diff --git a/backend/controllers/courseController.ts b/backend/controllers/courseController.ts
index facb19f..cfa1954 100644
--- a/backend/controllers/courseController.ts
+++ b/backend/controllers/courseController.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import Course from "../models/courseModel";
 import Rating from "../models/ratingModel";
 import User, { IUser } from "../models/userModel";
 import Progress, { IProgress } from "../models/progressModel";
+import { emailQueue } from "../jobs/emailQueue";
 
 // Define an interface for error objects
 interface ErrorWithDetails {
@@ -446,6 +447,110 @@ export const getCourseUsers = async (
 	}
 };
 
+// @desc    Drop a user from a course and auto-enroll from waitlist
+// @route   POST /api/courses/:courseId/drop
+// @access  Public
+export const dropCourseEnrollment = async (
+	req: Request,
+	res: Response
+): Promise<void> => {
+	try {
+		const { courseId } = req.params;
+		const { userId } = req.body;
+
+		if (!courseId || !userId) {
+			res.status(400).json({
+				success: false,
+				message: "Course ID and User ID are required.",
+			});
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const course = await Course.findById(courseId);
+		if (!course) {
+			res.status(404).json({
+				success: false,
+				message: "Course not found.",
+			});
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const beforeCount = course.students.length;
+		course.students = course.students.filter(
+			(id) => id.toString() !== userId.toString()
+		);
+
+		if (beforeCount === course.students.length) {
+			res.status(404).json({
+				success: false,
+				message: "User not enrolled in this course.",
+			});
+			return;
+		}
+
+		await Progress.deleteMany({ course: courseId, user: userId });
+
+		let promotedUserId: string | null = null;
+
+		const limit = course.registrationLimit || 0;
+		const hasCapacity = limit === 0 || course.students.length < limit;
+
+		if (hasCapacity && course.waitlist && course.waitlist.length > 0) {
+			course.waitlist.sort(
+				(a, b) =>
+					new Date(a.joinedAt).getTime() - new Date(b.joinedAt).getTime()
+			);
+			const nextInLine = course.waitlist.shift();
+			if (nextInLine) {
+				const promotedId = nextInLine.user.toString();
+				course.students.push(nextInLine.user as any);
+				promotedUserId = promotedId;
+
+				const existingProgress = await Progress.findOne({
+					course: courseId,
+					user: promotedId,
+				});
+				if (!existingProgress) {
+					await new Progress({
+						course: courseId,
+						user: promotedId,
+						isComplete: false,
+						completedComponents: {
+							webinar: false,
+							survey: false,
+							certificate: false,
+						},
+						dateCompleted: null,
+					}).save();
+				}
+
+				await emailQueue.add("registration-confirmation", {
+					userId: promotedId,
+					courseId,
+				});
+				await emailQueue.add("waitlist-promotion", {
+					userId: promotedId,
+					courseId,
+				});
+			}
+		}
+
+		await course.save();
+
+		res.status(200).json({
+			success: true,
+			message: "User dropped from course.",
+			promotedUserId,
+		});
+	} catch (error: any) {
+		console.error("Error dropping course enrollment:", error);
+		res.status(500).json({
+			success: false,
+			message: error.message || "Internal server error.",
+		});
+	}
+};
+
 // @desc    Get progress for all users in a course
 // @route   GET /api/courses/:courseId/progress
 // @access  Public
diff --git a/backend/controllers/userController.ts b/backend/controllers/userController.ts
index 09663c9..bfb91b2 100644
--- a/backend/controllers/userController.ts
+++ b/backend/controllers/userController.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import Payment from "../models/paymentModel";
 import Course from "../models/courseModel";
 import mongoose from "mongoose";
 import { AuthenticatedRequest } from "../middlewares/authMiddleware";
+import { emailQueue } from "../jobs/emailQueue";
 
 export const getUsers = async (req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> => {
 	try {
@@ -232,8 +233,45 @@ export const register = async (req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> => {
 				throw new Error(`Course with ID ${courseId} not found.`);
 			}
 
+			const studentId = new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(userId);
+			const alreadyEnrolled = course.students.some(
+				(id) => id.toString() === userId.toString()
+			);
+			if (alreadyEnrolled) {
+				return {
+					courseId,
+					status: "already-enrolled",
+				};
+			}
+
+			const limit = course.registrationLimit || 0;
+			const isFull = limit > 0 && course.students.length >= limit;
+			const existingWaitlistEntry = course.waitlist?.find(
+				(entry) => entry.user.toString() === userId.toString()
+			);
+
+			if (isFull) {
+				if (!existingWaitlistEntry) {
+					course.waitlist = course.waitlist || [];
+					course.waitlist.push({ user: studentId, joinedAt: new Date() });
+					course.waitlist.sort(
+						(a, b) =>
+							new Date(a.joinedAt).getTime() - new Date(b.joinedAt).getTime()
+					);
+					await course.save();
+					await emailQueue.add("waitlist-confirmation", {
+						userId: userId.toString(),
+						courseId: courseId.toString(),
+					});
+				}
+				return {
+					courseId,
+					status: "waitlisted",
+				};
+			}
+
 			const progress = new Progress({
-				user: new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(userId),
+				user: studentId,
 				course: new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(courseId),
 				isComplete: false,
 				completedComponents: {
@@ -245,22 +283,29 @@ export const register = async (req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> => {
 			});
 			await progress.save();
 
-			console.log("progress", progress);
-
-			if (!course.students.includes(new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(userId))) {
-				course.students.push(new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(userId));
+			if (!course.students.some((id) => id.toString() === userId.toString())) {
+				course.students.push(studentId);
 				await course.save();
 			}
 
-			return progress;
+			await emailQueue.add("registration-confirmation", {
+				userId: userId.toString(),
+				courseId: courseId.toString(),
+			});
+
+			return {
+				courseId,
+				status: "enrolled",
+				progressId: progress._id,
+			};
 		});
 
 		const progressResults = await Promise.all(progressPromises);
 
 		res.status(201).json({
 			success: true,
-			message: "User registered to courses successfully.",
-			progress: progressResults,
+			message: "User processed for course registration.",
+			results: progressResults,
 		});
 	} catch (error) {
 		console.error(error);
diff --git a/backend/models/courseModel.ts b/backend/models/courseModel.ts
index e5f032b..2e6a92f 100644
--- a/backend/models/courseModel.ts
+++ b/backend/models/courseModel.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export interface ICourse extends Document {
 	shortUrl: string;
 	draft: boolean;
 	registrationLimit: number;
+	waitlist: { user: mongoose.Types.ObjectId | IUser; joinedAt: Date }[];
 }
 
 const CourseSchema: Schema = new Schema(
@@ -98,6 +99,13 @@ const CourseSchema: Schema = new Schema(
 		shortUrl: { type: String, required: false },
 		draft: { type: Boolean, required: true, default: true },
 		registrationLimit: { type: Number, required: false, default: 0 },
+		waitlist: [
+			{
+				user: { type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: "User", required: true },
+				joinedAt: { type: Date, required: true, default: Date.now },
+				_id: false,
+			},
+		],
 	},
 	{
 		timestamps: true,
diff --git a/backend/routes/courseRoutes.ts b/backend/routes/courseRoutes.ts
index d778342..d4e4950 100644
--- a/backend/routes/courseRoutes.ts
+++ b/backend/routes/courseRoutes.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 	updateUserProgress,
 	batchUpdateUserProgress,
 	getUserCourseProgress,
+	dropCourseEnrollment,
 } from "../controllers/courseController";
 
 const router = express.Router();
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ router.delete("/:id", deleteCourse);
 // GET all users enrolled in a course
 router.get("/:courseId/users", getCourseUsers);
 
+// Drop a user and auto-enroll from waitlist if available
+router.post("/:courseId/drop", dropCourseEnrollment);
+
 // GET progress for all users in a course
 router.get("/:courseId/progress", getCourseProgress);
 
diff --git a/backend/workers/emailWorker.ts b/backend/workers/emailWorker.ts
index c1fe1b0..da6c56d 100644
--- a/backend/workers/emailWorker.ts
+++ b/backend/workers/emailWorker.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import mongoose from "mongoose";
 import Email from "../models/emailModel";
 import User from "../models/userModel";
 import { sendEmail } from "../config/resend";
-import { ICourse } from "../models/courseModel";
+import Course, { ICourse } from "../models/courseModel";
 import connectDB from "../config/db";
 import "../models/courseModel";
 import { emailQueue } from "../jobs/emailQueue";
@@ -54,6 +54,72 @@ const recoverMissedEmails = async () => {
 			try {
 				console.log("📦 Worker picked up job:", job.id, job.data);
 
+				if (job.name === "waitlist-confirmation") {
+					const { userId, courseId } = job.data;
+					const [user, course] = await Promise.all([
+						User.findById(userId),
+						Course.findById(courseId),
+					]);
+					if (user && course) {
+						await sendEmail(
+							user.email,
+							`You are waitlisted for ${course.className}`,
+							`<p>Hi {{name}},</p><p>You have been added to the waitlist for {{course}}. We'll email you if a seat opens.</p>`,
+							{ name: user.name, course: course.className }
+						);
+					}
+					return;
+				}
+
+				if (job.name === "waitlist-promotion") {
+					const { userId, courseId } = job.data;
+					const [user, course] = await Promise.all([
+						User.findById(userId),
+						Course.findById(courseId),
+					]);
+					if (user && course) {
+						await sendEmail(
+							user.email,
+							`You're in! ${course.className}`,
+							`<p>Hi {{name}},</p><p>A seat opened up and you are now enrolled in {{course}}.</p>`,
+							{ name: user.name, course: course.className }
+						);
+					}
+					return;
+				}
+
+				if (job.name === "registration-confirmation") {
+					const { userId, courseId } = job.data;
+					const [user, course] = await Promise.all([
+						User.findById(userId),
+						Course.findById(courseId),
+					]);
+					if (user && course) {
+						await sendEmail(
+							user.email,
+							`Registered for ${course.className}`,
+							`<p>Hi {{name}},</p><p>You are registered for {{course}}.</p>`,
+							{ name: user.name, course: course.className }
+						);
+					}
+					return;
+				}
+
+				if (job.name === "course-reminder") {
+					console.log("course-reminder ");
+					return;
+				}
+
+				if (job.name === "speaker-assignment") {
+					console.log("speaker-assignment");
+					return;
+				}
+
+				if (job.name !== "send-course-email") {
+					console.log(`No handler for job type '${job.name}', skipping.`);
+					return;
+				}
+
 				const email = await Email.findById(job.data.emailId).populate("course");
 				if (!email) {
 					console.warn("⚠️ Email not found for ID:", job.data.emailId);