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Frequently Asked Questions | Cal State Online

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Cal State Online Summer provides California State University students with convenient and affordable access to summer term online courses offered through other California State Universities or California Community Colleges.

Students can use Cal State Online Summer to help them find courses quickly, initiate registration, and ultimately graduate faster.

The process is simple:
  1. Search for a course on Cal State Online Summer
  2. Submit a brief enrollment form to express interest
  3. Complete the enrollment and registration process via the teaching institution's website (Open University or OpenCCC)
  4. Complete any additional steps required by the teaching institution
  5. Access your course following acceptance from the teaching institution 

The Cal State Online Summer platform makes course searching easy and accessible.
  1. Select the institution you currently attend under "Your University"
  2. Choose how you want to search for courses: by Gen Ed requirement, course name, or keyword.
  3. Click "Find Classes"
  4. Browse the available course results and choose the course that meets your needs.

  • General Education Requirements are the requirements that all California State University students must meet in order to receive a bachelor’s degree. 
  • Course Name search allows you to enter an exact course code to find direct substitutes for that course at other universities. 
  • Keyword search allows you to enter a broader search term (Ex. Math) that will populate transferable courses that fit under that criteria. 

If applying to a course taught at another California State University: 

  1. Initiate the registration process by selecting "Apply" next to the Course Section of interest
  2. Complete the brief enrollment form (name, email, phone number, current home university)
  3. Click Submit. You will be routed to the Open University web page for the university teaching the course. 
  4. Follow the instructions provided on the Open University page for completing registration. This may involve creating an account with the university, submitting an intent to enroll, or requesting instructor approval for the course. 
*note, if you are attempting to register for a course at your home university where you are already enrolled, please contact your advisor for steps on registering for the course. Do not use Open University.

If applying to a course taught at a California Community College:

  1. Initiate the registration process by selecting "Apply" next to the Course Section of interest
  2. Complete the brief enrollment form (name, email, phone number, current home university)
  3. Click Submit. You will be routed to the OpenCCC web page for the community college teaching the course. 
  4. Sign in to OpenCCC (if you already have an existing account) or create a new account.

Registration for the summer term will open at varying dates depending on the university or college teaching the course. 

For summer, registration typically opens between March and May. For California State Universities, consult the registration open date listed on the Open University web page. 

Open University is a program offered by most California State Universities that allows non-matriculated students to register for courses at the university. This includes students from other California State Universities, California Community Colleges, or the general public.

Students who are matriculated (actively enrolled) at the university that is teaching the course should use the standard registration process as outlined by their institution. This may involve registration through the university's student portal or through your university advising office.

OpenCCC is the application platform used by the California Community Colleges. If you are applying to a course taught by a community college, you will need to login to OpenCCC to complete the registration process. 

Yes, once you’ve found the course you want to take online, please meet with your academic advisor to ensure that the course will transfer to your home institution. 

To drop a course, please follow the guidelines at the institution teaching the course. Should you need assistance, please contact the teaching institution's registrar office.

Payment for your course is made directly to the teaching institution. Information on how to pay at that specific university or college will be provided to you by the institution during the registration process. 

When the course is completed, request a transcript from the institution that taught the course to send back to your home institution.