Students in classroom

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn about college basics and get answers to common Dual Enrollment questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dual Enrollment offers high school students who have completed the 10th grade the opportunity to complete college coursework before graduating high school.

Dual Enrollment provides transfer pathway and career education courses for high school students capable of advanced work and is not intended as remedial or makeup work.

 

El Camino College allows Dual Enrollment to students who have successfully completed the 10th grade or to students currently in 11th or 12th grade.

Students are eligible for Dual Enrollment beginning the summer term after they complete 10th grade. Students are no longer eligible for Dual Enrollment after completing the 12th grade.

 

Students in grades K-10 may be eligible for Dual Enrollment under limited circumstances.

Students in grades K-10 must receive Division Dean Approval from the appropriate El Camino College dean to be eligible to take college classes. For example: to take a Spanish course, a K-10 student must receive approval from a dean in the Humanities Division.

Some academic divisions limit Dual Enrollment to only students who have completed the 10th grade. Division Dean Approval does not guarantee a seat in a class. Students in grades K-10 are required to meet all course prerequisites and complete the registration process.

Realistically, deans do not approve young students for college-level coursework until they are at least a rising 9th grade student, with very rare exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

 

Please see the Course Restrictions page for a complete list of course restrictions by academic division and by grade level.

 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. When a student turns 18 years old or enters a post-secondary institution at any age, all rights afforded to parents under FERPA transfer to the student.

For this reason, El Camino College can only provide information pertaining to a K-12 student's account (etc.) directly to the student regardless of age.

 

El Camino College has two main terms, the Fall and Spring Semesters, which are 16 weeks long (with some 8-week classes). We also offer a Summer Term with two 6-week sessions and one 8-week session, and a 5-week Winter Session.

Important dates for each term can be found on the Academic Calendar. K-12 students must submit a new completed Dual Enrollment Application form for each term (fall, winter, spring, summer) they wish to dual enroll.

 

El Camino College courses are identified by subject and number, e.g. History 102. Details about each course, including course title, description, number of units, and CSU/UC transferability can be found in the Catalog.

A class section (or just "section") is a particular offering of a course during a given term. Every class section is identified by a unique section number, e.g. HIST-102-1234 (or just 1234). Class sections offered, including start/end dates, location, meeting days/times, assigned faculty member, and number of seats available, can be found in the Class Schedule.

When you submit a Dual Enrollment Application form, you are requesting permission to register for any class section of the course(s) listed on your form offered during the indicated term.

 

Dual Enrollment is limited to:

  • Eleven (11) units during the Fall and Spring Semesters
  • Two (2) courses during the Summer Term (maximum of 8 units)
  • One (1) course during the Winter Session

New starting Fall 2023! K-12 students no longer need approval from the El Camino College Registrar for permission to enroll in more than two courses during fall and spring semesters. Instead, K-12 students can be approved for up to 11 units on their Dual Enrollment Application form (for fall and spring semesters only).

To check the number of units for a course, refer to the Catalog or Class Schedule. Most courses are 3-4 units. The greater the units, the more work required to successfully complete the course (a combination of in-class lecture/lab time and out-of-class time).

 

Enrollment fees and other per-term fees are waived for K-12 students who complete the Steps for Dual Enrollment!

K-12 students who enroll in El Camino College classes are responsible for purchasing any required textbooks or instructional materials.

  • Students can use the Online Bookstore to look up required textbooks/materials by class section.
  • Some class sections use open or free textbooks, or other no-cost instructional materials. These classes are marked as ZTC$ for Zero-Textbook Cost in the Class Schedule. Use the Class Type filter to display only "Zero Textbook Cost" or "Low Textbook Cost" classes.

K-12 students are also responsible for any transcript fees and parking permits.

  • First two transcript copies are free.
  • Beginning Fall 2024, parking permits are again required for all parking lots on campus.
  • For more details, see Tuition & Fees and Parking Services.

 

The Catalog has notes for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Sign Language, and Spanish courses that indicate the first course is comparable to two years at the high school.

For example, El Camino's Spanish 1 course (Elementary Spanish I) is comparable to two years of high school Spanish.

Students seeking to take Spanish 2 (Elementary Spanish II) without having passed Spanish 1 at El Camino need to clear the prerequisite for Spanish 2, which is comparable to two years of high school Spanish.

El Camino Course Is comparable to Prerequisite
SPAN 1 2 years of high school Spanish None
SPAN 2 Year 3 of high school Spanish SPAN 1, or 2 years of high school Spanish with minimum grade of C
SPAN 3 Year 4 of high school Spanish SPAN 2, or 3 years of high school Spanish with minimum grade of C

 

Some sections of English 1A and Mathematics 120, 130, 150, 170, and 180 are linked to a required 1- or 2-unit support section, i.e. English 1AS, Math 150S, etc.

Students who place into English 1A + 1AS or Mathematics ____ + ____S must take both courses together. Each "requisite" support section is linked with a specific "parent" section taught by the same instructor.

Any linked class sections are identified when viewing Section Details in the Class Schedule:

Requisite support section example

A complete list of Corequisite/Parent Courses by term can also be found on the Class Schedules webpage.

K-12 students can register for a section with a linked support section, but must commit to taking both classes.

K-12 students must also have permission on their account for both the parent course and the support course in order to register, and can email [email protected] to add this permission. (This additional permission does not count against the course limit for a term, but does count against the unit limit.)

 

New starting Fall 2024! Sociology 101 no longer has a prerequisite of "eligibility for English 1A" — only a Recommended Preparation, meaning students do not need to complete Step 3 before registering for this course.

Before a student can register for most English courses, Computer Information Systems 13, or Communication Studies 120, they need to clear the Prerequisite of "eligibility for English 1A."

Only 12th grade seniors are eligible to receive English placement on their account through the English and Mathematics Placement Survey. Other college transcripts or AP Exam scores can also be used to clear the prerequisite.

Students in 11th grade are typically not eligible for English 1A, but can complete a Supplemental English Placement Form or contact the Academic Division which offers the course to inquire about clearance.

El Camino Course Academic Division Email
English 1A Humanities [email protected] 
Computer Information Systems 13 Business [email protected] 
Communication Studies 120 Behavioral & Social Sciences [email protected] 

 

Yes. While the math curriculum at some high schools goes from Algebra II to Pre-Calculus, students may struggle in El Camino's Pre-Calculus course without having completed Trigonometry.

Prerequisite clearance for all Mathematics courses is determined by the Mathematical Sciences Division. Students seeking prerequisite clearance for MATH 180 (Pre-Calculus) without having completed Trigonometry can email [email protected] to inquire about clearance.

 

Class sections with a location of "Online" do not have any required on-campus or online meeting days/times.

The Online Class Schedule may indicate "Times TBD" for Online class sections, but that is not accurate. These classes will not have any required meeting days/times — although there may be optional opportunities to meet with your instructor online (example: office hours) or as a class online.

Online Meeting Days/Times

Online classes take place in Canvas. Registered students will see their Online classes in Canvas on the Start Date of the class, or earlier if the instructor publishes the class before that date.

Online classes are not self-paced. There will be a pace to the class with which students will be expected to keep up — as with an on-campus class. Lectures will be pre-recorded, and students will be expected to watch the assigned videos, complete the assigned reading, and submit assignments by the dates outlined in the syllabus (available on the first day of class in Canvas). Most assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. on the stated deadline date, and if there is a quiz or test on a specific date, students typically have the entire 24-hour period to start and complete the quiz/test.

As with any class, make sure to read and understand the expectations as stated in the syllabus — this is often the first module for an Online class.

Class sections with a location of "Hybrid" typically meet in-person for half of the number of days per week as a class that is "On Campus at El Camino College," with the rest of the class Online (as above). When using the Online Class Schedule, the required meeting days/times/rooms will be stated in the Meeting Information column, and the rest of the class will be online in Canvas.

Hybrid Meeting Days/Times

 

K-12 students must first apply for admission to El Camino College for the earliest term they wish to take classes.

K-12 students must also submit a completed Dual Enrollment Application form for each term (fall, winter, spring, summer) they wish to dual enroll. We've created instructions to help complete the Dual Enrollment Application form using Adobe Acrobat Reader or by printing and scanning.

We are currently accepting completed Dual Enrollment Application forms via email. Please email completed forms with all drawn (not typed) signatures as an attachment to [email protected].

Applying to El Camino College and submitting a Dual Enrollment Application form does not guarantee a seat in a class. K-12 students are also required to meet all course prerequisites and complete the registration process.

 

Yes, K-12 students regardless of age need to:

  • Sign their Dual Enrollment Application form
  • and obtain the signature of a Parent or Guardian
  • and obtain an Authorized Signature from their secondary school (usually a counselor or principal)

in order for the form to be accepted by the Admissions & Records Office.

If completing the form electronically, signatures must be drawn (see K-12 Form Help PDF). Forms cannot be accepted with any typed signatures in Sections I-III.

 

While there is no deadline to complete the Steps for Dual Enrollment, K-12 students are subject to the dates that Registration Ends, the Last Day to Add, the Last Day to Drop Without Notation on Permanent Record, the Last Day to Drop with a “W” and other deadlines for each term, as found in the Academic Calendar.

El Camino College classes can also become full as students register for them, and some courses are more impacted than others — especially Online class sections!

We also receive a lot of Dual Enrollment Application forms and requests for help right before the start of each term, making it difficult to address every question or issue in a timely manner.

By completing the steps as early as possible, you have the best chance to save your seat in the class of your choice!

 

Student accounts are typically created 1-3 business days after students apply for El Camino College. (This can take longer if an application is not complete and/or missing personal identifying information.)

It can also take 1-3 business days to process a Dual Enrollment Application form once it is received. (This can take longer during peak times, like when registration begins or the start of a term.)

The time it takes for Prerequisite Clearance will vary depending on the method used. Students who complete the English and Mathematics Placement Survey typically have English and/or math placement added to their account within 1-2 business days.

In general, the earlier a student completes the Steps for Dual Enrollment, the sooner they will be able to register for classes.

 

Your CCCID is your ID number for CCCApply, the California Community Colleges application system. CCCIDs start with 3 letters, e.g. CXB1234. This is sent via email after you create your OpenCCC Account. A CCCID alone does not confirm that a student applied for admission to El Camino College.

Your Confirmation Number is an 8-digit number (no letters, e.g. 12345678) that confirms you successfully used your OpenCCC Account to submit an application for admission. This number appears on-screen and is also sent via email immediately after submitting an application.

Your El Camino College Student ID Number is a 7-digit number, e.g. 2591234. Students receive this number in a Welcome Email 1-3 business days after they submit an application.

New Feature! Your El Camino Student ID Number is easy to find in the new MyECC student portal. Simply click your account icon and select View Profile.

View Profile link

The School ID on the next screen is your ECC ID Number.

School ID  

 

Students are sent a Welcome Email with their El Camino College Student ID Number (7 digits, no letters) and MyECC login information 1-3 business days after they submit an application for admission to El Camino College.

If you did not receive your Welcome Email after three business days:

  • Please check your email's spam/junk folder.
  • If you are still missing your Welcome Email, please email [email protected] using the email address provided on your application for admission. Please provide your full name, date of birth, and 8-digit Confirmation Number.

 

Your application for admission is used to create your El Camino College student account, and allows you to register for classes beginning the term for which you applied.

However, you would not be able to register for earlier terms.

For example, students who apply for Fall 2023 can register for classes offered during Fall 2023 and the following Winter 2024 and Spring 2024 terms, but not the preceding Summer 2023 or Spring 2023 terms.

In order to register for an earlier term, you will need to apply for admission again using your existing OpenCCC Account.

 

Some courses have a Prerequisite which requires students to have passed a previous course (or equivalent class, test, or skill level) before they can register.

There are a few ways to clear a prerequisite, as outlined in Step 3 of the Steps for Dual Enrollment.

NOTE: Courses with a Recommended Preparation advise that students have passed a previous course, but it is not a requirement to register.

 

New, incoming college students are encouraged to complete the steps of financial aid, orientation, and educational planning before registering for classes.

Students in grades K-12 taking courses through Dual Enrollment do not complete these steps.

 

K-12 students can register for El Camino College classes online using MyECC on or after their Registration Appointment date and time. Registration priority is given to new, continuing, and returning college students first, and then K-12 students.

K-12 students must have submitted a completed Dual Enrollment Application form and met any course prerequisites prior to registering for classes. K-12 students can only register for courses listed on their submitted Dual Enrollment Application form after it is processed.

The last day to register is the day before the Start Date of the class. After the Start Date, the only way to enroll in a class is with Authorization to Add from the instructor of the class.

NOTE: Students participating in High School Partnership Classes will be be manually registered by the El Camino College Admissions & Records Office once Dual Enrollment Application forms are received and processed.

 

K-12 students looking to register for a different course number only (i.e. to change from Mathematics 170 to Mathematics 150) can email [email protected] to request this change.

K-12 students wanting to register for a different course subject than those submitted on their Dual Enrollment Application form (i.e. change from Mathematics 170 to History 102) must submit a new completed Dual Enrollment Application form with all new signatures. This is Step 2 of the Steps for Dual Enrollment.

The new Dual Enrollment Application form can overwrite the previous form your account.

Reminder! K-12 students need to submit a completed Dual Enrollment Application Form for each term they wish to take classes. Course permissions granted for one term (like Fall 2024) do not carry over to future terms (like Spring 2025).

 

Here are some common registration errors:

  • “As a high school student, you do not have a permission to take this course” means that your Dual Enrollment Form for the term has not been processed, or the course you are registering for was not listed on your form. K-12 students can check their current course permissions in MyECC under REGISTER FOR CLASSES > Register Here > Add Auth, Petitions & Waivers.
  • “Registration not allowed for UG courses without academic program” means there may be an error on your student account or you do not have a Dual Enrollment Form on file for the term. Please email [email protected] and let us know if you see this error.
  • “The following required prerequisite for course _____ is not started” means this course has a Prerequisite that has not yet been met/cleared.

 

Students can see the class sections they are registered for using MyECC. On the REGISTER FOR CLASSES card, click My Class Schedule.

 

See After You Register beneath the Steps for Dual Enrollment.

 

Students looking to register for a class section that is "Waitlisted" (no seats available) will see a button to join the waitlist instead of to register.

Students can either (a) register for a different class section with seats available, or (b) waitlist this section — not both. Waitlisting is not a guarantee of being able to participate in the class.

If seats in the class become available before the Start Date of the class, then waitlisted students are moved onto the active roster in waitlist order. After the Start Date, the only way to enroll is with Authorization to Add from the instructor of the class.

Waitlisted K-12 students must have a Dual Enrollment Application form on file for the term and have cleared any course prerequisites to be moved to the roster.

Sections may also show the status "Waitlist full" or "Closed" when the class capacity and the waitlist (usually 10 students) are both full.

NOTE: If you waitlist a section, then register for another section of the same course, you will be dropped from the first section's waitlist. You cannot be both registered and on a waitlist for the same course.

 

This is also in MyECC. On the REGISTER FOR CLASSES card, click My Class Schedule.

NOTE: You cannot see what number you are on the waitlist.

 

The last day to register for (or waitlist) a class is the day before the posted Start Date for the class. After the Start Date, students can no longer register as normal, or be automatically moved from the waitlist.

Instead, students seeking to enroll in a class on or after the Start Date need Authorization to Add from the instructor of the class.

  • For On Campus at El Camino College classes: Attend the first class meeting and speak with the instructor.
  • For Online/Hybrid classes: Email the instructor. Include your ECC ID Number and specify the section number of the class you are seeking to add. Also include whether you are on the waitlist.

    New Feature! The easiest way to find an instructor's email address is by searching the Faculty and Staff Directory. (A link to the Directory can also be found at the top of every www.elcamino.edu webpage.)

    Instructor email addresses are also available in MyECC. Use the Search for Classes tool to find a section you would like to add, then click the link in the Section Name column to show section details, including the instructor's name and email address.

    Section details screen in MyECC

Students who receive Authorization to Add will see their authorization in MyECC when using the Register for Classes tool.

Authorized for Add notification

Students must then click the blue "Register" button to officially join the class.

This can only be completed on or after the Start Date for the class, and must be completed before the Last Day to Add.

Register Now button

Once registered, students will see a green check mark indicating they have successfully enrolled. NOTE: Registered classes will appear in Canvas within a few hours or sometimes overnight.

Registered notification

Instructions to add can also be found on the Adding or Dropping a Class page.

K-12 students must have a Dual Enrollment Application form on file for the term approving them for the course and have cleared any prerequisites to be able to add the class. If you have completed these steps but experience an error when adding a class, please submit the online Add/Drop Form (as found on the Admissions Forms page).

 

Online classes are delivered using Canvas, El Camino's Learning Management System.

Canvas accounts are created only after a student is registered for an online class (usually overnight).

A link to the Canvas Resources page is provided at the top of every El Camino College webpage. Use the Canvas Login Page link on that page to sign into Canvas with your MyECC username/password. There you can also find links to familiarize yourself with Canvas.

Registered online classes will not appear in Canvas until the Start Date for the class. (Some classes may be available before the Start Date if the instructor publishes the class prior to this date.)

 

Students can go to directly to outlook.com/elcamino.edu and sign in with their MyECC username/password to access their email in Office 365.

A link to ECC Email is also available in MyECC on the New STUDENT - START HERE card.

Students can also add their @elcamino.edu email address to their smart phone or mobile device.

 

K-12 Dual Enrollment students are subject to the same deadline dates for dropping a class as college students. View the Academic Calendar to learn the Last Day to Drop Without Notation and Last Day to Drop with a "W" for each term.

View Grading Policies for more information about the "W" (Withdrawal) notation and El Camino College grades and grade point average.

K-12 students who wish to drop a registered class can perform this action using MyECC.

On the REGISTER FOR CLASSES card, click Add/Drop a Class.

Find the class section you want to drop, then click the blue Drop button.

Drop button

You may be prompted to select a reason why you are dropping. Select a reason from the menu, then click Update.

Select a reason screen

Once you drop a class, you cannot undo this action using MyECC.

If you experience an error when attempting to drop a class using MyECC, submit the online Add/Drop Form (as found on the Admissions Forms webpage) by the appropriate deadline.

 

Final grades are available in MyECC up to 7 days after the End Date for the class. On the ACADEMIC PROFILE card, click Grades.

Students can view their unofficial transcript in MyECC by clicking the Unofficial Transcript link on the ACADEMIC PROFILE card. (Past students who have lost access to MyECC can also Request Unofficial Transcripts.)

Official transcripts need to be ordered online from the Transcripts webpage.

 

El Camino College grants college credit (only) for completed courses. Grades earned will be listed on your El Camino College college transcript and may impact your future college grade point average (GPA).

K-12 students should consult their high school counselor and/or school district policy on enrolling in college classes to earn high school credit or dual credit. Any and all high school credit earned for completing El Camino College classes is determined and granted by the high school.

 

K-12 students must earn and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or greater at El Camino College to continue as a Dual Enrollment student.

 

Yes, accommodations for K-12 students are coordinated between your high school and El Camino College's Special Resource Center. Students can contact (310) 660-3295 or [email protected] to learn more about this process.

 

Yes, homeschooled students can take classes through Dual Enrollment, but must include a signature from any affiliated public/private/umbrella school in Section III: Principal or Designee Course Recommendation, OR (if a parent signs in Section III) include a copy of the student's Private School Affidavit filed with the California Department of Education.

 

Yes, undocumented students can enroll in classes through Dual Enrollment. El Camino College exempts special admit part-time students from non-resident fees.

 

Yes, but F-1 and F-2 visa holders may be required to pay Non-Resident Tuition Fees. Enrollment fees and other per-term fees are waived.

A complete list of Visas which are eligible to enroll at El Camino College can be found on the Residency Information page.

 

No. Students who audit a course forgo their ability to earn college credit for that course, and audited courses cannot be used to meet any degree/transfer requirements.

For this reason, El Camino's Admissions & Records Office, as well as the Deans of each Academic Division, do not approve K-12 students to audit courses.

 

El Camino College has Dual Enrollment partnerships with over 20 local high schools. Please see Dual Enrollment at your High School for more information.

 

Yes, K-12 students can take classes at El Camino College and High School Partnership Classes during the same term (up to 15 units during fall and spring semesters).

 

Students are no longer eligible for Dual Enrollment after completing the 12th grade.

College credit for courses taken as a Dual Enrollment student and grades earned will remain on your El Camino College transcript.

If you will be attending El Camino College after high school, make sure to use your previously-created OpenCCC Account to apply for admission again, this time as a first-time student in college (after leaving high school). Your application should be for the term after you graduate high school (typically the summer or fall term for students graduating in the spring).

Do not create a second OpenCCC Account. If you do not remember your CCCApply username or password, use the tools to recover your existing account or call or email CCCHelp.

After you apply again, your El Camino College Student ID Number and MyECC account will remain the same, but as a first-time college student you will no longer need to submit a Dual Enrollment Application Form each term or be limited to which courses you can take. You will also become eligible for the South Bay Promise, financial aid, and/or priority registration. View this Timeline for New Students for more information.

For help to enroll at El Camino College as a college student after high school, make sure to visit the Warrior Welcome Center online or on-campus!

 

The terms Concurrent Enrollment and Dual Enrollment are sometimes used interchangeably to indicate K-12 or Adult School students enrolling in college courses. Dual Enrollment is the preferred term used at El Camino College.

 

 

Questions?

Dual Enrollment
Fall 2024 Hours
Monday-Friday
9:00 am-5:30 pm
Library 167 (north side of Distance Education Center)