High School Students:

smiling guyDo you want to get a head start on college or a future career? 

If you're in Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, you can take classes at De Anza College as a high school dual enrollment student – for FREE! 

  • Save money
  • Explore academic and career interests
  • Gain experience with college-level studies
  • Take classes online or on the De Anza campus

Many courses provide credit that is transferable to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) systems!

To participate in the high school dual enrollment program, complete the following steps:

Apply for Admission

De Anza operates on the quarter system. We have three primary terms, or quarters (fall, winter, spring), which offer 12-week long courses. We often have late start courses which may run for 6 or 8 weeks.

  • The summer quarter is optional and offers courses which may run for 6 or 8 weeks. 
  • It's recommended that you apply for admission as soon as the application opens. Visit the De Anza Calendar to view important quarter dates (when the application for each quarter opens, when registration starts, etc.). 

To get started, review our Application Tips webpage.

Then, complete the online application for admission to the quarter you'd like to attend.

  • You don't need to submit a new application if you took classes at De Anza in the previous quarter (or summer session) and are continuing into the next quarter.
  • But if you sit out a quarter, you will need to reapply.
  • Are you a former student and not sure if you need to reapply? Visit MyPortal's Student Registration App > Get a Date to Register to see your application's status.

Once your application has been processed, you'll receive a "Welcome to De Anza" email with your De Anza student ID number (also known as a CWID or Campuswide ID). If it has been more than a week and you have not yet received your "Welcome to De Anza" email, contact the Admissions and Records Office.

Set Up Your MyPortal Account 

Once your application has been processed, you'll receive a "Welcome to De Anza" email with your De Anza student ID number (also known as a CWID or Campuswide ID).

With your CWID, you can set up your account on MyPortal – which students use to register for classes, view their class schedule, view their unofficial transcript, and more. Visit the MyPortal Log In Tips webpage to learn more.

Log In to MyPortal

Complete the Dual Enrollment Overview

Once you've created your MyPortal account, you can use your CWID to log in to our online learning system, called Canvas, and complete a short overview of the dual enrollment process. It will provide helpful tips and answers to many of your questions.

Log In to the Dual Enrollment Program Overview with your CWID

Can't access the overview? Here's a slideshow version of the Dual Enrollment Program Overview.

Browse the Course Schedule

The online course schedule will tell you which courses are offered each quarter. We offer more than 1,800 courses in fields from Accounting to Women's Studies, so you can reach your educational goals. Not sure of your goals yet? That's ok! Taking courses may help you decide what you want to do.

  • Read the course description, requisite statement and footnote section for each course you're interested in.
  • Be sure to note the start and end date of each course, the mode of teaching (on-campus, hybrid on-campus and on-line, fully online). If a course is scheduled as TBA (with no scheduled meeting days or times), then this is a self-paced course.
  • Your high school might not accept courses that you complete if they were not approved on your permit form. Make sure you get high school approval before enrolling.

While most De Anza courses provide credit units that can be transferred to other colleges and universities, we recommend that you check with your receiving institution (or your high school counselor) to confirm whether a particular course will be accepted by the school and program you're eventually planning to attend. 

Courses at De Anza are generally numbered according to these guidelines

  • 1-199: Credit applies toward an associate degree at De Anza 
  • 1-99: Credit is transferable to the California State University system
  • 1-49: Credit is transferable to the University of California system

Courses numbered in the 300s and 400s provide no academic credit.

Tips:

  • De Anza's General Education (GE) courses are a great way to explore course subjects and these courses often do not have prerequisites. 
  • You are encouraged to identify a few preferred courses as well as alternate courses so that you have flexibility when registering.
  • You may not take courses in English as a Second Language (ESL), or courses that are classified as Basic Skills, Learning Strategies (LS), Skills (SKIL), or courses that are 200-level, non-degree applicable.
  • You may take courses that provide career training, personal enrichment or subjects that aren't available at your high school. (Visit our Career Training webpage for a complete list of programs.) 

Meet Prerequisites, if Required

Once you find a course that you're interested in, review the course description in the course schedule. Each course has a course description which will include a requisite statement as well as a footnote section. Each course has a unique requisite statement. 

Continue reading the below information to review the approved methods for meeting a prerequisite; and to understand the actions steps you need to take to meet, or "clear," your course's prerequisite so that you can become eligible to register for the course.

It can take up to several weeks to complete this process, so it's important to allow plenty of time – by applying for admission and submitting the high school permission form as early as possible, so you can submit the required clearance forms and documentation well before registration opens for the course you want to take.

Tip: The footnote section also contains important registration steps that you should be aware of before you attempt to add a course. 


Meeting Prerequisites by Using Credit From Another College

De Anza accepts college course credit earned at other accredited U.S. colleges. Work with the Evaluations Team to clear a prerequisite using your previously earned college course credit. 


Meeting Prerequisites by Using Advanced Placement Scores

  • De Anza accepts AP exam scores of 3 or higher for the some subjects.
  • View De Anza's Meeting Prerequisites page to download the Prerequisite Clearance Form and submit your AP exam score to meet your course's prerequisite.
  • IMPORTANT! AP courses will not be accepted. Students must have taken the AP exam.

Assessment for English and Math Course Eligibility

  • De Anza uses the English and Math assessment process to place students into English (EWRT 1A or EWRT 1A + LART 250) and math courses (up to MATH 1A).
  • If you are planning to take English or math courses, or any course that has an English or math prerequisite, begin by checking your English and Math placements in MyPortal's Student Registration App > View My Course Placements. If you need to take action, your action steps will be outlined for you inside MyPortal. 

Science Exams for Biology and Chemistry Prerequisites

  • If you are interested in taking Biology 6A, Biology 40A or Chemistry 1A without completing the course's prerequisite, visit the Assessment Center's Science Exam webpage for more information about testing out of lower-level courses.

World Languages and Computer Information Systems Prerequisities

You can find special instructions for clearing prerequisite by connecting with the department directly

It can take up to several weeks to complete this process, so it's important to allow plenty of time – by applying for admission and submitting the high school permission form  as early as possible, so you can submit the required clearance forms and documentation well before registration opens for the course you want to take.

Submit the High School Permission Form

Please use the online High School Permission e-Form to obtain electronic signatures from your parent/guardian and high school administrator so that you can take classes with us.

Click to Open the e-Form

  • Your form is also where you list your preferred courses and your alternate courses.
  • You will need to submit a new form for each quarter you plan to attend, even if you took classes at De Anza during the previous quarter.
  • If you have questions or need help, you can contact our Admissions and Records Office by sending an email to webregda@deanza.edu

Read the form carefully and make sure that you provide all requested information, including the courses that you are approved to take and your campuswide ID (CWID), which is the De Anza College student ID number that you will receive when your application for admission is accepted. 

  • Tip: Check your email frequently. De Anza will reach out to you directly if there are any questions about your permission form.

Once your form is electronically signed by all parties, Admissions and Records will process your form and you will be assigned a registration date and time.

  • Note: This date/time is just the opening of your registration window. You can add classes from that date through the second week of the quarter (summer quarter may have a shorter add window).
  • You can check your registration date and get other important information when you log into MyPortal.

Unit Limits / Requests to Take Additional Units

  • You will not have to pay tuition or fees if you take no more than 11 units in fall, winter or spring – or no more than six units in summer
  • However, if you take more than 11 units in fall, winter or spring – or more than six units in summer – at De Anza, Foothill College or the two colleges combined, you will be charged tuition and full-time student fees. See our Fees at a Glance webpage.
  • You must request to take additional units (more than 11 units in fall, winter or spring – or more than six units in summer) on the high school permission form.

Register for Classes

It's easy to register online: Log in to MyPortal on your assigned date and time to register, then follow the Steps to Register to enroll in the courses you listed on the high school permit form that you submitted.

  • Remember! If you did not meet your course's prerequisite before you attempt to add a course you will receive a "prerequisite not met" error message. 
  • You will be notified if you need to pay any fees. (You won't be charged tuition if you take no more than 11 units in a quarter, or no more than six units in summer. See below for more information about fees.) Fees can be paid online, by mail or in person. For more information about payment methods and policies, visit our Payment Policies webpage.
  • Check the Registration Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to register, or visit the Add/Drop webpage for details on how to add or drop a class
  • Here's an overview of how a waitlist works.

Remember! Important dates and deadlines are listed in the De Anza calendar and in MyPortal's Student Registration App > View My Class Schedule. 

Get Help, If You Need It

Contact the Admissions and Records Office for assistance with the application, permission form and class registration. 

  • Student records are confidential and protected by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). They are not available to parents without a written release from the student
    • If you are requesting help on behalf of your student, Admissions & Records staff may only be able to provide you with general information. If needed, staff may need to connect with your student directly.
    • Admissions & Records cannot release student record information over the phone. You may be asked to submit inquiries via email or by participating in our virtual help desk. Here's how you can connect with us!

More Information

  • You will need to request official transcripts if you want your grades sent to your high school or need a transcript sent to another college or university.
  • You can access your unofficial transcript at any time by following these steps: Log in to MyPortal > Student Registration App > View Unofficial Transcript to print your unofficial transcript.
  • All courses will appear on your permanent record and must be reported to any other college or university to which you apply.

Questions?

For more videos about our campus, visit the Campus Video Tour webpage.

More Resources


More Options

If you’re a student in the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD), we've got some special opportunities for you. Visit our College Classes for FUHSD Students webpage, or check out the programs listed below.


Middle College

Middle College is an alternative program that offers FUHSD juniors and seniors a different academic and social environment to help them succeed.


* FUHSD includes Cupertino High, Fremont High, Homestead High, Lynbrook High, Monta Vista High and the Educational Options Center.


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