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The importance of ALWAYS registering as a Ross School of Business student

Before you can begin adding classes, the system will ask you if you are registering as Business Masters or Rackham. ALWAYS register as a Business Masters student. This is important because most Erb students take at least one Business School class each semester. If you register as a Rackham student, you will be unable to register for the Business classes you are already signed up for, as only “Business Masters” students have access to Ross School of Business classes. You may have to drop some RSB classes in order to add Rackham classes, since you can only register for a maximum of 18 hours. Waivers to take more than 18 hours can be obtained (at no additional cost); talk to the Office of Academic Programs at SNRE or Academic Services at the Ross School of Business.

If you plan on being enrolled as a Ross School of Business student during the semester you are registering for, you are finished with registration. In other words, the system allows you to register for Rackham classes even though you have identified yourself as a Business Masters student. However, the reverse is not true. If you are planning to enroll as a Rackham student that semester yet still plan to take at least one business course, check with Dona Kennedy or other staffers in Academic Services at the Ross School of Business. You may need to go to the Registrar’s office (413 E. Huron) and have a Registration Officer manually re-register you as a Rackham student. You may need a waiver form from the Ross School of Business Academic Services staff. The staffer will “move” your Ross School of Business classes under Rackham registration. This ensures you will not lose the Ross School of Business classes for which you successfully bid. You MUST change your registration by the 3rd week of classes. If you are still having problems, ask a third-year Erb student for help.

Registration Checklist

If you are a first year Erb student, beginning at the Ross School of Business:

You have already been automatically registered for the Core Curriculum. If you waived out of any Core requirements, you will be able to sign up for other classes. If you waive out of a 14-week course, we recommend taking NRE 562 - Resource Policy and Administration. This course is a requirement for all Resource Policy and Behavior students at SNRE, so taking it now will help you get ahead of the game. In addition, it is a great way to get to know SNRE students and faculty.

All first-year MBA students will also be able to choose one six-week course to take during the Winter A semester. This procedure will be explained to you during the Ross School of Business’s Michigan Leadership Program in August.

During the Winter semester, you should think about which classes to take during your second year. You should bid for a full load of Ross School of Business classes to be taken during the following semester, and also decide on which Rackham courses to take.

If you are a first -year Erb student, beginning at SNRE:

During SNRE/Rackham Orientation, the registration process will be explained to you, and you will sign up for your fall classes.

In addition, consider taking some business courses in order to get acclimated at the Ross School of Business. For example, BIT 512 & 513, Decision Support with Spreadsheets, is offered Fall and Winter. These are excellent six-week courses that teach how to use spreadsheets and the many powerful tricks that will make your life a lot easier (especially at RSB). This class is an absolute must if you do not already have a good working knowledge of spreadsheets. Or, consider taking one of the core courses - like Marketing, Accounting, Finance, etc. - which will help with your internship search.

Obtain a Ross School of Business account so you can use all B-School facilities (especially the computer lab and the library resources). Send an e-mail message to Evonne Plantinga to let her know you need access.

During the winter semester, you will need to confirm that RSB knows you will be a first-year MBA student in the fall, enrolled in the Core Curriculum. Send a message to Academic Services, rossacadservices@umich.edu. 

Some More Advice

Registration between the two schools can be confusing. Again, the easiest way to deal with registration is to always first register for Ross School of Business classes. Professors at the Ross School of Business are generally less accommodating than those at SNRE in allowing students to add their classes. Register for a full Ross School of Business schedule (a normal load is 15 hours), even though you will drop some of those classes later. After all, it’s much easier to drop a class than to try and register for a class that is already full. But don’t be discouraged if you cannot register for a certain course. If you didn’t get into a course, show up for the first day of the class. This strategy can be pretty successful, as professors often decide to let more students in, or to forfeit those students’ spots who may be registered for the class, but who failed to show up the first day. You may drop and add courses for the first three weeks after classes have begun. Pay attention to the drop/add deadlines, particularly for the RSB 6-week courses.