Concurrent Enrollment

Updated 3.7.2023

Concurrent Enrollment through UC San Diego Extension provides the opportunity for those who are not registered UC San Diego students to enroll in CSE courses. You must register with UC San Diego Extension to participate in Concurrent Enrollment.

The procedures & policies laid out below are specific to the CSE Department. If you have any general questions about the concurrent enrollment process, those should be directed to UC San Diego Extension. Questions about courses in other departments, should be directed to those departments accordingly. 

Policies for Spring Quarter 2023

Follow the procedures for Spring Quarter 2023. Failing to do so will jeopardize a Concurrent Enrollment Student’s opportunity to take CSE Courses at UC San Diego. Please review the procedures carefully.

Concurrent Enrollment is not guaranteed. Concurrent Enrollment Students are allowed to add CSE Courses after all registered UC San Diego students have been accommodated. Although we do our best to accommodate Concurrent Enrollment Students, CSE Courses are in high demand. It is possible that a Concurrent Enrollment Student will not be approved to enroll in any CSE Courses.

Concurrent Enrollment approvals are contingent upon class attendance. Concurrent Enrollment Students will not be approved to enroll in CSE Courses they are not attending.

Concurrent Enrollment approvals will be based on: space availability, waitlist order (e.g., when students turned in the Concurrent Enrollment Add Form), and a review of Concurrent Enrollment Student requests, in order to try to place each student into at least one course.

A maximum of 4 courses per Concurrent Enrollment Student will be approved. If students are offered a spot in a fifth class, they will have to drop one of the other courses they were approved to add. However, due to high demand for CSE Courses, students should not expect to be offered more than 1-2 course approvals.

It is each student's responsibility to ensure they don't take courses with scheduling conflicts. Concurrent enrollment students do not always take CSE courses in the intended order, and thus can take courses that have conflicting class or final exam times. The CSE Department is not responsible for checking for conflicts within a student's schedule, and is not able to re-schedule any aspects of a course to mitigate conflicts. If a student chooses to take courses that have conflicting components, it is their responsibility to work with the Instructor to solve any issues. There is also no guarantee that each Instructor will be able or willing to re-schedule. Please plan accordingly to avoid any course or final exam time conflicts. 

No Concurrent Enrollments are approved for CSE Courses after Friday, April 21, 2023 at 3 PM. ***Some lower division CSE Courses close earlier.*** Please see the CSE Spring 2023 Course Updates page for the latest status. Be sure to also review UC San Diego Extension's policies and procedures. If there are later deadlines on that site, the CSE deadlines still apply.

How to Add CSE Courses through Concurrent Enrollment

**Please direct all questions regarding the online Spring 2023 concurrent enrollment add card form to the Extension Office**

1. Register with UC San Diego Extension

2. Complete our Concurrent Enrollment Student Information Form 

3. Use the following resources to identify CSE courses you wish to take:

4. Fill out the Extension Concurrent Enrollment Add Forms completely for the courses you wish to enroll in (including student ID number). Concurrent Enrollment Add Forms will be available on the Concurrent Enrollment Extension Webpage.

5. For CSE courses you need BOTH Instructor and Department Approval. It is your responsibility to email the Instructors of the CSE courses you wish to take to get their approval. The Extension Office is no longer facilitating this communication through DocuSign.

6. Once you obtain Instructor approval via email, forward the Instructor's email to csestudent@ucsd.edu. Make sure to include the course number AND section you have obtained Instructor approval for (i.e. CSE 100 A01). If you do not receive a confirmation email in reply from the CSE Department by April 7th, please reach out again to confirm we received your Instructor approval email. 

7. Beginning Monday, April 3, 2023, attend the courses you wish to enroll in. For remote courses please visit the UCSD Extension Website for more information on how to access course materials online.

8. Starting Wednesday, April 5, 2023 CSE Student Affairs will begin to review CSE course enrollments. Not all requests will be reviewed on this day, it is a continuing process over the first three weeks of the quarter (ending 4/21/23). 

  • The Instructor approval email MUST be received by the CSE Department before your course request will be reviewed.
  • If seats are available in CSE Courses, Concurrent Enrollment Students will be approved to enroll. There is no guarantee of approval for any course. 

9. Department approved Concurrent Enrollment Add Cards will then be sent to the Extension Office for payment processing and enrollment. The Extension Office will contact each student to notify them of their CSE approval to enroll. 

  • Check with UC San Diego Extension office to verify the deadline to enroll in classes with Concurrent Enrollment. 

**If you are a readmit student, please be sure to reach out to the CSE Department directly to let us know. You can email us at csestudent@eng.ucsd.edu or submit a question through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).**

Frequently Asked Questions

I am participating in Concurrent Enrollment as part of my Readmission to UC San Diego. Is this the process I should follow?

Yes, but it is important that UC San Diego students applying for Readmission as a CSE major should call or email our office to set up an appointment with an advisor first. 

Why should I fill out the Concurrent Enrollment Student Information form?

The Concurrent Enrollment Student Information form is a required step in the CSE Concurrent Enrollment process. We use the form to know who you are and how to contact you if you are offered a seat in a CSE Course.

What are my chances of enrolling in the CSE Courses I want?

We do not know your chances of enrolling in an CSE Course. There are too many factors, known and unknown, for us to make a prediction. Follow the policies and instructions above carefully to ensure you have the best chance of enrolling in CSE Courses.

What is my position on the waitlist for this CSE Course?

Concurrent Enrollment through the CSE Department is based on a number of factors, known and unknown, that make it difficult to evaluate your position on our waitlists. Follow the policies and instructions above carefully to ensure you have the best chance of enrolling in CSE Courses.

I need to enroll in a minimum number of units this quarter. Do I have priority to enroll in CSE Courses?

No. Priority enrollment is not granted to Concurrent Enrollment Students. Please see our policies above to read about what factors course approvals are based upon.

I am a Computer Science major at my home university. Do I have priority to enroll in CSE Courses?

No. Priority enrollment is not granted to Concurrent Enrollment Students. Please see our policies above to read about what factors course approvals are based upon.

The Schedule of Classes online shows that there are available seats in the courses I want to take. Does that mean I can enroll?

No. the Schedule of Classes online does not accurately show seat availability for Concurrent Enrollment Students. The Schedule of Classes online can only give Concurrent Enrollment Students a general idea of what courses are in highest demand. Please follow the instructions on this page and wait for an email from CSE Student Affairs to find out if you have been offered enrollment approval for a CSE Course.

I know what CSE Courses I want to enroll in. Why do I have to wait until after classes begin to turn in my Concurrent Enrollment Add Forms?

Attending the first day of class is the best way to be certain you want to enroll in a CSE Course. Also, on the first day of class, you should receive a syllabus that will tell you when and where the instructor is available to talk with you.

May I turn in a Concurrent Enrollment Add Form for a CSE Course for which I have not attended class?

No. CSE Department policy does not allow students to make-up assignments they miss in the first two weeks of the quarter. Therefore, to ensure student success, we require that Concurrent Enrollment Students must attend all classes for a course during the first two weeks to be eligible for enrollment. You may not add a CSE Course that you did not attend in the first two weeks of the quarter.

I do not have a preference for a specific section of the course I wish to enroll in. May I leave the Section/Section ID blank on the Concurrent Enrollment Add Form?

If each section of the course that you wish to enroll is is taught by the same instructor, you can complete one Concurrent Enrollment Add Form and note on the form that you are okay with enrolling in any section of the course. However, if different sections of the same course are taught by different instructors, you must fully complete a Concurrent Enrollment Add Form for each section you are okay with enrolling in and get each instructor’s signature.

The instructor signed my Concurrent Enrollment Add Form. Am I guaranteed a seat in the course?

No. The instructor's signature confirms that the instructor would allow the Concurrent Enrollment Student to add the course if seats become available. Instructors do not manage enrollment in their courses. An instructor’s signature never guarantees a seat in a course. A Concurrent Enrollment Student always needs a CSE Department stamp on their Concurrent Enrollment Add Form.

The instructor will not sign my Concurrent Enrollment Add Form. What should I do?

First, clarify that you are registered with UC San Diego Extension and want to be approved for Concurrent Enrollment in their course. [UC San Diego has stopped using physical add cards for their undergraduate and graduate students. An instructor may confuse your Concurrent Enrollment Add Form with the add cards that were recently terminated]. If the instructor has questions about Concurrent Enrollment, please refer them to us. Otherwise, if an instructor decides not to sign your Concurrent Enrollment Add Form, that is at their discretion. Instructors know the prerequisite knowledge for their courses. If they feel you do not have the prerequisite knowledge to be successful in their course, they may choose not to sign your Concurrent Enrollment Add Form.

I think I enrolled in a CSE Course online. Do I still need to have a Concurrent Enrollment Add Form signed?

Yes! The only way to concurrently enroll in a CSE Course for credit is to get an instructor’s signature and CSE Department approval. As a public university, UC San Diego provides online avenues for the community to follow our courses. However, these avenues DO NOT enroll you in a course.

What do you mean when you say that some lower division CSE Courses close enrollment earlier than others?

Due to the fast-paced nature of the course, some of our instructors ask that no new students be enrolled in their courses after a certain point in the quarter. It is imperative to attend the first two weeks of any course you wish to enroll in so as not to miss your opportunity to enroll.

I changed my mind about the courses I want to take, what should I do?

If you have turned in a Concurrent Enrollment Add Form for a CSE Course you no longer wish to take, please contact CSE Student Affairs (see below). You are welcome to turn in additional Concurrent Enrollment Add Forms as long as you have attended class for these courses so far in the quarter.

If you still have questions...

Questions about UC San Diego Extension and University and Professional Studies (UPS) policies should be directed to those offices.


Questions about Computer Science and Engineering Department policies should be directed to csestudent@ucsd.edu