. If an instructor agrees to work with you on a time conflict, forward the email that indicates this to Anne Streich (astreich2@unl.edu) and she will request a time conflict over-ride with the CASNR Dean’s office. A permission code will not work for this type of conflict.
What do I need to do when I get the error ‘unable to add this class – term maximum exceeded’? Contact your advisor to get permission to exceed 18 credits for the upcoming semester. Include in your email the course number (PLAS 100) and call number (1234) of the class you want added. Your advisor will make the request if he/she supports you taking more than 18 credits in one semester.
How do I switch a class from graded to pass/no pass? Make the change in MyRed. For specific instructions see ‘How to change a class between grade and pass/no pass’. Changes in grading method must be made before the end of the eighth week of classes.
How do I drop a class? Make the change in MyRed. For specific instructions see ‘How to drop classes’.
Are there any things I should consider before dropping a class? If you currently have or have had loans or scholarships, contact the Husker Hub to ask about any financial aid implications.
When is the last date I can drop or withdraw from a class or change a grading method? All deadlines regarding dropping and adding courses, withdrawing from courses, and converting grades to or from P/NP are found on the academic calendar.
Why is there a ‘W’ on my transcript? A ‘W’ indicates you dropped the course after the last day to drop a course. A ‘W’ does not have any grade point associated with it.
How many credits do I need to be enrolled in to be considered a full-time student? You need to be enrolled in 12 credits to be considered a full-time student. However, some scholarships require more credit hours per semester or academic year. Be sure to know what your scholarship requirements are before dropping a course.
I have questions about a specific course. Where can I go to get my questions answered? Contact the instructor. All faculty emails can be found by using the search function on UNL’s homepage.

Graduation Questions for Current Students

What do I need to do the last semester before graduating? Other than passing your classes, the most important thing to do is to apply for graduation. You cannot graduate without first applying for graduation. After registering for your final semester, run a degree audit in MyRed to make sure all degree requirements are complete or in-progress.
What is the minimum GPA needed to graduate? You need to have a 2.0 to graduate. If you do not have this GPA you will not be allowed to graduate. There are no exceptions! You will need to retake courses where you earned a C- or lower to increase your GPA. Bankrupting a semester or two is also a possibility.
Can I take a class at a different college/university and transfer it to UNL during the semester I am scheduled to graduate? Yes, however, you will need to inquire with your instructor at the different college/university to see if he/she will be able to submit your final grade to the CASNR grade checker no later than Thursday of finals week. Contact your adviser prior to the start of the semester, if you plan on transferring a course to UNL during your last semester.
How come I am not receiving information about graduation? Make sure you applied for graduation, are checking your MyRed to do list, and checking your huskers.unl.edu email each day. All University communications go to your huskers email account.