Prerequisites

Prerequisites are the courses or background that each faculty member determines are necessary for students to have taken before enrolling in a Chicago Booth course.

Prerequisite Categories

There are four prerequisite categories at Chicago Booth:

  1. Strict
    • Required for students to bid for or enroll in a course.
    • Students cannot bid for a course unless they have met the strict prerequisites.
  2. Not Concurrent
    • Faculty may indicate a student may not enroll in their course if they have previously taken another course. iBid will not allow students to bid on/enroll in the course without obtaining a waiver from the faculty.
  3. With Permission
    • Students must gain email consent of the instructor to bid for/enroll in the course.
  4. Restricted Population Only (i.e. PhD students only)
    • Only students within the designated population(s) may bid for/enroll in the course.
  5. Recommended
    • Recommended background for students to bid for/enroll in the course.
    • Students are allowed to bid for the course, even if they have not met the recommended prerequisites at the Booth or through other avenues (prior academic background/work experience).

Note: If no notation is listed for the prerequisite, then it is a recommended prerequisite and does not require a Prerequisite Waiver Approval. Strict prerequisites are noted in the course description.

Prerequisite Waiver Approvals

Students wishing to enroll in a course with a strict prerequisite may request a waiver via iBid. In some cases, Chicago Booth faculty will waive strict prerequisites.

  • Log into iBid and go to Course Search and find the course.
  • Click on Show Details to expand the course information.
  • Select Strict Prerequisites.
  • If the course has a strict prerequisite, you’ll see an option to Request a Waiver.
  • Click Request Strict Prerequisite Waiver.
  • Provide a clear rationale explaining why you’re requesting the waiver.
  • Upload supporting documents (e.g., transcripts, resume, or other proof of equivalent experience).
  • Click Request Strict Prerequisite Waiver to send your request for review.
  • Once reviewed, students will receive an email confirmation letting them know they can place a bid, they need to submit more information, or their waiver was denied.
  • The override is effective for all sections of that faculty member's course.
  • The override is effective for all Phases of bidding for the quarter.