Community Education

Merced College’s Community Education department provides short-term, not-for-credit classes, career-training programs, and professional and/or personal development. College credit is not given for classes conducted by Community Education. There are no transcripts or grades. Community Education is a self-supporting entity of the college and is a self-funding program. Classes are located at the Business Resource Center, Downton Merced, 630W. 19th St. Merced, CA. If you have a special interest or a particular need for a class, please send us your suggestions(s).

Our Classes

  • Health, Fitness, & Recreation

    • Yoga
    • Lap Swim
    • Fitness Bootcamp
    • Salsa Dance
    • Bachata Dance

    Enroll Online

  • Personal Interest

    • Watercolor for Beginners
    • Vegetarian Cooking Made Easy
    • Introduction to Mediterranean/Lebanese Cooking
    • Chocolate Creations
    • DIY: Home Repair
    • Date Night: Anyone Can Do It!
    • Dress for Success

    Enroll online

  • Professional Certificates

    • Notary Public Commission
    • Renew Notary Public Commission
    • Loan Signing Agent
    • Traffic School

  • Fundamentals Online

    • TEAS Prep Series
    • Graphic Arts
    • Manufacturing Fundamentals
    • Paralegal Suite
    • AND MORE!

    Enroll Online

  • Career Training Online

    • Accounts Payable Specialist Certification
    • Certificate in Mediation and Arbitration
    • Digital Arts Certificate
    • Advanced Medical Interpreter
    • AND MORE!

    Enroll Online

How to Register

  1. Register online anytime, from anywhere! Easy and secure (Visa/Mastercard only)*
  2. Call (209) 384-6224 using Debit/Credit (Visa/Mastercard only)*
    Monday thru Thursday, 8:00am – 5:00pm
  3. Visit the Business Resource Center at 630 W. 19th Street in Merced (M St./19th St.)
    Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm to register using Debit/Credit (Visa/Mastercard only) or exact cash*
    *We no longer accept personal checks

We are happy to invoice firms and agencies for your class fee if being sponsored by such an agency.

Email us for more information
Download the Spring 2024 Catalyst

Class Refund Policy

Community Education realizes that extenuating circumstances do arise; however, Community Education does not receive any state or federal funding in order to operate. We are a fee-supported entity of the college. Enrollment fees pay for the cost of the program and office support. In many cases, we are unable to recoup the costs incurred if you drop a class or trip after the drop date.

If you need to cancel an enrollment, please contact our office at least 7 days prior to the start date. Once a class begins, fees become nonrefundable. Cash payments will be refunded by check and will arrive via mail. Credit card payments will be refunded as a credit back to the same card that was used. Refunds take approximately 4-6 weeks to process.

School Initiated Cancellation

Community Education reserves the right to cancel any class. Full refunds are automatically granted if a class is canceled by our office. Occasionally there may be adjustments to the scheduled class dates due to college facilities usage. We will notify participants of any of these changes as quickly as possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some classes do not allow you to register on the first day of class. Please call the office at (209)384-6224 to make sure you can still register on the first day or as a walk-in. We encourage you to register early as many classes fill quickly. Classes with low enrollment may be canceled prior to the start date.

We ask for your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and email address (if desired). For Traffic School we will also need your driver’s license number, the citation number and the county in which you received your ticket.

Most of our classes are for ages 18 and up.

Our program does not receive state or federal funding. Your enrollment fees pay for instructor salaries, facilities (where applicable), and administrative costs.

For certain classes, an additional material fee may be charged. See class descriptions for payment guidelines.

A minimum number of students must be enrolled in order for an offering to be held. The decision whether or not to cancel is made before the start date. Please register early to help us avoid cancellations. When a class is canceled, participants will be notified by email or phone.

Because we do not receive state or federal funding to help support our program, we are not eligible to offer state or federal financial aid to our students; however, rehabilitation or retraining companies often pay for their clients to participate in our classes. Additionally, our online career training programs offer some financial assistance options through their website.

If you have a disability and require special accommodations, please notify our office at least two weeks in advance of the class start date so that we can make the appropriate arrangements for your request.

Community Education is a separate program from the Adult Education & Noncredit program. Community Education offers not-for-credit classes that are often referred to as “fee-based” classes. These offerings are based on community needs/interests and are self-supporting at the local level.

Community Education Staff