Important:
- CSUN students who are currently admitted and enrolled in a degree or certificate program are not eligible to enroll in courses through Open University.
- Only those who are not currently admitted and enrolled in a degree or certificate program at CSUN, are eligible.
Recent Graduate
If you are a recent graduate or will graduate and complete your degree requirements in Fall 2022, you are eligible to enroll in courses through Open University.
Academically Disqualified CSUN Students
If you are currently on academic disqualification, you are eligible to enroll in classes through Open University to meet academic requirements and possibly apply for readmission.
How to Enroll
If you are a recent graduate, will graduate in Fall 2022 or on academic disqualification, you will be required to enroll in Open University courses as a Visiting Student.
Former CSUN Students will not need to create a new account. To enroll, you will log into myNorthridge Portal, and use your CSUN user ID and password.
For limits on degree-applicable credits, see: Applying Credit to a CSUN Degree.
Academic Calendar
SPRING 2023 SEMESTER |
Registration Period (Weeks 2-3) |
Monday, January 30 – Friday, February 10, 2023 |
Classes begin |
Monday, January 23, 2023 |
Last day to add without permission & Last day to drop and receive a refund |
Friday, February 10, 2023 |
4th Week Late Registration |
Monday, February 13 – Friday, February 17, 2023 |
Spring Break – no instruction |
Monday, March 20 – Sunday, March 26, 2023 |
Cesar Chavez Day Holiday – campus closed; no instruction |
Friday, March 31, 2023 |
Classes End |
Friday, May 12, 2023 |
Final Examinations (see final exam schedule) |
Saturday, May 13 – Friday, May 19, 2023 |
U.S. Military Veterans or Service Members
If you are a U.S. Military Veteran or a Service Member, please contact the CSUN Veterans Affairs Office at (818) 677-5928 or email veteransmail@csun.edu.
Enrollment Requirements
Maximum Unit Load:
- Undergraduate Students13 units
- Graduate Students19 units
To request additional units over the fall and spring maximum unit load, students in good standing may do so by completing the Extra Unit Authorization form.
However, this form is strictly limited at this time, and will only be processed when Nonrestrictive Registration begins (see Registration Calendar).
Permission Numbers
All Open University students are required to obtain and use a permission number to enroll themselves in any course. For more information, see Prerequisites. To request a permission number, please complete the Open University Course Request Form for each individual desired course section. Submitting a request does not guarantee permission to enroll. Open university students may attend the first class meeting of the course they wish to add to revisit their request for a permission number from the instructor. Online course pages will be available via Canvas on the Public Course Index.
Please note:
- Permission numbers can only be used once. Therefore, make sure to have your payment information handy at the time of registration, as you will only have 24 hours at the time of enrollment to pay for your courses.
- All unused permission numbers become inactive on Friday of the third week of the semester.
Timeline for Request Review Process
Departments will begin reviewing course requests closer to the start of classes in January. Enrollment officially begins on January 30, 2023. While some departments may offer permission prior to this date, that decision is up to the department chair and/or the course instructor. Once a department has made a decision regarding your course request, you will receive a notification via email to your CSUN Email account. Please make sure you check this account regularly. We will continually revisit requests with department chairs and provide regular reminders for any outstanding requests.
Starting Week 1 (January 23), most courses still have an active waiting list for CSUN students. Open University course requests will be accommodated once the waitlist ends at the close of the week. If you have not heard back regarding your course request, you may contact the course instructor directly to request access to the Canvas page and lectures for the first few class meetings. If you are submitting a new request at this time, please complete the online form and also contact the course instructor to let them know you are interested in adding the course. Only the course instructor can allow you to view the course page and materials prior to formally enrolling in the course.
Starting Week 2 (January 30), if you have not heard back regarding your course request, you may contact the course instructor directly to request access to the Canvas page and lectures for the first few class meetings. NOTE: Most instructors will be hesitant to allow a student to add the course after missing two weeks of instruction. We recommend you connect with the instructor during Week 1 to discuss your interest in their course. If provided a permission number by the department or instructor, you are still able to enroll in the course at this time.
Starting Week 3 (February 6), most instructors will only allow students to add who have actively been participating in the course and are waiting for a permission number. While it is still possible to receive a permission number from the department during this time, most departments defer to the course instructor to issue permission numbers.
Starting Week 4 (February 13), Open University registration ends and course requests will no longer be accepted.
Wait List
The CSUN wait list feature is not available for Open University students. If an instructor encourages you to add yourself to the wait list for a closed course, kindly remind them this feature is only designed for current CSUN students.
Category: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
Applying Credit to a CSUN Degree
The Open University program is designed to allow nonmatriculated students (those who are not formally admitted into a degree program at CSUN) to enroll in ...
Read more about Applying Credit to a CSUN DegreeCategory: Registration
Visiting students are considered those who are not formally admitted and enrolled in a degree, certificate or crediential program at CSUN.
To qualify as a U.S. visiting student for Open University ...
Read more about Visiting StudentsCategory: Registration
CSUN welcomes students from all over the world to enroll in Open University and experience a vibrant, diverse American university. For international students in the Los Angeles area, enrollment in ...
Read more about International StudentsCategory: Registration
Prerequisites
A prerequisite is a course or condition that must be completed/met prior to enrollment in another specified course.
For former CSUN students, SOLAR determines if the student meets the prerequisite requirements.
For ...
Read more about PrerequisitesCategory: Registration
Registration Timeline
Details regarding Open University registration period, add/drop classes, grades, refunds and late enrollment can be found below.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open and read some of the linked ...
Read more about Late RegistrationCategory: Fees & Payment
Financial Aid
Financial Aid is not available for Open University.
Sponsored Students
A sponsored student is one whose tuition will be paid by a third party, such as an employer, military organization, vocational ...
Read more about Financial Aid and SponsorshipsCategory: Fees & Payment
Dropping a Class
Whenever a student drops a class, the refund schedule applies.
The following does not constitute an official drop, nor do such actions diminish your financial obligation to CSUN for ...
Read more about RefundsCategory: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
Grades received in Open University become part of a student's academic record and are included in the student's overall grade point average at CSUN.
myNorthridge Portal
You can view and manage your ...
Read more about GradesCategory: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
When Open University students take and complete courses through Open University, those courses become part of the their CSUN academic record.
Official Transcripts: Open University students may order an official transcript ...
Read more about TranscriptsCategory: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
CSUN does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status, as monitored by the Department of Labor (Office of ...
Read more about Disabilities AccommodationsCategory: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
Academic questions, such as the fit of specific courses into degree-program requirements, should be referred to the relevant academic department for the degree at CSUN or at the student's home ...
Read more about Academic AdvisingCategory: Student Resources
Fee: $5.00
You are eligible for a student Photo ID if you have a CSUN Student ID number and you are enrolled in classes. This card is required to obtain campus ...
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Please review services and resources to support you during COVID-19 provided by the University Library.
The University Library at CSUN is a 234,712 square foot state-of-the-art facility. The Learning Commons on ...
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The Klotz Student Health Center at CSUN offers students a number of services on campus with the goal of promoting good health, along with academic and professional success. Physicians are ...
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Students enrolled in Spring Term at CSUN can take advantage of the many activities, events and organizations available to students, faculty, staff and the community. CSUN offers: More than 300 ...
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Tuition and campus fee payments will be due in full at the time of registration.
A student who has not completed full payment within two hours of registering will be dropped. ...
Read more about How to EnrollCategory: Registration
In order to withdraw from a course after the appropriate date listed in the Registration Timeline the formal withdrawal process is required, as well as meeting other CSUN policies, to ...
Read more about WithdrawalsCategory: Fees & Payment
Demand Pay
Upon enrollment, you will have 24 hours (inclusive of weekends and holidays) to pay for tuition fees from the time you complete the enrollment transaction.
It is highly recommended you ...
Read more about Payment InstructionsCategory: Academic Policies & Student Conduct
For Open University, final examinations are usually held on the last class meeting. Confirm final exam time and location with your instructor in advance. Some courses do not have a ...
Read more about Final ExaminationsCategory: Student Resources
If you are new to CSUN, your first step is to create a student account in order to receive a CSUN Student ID Number and a CSUN User ID.
Your CSUN ...
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