UMass Boston

• Spring 2025 enrollment will open January 13

Who Is a Guest Student?

A guest student (also known as a visiting student, non-degree student, or non-matriculated student) is someone who wishes to take one or more courses at the undergraduate or graduate level without applying to and being accepted into a degree program. Becoming a guest student is a fantastic way to earn a prestigious credential and accelerate your career, add to your credits at another institution, try a degree program before applying to enroll, or simply learn more about a subject that has always interested you. 

Please note that taking a class as a guest student does become part of your UMass Boston record and is not viewed as a trial or experimental period.

Browse Courses Open to Guest Students

Advising and Registration Help Sessions For Guest Students

Guest Student Advising Preparation Checklist

Visit the ACES Appointments page; expand the Academic Advising for Undergraduate Students drop down menu; Click on Non-Degree/Guest Students and complete the intake form. You will be contacted by an ACES Advisor within 5 business days. 

For questions, please contact the Academic and Career Engagement and Success Center (ACES) at 617.287.5500 or aces@umb.edu.

Guest Registration Timing

In the regular fall and spring semesters, most courses are open to guest student registration on a first-come, first-served basis approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester. For the summer term, registration opens to all students, including guest students, on the first Monday of March each year. For the accelerated winter term, registration opens to all students, including guest students, on the first Monday of November.

Creating a Guest Student Account

Guest students can register by submitting an application to create or reactivate a student account in our WISER system:

• Start with the Undergraduate Guest Application or the Graduate Guest Application
• Choose "new user" (even if you are reactivating your account)
• Choose any username and password you want—you'll never need it again, as all you're doing is requesting an account in our student information system
• Complete the application (check this help article for step-by-step instructions)

Within 24-48 business hours, you'll receive an email to the address you provided with instructions on how to access your new WISER account and student email account. If you have taken classes with us in the past, you will not receive this email, as your credentials remain the same.

You should attempt to log into WISER approximately 24-48 business hours after you submit your application. If you need to reset your password, you may do so here.

Registering for Classes

Select your classes and register in WISER using these instructions.

If you're not able to register via WISER self-service, you likely will need to either prove a prerequisite, or obtain permission from the individual department or instructor. You may be issued a permission number, which will allow you to register on WISER self-service. If you have questions about why you can't register, or need assistance once you have received permission, contact the Registrar’s Office.​

Graduate-Level Courses: If you wish to take a graduate-level course, you should contact the relevant academic department for permission to enroll as a guest student. Registration schedules and approval procedures do vary by program.

Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences: Courses are not open for undergraduate guest students The Manning College does accept requests at the graduate level. For more information, contact cnhsstudentservices@umb.edu.

College of Management: Limited courses are open to guest students. Please review the College of Management registration policies for non-degree students. 

“G” Courses: Any 100- or 200-level course with a “G” designation is restricted to degree students only.

English 101 & 102: Spaces are opened during guest registration for a limited number of sections only. Most sections are not open to guest students.

Lab Sciences: Courses are open to guest students who have completed appropriate pre-requisites, but many sections are filled prior to the start of guest registration. Please check availability before submitting a registration request.

Math Placement: Before registering for math courses up through Math 140, computer science courses up through Computer Science 110, or any Quantitative Reasoning course, you must demonstrate your skills by taking a placement test, unless you have completed the appropriate prerequisite course(s) at UMass Boston. See below for more details regarding ALEKS, our online placement test.

Course Repeats: If you have previously completed a degree at UMass Boston, you must not register for any courses that you took while earning that degree. No courses from a prior UMass Boston degree can be repeated. If you retake a course as a guest student that you took while earning an earlier degree, the credits and GPA will be dropped from your guest student record.  
More information on course repeats found here.  

Testing

We want to be certain that you have the skills you need for success before you take certain introductory courses. We use diagnostic testing to place you in the courses that will serve you best. You may be instructed to take one or both of the following tests.

Billing & Deadlines For Dropping / Withdrawing

The Bursar provides current tuition & fees. See payment information for guest students.

If you register for any course, and are accepted into it, you must pay for the course in full unless you:

• Drop the course by the last day of add drop, or
• Withdraw from all your courses early enough to be eligible for a refund mailed to you automatically

You will be financially responsible for any course for which you remain registered after the last day of add drop even if you:

• Withdraw from all your courses after the fifth week of classes
• Withdraw from the individual course after the last day of add drop
• Receive a grade of "NA"

NOTE: There are different add/drop and refund dates for different types of courses. Please refer to the the Academic Calendar.

International Students

If you have F-1 visa status, you may not register at UMass Boston as a guest student unless you are also registered for a full course of study at the institution that issued your I-20.

If you are not studying full-time at the school that issued your I-20, you are out of status with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Students on other visa statuses (such as F-2, J-2, H-4, H-1B) usually do not need to be studying full-time or in a degree program. Check the conditions for your particular status. For more information, call the University Advising Center at 617.287.5500.

Academic Regulations for Guest Students

Consult the university's Undergraduate Catalog or Graduate Bulletin for information about academic programs and requirements. The following regulations are of critical importance to guest students. 

You are expected to attend all scheduled classes. The instructor has the right to exclude you from a course if you are absent from the first two or more classes, regardless of the registration deadline. If you do not attend a course or are asked to leave, you must officially drop or withdraw from the course to avoid a failing grade.
Visit our Policies page for more info.

• If your cumulative average at the end of any semester has fallen below the required level, you will not be permitted to take UMass Boston courses in future semesters. The cumulative average will be based on grades for all UMass Boston courses that you have taken as a non-degree student at any time.
• If you are admitted to an undergraduate degree program, you may count as many as 16 credits earned as a non-degree student toward the degree, subject to the approval of the appropriate academic dean. 
• Any undergraduate student may choose to take one course per semester or summer on a pass/fail basis, up to a maximum of eight. The course must be chosen before the appropriate pass/fail deadline in the academic calendar. If you successfully complete the course, it will count toward degree requirements

Contacts