Expanding Student Access Through UC San Diego’s Concurrent Enrollment Program

For Nick Fournier, life took an unexpected turn. As a full-time student at Duke University, he faced a lengthy time off due to health concerns. He returned to his hometown of San Diego, unsure of his academic future. "I didn't want to stagnate. I wanted to keep my brain engaged and stay in academia," reflected Fournier, but he knew being a full-time student was more than he could manage at the time. 

Yilei Dong was a neuroscience research staff member at UC San Diego and a recent graduate of the University of Southern California. She was also dealing with her own questions about her academic future. "I was trying to decide on whether or not I wanted to pursue a biostatistics PhD or just stick with a neuroscience PhD program," explained Dong. 

While Fournier and Dong had very different circumstances, they both found a solution for their situation through the UC San Diego Concurrent Enrollment program, administered by the Division of Extended Studies.

"It was a lifeline for me," said Fournier. "This program gave me a way to continue my studies at a pace that worked for me."

"I'm very fortunate that Concurrent Enrollment exists as an option," added Dong. "Even after graduating, it allowed me to take classes in a low-pressure kind of way."

Whether you're testing the waters of a new academic path or continuing your education while life takes an unexpected turn, concurrent enrollment can be a powerful bridge to what comes next.

What is Concurrent Enrollment and How Does it Work?

UC San Diego's Concurrent Enrollment program allows members of the public to take undergraduate and graduate-level courses on the main campus without being matriculated students. Participants sit side-by-side with UC San Diego students, learning from the same instructors and receiving full university degree credit.

The program serves a wide variety of students, from UC San Diego alumni and staff to international students, professionals looking to sharpen their expertise, or even students recovering from setbacks who want to stay intellectually engaged. 

"It gives students a way to explore their interests or gain the credits they need without having to follow a predefined path," said Caitlin Van Gelder, the Instructional Services Coordinator and administrator of concurrent enrollment with the UC San Diego Computer Science and Engineering department. 

Courses taken through the program can also help fulfill prerequisites, support graduate school applications, or simply allow students to explore an area of academic interest in a serious, structured environment.

Student Access That Meets Where You Are

Fournier was introduced to concurrent enrollment through his academic advisor at Duke University. As his health began to improve, his advisor mentioned concurrent enrollment as one of several options for easing back into his education. 

"I wanted to take a couple of classes to see how I could manage the workload and schedule," said Fournier. "It was very easy to figure out what my options were, what classes I could take, and how to go about the enrollment process itself."

The program allowed Fournier to register for UC San Diego undergraduate courses without being a matriculated student. That meant he could take classes that counted toward his degree goals, at a pace that supported his recovery.

"Just getting my feet wet with two courses that first quarter was great," Fournier said. "I took four courses the next quarter, and I'm taking four courses again now. Having that flexibility was so important."

Exploring Academic Options

For Dong, taking classes through UC San Diego Concurrent Enrollment was a thoughtful, self-guided exploration.

After graduating in 2022 with a degree in neuroscience, she spent three years working as a researcher, gaining experience and figuring out her next steps. 

"I was trying to decide between pursuing a PhD in biostatistics or going deeper into neuroscience," she said. "To do that, I needed to take more math courses—both as prerequisites and to understand if I even liked that kind of work."

She considered options such as community college, online courses, and independent study but found them all lacking.

"Most grad programs actually prefer that you take undergraduate-level courses from a university like UC San Diego, especially for biostatistics," she noted.

The Concurrent Enrollment program provided her with the solution she needed. It gave her a pathway to take real UC San Diego math courses and get letter grades for them, even while she was working. 

The enrollment process was also straightforward. She simply submitted course requests through UC San Diego’s Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) portal and contacted instructors for permission to join the class.

"You just have to email the professors and get approval," she said. "Most were very open to it, and once you're in, you're treated like any other student.”

Who Can Benefit from Concurrent Enrollment?

The Concurrent Enrollment program is ideal for people in many different situations. Some common situations include: 

• Students exploring a new discipline before committing to a degree program.
• Post-baccalaureate students completing prerequisites for graduate school or professional exams.
• International students looking for university degree credits to transfer to their home universities.
• Readmitted students rebuilding their GPAs to apply to UC San Diego or another school.
• Professionals and lifelong learners interested in cutting-edge subjects or niche topics not offered elsewhere.

"A lot of our students are international learners," said Van Gelder of the computer science program she helps administer. "They might be studying computer science at their home university and want to supplement their education with UC San Diego courses. Or they may want to explore a specific topic, like artificial intelligence, from a top university like UC San Diego."

One of the biggest advantages of the program is the freedom it allows. Students aren't locked into a sequence of major requirements. They can follow their curiosity and take classes that directly match their goals.

"It's not like a traditional degree program where you're checking boxes in a specific order," added Van Gelder. “If you're interested in artificial intelligence, you can jump right in and take those upper-level classes, as long as the professor thinks you're ready for them."

Turning a Setback Into a New Academic Direction

While Fournier first saw concurrent enrollment as a way to bridge a temporary gap, it quickly became much more than that.

Over the course of three quarters, he gained not only degree credit and structure but also clarity about his future. He began to envision a life rooted in San Diego, surrounded by a supportive academic environment and a university that felt like home.

"I'm really grateful that the program exists," he said. "It's helped me feel integrated, connected, and capable. It gave me a way back in, and now I'm building something new."

Learning Without the Pressure

For Dong, the program’s flexibility granted her the freedom to take academic risks, push her boundaries, and ultimately make an informed decision about her future.

"It was low-pressure, but still meaningful," she said. "I was doing it to explore and to grow, so I really appreciated that I could take just one class at a time and still get the full UC San Diego academic experience."

Ultimately, the experience helped her make a decision on her future path. "I took real analysis, which is very theoretical math," she said. "It gave me a taste of what a biostatistics PhD would require, and honestly…that course made me realize I didn't want to go that route."

Instead, the experience nudged her toward returning to her roots in neuroscience, but with a more computational focus. "I realized I'm more interested in applying existing computational tools to solve biological questions, rather than developing new methods from scratch," she explained. "I wouldn't have known that without taking those math classes." 

Whether you're a curious learner, a student on pause, or someone retooling for the future, Concurrent Enrollment at UC San Diego offers an inclusive and flexible way to pursue your goals.

To learn more about all the options available, visit the Concurrent Enrollment page on the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies website.