Remote MCP Server
20 tools. One URL.
No installation.
Open Campus Advisor runs as a hosted Model Context Protocol server — connect Claude to the advising intelligence layer: Academic Intent Graph, Major Ontology, live course catalogs, faculty research, degree requirements, and career outcomes across 120+ active US colleges and universities.
https://api.opencampusadvisor.org/mcpConnect
Claude.ai
Settings → Integrations → Add MCP Server
https://api.opencampusadvisor.org/mcpSign in with Google when prompted — your student profile loads automatically each session.
Claude Code
Add to .claude/settings.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-campus-advisor": {
"url": "https://api.opencampusadvisor.org/mcp"
}
}
}Claude Desktop
Add to claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-campus-advisor": {
"url": "https://api.opencampusadvisor.org/mcp"
}
}
}Authentication
OAuth — Claude.ai users
When connecting via Claude.ai, you'll be redirected to sign in with Google. Your stored student profile loads automatically at the start of every session — no need to call set_student_context manually.
API Key — Claude Code / Desktop
Course data is publicly readable — no key required to use the tools. Send x-api-key: oca_live_... to attribute usage to your institution in analytics. Contact api@opencampusadvisor.org to request a key.
How student context works
Call set_student_context once and it persists for the session — all subsequent course and faculty calls are automatically filtered and ranked against the stored profile.
// Store what you know about the student
set_student_context({
year: "junior",
major: "Environmental Studies",
completed_courses: ["ENV200", "PLSC301"],
career_targets: ["climate policy analyst"],
constraints: ["NYC-based internships only"]
})
// All subsequent calls are filtered + ranked automatically
search_courses({ school: "yale", query: "climate", department: "EVST" })
// → completed courses removed, results ranked by career target
// Path switches to personalized mode
explore_academic_path({ goal: "climate policy analyst", schools: "yale,columbia" })
// → personalized_next_semester + constraint warnings per school
// Confirm what the advisor knows
get_student_context()
// → { year: "junior", major: "Environmental Studies", ... }Array fields (completed_courses, career_targets, interests) append and deduplicate on each call — scalar fields replace. RIASEC codes auto-derive career targets when no career_targets are set.
Tool reference
School & Catalog
Per-school tools — all take a school slug as the first parameter.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| list_schools | All available school slugs. |
| list_departments | All department codes at a school. Call this before searching courses. |
| search_courses | Find courses by keyword and/or department. Returns sections, instructors, live enrollment. |
| get_course_details | Full course record: description, prerequisites, gen-ed area, seat availability per section. |
| list_first_year_seminars | All First-Year Seminars — small, discussion-based intro courses. |
| list_courses_for_freshmen | Intro-level courses in a department that first-year students can take. |
| list_gen_ed_courses | Courses fulfilling distribution or general education requirements. |
| search_by_instructor | All courses taught by a specific professor this term. |
| search_faculty_research | Faculty by research topic — summaries, contact info, websites. |
| get_faculty_profile | Full profile: biography, research, recent publications, active NIH grants. |
Cross-School
Search or compare across all active schools simultaneously. Call list_schools for the current active list.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| search_all_schools | Course offerings across all schools ranked by topic coverage. |
| search_faculty_all_schools | Researchers across all schools by topic — auto-discovers departments. |
| search_reu_programs | Active NSF-funded summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs by research field. |
Navigation
The academic graph layer — maps goals to courses, majors, and careers.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| explore_academic_path | Full academic path for a career goal — schools ranked, matched majors, key courses, key faculty. |
| get_major_requirements | Exact degree requirements: required courses, elective groups, prerequisites, catalog URL. |
| get_career_outcomes | Salary, job outlook, required skills, typical employers, time to entry. |
| get_career_paths | Which majors and schools lead to a career — and adjacent careers nearby. |
Student Context
Session-scoped student profile — stored in memory for the duration of the connection.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| set_student_context | Merge student profile into the session. Arrays append and deduplicate. Scalar fields replace. RIASEC codes auto-derive career targets. |
| get_student_context | Read back the current stored profile. |
System
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| report_answer_gap | Log when the system can't answer — feeds the data expansion roadmap. |
School slugs
Pass any of these as the school parameter. Call list_schools from any Claude session to get the full current list.
wesleyan · columbia · mit · stanford · yale · brown · penn · dartmouth · cornell
georgetownlaw · vassar · gwu · swarthmore · oberlin · macalester · bates
brynmawr · gonzaga · shu · salve · niagara · rosehulman
baylor · eastern · immaculata · csun · csuchico · csudh
notredame · harveymudd · illinois · davidson · allegheny · muhlenberg
wooster · hope · calvin · furman · goucher · american · fandm · providence · morehouse
mcdaniel · usfca · transy · xavieru · xaviernola · ohiowesleyan · westminsterpa
stmarysca · muskingum · smumn · cornellcollege · grinnell · wartburg · simpsonc
loras · sweetbriar · tusculum · ncwesleyan · belmontuniv · sienaheights · davenport
merrimack · endicott · berry · brenau · wesleyancollege · shorter · salisbury
coppinstate · morganstate · shenandoah · radford · longwood · jmu · nec · rivier
anselm · wou · pacificu · usd · sonomastate · csueastbay · csuci · chowan
heidelberg · cmc · scripps · pitzer · ggc · coastal · uncpembroke · pomona
reed · union · stonehill · nwmissouri · wm · tougaloo · carroll · malone
baldwinwallace · mountstmarys · neumann · johnbrown · elizabethtown · champlain
moravian · misericordia · wilkes · harding · acu · sfasu · midwesternstate
jarvis · fortvalleystate · ncat · winstonsalem · elizabethcitystate · texaslutheran
(Call list_schools for the authoritative current list)Need a higher rate limit or B2B integration?
The MCP server is rate-limited at 300 requests/minute per API key. For institutional integrations, cohort analysis, or embedding the data layer into your platform, see the REST API.