Core Roles and Permissions: Course

Core Roles and Permissions: Course#

This document outlines the built-in roles and permissions associated with the Course feature in the Open edX platform.

Roles#

A role is a set of permissions that defines what actions a user can perform. When you grant a role to a user, you assign it within a specific scope, which determines where those permissions apply. Here is the list of default roles for Courses.

  • The Course Admin has full control over the course, including managing users, modifying content, and handling publishing workflows. They ensure content is properly maintained and accessible as needed.

  • The Course Staff is responsible for creating, editing, and publishing content within a course. They can manage tags and advanced settings but cannot delete courses or manage users.

  • The Course Editor can create and edit content within a course but cannot publish it. They support the authoring process while leaving final publishing to Staff or Admins.

  • The Course Auditor can view and reuse content but cannot edit or delete anything.

Note

Global staff and superusers are like Course Admins on all courses (they have full permissions across all courses by default).

Permissions#

The following permissions are associated with the course roles:

Course Access & Content#

  • View course (courses.view_course): Allows users to view the course and access the course outline in read-only mode.

  • Create course (courses.create_course): Allows users to create a new course in Studio.

  • Edit course content (courses.edit_course_content): Allows users to edit course content, outline, units, and components.

  • Publish course content (courses.publish_course_content): Allows users to publish course content.

Library Updates#

  • Review library updates (courses.manage_library_updates): Allows users to accept or reject library updates in Studio.

Course Updates & Handouts#

  • View course updates (courses.view_course_updates): Allows users to view course updates and handouts.

  • Manage course updates (courses.manage_course_updates): Allows users to manage course updates and handouts, including creating, editing, and deleting.

Pages & Resources#

  • View pages & resources (courses.view_pages_and_resources): Allows users to view pages and resources.

  • Manage pages & resources (courses.manage_pages_and_resources): Allows users to edit pages and resources, including toggles and content managed from that section.

Files#

  • View files (courses.view_files): Allows users to view the Files page.

  • Create files (courses.create_files): Allows users to upload files.

  • Edit files (courses.edit_files): Allows users to perform non-destructive file actions, such as lock or unlock.

  • Delete files (courses.delete_files): Allows users to delete files.

Schedule & Details#

  • View schedule (courses.view_schedule): Allows users to view the course schedule.

  • Edit schedule (courses.edit_schedule): Allows users to edit the course schedule.

  • View course details (courses.view_details): Allows users to view course details.

  • Edit course details (courses.edit_details): Allows users to edit course details, including summary, pacing, and prerequisites.

Grading#

  • View grading settings (courses.view_grading_settings): Allows users to view grading settings.

  • Edit grading settings (courses.edit_grading_settings): Allows users to edit grading settings.

Course Team & Groups#

  • View course team (courses.view_course_team): Allows users to view the course team roster.

  • Manage course team (courses.manage_course_team): Allows users to edit course team membership and roles.

  • Manage group configuration (courses.manage_group_configurations): Allows users to manage content groups.

Tags & Taxonomies#

  • Manage tags (courses.manage_tags): Allows users to create, edit, and delete tags.

  • Manage taxonomies (courses.manage_taxonomies): Allows users to create, edit, and delete taxonomies.

Advanced & Certificates#

  • Manage advanced settings (courses.manage_advanced_settings): Allows users to access and edit advanced settings.

  • Manage certificates (courses.manage_certificates): Allows users to access and edit certificates.

Import / Export#

  • Import course (courses.import_course): Allows users to import course content.

  • Export course (courses.export_course): Allows users to export course content.

  • Export tags (courses.export_tags): Allows users to export tags.

Other#

  • View checklists (courses.view_checklists): Allows users to view checklists.

  • View global staff & super admins (courses.view_global_staff_and_superadmins): Allows course admins to view the list of global staff and super admin users.

Roles and Permissions Summary Table#

Matrix of Course Roles and Permissions#

Permissions

Course Admin

Course Staff

Course Editor

Course Auditor

Tags & Taxonomies

courses.manage_tags

✅

✅

✅

❌

courses.manage_taxonomies

✅

❌

❌

❌

Updates & Handouts

courses.view_course_updates

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.manage_course_updates

✅

✅

✅

❌

Advanced & Certificates

courses.manage_advanced_settings

✅

✅

❌

❌

courses.manage_certificates

✅

✅

❌

❌

Access & Content

courses.view_course

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.create_course

❌

❌

❌

❌

courses.publish_course_content

✅

✅

❌

❌

courses.edit_course_content

✅

✅

✅

❌

Files

courses.view_files

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.create_files

✅

✅

✅

❌

courses.edit_files

✅

✅

✅

❌

courses.delete_files

✅

✅

❌

❌

Schedule & Details

courses.view_schedule

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.edit_schedule

✅

✅

❌

❌

courses.view_details

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.edit_details

✅

✅

✅

❌

Library Updates

courses.manage_library_updates

✅

✅

✅

❌

Grading

courses.view_grading_settings

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.edit_grading_settings

✅

✅

✅

❌

Pages & Resources

courses.view_pages_and_resources

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.manage_pages_and_resources

✅

✅

✅

❌

Import / Export

courses.import_course

✅

✅

❌

❌

courses.export_course

✅

✅

❌

❌

courses.export_tags

✅

✅

❌

❌

Team & Groups

courses.view_course_team

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.manage_group_configurations

✅

✅

✅

❌

courses.manage_course_team

✅

❌

❌

❌

Other

courses.view_checklists

✅

✅

✅

✅

courses.view_global_staff_and_superadmins

✅

✅

✅

❌

Maintenance chart

Review Date

Working Group Reviewer

Release

Test situation

2026-05-19

RBAC Project

Verawood

TO DO