BASC Office Temporarily Closed — All Advising Services Virtual

Due to a scheduled remodel, our physical location will be closed until winter quarter. Our team will continue to provide all services virtually to ensure uninterrupted support of our students. You can connect with us through virtual advising appointments, virtual express advising, and email at cbsundergrads@ucdavis.edu.

PTA Policies

This page outlines the College of Biological Sciences policy for PTA (Permission to Add) requests. Before submitting a request, read the policy carefully to understand when PTAs may or may not be approved and what to expect during the review and approval process.

Key Points

  • Even if documentation is provided, the department may still deny the PTA request if the course is at room capacity.
  • We always do our best to provide as many seats in CBS courses as we can and sometimes increase the maximum capacity of courses with large waitlists (depending on classroom size and TA/instructor resources).
  • If you are trying to get into a course that is currently full, the best option is to add yourself onto the waitlist and find a backup class in case you cannot get in. If expansion is not possible, your only way to get off the waitlist is if enrolled students drop the course.
  • If you have any holds on your account, please contact your BASC Advisor directly to resolve the issue.
  • Verification of the situations above will be required. Please note that students who attempt to mislead their instructors and/or department staff about their situation in attempts to justify the need for a PTA may be referred to Student Judicial Affairs.

PTA Information For CBS Students

Before the 10th day of instruction, we will only issue PTAs to students in the following situations:

  • You meet the following requirements:
    • You are a graduating senior
    • You meet all prerequisites
    • You must take this specific course this quarter—with no available alternatives—and a major advisor must verify this is necessary for you to graduate on time.
  • You were dropped from the course due to non-payment caused by Financial Aid delay.
  • You were dropped from the course due to an administrative (University) error.
  • Your prerequisite petition was denied, but you have proof of meeting the prerequisites.
  • You have a time conflict with another class and both instructors of those courses have approved, and seats are available within the course in schedule builder.

After the 10th day of instruction, a PTA may also be issued in the following situations:

  • If all the following are true:
    • You meet all the prerequisites
    • There are seats in the course in Schedule Builder
    • Your instructor approves your PTA request
    • Department staff have verified all the above, and there are no additional constraints
    • You must also have a backup class so that you are registered for at least 12 units in case a PTA cannot be issued.
  • If you are adding a variable unit or thesis course (e.g. 92, 99, 192, 193, 194/H, 197T, 198, 199, 289, 299).

At any point of the registration process, PTAs will NOT be issued in the following situations:

  • Classes dropped accidentally (unless it’s after the 10th day of instruction and there are seats available)
  • Circumventing course registrations
  • The class is listed on their academic plan for the current quarter.
  • Time conflicts with another class (unless one of the courses is asynchronous, BOTH instructors have approved, and there is no one on the waitlist)
  • Missing Pass 1 or Pass 2 registration
  • Prerequisites haven’t been satisfied (submit a prerequisite petition in Schedule Builder instead)
  • Completing a minor
  • Completing a major (if there are other opportunities to take the course and it does not delay graduation beyond usual graduation timeline)
  • To maintain full time status
  • To meet minimum progress requirement
  • For an undergraduate student to graduate early
  • It is your 3rd attempt of the course (go to OASIS > Forms & Petitions > Multiple Repeat of a Course instead) or to repeat a course in which the student has received a passing grade (D-or higher).
  • The Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) has advised against issuing a PTA

After you submit a PTA request

Step 1: Advisor, Instructor, and Department Staff will review your request and issue a tentative decision regarding your eligibility. You will be notified via email. PLEASE NOTE: Decisions may take some time to be issued as the department may be looking into alternative options for managing the waitlist (Increasing the size of the class to let all waitlisted students in, etc.)

Step 2: If the course can accommodate additional students, you will be emailed a PTA number after the 10th day of instruction.

Step 3: You must use the PTA number within 72 hours of issuance (including weekends), or it will expire. *Note: The Registrar’s Office charges students a $3 fee to your account for using a PTA.

PTA Information for CBS Faculty

Faculty Role in PTA Requests:

  • Confirm a student meets prerequisites and, where applicable, provide written support for their need to enroll.
  • Approve time conflict requests only when both affected instructors agree and there is no waitlist.

Faculty Limitations in PTA Requests:

  • Cannot directly issue PTA numbers when a course has a waitlist.
  • Even with instructor approval, PTAs may be denied if room capacity or TA resources are limited.

PTA Information for CBS Department Staff

Policy Enforcement and Verification:

  • Ensure PTAs are only issued for CBS courses and that student claims are verified by BASC and Instructor.
  • Even with instructor approval, PTAs may be denied if room capacity or TA resources are limited.

Processing

  • Review and approve/deny requests, then submit PTA numbers through CBSPTA.