Frequently Asked Questions

Students in classroom

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dual Enrollment?

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

What grade level must I be for Dual Enrollment?

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.

What about students in grades K-10?

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 world language course, a K-10 student must receive approval from a dean in the Humanities Division.

NOTE: 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.

Are any courses restricted for Dual Enrollment?

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

What is FERPA?

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 application, registration, etc., directly to the student regardless of age.

What terms/semesters does El Camino College offer?

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 separate completed Dual Enrollment Application form for each term (fall, winter, spring, summer) they wish to dual enroll.

What is a course? What is a class section?

El Camino College courses are identified by subject and number, e.g. History 102 or Psychology 101. Complete course details, including 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, 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.

How many classes can I take through Dual Enrollment?

Dual Enrollment is limited to:

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).

How much do classes cost for Dual Enrollment students?

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

(After you register, you may receive an email detailing charges to your account, but K-12 students also receive a credit on their account, bringing your total balance to $0.)

K-12 students who enroll in El Camino College classes are responsible for purchasing any required textbooks/instructional materials. Students can use the Online Bookstore to look up required textbooks/materials by class section.

Some class sections use only open or free textbooks, or other no-cost instructional materials. These classes are marked as ZTC$ for Zero-Textbook Cost in the Class Schedule, or you can View Open Classes and apply a filter to only see ZTC classes.

Which language course is right for me?

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 3 years of high school Spanish SPAN 1, or 2 years of high school Spanish with minimum grade of C
SPAN 3 4 years of high school Spanish SPAN 2, or 3 years of high school Spanish with minimum grade of C
What is a support section?

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 dualenrollment@elcamino.edu to add this permission. (This additional permission does not count against the course limit for a term, but does count against the unit limit.)

Do I need to be in the 12th grade to take English 1A, Computer Information Systems 13, and Sociology 101?

Before a student can register for most English courses, Sociology 101, or Computer Information Systems 13, 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 contact the appropriate Academic Division (the one which offers the course) to inquire about clearance.

El Camino Course Academic Division Email
English 1A Humanities humanities@elcamino.edu
Computer Information Systems 13 Business businesseducation@elcamino.edu
Sociology 101 Behavioral & Social Sciences behsocsci@elcamino.edu
Do I need to take Trigonometry before Pre-Calculus?

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 math@elcamino.edu to inquire about clearance.

How do I apply for Dual Enrollment?

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 dualenrollment@elcamino.edu.

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

Do forms need to include Student Signature? Do forms need a Parent Signature?

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

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

Is there a deadline for Dual Enrollment?

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

How long does it take to complete the Steps for Dual Enrollment?

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 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.

What is my CCCID / Confirmation Number / El Camino College Student ID Number?

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 CCC 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 CCC 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.

What if I did not receive my Welcome Email?

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 apply to El Camino College.

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

If I apply for admission to fall, can I take classes during the previous summer?

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

However, you would not be able to register for previous 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 previous term, you will need to apply for admission again using your existing CCC Account.

What is a Prerequisite?

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.

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

Do I need to complete any other steps on the Path to Enrollment?

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.

How do I register for classes?

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.

Can I change the courses for which I can register?

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. This new Dual Enrollment Application from will overwrite the previous form your account.

K-12 students looking to register for a different course number (i.e. change from Mathematics 170 to Mathematics 150) can email dualenrollment@elcamino.edu to request this change.

I received an error message when registering for classes. What does it mean?

Here are some common registration errors:

Where can I see my registered classes?

Students can see the class sections they are registered for using MyECC. In the Self-Service Menu, click Registration, then click My class schedule.

What do I do after I register for classes?

After registering, students can check their account balance in MyECC. In the Self-Service Menu, click Financial Information, then click View Account and Make Payments. K-12 Dual Enrollment students who have completed the steps above should see the message "No account balance to pay."

Students can use the Online Bookstore to look up required textbooks/instructional materials for their classes. Books and materials can then be purchased through the El Camino College Bookstore or a third-party vendor.

After registering for an online class, students will have a Canvas account created for them automatically (usually overnight). Make sure you can sign into Canvas before the start of the class.

Check your @elcamino.edu email address regularly, as this is where all official communication from El Camino and/or your instructors will be sent. You can even add your @elcamino.edu email address to your smart phone/mobile device.

Lastly, make sure to review the El Camino College Academic Calendar to learn important information about the term, including the Last Day to Drop Without Notation on Permanent Record and Last Day to Drop with a 'W' should you need to drop a class.

What if a class I wish to take is waitlisted or closed?

Students looking to register in a section that is "Waitlisted" will see a button to join the waitlist instead of to register.

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.

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

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

Where can I see the classes I have waitlisted?

This is also in MyECC. In the Self-Service Menu, click Registration, then click Manage My Waitlist.

How do I add a class?

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 this date need Authorization to Add from the instructor of the class.

The easiest way to find instructors' email addresses is in MyECC. Use the Registration > 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 are authorized to add will see their authorization in MyECC under Registration > Register for Classes.

Authorized for Add notification

Students must then click the "Register Now" button to officially join the class. This must be completed before the Last Day to Add .

Register Now button

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).

How do I access my online classes?

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 are also links available to help familiarize you 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.)

How do I access my @elcamino.edu email address?

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.

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

How do I drop a class?

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

In the Self-Service Menu, click Registration, then Drop Classes.

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.

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.

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.

How can I see my grades/transcript?

Final grades are available in MyECC up to 7 days after the End Date for the class. In the Self-Service Menu, click Academic Profile, then click Grades.

Students can view their unofficial transcript in MyECC by clicking the Unofficial Student Transcript link under Web Services. (Past students who have lost access to MyECC can also Request Unofficial Transcripts.)

How do I receive credit for taking college classes?

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.

Is there a GPA requirement for Dual Enrollment?

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.

I have an IEP or 504 plan at my high school. Can I take classes through Dual Enrollment?

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 SRCinfo@elcamino.edu to learn more about this process.

Can homeschooled students take classes through Dual Enrollment?

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.

Can undocumented students take classes through Dual Enrollment?

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

Can international students take classes through Dual Enrollment?

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 .

Can K-12 students audit an El Camino College course?

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 Dean of the Academic Division, do not approve K-12 students to audit courses.

Are any Dual Enrollment opportunities offered at my high school campus?

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

Can I take classes at El Camino College and at my high school?

Yes, K-12 students can take classes at El Camino College and High School Partnership Classes during the same term, but are still subject to the course/unit limit for the term.

What happens after I graduate from high school?

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

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

NOTE: Do not create a second CCC 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 have to submit a Dual Enrollment Application for every term or be limited to two courses. You will also become eligible for the South Bay Promise, financial aid, and/or priority registration. View the Timeline for New Students for more information.

What is Concurrent Enrollment?

The terms Concurrent Enrollment and Dual Enrollment are sometimes used interchangeably to indicate K-12 students enrolling in college courses. Dual Enrollment is the preferred term.