I am a UMass Amherst Student. Why can’t I access my Catalog courses from my Canvas Dashboard?

Although they both use Canvas for a Learning Management System, Catalog is a separate Canvas installation designed for use by open courses and open communities in which people who are not part of the UMass Amherst community can participate.

How do I access a Catalog course?

If the course has a fee, or if the course instructors limit participation to specific students, you will receive a direct link to enroll once you have paid the fee on the course provider’s site. Follow the instructions in the link to enroll.

If it is an open course that anyone can enroll in, the course will be searchable on Catalog. Courses that you select will display in your shopping cart, and remain in your cart until you check out.

I am a UMass Amherst Student. Should I Log in using Google or my UMass Amherst NetID?

You should not log in with your UMass Amherst account as you are required to use a private account when accessing Catalog. The first time you enroll in a Catalog course, you will be prompted to create a Catalog account as part of the checkout process.

I am enrolled in a Catalog course. How long will the course remain available to me?

This depends on when the instructor running the course decides to close the course.