Individual Review Waivers

Waive a course based on having alternatively met the learning objectives.

Course Eligibility Criteria

Eligible:

MSI/ MHI students may submit an individual review request for any graduate-level SI course that fulfills a degree requirement or is part of a degree sequence AND is not eligible for a Skill-Based waiver.

Excluded:

Based on the design and purpose of the course, the below list of courses are not eligible for Individual Review Waivers:

SI 500
SI 520
SI 568
SI 574
SI 699 / SI 697 / SI 698

Courses that are not either required for your degree or as a prerequisite to a more advanced course will not be considered for a waiver.

NEXT SUBMISSION PERIOD: Aug 5th

Who Should Apply

MSI / MHI students who have comprehensively covered the content and learning objectives of the course through previous coursework and measurable experience, preferably completed within the last five years.

Process Overview

Students will submit a form, transcript(s), and syllabus/syllabi from previously completed coursework demonstrating competency, as well as a detailed statement explaining your request and explicitly highlighting shared learning outcomes. These materials will be evaluated by UMSI staff and faculty.

Individual Review Waiver Process

Material Submission: Student submits the Individual Review Waiver Request Form, which will ask for the following documentation:

Written statement of rationale for your request, including how this waiver will benefit you, how your previous coursework covers all learning objectives / outcomes, and any additional experience that demonstrates your competency with the course content
Transcript(s) showing your final grade in the alternative course(s)
Syllabus for the course(s) in which you previously completed the learning objectives and covered the course content

Request Review: Submission and supporting documentation is reviewed by designated UMSI staff and faculty.

Additional information may be requested during this review. Please watch your UMich email closely.

Decision Confirmation: Once a decision is reached, an email is sent to the student.

If the waiver request was approved, the waiver is applied to the student record and will be shown on the degree audit. Students will receive instructions on how to request registration overrides from the Registrar using the successful waiver.
If the waiver was denied, the student will receive a templated response. There will be no additional explanation provided. The student will be expected to register for said course as an alternative action.

Student Evaluation (Optional): We encourage students to give their feedback about their experience with this process. Each decision confirmation email will include a link to complete an evaluation form.

Timeline for Submissions & Decisions

Individual Review requests are accepted on a rolling basis. Submissions are reviewed by UMSI staff and faculty during the first two full weeks of each March, June, August, and October.

For any review cycle, request submissions are due by the first Monday of a review month and results can generally be expected by the second Friday, though there are a number of factors that may extend the time needed for review.

The student will be notified via email if a decision will not be made within the two designated weeks when a submission was received by the deadline. Submissions received after the deadline may be reviewed in the next cycle.

Additional information may be requested during the review. Please watch your UMich email closely as delayed responses will also delay the review and decision for your request.

Criteria for Approval

The submitted materials and information must clearly demonstrate sufficient experience, preferably within the last five (5) years, with all key content and learning objectives of the course as they apply to the overall program curriculum. In most cases, it is expected that a final grade of B or better was earned in the proposed comparable course(s) to be considered for a course waiver.