Open University allows individuals who are not admitted to a Cal State Fullerton degree program to enroll in undergraduate and graduate-level classes with appropriate permissions. For more information, see our About page. Enrollment through Open University does not constitute admission to CSUF.

A matriculated student has gone through the full admission process and is admitted at CSUF. Matriculated (admitted) students are not eligible to enroll via Open University, while in admitted status. Enrollment through Open University does not constitute admission to CSUF.

These guidelines apply to undergraduate students only. Graduate students should consult their program’s academic department or the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students experiencing academic disqualification (ADQ), were previously admitted to CSUF, however due to low GPA, were academically dismissed from the university. Open University allows students experiencing academic disqualification to take courses from the regular university schedule of degree classes to raise their CSUF or Total GPA to the minimum requirement, which is part of eligibility for readmission.

Students experiencing academic disqualification may take up to six units during spring, summer, and fall semesters, and a maximum of 3 units in winter.

Note: Financial aid awarded through FASFA is not available for students in a non-admitted status with CSUF.

While enrollment through Open University does not constitute admission to Cal State Fullerton, a maximum of 24 cumulative units may count toward a bachelor’s degree at CSUF; additional units earned can meet course requirements and will impact the CSUF GPA. Courses taken through Open University cannot be used to fulfill the residency (admitted status) requirements for a bachelor's degree, which includes 30 units for the University, 24 units upper-division, and 12 units for the major (sometimes more depending on the major). Residency in this context refers to units completed in an admitted status.

For graduate degrees, typically up to nine units taken through Open University may count towards the program. Please consult your degree program’s graduate advisor for more information. 

The first time you apply to CSUF or enroll into a course via University Extension, you will receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by email. Use this number in combination with your CWID to customize your account the first time you log into the CSUF Portal.

The CSUF Portal provides access to your personal and academic confidential information, where you can look up grades, schedule, unofficial transcript and other important statistics.

Students enrolled through University Extension, who forget or misplace a PIN, may go to the What’s my registration PIN? page of the CSUF Portal.

A registration hold can include pending academic advising, financial balance or training holds. Check the Tasks tile in the Student Homepage and view details and department for contact. Be proactive and resolve holds before enrolling.

Once the hold is waived or removed, the student can initiate enrollment.

The financial assistance options for Open University students are different than those available to admitted CSUF students. Please see our Financial Assistance page for more information.

Note: Financial aid awarded through FASFA is not available for students in a non-admitted status with CSUF.

Once enrolled, login to the CSUF Portal and locate CANVAS in the Portal to access the course(s). 

You do not need to submit offical transcripts to enroll via OU, however unofficial transcripts may be requested by an instructor or academic department.  During fall/spring terms you can use the upload feature in the Request for Approval process to include a copy of unofficial transcripts.

Open University is for those who:

• Are not admitted to a degree or other qualified program at Cal State Fullerton, but want to take classes for academic credit
• Missed the deadline for admission to the university as an undergraduate transfer student
• Experienced academic disqualification from an undergraduate degree at CSUF (ADQ)
• Need to earn prerequisites for admission to a graduate or professional program

Open University is also a way to:

• Update professional skills
• Explore a new field before applying to a degree program
• Pursue intellectual interests
• Earn transferable credit for another college or institution

Open University is not available to:

• Students who are currently admitted/matriculated with CSUF.

Note: Students, regardless of citizenship, who have not attended (for at least three years) a school at the secondary level or beyond in which English was the principal language of instruction, are required to provide documentation of appropriate TOEFL or related scores.

You may request approval to enroll into undergraduate courses (100-400 level) from the university schedule of degree courses, for which you can acknowledge you meet the stated prerequisites or their equivalent.  Graduate level courses (500 level) may require other consultation and approvals. Always consult with a graduate advisor first before selecting to enroll into any 500-level course.

Individuals may not enroll into any 600 level doctoral courses via Open University. 

Please review all 5 steps of the OU General Instructions as well as the important details for the term/semester you plan to enroll by selecting Dates tab.

After completing steps 4 and 5 in the OU General Instructions, you will be able to view the course enrollment in your Student Homepage in both the Manage Classes and Academic Records tiles.  Access to view a course in Canvas is not official enrollment.  You must see the course in your student schedule and on your unofficial transcript view.

You can use the contact form on our Contact page, or stop by in person. Student Services location and hours of operation are also available on our Contact page.

Please see our Fees & Resources page for information on Open University fees.

Official transcripts can be ordered through the National Student Clearinghouse. Visit the CSUF Office of the Registrar website for more information.

Parking permits are required for all students and individuals physically coming to the campus. Detailed information regarding parking policies and maps of parking lots and structures, can be found at CSUF Parking & Transportation Services. 

Timelines and process to drop a course is viewable by term/semester.  Select the term/semester from the Dates tab. Refund eligiblity and amount depends on when you drop the course. Please refer to the Fees Owed & Refund Policy, for more details. 

No. Waitlists are for admitted CSUF students only. If the course section is closed with an active waitlist, you can request permission to enroll by following the OU General Instructions, and use the waitlist process in place for the term/semester. Select the term/semester from the Dates tab. In fall/spring terms use the Request for Approval.

No. Cal Vet Fee Waiver requires you to be an admitted/matriculated student in a qualified program at CSUF. When enrolling via Open Unviersity you are in a non-admitted status. For further information or questions, please contact the Veterans Resource Center at CSUF.

Eligibility to enroll into college level courses at a university is determined by each campus.

In general, high school students need permission from an OU Advisor and a specific academic department to be allowed to enroll into any college level course. Evidence of overall grades and appropriate AP scores are also required for specific course requests. It is recommended a student complete at least one’s junior year of high school (11th grade) and there be a specific academic need or purpose to take a course at the four-year university level, such as the student has exhausted all possible options for a specific subject area at the high school level. Often these subjects fall in the Math and Science areas.

Students should not enroll into college level courses, at the university level, to meet high school level requirements. Students should exhaust all of their high school and school district possibilities first, to meet such requirements.

Students that complete college level courses prior to high school completion are still eligible to apply as a first-time freshman in the CSU system. If a student completes college level courses after high school graduation and prior to being admitted as a college student, then the student does have to apply as a future undergraduate transfer student and meet all of the requirements for upper-division transfer admission. Enrollment through Open University does not constitute admission to CSUF.

High School students are required to reach out to one of the OU Advisors first before considering adding any courses through CSUF Open University process. Do not create or update a student record through OU self-service. Go to the Advising page for contact information, or reach out to University Extension, Student Services at eipconnect@fullerton.edu.