Open University hits peak during summer months

By Mark Muckenfuss

Summer is often an opportunity to spend more time outdoors, vacation and, for some, take a college course. 

Each summer, those interested in learning just a little bit more, whether to refresh old skills, enhance their resume or just delve into something new, can enroll in Cal State Monterey Bay’s summer session through Open University. 

“Students can use Open University to enroll in any course,” said Guadalupe Sanchez, interim director of marketing and program development for the College of Extended Education and International Programs. “Any member of the community is welcome to participate.”

Priority is given to currently enrolled students, she said. However, participants interested in taking academic courses without being formally matriculated may enroll beginning on the first day of class, pending space availability. While most courses begin on June 1, start dates may vary depending on the course. 

Some courses make accommodations for increased summer enrollment. 

“Probably the most popular ones are from our science illustration program,” Sanchez said. “Those courses are always in high demand.”

“We have some students who come year after year,” she said. 

Andrea Price took courses with the science illustration program in both 2023 and 2025. She said it opened her eyes to a potential career combining the two things she is most interested in: science and art. She not only enjoyed the variety of media she was exposed to, but she also liked the mix of students. 

“I’ve met some students who are kind of in a similar space as me and were exploring what they want to do next,” she said. “I’ve met retirees who want to just do something for fun. One year, a parent and their kid took it together. It's all different age ranges and interests.” 

Price said the courses she took “really kind of cemented that passion and showed me this was a viable career that I could do.”

She recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in art, from Cal Poly Humboldt. She’s been accepted into the science illustration certificate program at CSUMB and will begin as a full-time student in the fall. 

Open University is available year-round, Sanchez said. 

“But summer is a huge time for us,” she added. “It’s probably when we see the most people enrolled.”

Last year, 183 students attended courses. A good portion are those students who have had academic struggles and may have been put on probation or dismissed from CSUMB. 

“We see a lot more former students who are trying to build their transcripts again to be readmitted to the university,” she said. “For community members, it’s a time to step back in and build their professional skills or take a course just for fun.”

The cost of courses is the same as it is for fully enrolled students: $300 per unit and a $39 campus fee. Applications are accepted up until the first day of class.