Waitlist

Due to the high demand for our courses, the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising and Public Relations hosts and monitors a waitlist every semester to accommodate students.

Waitlist courses are restricted, so students cannot add themselves through MyBU Student. To be added to the waitlist, students must fill out the waitlist form. This is the only way to be added; emailed requests will not be accepted.

Vacancies are filled based on class level (seniority) and submission order. If offered a seat, students will have one business day to confirm. Once confirmed, the department will manually add the course. Students receive a confirmation email from the department once they are registered.

All COM waitlist inquiries and requests are handled during normal business hours; Monday through Friday, 9AM-5PM EST.

Please keep the following in mind when inquiring about waitlist courses:

  1. Any course not listed in the form does not have an active waitlist.
  2. Please reference the “Class Search” function on MyBU Student for seat availability.
  3. In the College of Communication, registration is completed at the department level. Please do not contact professors for enrollment preferences.
  4. If you are trying to change sections of a waitlist course, that does not guarantee you a seat in the new section. You will still need to fill out a waitlist submission for changing sections. 
  5. Students must be compliant at the time of waitlist registration. If not, their submission will be skipped.
  6. Students must meet the prerequisites for waitlist courses, like all classes. If students do not meet the prerequisites, their submission will be skipped.
  7. Students cannot take prerequisites simultaneously with the course that requires them.
  8. Please note that we double-check the information you submit to the waitlist. We ask that you answer it honestly. Altering facts like your class year will impact your waitlist submission.

Fall 2024 Waitlist Courses

  • CM 211 – Professional Presentation
  • CM 321 – Communication Research Methods
  • CM 405 – Media Strategy
  • CM 412 – Advertising Strategy and Consumer Insights
  • CM 417 – Fundamentals of Creative Development
  • CM 481 – Media Law and Policy
  • CM 501 – Design Strategy & Software
  • CM 510 – Media Expression and Communication
  • CM 513 – Investor Relations
  • CM 519 – Interactive Marketing Strategy
  • CM 523 – Design & Interactive Experiences
  • CM 527 – Brand Experience Marketing
  • CM 529 – Design Strategy & Software II
  • CM 535 – Political Campaigns
  • CM 539 – Health Campaigns
  • CM 585 – AdLab

The Fall 2024 Waitlist opened on Tuesday, May 7th.

For additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email mcadvpr@bu.edu.

WAITLIST FORM

Petitions

There are three different types of petitions: CAS focus, transfer credit, and study abroad. Any petition without a syllabus or without all student sections filled out is incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Send your petitions to mcadvpr@bu.edu. Petitions can take up to two weeks to process.

Please provide a clear explanation of your request on the petition form. Submissions with a one sentence summary will not be considered.

Minors

Students must complete and pass COM CO 201 to declare a minor within the department. The minor declaration is an online form available here.

The Department of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations offers the following minors:

*You cannot petition minor declarations.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I have a form to turn in; how do I get it to your office? If you have a CO575 form, an internship form, petition or Graduate Assistant contract, you can bring it by our office (Room 124) or email a digital copy to mcadvpr@bu.edu. We have white drop-off bins outside Room 124 as well.
  • I want to review the course’s syllabus before enrolling. Where can I find one? You can either email the professor or our department. Our department maintains a syllabus archive.
  • How do I know when a waitlist course is added to my schedule? Students receive a confirmation email from the department.
  • I added myself to the waitlist. Can you tell me where I am on the waitlist? Students are never at a set place on the waitlist because offers are prioritized by class level.
  • How long do petitions take to process? Petitions can take up to two weeks to be finalized. Petitions have to be approved by the department chair and either COM Undergraduate Affairs or COM Graduate Affairs.
  • Can I email a professor to be enrolled in their course? Professors do not have registration permissions. Registrations are completed at the department level.
  • I really need this class, but it’s full. Can I be added anyway?  Once a class is full, we physically cannot add extra seats due to room capacity and safety regulations.
  • I accidentally dropped a course from my schedule. Can I be added back into the class? Once students drop courses from their schedules it is not guaranteed that they will be added back into that course. Students have to put themselves on the waitlist again.