diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/courses.graphql b/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/courses.graphql
index f7584eec..ca496793 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/courses.graphql
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/courses.graphql
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ type Course {
 }
 
 extend type Query {
-  "Get the course with the given ID."
-  course(courseId: String!): Course!
+  "Get the course with the given ID, or null if no such course exists."
+  course(courseId: String!): Course
   "Get courses that match the given constraints."
   courses(
     "The department the courses are in."
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/instructors.graphql b/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/instructors.graphql
index 0bb3a637..d18005fd 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/instructors.graphql
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/v1/graphql/schema/instructors.graphql
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ type Instructor {
 }
 
 extend type Query {
-  "Get the instructor with the corresponding UCInetID."
-  instructor(ucinetid: String!): Instructor!
+  "Get the instructor with the corresponding UCInetID, or null if no such instructor exists."
+  instructor(ucinetid: String!): Instructor
   "Get instructors that match the given constraints."
   instructors(
     "A substring of the instructors' full names."