Overrides
The Department of Chemistry can provide students with overrides to assist in the registration process if they’re receiving an error message.
Please know the department only provides prerequisite overrides for students. If a class you’re trying to register for is full or restricted to certain majors only, we cannot assist you with an override. To request an override, you need to:
- Fill out the request form at the link below
- Send an unofficial transcript via PDF to chemistry@vcu.edu
If you need a prerequisite override because you took a course outside VCU and it is not yet on your transcript, please also be sure to send an OFFICIAL transcript to the Transfer Center.
To request an override, complete the Override Google Form.
CHEM 392, 492, 493: Research and Internships
If you’re interested in learning more about undergraduate research or internships, please visit the real-world learning page.
CHEM 499: Registering for the Chemistry Capstone
The Chemistry Capstone Experience is a required course for graduating seniors. If you plan to take the prerequisite courses the same semester you plan to take CHEM 499, please fill out the override request form and send us a copy of your unofficial transcript.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The chemistry department holds back seats every semester for incoming transfer students and/or graduating seniors; each section of most courses will have a handful of seats saved until the week of add/drop. If they are not filled by then, we will open them up to the rest of the student body to register for. To request a seat, please fill out the form on the overrides page and send an unofficial transcript to chemistry@vcu.edu.
The chemistry department gradually opens seats for each section for most courses as the registration process continues. This is an effort to have all sections fill up as evenly as possible, helping us with teaching loads and TA work loads. We only open more seats in each section when all the sections of a course are close to being full. There are no notifications available through VCU’s systems to tell you when seats become available. If you need a seat in a section that is currently full, you will have to wait until we open more seats in the course or if another student drops the course.
No. Our chemistry labs are a separate course from their respective lecture. At VCU, the lectures are listed as CHEM, and the labs are listed as CHEZ. Labs have their own credit amount assigned (usually one or two credit hours), grades, and instructors. If you want to take the lab for any chemistry course, you must register for it in addition to the lecture course.
No. You can only take a lab if you’re taking the lecture at the same time or you’ve taken the lecture in the past. You can take the lecture without the lab in any given semester, and then take the lab in a subsequent semester, however keep in mind that the lab typically reinforces the concepts taught in lecture. It is strongly recommended that you take the lecture and lab concurrently.
Yes. The chemistry department allows students to remain enrolled in the courses they are succeeding in. If you would like to withdraw from just a lab, consult with your academic advisor first. If you’d like to withdraw from just the lecture, you can only do so after midterm grades have been reported but before the withdrawal deadline. Please know that this is not the same as dropping a course.