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High School Course Enrollment

Guidance on Selecting Courses

High school students are eligible to enroll in sessions that do not conflict with their return to high school in the fall. 

Interest Tracks 

Sample Schedule

Online classes are taught in one of two formats:
  1. Asynchronous - you do not “attend” class at a set time; instead, you access pre-recorded lectures and digital curriculum materials and respond through email, discussion boards, and collaborative documents on your own time (although you will have weekly deadlines for assignments): some asynchronous classes do have optional synchronous discussions and office hours
  2. Synchronous - you have a required schedule; you virtually attend at the same time as your instructor and classmates, and they are typically taught in one of the following time blocks
Sample Class Schedules

M/W - 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

T/TH  - 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

M/W  - 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.

T/TH  - 1 - 4:30 p.m.

M/W  - 6 - 9:30 p.m.

T/TH  - 6-9:30 p.m.

MWF - 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

MWF 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • There is not an additional “finals week.” Instructors schedule the final on the last meeting block of the session

How to Identify Online Courses

  • Check only the Asynchronous Online and  Synchronous Online boxes at the bottom of Class Search (starting March 15)

Course Days/Times

  • After March 15, you can click on the course from our website or search for it in Class Search. If days/times are listed, they are synchronous, and students are expected to attend all remote classes via Zoom during those days/times. All times are scheduled in Pacific Standard Time (PST)
  • If a course Day/Time is blank, it means that there are asynchronous. Students can often complete the remote portions of the course (readings, lectures, and quizzes) at any time
  • No accommodations can be made to end your UC Santa Cruz course early, so be mindful of dates before enrolling

Workload and Course Expectations

  • Most courses are 5 credits. Students should expect a minimum of 35 hours of class meeting time. UCSC Academic Advising recommends 2 hours of studying for every 1 hour of class time. One 5-credit course is ideal for 5 weeks - that's what we recommend.

  • A few courses are 2 or 3 credits, meaning a smaller workload and less meeting time

  • Students can take a 5-credit course and a 2-credit course for a bit more work, or two 5-credit courses for a total of 10 credits in 5 weeks - a lot of work!
  • Lower division classes are numbered 1-99 and upper division classes are numbered 100-199. We recommend starting with a lower-division class for your first course, but you can take an upper-division class if you meet the prerequisites - just be prepared for a heavier workload and more reading.

Lower Division Math Overview (course numbers less than 100)

  • Math 2 and 3 are general mathematics courses at the precalculus level. Math 2 is College Algebra, and Math 3 is Precalculus
  • Math 11A, 11B, 19A, 19B, 20A, 20B, 22, 23A, and 23B are the calculus courses. Math 11A is Calculus with Applications I, and 11B is Calc 2.  Math 19A is Calculus for the Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering I, and 19B is Calc 2
  • Math 21 is Linear Algebra, and Math 24 is Ordinary Differential Equations

While prerequisites and restrictions on math courses are lifted for visiting high school students, it is always in your best interest to have met them

Advanced Placement (AP) Score

Summer Accommodations

How to Add a Course

Please Remember:

  • You are responsible for your enrollment. If you add a course and change your mind, you must drop yourself. 
  • If you do not attend the first day of class, instructors have the right to drop you from the class
  • See our academic calendar for important summer deadlines and our summer-specific add, drop and request for W policies