UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With fall 2022 course registration fast approaching, students can now submit a prerequisite override request directly in LionPATH. The new LionPATH Prerequisite Override Request form replaces the old paper form and manual process previously used to submit and evaluate override requests for courses that use automatic enforcement of prerequisite, concurrent and corequisite requirements in LionPATH at the time of course enrollment.
With the new digital form, students can:
— Request to add a course to their schedule for which they are missing an enforced prerequisite or corequisite.
— Request to drop a class that is an enforced concurrent or corequisite for another class that they wish to stay enrolled in.
The deadline to submit a course add request is two days after the session start date for the course. The deadline to submit a course drop request is the late drop deadline for the class.
New streamlined process
Once a student submits the request form, the approving academic department or campus representative now can review the request, consult with the appropriate course instructor(s) or department representative, and approve or not approve the request directly in LionPATH. For requests that are approved, students will be notified via their Penn State email of all classes and sections they are approved for so they can then self-enroll in the course. In addition, students now can add themselves to waitlists or swap sections of the course they have been approved to enroll in, instead of having to return to the department or campus registrar to seek permission and have those enrollment actions performed administratively.
“Introducing this form in LionPATH further streamlines the course enrollment process for students,” said Paula Hamaty, associate registrar in the Office of the University Registrar. “Not only does it remove a cumbersome manual process that took place outside the registration system, it also puts the enrollment process back into the hands of the student.”
Written justification needed as part of prerequisite override request form
Prerequisite, concurrent and corequisite courses include content a student needs to academically succeed in the course for which those requirements are assigned.
A prerequisite is a course or other requirement that a student must satisfactorily complete prior to the enrollment in a given course. A concurrent is a course or other requirement that a student must satisfactorily complete either prior to or during the same semester as a given course. A corequisite is a course or other requirement that a student must satisfactorily complete simultaneously during the same semester as a given course. For courses whose prerequisites are enforced at enrollment within LionPATH, students only are able to enroll for a course in which they have met the prerequisite, concurrent or corequisite requirements.
Using the new Prerequisite Override Request form, students can request permission to enroll in a course for which they do not have the prerequisite, concurrent or corequisite requirements. When completing the form, students must provide justification for why an exception should be made for the prerequisite, concurrent or corequisite requirement. Examples include evidence of prior learning through credit by exams, AP exams or credit by portfolio; evidence of completion of an equivalent course at another institution; or evidence of completion of a course or courses that demonstrates mastery of the prerequisite, concurrent or corequisite content. If applicable, students also can upload supporting documentation (e.g., transcripts, course syllabi, exams, email of approval from course instructor) with the request form.
Additional resources
The Prerequisite Override Request form can be found in the enrollment section of the LionPATH student home base. Step-by-step instructions on how to complete the LionPATH Prerequisite Override Request form can be found on the LionPATH Support website. The complete policy on Penn State's enforcement of prerequisite, concurrent or corequisite courses can be found in the Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual. Students are encouraged to consult with their assigned academic adviser before submitting a prerequisite override request.