Canvas LMS Instructor Guide

How do I restrict student access to a course before or after the course dates?

As an instructor, you may be able to restrict student access to your course before or after the course participation dates. By default, course participation dates are limited to term dates. You can restrict students from viewing the course before or after term dates. Or, if your course has set course participation dates, you can restrict students from viewing the course before or after the set course dates. For more information, view the interactive Student Course Visibility and Participation flowchart and Course Participation Access During and After Course Dates.

Please be aware that the settings for student access are already set by your institutional admin. If settings are available to you, you can modify them for your course. If settings are locked, you cannot change the settings for your course.

Restrict students from viewing course before term or course start date:

When a student enrolls in a future course, it appears in the Future Enrollments section of their Courses list.
Once the course is published, student see an invitation to join the course.
After joining a future course, students can view course content at any time before the course begins, unless restrictions are set.

How restrictions work:

If course participation is limited to term dates: Enable Restrict students from viewing course before term start date to block early access.
If course participation is limited to course dates: Enable Restrict student from viewing course before course start date to block early access.
Course dates override term dates: If the course start date is later than the term start date, you must enable this option to prevent access before the course start date.
If participation is limited to set course dates but no start date is entered, students can still access the course before the term start date.

Restrict students from viewing course after term or course end date:

Once a course has concluded, students can still view the course but all content is displayed in a read-only state.

How restrictions work:

If participation is limited to term dates: Enable Restrict students from viewing course after term end date to block access after the term ends.
If participation is limited to course dates: Enable Restrict students from viewing course after course end date to block access after the course ends.
Course dates override term dates: If the course end date is later than the term end date, you must enable this option to restrict access after the course end date.
If participation is limited to set course dates but no end date is entered, students will still have access after the term end date.

Notes:

Although any changed section dates override course dates, student access restrictions cannot be set at the section level, and restriction options apply to all sections within the course.
Restricting student access does not apply to users who do not have course enrollments and are accessing the course through Public or Institution visibility options.

00:07: How do I restrict student access to a course before or after the course dates?

00:12: In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

00:16: Courses may be assigned to the Default Term or a specific term. By

00:20: default, students will be able to participate in the course within the term dates.

00:24: However, your course may allow students to participate within course

00:29: dates and have set course start and end dates. By default, student

00:33: access checkboxes are not selected,

00:35: meaning students can view courses before and after term or

00:39: set course dates. To retain this default for the course, do

00:43: not select any checkboxes. To restrict students from viewing a link to the

00:47: course before the term start date, click the Restrict students from viewing course

00:52: before term start date checkbox. To restrict students from viewing a link

00:56: to the course before the set course start date, click the Restrict students from viewing

01:00: course before course start date checkbox.

01:02: If the course start date is blank, students can access the course before

01:06: the term start date. To restrict students from accessing the course

01:11: after the term end date, click the Restrict students from viewing course after

01:15: term end date checkbox. To restrict students from accessing the course

01:19: after the set course end date, click the Restrict students from viewing course

01:23: after course end date checkbox. If the course end date is blank,

01:27: students can access the course after the term end date. Take note

01:31: that if the selected date for the End date occurs before the Start date, a

01:35: warning message displays.

01:38: If your admin has locked one or more settings, locked settings are grayed out and cannot

01:42: be changed. If your admin has not locked one or more settings, you can

01:46: change the settings for your course as necessary.

01:48: If any settings are already selected, the selection indicates the

01:52: default for the entire institution.

01:55: Click the Update Course Details button.

01:59: This guide covered how to restrict student access to a course before or

02:03: after the course dates

Open Settings

In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

Set Restriction Options

Courses may be assigned to the Default Term or a specific term [1]. By default, students will be able to participate in the course within the term dates [2]. However, your course may allow students to participate within course dates [3] and have set course start and end dates [4].

By default, student access checkboxes are not selected, meaning students can view courses before and after term or set course dates. To retain this default for the course, do not select any checkboxes.

To restrict students from viewing a link to the course before the term start date, click the Restrict students from viewing course before term start date checkbox [5].

To restrict students from viewing a link to the course before the set course start date, click the Restrict students from viewing course before course start date checkbox [6]. If the course start date is blank, students can access the course before the term start date.

To restrict students from accessing the course after the term end date, click the Restrict students from viewing course after term end date checkbox [7].

To restrict students from accessing the course after the set course end date, click the Restrict students from viewing course after course end date checkbox [8]. If the course end date is blank, students can access the course after the term end date.

Note: If the selected date for the End date occurs before the Start date, a warning message displays.

Change Student Access

The default checkbox settings are passed down from the account level. By default, student access checkboxes are not selected, meaning students can view and access courses before and after course participation dates.

Depending on your admin, the student access setting may vary in your course.

View Locked Setting

If your admin has locked one or more settings, locked settings are grayed out and cannot be changed.

If your admin has not locked one or more settings, you can change the settings for your course as necessary. If any settings are already selected, the selection indicates the default for the entire institution.

Update Course Details

Click the Update Course Details button.

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