diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_clone_course.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_clone_course.py
index 25ea5eb6e8..7fe8e10bd2 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_clone_course.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_clone_course.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from opaque_keys.edx.locator import CourseLocator
 from xmodule.modulestore import ModuleStoreEnum, EdxJSONEncoder
 from contentstore.tests.utils import CourseTestCase
 from contentstore.tasks import rerun_course
-from contentstore.views.access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from course_action_state.models import CourseRerunState
 from course_action_state.managers import CourseRerunUIStateManager
 from mock import patch, Mock
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_permissions.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_permissions.py
index 6e71d1a418..29c8df9249 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_permissions.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_permissions.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from contentstore.tests.utils import AjaxEnabledTestClient
 from opaque_keys.edx.locations import SlashSeparatedCourseKey
 from contentstore.utils import reverse_url, reverse_course_url
 from student.roles import CourseInstructorRole, CourseStaffRole, OrgStaffRole, OrgInstructorRole
-from contentstore.views.access import has_course_access
 from student import auth
 
 
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ class TestCourseAccess(ModuleStoreTestCase):
             user = users.pop()
             group.add_users(user)
             user_by_role[role].append(user)
-            self.assertTrue(has_course_access(user, self.course_key), "{} does not have access".format(user))
+            self.assertTrue(auth.has_course_access(user, self.course_key), "{} does not have access".format(user))
 
         course_team_url = reverse_course_url('course_team_handler', self.course_key)
         response = self.client.get_html(course_team_url)
@@ -126,9 +125,9 @@ class TestCourseAccess(ModuleStoreTestCase):
                 if hasattr(user, '_roles'):
                     del user._roles
 
-                self.assertTrue(has_course_access(user, copy_course_key), "{} no copy access".format(user))
+                self.assertTrue(auth.has_course_access(user, copy_course_key), "{} no copy access".format(user))
                 if (role is OrgStaffRole) or (role is OrgInstructorRole):
                     auth.remove_users(self.user, role(self.course_key.org), user)
                 else:
                     auth.remove_users(self.user, role(self.course_key), user)
-                self.assertFalse(has_course_access(user, self.course_key), "{} remove didn't work".format(user))
+                self.assertFalse(auth.has_course_access(user, self.course_key), "{} remove didn't work".format(user))
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/access.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/access.py
index 6e9eab48b6..bafb5000e1 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/access.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/access.py
@@ -1,29 +1,9 @@
 """ Helper methods for determining user access permissions in Studio """
 
-from student.roles import CourseStaffRole, GlobalStaff, CourseInstructorRole, OrgStaffRole, OrgInstructorRole
+from student.roles import CourseInstructorRole
 from student import auth
 
 
-def has_course_access(user, course_key, role=CourseStaffRole):
-    """
-    Return True if user allowed to access this course_id
-    Note that the CMS permissions model is with respect to courses
-    There is a super-admin permissions if user.is_staff is set
-    Also, since we're unifying the user database between LMS and CAS,
-    I'm presuming that the course instructor (formally known as admin)
-    will not be in both INSTRUCTOR and STAFF groups, so we have to cascade our
-    queries here as INSTRUCTOR has all the rights that STAFF do
-    """
-    if GlobalStaff().has_user(user):
-        return True
-    if OrgInstructorRole(org=course_key.org).has_user(user):
-        return True
-    if OrgStaffRole(org=course_key.org).has_user(user):
-        return True
-    # temporary to ensure we give universal access given a course until we impl branch specific perms
-    return auth.has_access(user, role(course_key.for_branch(None)))
-
-
 def get_user_role(user, course_id):
     """
     What type of access: staff or instructor does this user have in Studio?
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
index 95baa62747..63e96046b5 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from util.json_request import JsonResponse
 from django.http import HttpResponseNotFound
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from pymongo import ASCENDING, DESCENDING
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import ItemNotFoundError
 
 __all__ = ['assets_handler']
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/checklist.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/checklist.py
index 0d58ee8a36..18d332bd67 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/checklist.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/checklist.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from opaque_keys.edx.keys import CourseKey
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from contentstore.utils import reverse_course_url
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from xmodule.course_module import CourseDescriptor
 
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
index 40209bf37d..8c9cbebe70 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/component.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from contentstore.views.item import create_xblock_info
 
 from opaque_keys.edx.keys import UsageKey
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from models.settings.course_grading import CourseGradingModel
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
index 7f62d1ac42..e0fbd6ffbc 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ from models.settings.course_grading import CourseGradingModel
 from models.settings.course_metadata import CourseMetadata
 from util.json_request import expect_json
 from util.string_utils import _has_non_ascii_characters
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from .component import (
     OPEN_ENDED_COMPONENT_TYPES,
     NOTE_COMPONENT_TYPES,
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/export_git.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/export_git.py
index 94edd13018..b7678305a8 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/export_git.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/export_git.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django_future.csrf import ensure_csrf_cookie
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 import contentstore.git_export_utils as git_export_utils
 from edxmako.shortcuts import render_to_response
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
index 91dc1f8d3c..18010468af 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/import_export.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from opaque_keys.edx.keys import CourseKey
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml_importer import import_from_xml
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml_exporter import export_to_xml
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 
 from extract_tar import safetar_extractall
 from util.json_request import JsonResponse
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
index e09db7a4e4..60f9f59ae4 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/item.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from util.date_utils import get_default_time_display
 
 from util.json_request import expect_json, JsonResponse
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from contentstore.utils import find_release_date_source, find_staff_lock_source, is_currently_visible_to_students, \
     ancestor_has_staff_lock
 from contentstore.views.helpers import is_unit, xblock_studio_url, xblock_primary_child_category, \
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tabs.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tabs.py
index d374e64343..7d15cd3b89 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tabs.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tabs.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """
 Views related to course tabs
 """
-from access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from util.json_request import expect_json, JsonResponse
 
 from django.http import HttpResponseNotFound
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_index.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_index.py
index eb8adc5ea7..9bc6e3aacc 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_index.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_index.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import datetime
 
 from contentstore.tests.utils import CourseTestCase
 from contentstore.utils import reverse_course_url, add_instructor
-from contentstore.views.access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 from contentstore.views.course import course_outline_initial_state
 from contentstore.views.item import create_xblock_info, VisibilityState
 from course_action_state.models import CourseRerunState
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
index d404a6d9dc..ae68509b97 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/transcripts_ajax.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ from xmodule.video_module.transcripts_utils import (
     TranscriptsRequestValidationException
 )
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 
 __all__ = [
     'upload_transcripts',
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/user.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/user.py
index 7e3b720e2b..b1e7029a12 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/user.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/user.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from util.json_request import JsonResponse, expect_json
 from student.roles import CourseInstructorRole, CourseStaffRole
 from course_creators.views import user_requested_access
 
-from .access import has_course_access
+from student.auth import has_course_access
 
 from student.models import CourseEnrollment
 from django.http import HttpResponseNotFound
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/auth.py b/common/djangoapps/student/auth.py
index 7fa22b9d58..b68055696c 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/auth.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/auth.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.conf import settings
 
 from student.roles import GlobalStaff, CourseCreatorRole, CourseStaffRole, CourseInstructorRole, CourseRole, \
-    CourseBetaTesterRole
+    CourseBetaTesterRole, OrgInstructorRole, OrgStaffRole
 
 
 def has_access(user, role):
@@ -40,6 +40,30 @@ def has_access(user, role):
     return False
 
 
+def has_course_access(user, course_key, role=CourseStaffRole):
+    """
+    Return True if user allowed to access this course_id
+    Note that the CMS permissions model is with respect to courses
+    There is a super-admin permissions if user.is_staff is set
+    Also, since we're unifying the user database between LMS and CAS,
+    I'm presuming that the course instructor (formally known as admin)
+    will not be in both INSTRUCTOR and STAFF groups, so we have to cascade our
+    queries here as INSTRUCTOR has all the rights that STAFF do.
+
+    :param user:
+    :param course_key: A course key
+    :param role: an AccessRole
+    """
+    if GlobalStaff().has_user(user):
+        return True
+    if OrgInstructorRole(org=course_key.org).has_user(user):
+        return True
+    if OrgStaffRole(org=course_key.org).has_user(user):
+        return True
+    # temporary to ensure we give universal access given a course until we impl branch specific perms
+    return has_access(user, role(course_key.for_branch(None)))
+
+
 def add_users(caller, role, *users):
     """
     The caller requests adding the given users to the role. Checks that the caller