Course Numbers

XSB1 to XSB199 Undergraduate Open University courses

Courses numbered XSB1 to XSB199 are UCSB regular session undergraduate courses open for enrollment by students through UCSB Professional and Continuing Education. Courses numbered XSB1 to XSB99 are lower division (freshman/sophomore); those numbered XSB100 to XSB199 are upper division (junior/senior). 

XSB200 to XSB299 and XSB400 to XSB499 Graduate Open University courses

Courses numbered XSB200 to XSB299 and XSB400 to XSB499 are UCSB regular session graduate courses open for enrollment by students through UCSB Professional and Continuing Education. Note: UCSB graduate students may not take coursework through Open University that can otherwise be completed through normal registration. Consult the chapter "Graduate Education at UCSB" in the UCSB General Catalog.

X1 to X199

Courses numbered X1 to X99 are typically recognized as undergraduate lower division (freshman/sophomore); those numbered X100 to X199 are typically recognized as undergraduate upper division (junior/senior). These courses are structured in accordance to requirements for UCSB undergraduate courses, but are not equivalent to regular session courses. 

X300 to X399

Courses numbered X300 to X399 are professional level credit courses in the field of education. These classes are designed for teachers and prospective teachers. The major emphasis in these courses is on teaching methods and materials, curriculum, philosophical and sociological foundations of education, and educational problems and law.

X400 to X499

Courses numbered X400 to X399 are professional-level (post-baccalaureate) credit courses and lecture series in fields other than education. While most of these courses offer special opportunities for professionals and paraprofessionals, many courses are of general interest.

X800 to X899

Courses numbered X800 to X899 are noncredit seminars that provide opportunities to pursue intellectual, professional, civic, and cultural interests. These courses are generally designated with Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which are a universally recognized means of measuring and recording noncredit, postsecondary-level study. One CEU is awarded for every 10 contact or classroom hours of participation, and less than 10 hours is shown as a fractional CEU. (For example, an eight-hour conference earns 0.8 CEU.)

When employers, relicensure agencies, and other similar authorities require a specified number of instruction hours for career advancement, CEUs provide a useful record of noncredit study. 

Open University

Certain UCSB regular session academic courses —undergraduate and graduate (XSB1 to XSB499)— are open to the public. Enrollment is subject to the following restrictions:

  • Space availability
  • Consent of instructor and academic department 
  • Applicable admission requirements and prerequisites

Note: Open University is available fall, winter, and spring quarters only.

Please see the Open University page for detailed information on the following policies and procedures:

  • Eligibility
  • Enrollment authorization
  • Petitions
  • Enrollment limits
  • Payment procedure
  • Course fees
  • Payment deadlines
  • Dropping courses/withdrawal from Open University
  • Fee refunds
  • Grades
  • Degree and degree credit
  • Student privileges
  • Student conduct
  • Disability services
  • Tax information

For information about UCSB regular session academic courses available to Open University students, see the UCSB Schedule of Classes. For information about UCSB academic courses, prerequisites, and major requirements, please see the UCSB General Catalog.