diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/base.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/base.py
index d8bd02ee17..619b0ad502 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/base.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/base.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """
 Base test case for the course API views.
 """
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/test_validation.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/test_validation.py
index ecbd6cbffe..8330db9855 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/test_validation.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/tests/test_validation.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 """
 Tests for the course import API views
 """
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 from datetime import datetime
+
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/urls.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/urls.py
index e5bdc40d4e..20357254fc 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/urls.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/urls.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 """ Course API URLs. """
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.conf.urls import url
 
 from cms.djangoapps.contentstore.api.views import course_import, course_quality, course_validation
 
-
 app_name = 'contentstore'
 
 urlpatterns = [
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_import.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_import.py
index d13f17a241..239bc27694 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_import.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_import.py
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 """
 APIs related to Course Import.
 """
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 import base64
 import logging
 import os
 
-from path import Path as path
-from six import text_type
-
 from django.conf import settings
-
 from django.core.files import File
+from path import Path as path
 from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.exceptions import AuthenticationFailed
 from rest_framework.generics import GenericAPIView
 from rest_framework.response import Response
+from six import text_type
 from user_tasks.models import UserTaskStatus
 
 from contentstore.storage import course_import_export_storage
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ from openedx.core.lib.api.view_utils import DeveloperErrorViewMixin, view_auth_c
 
 from .utils import course_author_access_required
 
-
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_quality.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_quality.py
index c3921aaca3..e90b948f06 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_quality.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_quality.py
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 # pylint: disable=missing-docstring
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 import logging
 import time
+
 import numpy as np
-from scipy import stats
+import six
+from edxval.api import get_videos_for_course
 from rest_framework.generics import GenericAPIView
 from rest_framework.response import Response
+from scipy import stats
 
 from contentstore.views.item import highlights_setting
-from edxval.api import get_videos_for_course
-from openedx.core.lib.cache_utils import request_cached
 from openedx.core.lib.api.view_utils import DeveloperErrorViewMixin, view_auth_classes
+from openedx.core.lib.cache_utils import request_cached
 from openedx.core.lib.graph_traversals import traverse_pre_order
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
-from .utils import get_bool_param, course_author_access_required
+from .utils import course_author_access_required, get_bool_param
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -153,25 +157,25 @@ class CourseQualityView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
     def _subsections_quality(self, course, request):
         subsection_unit_dict = self._get_subsections_and_units(course, request)
         num_block_types_per_subsection_dict = {}
-        for subsection_key, unit_dict in subsection_unit_dict.iteritems():
+        for subsection_key, unit_dict in six.iteritems(subsection_unit_dict):
             leaf_block_types_in_subsection = (
                 unit_info['leaf_block_types']
-                for unit_info in unit_dict.itervalues()
+                for unit_info in six.itervalues(unit_dict)
             )
             num_block_types_per_subsection_dict[subsection_key] = len(set().union(*leaf_block_types_in_subsection))
 
         return dict(
             total_visible=len(num_block_types_per_subsection_dict),
-            num_with_one_block_type=list(num_block_types_per_subsection_dict.itervalues()).count(1),
-            num_block_types=self._stats_dict(list(num_block_types_per_subsection_dict.itervalues())),
+            num_with_one_block_type=list(six.itervalues(num_block_types_per_subsection_dict)).count(1),
+            num_block_types=self._stats_dict(list(six.itervalues(num_block_types_per_subsection_dict))),
         )
 
     def _units_quality(self, course, request):
         subsection_unit_dict = self._get_subsections_and_units(course, request)
         num_leaf_blocks_per_unit = [
             unit_info['num_leaf_blocks']
-            for unit_dict in subsection_unit_dict.itervalues()
-            for unit_info in unit_dict.itervalues()
+            for unit_dict in six.itervalues(subsection_unit_dict)
+            for unit_info in six.itervalues(unit_dict)
         ]
         return dict(
             total_visible=len(num_leaf_blocks_per_unit),
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_validation.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_validation.py
index a05704c0ad..5594440142 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_validation.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/course_validation.py
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 # pylint: disable=missing-docstring
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 import logging
-from rest_framework.generics import GenericAPIView
-from rest_framework.response import Response
 
 import dateutil
+import six
 from pytz import UTC
+from rest_framework.generics import GenericAPIView
+from rest_framework.response import Response
 
 from contentstore.course_info_model import get_course_updates
 from contentstore.views.certificates import CertificateManager
@@ -12,8 +15,7 @@ from openedx.core.lib.api.view_utils import DeveloperErrorViewMixin, view_auth_c
 from xmodule.course_metadata_utils import DEFAULT_GRADING_POLICY
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
-from .utils import get_bool_param, course_author_access_required
-
+from .utils import course_author_access_required, get_bool_param
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ class CourseValidationView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
         ]
         assignments_with_dates_before_start = (
             [
-                {'id': unicode(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
+                {'id': six.text_type(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
                 for a in assignments_with_dates
                 if a.due < course.start
             ]
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ class CourseValidationView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
 
         assignments_with_dates_after_end = (
             [
-                {'id': unicode(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
+                {'id': six.text_type(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
                 for a in assignments_with_dates
                 if a.due > course.end
             ]
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ class CourseValidationView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
             ]
             assignments_with_dates_before_start = (
                 [
-                    {'id': unicode(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
+                    {'id': six.text_type(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
                     for a in assignments_with_dates
                     if a.due < course.start
                 ]
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ class CourseValidationView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
 
             assignments_with_dates_after_end = (
                 [
-                    {'id': unicode(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
+                    {'id': six.text_type(a.location), 'display_name': a.display_name}
                     for a in assignments_with_dates
                     if a.due > course.end
                 ]
@@ -175,14 +177,14 @@ class CourseValidationView(DeveloperErrorViewMixin, GenericAPIView):
                     parent_unit = modulestore().get_item(ora.parent)
                     parent_assignment = modulestore().get_item(parent_unit.parent)
                     assignments_with_ora_dates_before_start.append({
-                        'id': unicode(parent_assignment.location),
+                        'id': six.text_type(parent_assignment.location),
                         'display_name': parent_assignment.display_name
                     })
                 if course.end and self._has_date_after_end(ora, course.end):
                     parent_unit = modulestore().get_item(ora.parent)
                     parent_assignment = modulestore().get_item(parent_unit.parent)
                     assignments_with_ora_dates_after_end.append({
-                        'id': unicode(parent_assignment.location),
+                        'id': six.text_type(parent_assignment.location),
                         'display_name': parent_assignment.display_name
                     })
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/utils.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/utils.py
index bbf0534bc3..7ae2fb456c 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/utils.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/api/views/utils.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 """
 Common utilities for Contentstore APIs.
 """
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
+from opaque_keys.edx.keys import CourseKey
 from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.generics import GenericAPIView
-from opaque_keys.edx.keys import CourseKey
 
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.util.forms import to_bool
 from openedx.core.lib.api.view_utils import DeveloperErrorViewMixin, view_auth_classes