Open Campus

Expand Your Education with Open Campus at USD

Have you ever wanted to expand your knowledge by taking college-level courses on Business, Marketing or Communications? What about Psychology, Philosophy or Leadership? Or important niche subjects such as Women’s & Gender Studies, Peace & Justice or Environmental Science?

Well, here is a unique educational opportunity you may wish to consider. Welcome to the University of San Diego’s Open Campus program!

Search for Open Campus Courses

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What Is Open Campus at USD?

Open Campus at the University of San Diego invites professionals, students, high school graduates and other members of the greater San Diego community to attend courses on the USD campus. The program is ideal for people who would like to attend a regular course or courses at USD, but without having to seek admission to a degree-granting program.

Each semester, students use our Open Campus program to explore the full range of courses offered by the university. Classes in Open Campus are offered on a space-available basis after receiving the signed permission of the course instructor and a department, school or college administrator.

In order to apply, please follow the instructions below.

Steps for Application

For any course please obtain instructor approval using the appropriate departmental forms in step 3:

Search for classes in the MySanDiego Campus Schedule.
Select the courses you wish to take and email [email protected] with the class name, number (CRN), times, instructor, your name and phone number.
Print, complete and submit the course approval form to the office of Professional & Continuing Education.
- Undergraduate – Print the Undergraduate Department Approval Form. For courses in the College of Arts & Sciences, forms must receive approval from the Dean’s office in addition to the instructor. For all other courses, the appropriate Dean’s office or chair must approve in addition to the instructor.
- Graduate – Print the Graduate Course Approval Form. The appropriate Graduate Director must approve for admittance to this course. To find out who this is for your program, please contact [email protected]
- Knauss School of Business – For students who want to take courses through the Knauss School of Business (Graduate or Undergraduate), please seek approval through [email protected]
Transcripts:
- Undergraduate – Send all official transcripts to the office of Professional & Continuing Education, Attn: Open Campus
- Graduate – Send all official transcripts to the Graduate Admissions Office ([email protected])
Create a PCE student account using the Account Login link from the top of pce.sandiego.edu.
Complete the Application Form online.
Pay the registration and course fee by the deadline. Tuition is charged at the regular per hour unit rate less a 5% discount. Please check the following Student Financial Services pages for rates:
- Undergraduate Cost
- Graduate Cost

International Students and returning Open Campus students should contact [email protected] prior to starting this process.

Please note the following items before applying:

All applications must be accompanied by a $45 non-refundable application fee.
Enrollment will occur no earlier than one week prior to the start date of the course.
Required credentials:
A. Official transcripts of any attempted college work.
B. Official final high school transcript or proof of high school graduation or equivalent.
All semester deadlines apply in the case of Open Campus. Those enrolled in Open Campus attend class with degree-seeking students and participate in the same course activities and requirements.
If you plan to transfer credits earned through USD’s Open Campus, please check transfer requirements of your home institution. USD does not guarantee transfer of credit. All transfer decisions are up to your home institution.
Students may take a maximum of 18 units per academic year with a maximum of 9 units per semester. However, typically only a maximum of 6 units may be eligible to apply to a USD graduate degree.
Open Campus is NOT open to students seeking to take classes at the University of San Diego School of Law.
Financial aid and university housing are NOT available to Open Campus students.
International students with F-1 visa status are eligible for Open Campus if they are enrolled full-time at another institution and have maintained good immigration standing. A letter from your immigration advisor supporting part-time enrollment at USD must be submitted with your application including copies of your current Form I-20, passport page, visa page and I-94 card (front and back). International students with visa types other than F-1 may be eligible to apply and must consult with the International Admissions Counselor. International students seeking to study may contact PCE as some programs and course loads will qualify them for a student visa.
All students at USD, including those enrolled through Open Campus, are responsible for maintaining standards of conduct and academic integrity as outlined in USD campus policies.
Options are available for students not seeking credit. Please contact us at [email protected] for details.
Per University of San Diego policy, students may only apply for and enroll in, one Open Campus course during the intersession period.