Registration Instructions for Bay Area MBA

Winter 2025

START THE REGISTRATION PROCESS IN RaPS

The GSM has its own registration system. GSM students do not use Schedule Builder to register for classes. You will access two different systems for registration and payment.

  1. RaPS (Registration and Processing System) for registration (add/drops)
  2. MyBill for payment

Below are the instructions for navigating the GSM registration process. Please contact your program manager directly with questions.

Important Tips for Using RaPS (Read before proceeding)

  • Before you have access to RaPS, you must set up your UC Davis computing account (if you have not already done so). You will need your UC Davis Login ID and (Kerberos) passphrase to register.
  • Registration and all GSM adds/drops/course changes are processed in RaPS (and are forwarded electronically to campus systems.
  • All holds must be removed from your student account before your registration can process. Holds can be for financial issues, immunizations, or other missing requirements.
  • Mobile Devices: Students should not use mobile devices to process their RaPS registration or MyBill payments.
  • Dropping Classes: Students cannot drop their last class, nor can they drop classes after the add/drop deadline. If you need to drop your last class or drop a class after add/drop, contact your program manager directly.
  • Student Directory: You will receive an automated prompt allowing you to update your directory one week prior to your registration group being open. Please confirm the information in the directory before proceeding to registration. This includes updating your name pronunciation in the directory.

Registration and Processing System (RaPS) Actions

Registration Dates and Deadlines

Registration Groups Open:

Nov 4: Reg group 1 (58+ units)
Nov 5: Reg group 2 (40-57 units)
Nov 6: Reg group 3 (21-39 units)
Nov 6: Reg 4 (0-20 units)
Nov 12: Cross-registration for Online, Sacramento, Davis MBA courses begins

Students select cross-registration courses at the same time they select courses at their home campus. Processing and confirmation of cross-registration enrollment occurs on this date.  See detailed Cross Registration Instructions in the Cross Registration section below.

Nov 22: Student Bills are tentatively available on MyBill 
Nov 18 at 7:59 p.m.: Initial registration closes

Students must enroll by the initial deadline to ensure the receipt of their quarterly billing statement. Schedule adjustments (add/drops) can be made through the add/drop deadline.

Nov 19 by 3:00 p.m.: Unit totals increase to 16 units

Unit totals are limited to 16 units through the initial registration deadline.

Dec 15: Student fee payment deadline

Students can access their bill and pay through MyBill.

Students who miss the payment deadline are subject to a registration hold for future quarters.

Students adding courses after the Student Fee Payment Deadline: Any additional units added after the Fee Payment Deadline may result in additional charges on a student bill. Students are expected to pay this balance immediately. Any student with a balance due at the start of the quarter is also subject to a registration hold.

Financial Aid Funding for course fees: Financial aid funds will be reflected in MyBill prior to fees being due (see this link for actual date). If financial aid does not disburse as anticipated or you have specific questions about your financial aid, please contact Financial Aid by emailing gradmail@ad3.ucdavis.edu.

Deferred Payment Plan: Only students who have enrolled in the Deferred Payment Plan (DPP) through MyBill may pay on the 15th of each month in installments. All other students are expected to pay in full by the Fee Payment Deadline or immediately upon enrolling in additional courses after the Fee Payment Deadline.

Employer Sponsorship: If your employer will be paying your course fees directly to UC Davis, the Student Accounting Office can set up a sponsor authorization, which allows UC Davis to apply a temporary credit to your account. More info here or contact the Student Accounting Office at 530-752-3646.

Dec 19: Cross-registration for Online MBA courses ends

Students must enroll in online MBA (MGV) courses by this deadline. Student on the waitlist for MGV courses will be removed after this date.

Jan 4: Instruction begins
Jan 15: Final add/drop deadline

Any registration request made after the final add/drop deadline is an exception, regardless of when the first-course meeting is. Please contact your program manager to add or drop after this date.

NOTE: Due to the design of the courses, some instructors will not allow students to add after the first class meeting. Please contact the instructor for permission prior to adding the course.

March 15-20: Finals

You are expected to attend courses through the end of finals, including all final exams at their posted times.

March 21: Quarter Ends
Early April: Grades available

Registration Process

Registration in RaPS transmits to the campus system every hour during these hours:

Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. - 7:59 p.m. Registration requests submitted outside these times are date/time stamped and submitted when the campus system re-opens.

Once the course schedule is published but no earlier than two weeks before registration opens, you can add courses to your schedule “shopping cart”. Once your registration date is reached, any courses that are in your cart will be automatically processed. The ability to add courses to your cart does not guarantee your placement in a course. Once the enrollment request processes, you will be notified of your enrollment or if placed on a wait list via email.  

1. Login

Use your UC Davis Login ID and Kerberos passphrase.

2. Update Student Directory

Before you enter the registration system, you may need to update your Student Directory information. Please update your information to your local address while attending UC Davis. You must also provide your name pronunciation.

3. Manage Schedule

Some required courses may be preloaded to your cart. Review your registration and add or remove course(s), if necessary, under Manage Schedule.

4. Adding/Dropping Courses

Add additional course(s) in Manage Schedule, then Add Courses. Select course(s) and then Add to My Schedule. To remove a course, go to Manage Schedule then click the red X next to the course.

5. Review your Enrollments

If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours, return to RaPS, Manage Schedule and check your status in the Enrollment Status column. Click on the word in that column for additional information on your current status.

UC Davis MyBill Student Bill & Payment Overview

Quarterly payment deadlines can be viewed on the UC Davis Fees & Billing Calendar. The GSM follows the undergraduate student fee payment deadlines (Sept 15, Dec 15, Mar 15). For info on how and where to pay, visit Cashier & Payment Solutions here.

GSM Students who miss the payment deadline are subject to a registration hold for future quarters.

Students can access their bill and pay through MyBill. MyBill account balances and activity are updated in real-time throughout the day. Please note that the MyBill statement is a monthly statement; it is only updated on the 22nd day of each month. UC Davis does not issue payment reminders.

Students adding courses after the Student Fee Payment Deadline: Any additional units added after the Fee Payment Deadline may result in additional charges on a student bill. Students are expected to pay this balance immediately.  

Financial Aid Funding for course fees: Financial aid funds will be reflected in MyBill prior to fees being due (see this link for actual date). If financial aid does not disburse as anticipated or you have specific questions about your financial aid, please contact Financial Aid by emailing gradmail@ucdavis.edu

Deferred Payment Plan: Only students who have enrolled in the Deferred Payment Plan (DPP) through MyBill may pay on the 15th of each month in installments. All other students are expected to pay in full by the Fee Payment Deadline or immediately upon enrolling in additional courses after the Fee Payment Deadline.

Employer Sponsorship: If your employer will be paying your course fees directly to UC Davis, the Student Accounting Office can set up a sponsor authorization, which allows UC Davis to apply a temporary credit to your account. More info here or contact the Student Accounting Office at sponsor@ucdavis.edu.

Refunds are processed by the Student Accounting Office. Questions should be directed to Student Accounting.

Registration Groups

Registration groups are designated to allow students with higher unit totals (and closer to completing their degree) to enroll in courses first. Additional registration groups will follow in descending order of unit totals. All students are notified by email before registration starts the date they are opened for registration. All registration group dates are listed in the registration instructions of each program, respectively.

GROUP DEFINITIONS – PART-TIME MBA (SACRAMENTO AND BAY AREA)

Reg. Group 1: Students who have completed 58 units or more
Reg. Group 2: Students who have completed 40 – 57 units
Reg. Group 3: Students who have completed 21 – 39 units
Reg. Group 4: Students who have completed 0 – 21 units

Note: Currently enrolled units are counted as “completed” units.

If a student in Reg1 fails to register before Reg2 starts registration, they do not receive any “priority” status.

As always, if a student requires a particular class or section, we encourage them to register as soon as they are able for the best chance at getting their choice. Be aware this strategy does not work in every instance based on demand.

Enrollment Adjustments, Including Waitlists

Wait Lists

When a class is fully enrolled, RaPS immediately starts a wait list.

A student will be automatically enrolled in the course if (when) space becomes available.   Your place on the wait list is based on the date/time stamp of your registration. If a place in the class is not available as of the first class meeting, you can drop the course. The wait list ends officially on the last day to add/drop for the quarter (regardless of when the first class meeting is).

Class Attendance if Wait Listed

A wait listed student may attend the first class meeting and inform the instructor of their wait listed status.  If there is a seat in the classroom, it would be at the instructor’s discretion to allow the student to remain for the first class meeting.  A wait listed student should not take a seat from a fully enrolled student if seating is limited.

The instructor cannot change your place on the wait list.

Please note that no enrollment changes are made during the initial registration period. Once initial registration closes, course enrollments and waitlists are reviewed by the GSM Associate Dean, GSM Academic Operations Staff, and the GSM Registrar.

That review is guided by set GSM course enrollment guidelines. For elective courses, the maximum enrollments are based on the number of seats in the assigned classroom or a maximum of 60, whichever is lower of the two. Faculty members may also set a lower enrollment cap for their class based on pedagogical reasons. Within a week of initial registration closing, any adjustments that can be made (e.g. changing room assignments) will be done in an effort to move as many students into their preferred courses as possible. Enrollment adjustments are made once. No other adjustments are made after this review unless there is an unforeseen circumstance.

Because of a variety of factors, it is not always possible to accommodate all students on the wait list. However, our goal is to provide the best educational experience for all students and every decision is made with this in mind.

NON-GSM UNITS: Adding units to RaPS schedule and the Registration Process

If a student intends to enroll in a non-GSM course, they are not listed in RaPS. To assure that RaPS and SISWEB synchronize, a student may select the non-GSM course listed in Manage Schedule to update the number of units needed to enroll in this non-GSM course. This is NOT a list of non-GSM courses available to MBA students, but a placeholder in RaPS for enrollment to process accurately. Enter the number of units for the non-GSM course and proceed with finalizing registration.

Non-GSM units (courses taken outside the GSM at UC Davis) do not appear in the RaPS Student Advisortab listing your coursework.  The information in RaPS is limited to GSM course offerings/units/grades only.  If you have taken a non-GSM course, you will need to review information on units/grades in SISWEB.

For information on counting non-GSM units towards degree requirements, see section 7.5 of the GSM Academic Policies and Procedures.

ADDITIONAL STEP REQUIRED: As with other RaPS registration, it may take up to 24 hours for your registration to process. You will not receive an automated enrollment confirmation from RaPS for a non-GSM course. After 24 hours, your total unit count for the quarter is reflected in SISWEB, login to SISWEB and use the CRN for the non-GSM course and enroll yourself. If you attempt to enroll in SISWEB prior to RaPS submitting your unit total to SISWEB, you will receive an error message: Maximum Units Exceeded, which will prevent you from adding the non-GSM course.

By-passing RaPS entirely and enrolling in SISWEB directly will prevent a student from enrolling in any MBA courses for the quarter. See the Registration Process for additional information.

Cross Registration

Cross Registration Overview 

Students may select cross-registration courses during the initial registration period.

In RaPS, select courses in Manage Schedule and Register for Courses. Cross-registration does not process until the cross-registration period for the selected course.

Cross Registration Dates and Deadlines

  • Nov 12 - Jan 15: Cross-registration period for Sacramento and Davis courses
  • Nov 12 - Dec 19: Cross-registration period for Online MBA courses

      NOTE: Home location students receive priority and there must be a space available in the course.

Cross Registration Policies and Procedures

See GSM Policies and Procedures, Section 2.6.5:  All students can take up to a total of 36 units of cross registration course during their matriculation at the GSM. Not all courses are taught in all locations and students are advised to make cross registration requests judiciously with this in mind.
Administrative Process

Cross Registration is processed through RaPS after the listed dates. As with all registration, cross registration enrollments are prioritized based on a student's registration group.

After the listed date, cross registration processing begins. Within 24 hours, once it has been verified that space is available in the course, you will receive an automated enrollment confirmation email.

What to Expect After You Are Enrolled

Online MBA Program Course Information

Online MBA courses are housed in the Learning Management System Digital Campus, not Canvas. Instructions for using the Digital Campus course site will be sent to you at least one week before the first class meeting. If you cannot locate the email, please contact studentsupport@onlinemba.ucdavis.edu. Please also note, residentials (MGV 490A) include an additional $500 non-refundable course materials fee.

Full-Time MBA Program Course Information

Directions to UC Davis Gallagher Hall

Information returned from the instructor will be available at the Project and Instructional Resources Office GH-2209.  Students only have mail boxes at their home program.

Additional Resources

GSM Academic Calendar (including Holidays)

The current calendar is available in RaPS. Go to RaPS, login & select Academic Calendar tab

Courses, Numbering and Concentrations

For a current listing of courses offered, use RaPS.

Curriculum Structure / Acceleration Options

2 year curriculum and 3 year curriculum course outlines

Contact your program manager if any questions.

Courses and Concentrations

If you have questions about an individual course, please check the course syllabus and/or contact the instructor directly.

If you have questions about the applicability of a certain course to your goals, please contact MBA Academic Advisor, Professor Joe Chen.

View concentrations
Course Numbering
COURSES NUMBERED 29* AND 49*

In the 290 series (291, 292, etc.), courses appear as “Topics in….” with a subject listed (Marketing, Finance, etc.).

In the 490 series, courses appear as “Dir Grp Mgmt Prac” (Directed Group Management Practicum).

Independent/Group Study, Enrollment and Grade Info

INDEPENDENT or GROUP STUDY (298, 299, 498, 499 Courses)
Complete the Independent Study Form, have the sponsoring faculty member and the GSM Graduate Advisor sign it and submit it at least three weeks prior to the start of the quarter. We must request a CRN from the Office of the University Registrar which will take several days to receive.

Group study students need to submit all forms as one packet complete with all signatures for the entire group. Do not submit forms individually for a group study project. Reference the Registration Instructions for the deadline.

These course titles appear as “Directed Independent Study” or “Directed Group Study.”

  • Enrollment
    • Not Enrolling this Quarter - Filing Non-Registration Forms
    • Enrolling in Fewer than 6 Units - What you need to know
  • Grades
    • Availability
    • Grade and Registration Letter for Reimbursement
    • Grade Change and Incomplete Change Timeline

Refunds, SISWEB, Canvas, Tax Information