While California State University, Northridge is an open institution for fully admitted degree-seeking students who meet specific admissions criteria, members of the general public cannot simply register for regular classes without formal admission. However, the university offers specialized programs such as Open University through its Tseng College, which allows non-admitted community members, working professionals, and lifelong learners to enroll in regular credit-bearing university classes on a space-available basis without going through the formal undergraduate application process.