Courses on Canvas are available from two days before the official start date through 30 days after the end date (the first 14 days after the end date are full access; the rest are read-only).
We encourage you to download/print content throughout the duration of the course, and before the additional 30-day access ends, as no further access is possible.
You can find the course end date in your enrollment receipt and in the Course Syllabus within Canvas. Please download and/or print any materials you need before the access period ends.
What you need to know
- Course content becomes available 2 days before your course start date, starting at 1:00 AM Pacific Time.
- After the course end date, your access continues for 30 days in total:
- The first 14 days after the end date are full access (you can view, interact, download, etc.).
- The remaining 16 days are read-only access (you can view materials but no longer submit, participate, or interact).
- After those 30 days, access to the course in Canvas will be closed.
Why this matters
- Allows you to review, download, and print off important content for your records and future reference.
- Gives you a grace period after the course ends to make sure you’ve saved everything you need.
- Once the access period ends, you will not be able to access the course again, so it’s important to act while you still have access.
What you should do
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During the course – While you have full access (including the first 14 days after the end date):
- Review your assignments, course materials, and any linked resources.
- Download or print out items you may want for future use (notes, slides, reading lists, etc.).
- It is strongly recommended that you save a copy of all files uploaded to Canvas (including your own submissions and instructor materials) so that you retain a local backup for future reference.
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Before the read-only phase ends – Prior to the end of the 30-day window:
- Make sure you have downloaded all necessary content (e.g., PDFs, slides, exported data).
- To download all your assignment submissions from Canvas, refer to the online guide How do I download assignment submissions from all my courses?
- After the 30-day access ends – Keep your downloaded/printed materials handy, since you will no longer be able to log in to the course to retrieve additional materials.
For detailed instructions on how to use Canvas, please refer to the official Canvas Student Guide and Canvas Student Video Tutorials.
In addition to these resources, you can also reach Canvas 24/7 Support by logging in and clicking Help on the left‑side navigation of any page in Canvas.