
Take a course at UC Santa Cruz
This is a partial list of the online courses you can take through our Open Campus program. You can finish up your degree, get your prerequisites, and expand your knowledge without being a matriculated student. Enjoy UC Santa Cruz from wherever you are! Course selections are limited.
More fall 2025 courses to be added
We are continually growing our list of courses for you. Be sure to check back for updates.
Note: If you are interested in a course that is not listed here, please contact us and we will work directly with the instructor or department to see if there is space available.
Anthropology
Provides an historical overview from the 18th century to the present of race, ape-human relationships, and human nature. Emergence of an evolutionary framework and of fossil, genetic, and primate information becomes the basis for reformulating ideas about human biology within anthropology.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructor: J. Reti
- Contact for Approval: Andrew Mathews | amathews@ucsc.edu
or Fred Deakin | fdeakin@ucsc.edu - Units: 5
An examination of anthropological studies of tribal, rural, and urban cultures of India and a look at changes taking place in India.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructor: A.D. Pandey
- Contact for Approval: Andrew Mathews | amathews@ucsc.edu
or Fred Deakin | fdeakin@ucsc.edu - Units: 5
Computer Science and Engineering
Introduction to computer systems and assembly language and how computers compute in hardware and software. Topics include digital logic, number systems, data structures, compiling/assembly process, basics of the system software, and computer architecture. Course is 7 credits with integrated laboratories illustrating concepts covered in lecture. Note that CSE 12 assumes some programming experience. Students can show programming experience by taking one of the courses listed in the prerequisite list below or by taking the CSE python Test-out Exam: https://undergrad.soe.ucsc.edu/cse-20-testout-exam (Formerly CSE 12 and CSE 12L)
- Days: Tu & Th
- Time: 5:20 – 6:55 PM
- Format: Synchronous Online
- Instructor: M. Siero
- Contact for Approval: Jose Renau renau@ucsc.edu (Dept Chair)
- Danielle Danubia Ditmars dditmars@ucsc.edu (Dept Mgr)
- Units: 7
Cowell College
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies
Critical analysis of the movement for K-12 ethnic studies in historical and contemporary time periods with a particular focus on the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Students read, discuss, and analyze past and present K-12 ethnic studies research, policy, and practice to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their ability to critique issues in K-12 ethnic studies education while reflecting on how the concepts and questions that arise relate to their own educational experiences and lives.
This course us also offered as EDUC 121.
- Days: To Be Arranged
- Time: To Be Arranged
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructor: Tricia Gallagher-Geursten
- Contact for approval: Felicity Amaya Schaeffer fsg@ucsc.edu (Dept Chair) | Taylor Yuriko Ainslie tainslie@ucsc.edu (Dept Mgr)
- Units: 5
Crown College
Service-learning class that takes students through the process of creating a marketing plan for a real client. Begins with design and marketing fundamentals and the marketing brief. Teams are formed and assigned projects with local businesses or UCSC startups. Client needs are established through interviews. After a clear understanding of the problem is established, ideation occurs with solutions developed and executed. These may include creating branding, logo design, messaging, digital storytelling (through film, website, social media campaigns), interior design, and product design specification feedback and posters.
- Days: T & Th
- Time: 5:20–6:55 PM
- Format: Synchronous Online
- Instructor: Staff
- Contact for approval: Manel Camps mcamps@ucsc.edu (Provost)
- Marina Glagolev mglagole@ucsc.edu (Operations Mgr)
- Units: 5
Community service-oriented class provides a supervised learning experience for students who deliver real solutions to local businesses while gaining valuable practical skills and an opportunity to integrate their academic coursework with community involvement. Teams are formed and businesses assigned while students are trained to do interviews, write proposals, project-manage, design websites, and marketing campaigns. No prerequisites are required and familiarity in the following areas is preferred: the lean startup method, the business model canvas, and customer discovery.
- Days: T & Th
- Time: 9:50–11:25 AM
- Format: Synchronous Online
- Instructor: Staff
- Contact for approval: Manel Camps mcamps@ucsc.edu (Provost)
- Marina Glagolev mglagole@ucsc.edu (Operations Mgr)
- Units: 5
Environmental Studies
Introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) as the technology of processing spatial data, including input, storage and retrieval; manipulation and analysis; reporting and interpretation. Emphasizes GIS as a decision support system for environmental and social problem solving, using basic model building, experimental design, and database management.
Concurrent enrollment with LAB Required, can be completed via Zoom: ENVS 115L
- Days: Tu & Th
- Time: 8–9:35 a.m.
- Format: Synchronous Online
- Instructor: Bo Yang
- Contact for Approval: Jeffrey Bury jbury@ucsc.edu (Dept chair) or Jimmy Gaffney jgaffney@ucsc.edu (Dept Mgr)
- Units: 5
Mathematics
The limit of a function, calculating limits, continuity, tangents, velocities, and other instantaneous rates of change. Derivatives, the chain rule, implicit differentiation, higher derivatives. Exponential functions, inverse functions, and their derivatives. The mean value theorem, monotonic functions, concavity, and points of inflection. Applied maximum and minimum problems.
Prerequisite: MATH 3; or mathematics placement (MP) score of 400 or higher; or qualifying AP exam. See the UCSC Exam Equivalency Chart in the Undergraduate Academic Program section of the catalog for details.
Credit: Students cannot receive credit for both this course and MATH 11A, or AM 11A, or AM 15A, or ECON 11A.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructors: Frank Bäuerle, Longzhi Lin, or Anthony J. Tromba.
- Contact for Approval: Department Manager Kathryn Maldwin kabaldwi@ucsc.edu or Instructor Frank Bäuerle bauerle@ucsc.edu
- Units: 5
The definite integral and the fundamental theorem of calculus. Areas, volumes. Integration by parts, trigonometric substitution, and partial fractions methods. Improper integrals. Sequences, series, absolute convergence and convergence tests. Power series, Taylor and Maclaurin series. Students cannot receive credit for both this course and MATH 11B, or AM 11B, or AM 15B, or ECON 11B.
Prerequisites: MATH 11A or MATH 19A or MATH 20A or qualifying exam. See the UCSC Exam Equivalency Chart in the Undergraduate Academic Program section of the catalog for details.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructors: Frank Bäuerle, Longzhi Lin, or Anthony J. Tromba.
- Contact for Approval: Department Manager Kathryn Maldwin kabaldwi@ucsc.edu or Instructor Frank Bäuerle bauerle@ucsc.edu
- Units: 5
Vectors in n-dimensional Euclidean space. The inner and cross products. The derivative of functions from n-dimensional to m-dimensional Euclidean space is studied as a linear transformation having matrix representation. Paths in 3-dimensions, arc length, vector differential calculus, Taylor's theorem in several variables, extrema of real-valued functions, constrained extrema and Lagrange multipliers, the implicit function theorem, some applications. Students cannot receive credit for this course and MATH 22 or AM 30.
Prerequisites: MATH 19B or MATH 20B or qualifying AP exam. See the UCSC Exam Equivalency Chart in the Undergraduate Academic Program section of the catalog for details.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructors: Frank Bäuerle, Longzhi Lin, or Anthony J. Tromba.
- Contact for Approval: Department Manager Kathryn Maldwin kabaldwi@ucsc.edu or Instructor Frank Bäuerle bauerle@ucsc.edu
- Units: 5
Double integral, changing the order of integration. Triple integrals, maps of the plane, change of variables theorem, improper double integrals. Path integrals, line integrals, parametrized surfaces, area of a surface, surface integrals. Green's theorem, Stokes' theorem, conservative fields, Gauss' theorem. Applications to physics and differential equations, differential forms.
Prerequisite: MATH 23A.
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructors: Frank Bäuerle, Longzhi Lin, or Anthony J. Tromba.
- Contact for Approval: Department Manager Kathryn Maldwin kabaldwi@ucsc.edu or Instructor Frank Bäuerle bauerle@ucsc.edu
- Units: 5
Ocean Sciences
An interdisciplinary introduction to oceanography focusing on biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes. Covers topics such as origins and structure of planet Earth and its oceans, co-evolution of Earth and life, plate tectonics, liquid water and the hydrologic and hydrothermal cycles, salinity and elemental cycles, ocean circulation, primary production and nutrient cycles, plankton and nekton, life on the sea floor, near shore and estuarine communities, future environmental problems our oceans face. Students may also enroll in and receive credit for EART 1
- Days: TBA
- Time: TBA
- Format: Asynchronous Online
- Instructor: M. Polito
- Contact for Approval: Christopher A Edwards cedwards@ucsc.edu (Dept Chair) or Amy Kornber amylkorn@ucsc.edu (Dept Mgr)
- Units: 5
Technology and Information Management
Uses weekly talks by leading industry practitioners and university researchers to provide in-depth exposure to the management of technology. Topics covered include product development, operations, strategy, finance, and marketing for technologies such as software and information systems.
- Days: Th
- Time: 3:20–4:55 PM
- Format: Synchronous Online
- Instructor: S. Desa
- Contact for Approval: Leah Kahn lkahn@ucsc.edu (academic planning) or Alonso Antunez De Mayolo alantune@ucsc.edu (Finance)
- Units: 2
How do you change the world, working alone and in concert with others? To find out, students work in groups with specific community partners who, in turn, help place students in social-change organizations in Santa Cruz County. (General Education Code(s): PR-S.)