Students may register online using the SURF online registration system with certain exceptions (such as challenging a prerequisite or having a time conflict). 

The college provides early registration dates for matriculated students (see Matriculation), students participating in Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) or Student Accessibility Services (SAS; formerly Disabled Students Programs and Services), foster youth and former foster youth (up to and including the age of 24), and active duty or recently discharged military personnel. (Contact Admissions and Records, SAS, EOPS, or Veterans Services for more information.) Note: Priority registration may not apply to registration in certain vocational or allied health programs that require a separate application process.

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Priority Registration Regulations in Effect Since Fall 2014

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors has established system-wide registration priorities designed to ensure classes are available for students seeking job training, degree attainment, or transfer and to reward students who make progress toward their educational goals.

• New students who have completed college orientation and assessment and have developed educational plans as well as continuing students in good academic standing who have not exceeded 90 units (not including units in basic English, math, or English as a Second Language) will have priority over students who do not meet these criteria.

• Active duty military and recently discharged veterans, current and former foster youth, students participating in EOPS or SAS (formerly DSPS), and students who are experiencing homelessness will continue to have the earliest priority for registration if they meet the same criteria listed above.

• The regulations, unanimously approved by the Board of Governors, were implemented in fall 2014. We encourage students on probation to seek help to improve their academic standing. Students nearing 90 units should carefully plan their remaining courses. Students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree are not eligible for priority registration.

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Credit Courses

Most MiraCosta College courses are offered for credit. That means they are taught by credentialed faculty who meet with students at regularly scheduled times or in self-paced or online formats, and they offer graded instructional experiences that require preparation averaging two hours of additional study for every hour of instruction (lecture). Credit courses are offered to meet requirements for two- and four-year degrees, job preparation or advancement, and basic skills.

Courses numbered from 0 to 49 are basic skills or college preparatory courses. Credit from these courses does not apply toward the associate degree and is not intended for transfer to a four-year college or university.

Students may take a maximum of 30 units of such courses; however, an exception is made for students enrolled in one or more courses of English as a Second Language (ESL) and students identified as having a learning disability. (For more information, see Non-Degree Applicable Courses in the Academic Standards & Policies section of the catalog.)

Courses numbered from 50 to 99 provide credit toward the associate degree, but this credit is not intended for transfer to a four-year college or university. However, the final determination for credit rests with the transfer institution.

Courses numbered from 100 to 199 represent introductory material and expectations for vocational or academic programs. These courses provide credit toward the associate degree, and this credit is intended for transfer to a four-year college or university. However, some courses that fall within this numbering system may be associate-degree-applicable only, and the final determination regarding the transfer of credit rests with the receiving institution. 

Courses that at minimum transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) as elective credit identify their transfer status in the "acceptable for credit" section of their course descriptions. 

Students are encouraged to meet with a MiraCosta College counselor and refer to the ASSIST website at www.assist.org to determine if a course also meets a specific major-preparation requirement. (ASSIST is the official transfer and articulation system for California’s public colleges and universities.) Courses approved for the CSU (Plan B) and UC (Plan C) general education patterns are identified in the Transferring Coursework section of the catalog.

Courses numbered from 200 to 299 often assume skills and knowledge acquired in previous courses. Like the 100-level courses, they provide credit toward the associate degree, and this credit is intended for transfer to a four-year university. However, some courses that fall within this numbering system may be associate-degree-applicable only, and the final determination regarding the transfer of credit rests with the receiving institution.

Courses that at minimum transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) as elective credit identify their transfer status in the "acceptable for credit" section of their course descriptions. 

Students are encouraged to meet with a MiraCosta College counselor and refer to  the ASSIST website at www.assist.org to determine if a course also meets a specific major-preparation requirement. (ASSIST is the official transfer and articulation system for California’s public colleges and universities.) Courses approved for the CSU (Plan B) and UC (Plan C) general education patterns are identified in the Transferring Coursework section of the catalog.

Courses numbered from 300 to 400 are considered upper division at MiraCosta College. Students must be admitted to the baccalaureate degree program in biomanufacturing at MiraCosta College to be eligible to register in these courses. Final determination regarding the level of these courses rests with the receiving institution.

Course Selection

Course selection is generally the student's responsibility and is based on the student's education plan and previous academic record. Registration in English and math courses may require placement testing, which is described under "Assessment" in the Matriculation section of the catalog (see Matriculation). Members of the counseling staff are available to assist students in evaluating their academic potential and in making proper class selections.

Students seeking detailed information about courses, such as their content, objectives, types of assignments, and fulfillment of a degree, certificate, or general education requirement, may access course outlines from the Courses and Programs webpage.

Requisites & Other Registration Limitations

Prerequisites and corequisites are conditions of registration that students have to meet in order to register in a specific course. A prerequisite is a course that must be completed with a "C" or better prior to registration in the specific course; a corequisite is a course that is required to be taken the same semester as another course. Prerequisites and corequisites may be established for any of the following reasons:

• They ensure students have the knowledge and skills that are necessary for success in a specific course.
• They are required by a four-year public institution.
• They are part of a closely related lecture/lab pairing within a discipline.
• They are required by statute or regulation.
• They are necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.

Some courses place restrictions on registration to prevent students from duplicating course work. Others specify something the student must do prior to registering in a course, such as audition or obtain special approval. For example, some intercollegiate competition and public performance courses have auditions or tryouts that restrict registration to those students judged most qualified. Some registration limitations restrict the number of units a student can earn or the number of courses a student can take within a group of courses that share a similar primary educational objective.  

Meeting & Clearing Prerequisites

Students may meet prerequisite requirements through satisfactory completion of designated MiraCosta courses or by completing coursework from other United States regionally accredited post-secondary institutions.

Using Coursework from Other Institutions to Clear Prerequisites

To clear prerequisites taken at another institution, students need to provide a transcript or other evidence, such as a grade report, to the Admissions and Records Office along with a Prerequisite/Priority Enrollment form. The office reviews the transcript or other evidence to determine applicability. Grades of C- from a US regionally accredited institution will be accepted (1.7 grade points based on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent). It generally takes 3 to 5 business days to clear a prerequisite taken at another institution.

Additionally, students may meet prerequisites by qualifying through appropriate MiraCosta competency or other approved exams. High school coursework may not be used to clear prerequisites unless the prerequisite listed in the course description specifically allows for it.

All prerequisites need to be cleared before students can enroll online. Students who are registered in a requisite course can register in a course that requires the prerequisite for the following semester pending proof of the requisite course's satisfactory completion. If the course taken at another institution is in progress at the time the prerequisite is cleared, the course must be completed with a C- or higher or the student will be withdrawn from the course and refunded applicable fees.

Challenging Requisites & Other Registration Limitations

A student may challenge any prerequisite, corequisite, or other registration limitation by submitting a MiraCosta College Challenge form at the time of registration to the Admissions and Records Office. The student will be registered in the requested class if space is available.

The department whose course requisite or registration limitation is being challenged will review the challenge and notify the student of the department's decision within five instructional days (excluding weekends and holidays). If the challenge is upheld, the student may remain in the course; if it is denied, the student will be dropped from the class and refunded all applicable fees.

The only grounds for challenging a prerequisite or corequisite are as follows:

• It has not been established in accordance with the district's process for establishing prerequisites and corequisites.
• It is in violation of title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
• It is either unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.
• The student has the knowledge or ability to succeed in the course despite not meeting the prerequisite or corequisite.
• The student will be subject to undue delay in attaining the goal of their student educational plan because the prerequisite or corequisite course has not been made reasonably available.

The only grounds for challenging a registration limitation are as follows:

• It is either unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.
• The district is not following its enrollment procedures.
• The basis for the limitation does not in fact exist.

Multiple & Overlapping Enrollments

Students may not register in two or more sections of the same credit course during the same term unless the length of the courses allows registration without the student being registered in more than one section at any given time.

Registration in two or more courses that have overlapping meeting times is not allowed except in special circumstances. To request approval for such an exception, the student needs to submit a Time Conflict Approval form. If the student is allowed to register in overlapping classes, then for attendance accounting purposes, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• The student provides sound justification other than scheduling convenience.
• The Director of Admissions and Records approves the schedule.
• MiraCosta maintains documentation describing the justification and showing the student made up the hours of overlap during the same week under the instructor's supervision.

Adding Classes

Full-semester-length and 15-week classes may be added through the first week of the semester (or session) or, at the instructor's discretion, through the second week. Students wishing to add a class that is closed (full) may attend the first class meeting and request a permission number from the instructor if space becomes available.

Students have not successfully added a class until they have officially registered and paid the appropriate fees.

Students may not add a class after the deadline listed in the class schedule. Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances for adding late may petition the instructor and appropriate dean. Deadlines for short-term, late-start, and open-entry classes are available in the Admissions and Records Office.

Dropping Classes

Students are responsible for dropping their own unwanted classes; however, instructors may drop students who are absent for the first class meeting or who have excessive absences thereafter. In addition, students may be dropped for non-payment, for failing to meet prerequisites, or as a result of disciplinary action.

To avoid receiving a failing grade, a student must officially drop a class either by using the online SURF system or by submitting a Drop Card to the Admissions and Records Office by the appropriate deadline. The instructor's signature is not required on the Drop Card.

Four deadlines pertain to dropping a class:

• The first deadline entitles students to a refund and no record on their transcript.
• The second deadline results in a "W" (withdrawal) rather than an evaluative grade and no refund.
• The third deadline is the 60 percent withdrawal date for calculating return of Title 5 funds for financial aid purposes.
• The fourth deadline is the 75 percent withdrawal date after which students will be issued an evaluative grade and no refund.

Each semester's class schedule lists the deadlines for dropping standard full-semester and short-term classes.

Wait List for Full Classes

Some classes fill quickly. Prior to the start of the class, students have the option to be placed on a wait list for full sections. The last day students can add themselves to a wait list is the Saturday before the start of the class. Students will be auto-registered daily until the Sunday before the first day of classes. Information regarding success, payment required, and problems will be communicated to students via email.

If not auto-registered, waitlisted students (along with all registered students) are required to attend the first meeting of the class. If registered students are not present or other students decide to withdraw from the class, the instructor may allow students from the wait list to register. The instructor issues those students a permission number to use for adding the class on SURF.

Students who wish to waitlist online courses should select wait list and contact the instructor via email once the class begins to inquire about possible openings.

Classes for which a student is waitlisted do not count as official registration and may not be used to fulfill registration requirements toward financial aid or verification of registration.