diff --git a/main/inc/lib/course_request.lib.php b/main/inc/lib/course_request.lib.php
index 13758d9e2a..7deb22f569 100644
--- a/main/inc/lib/course_request.lib.php
+++ b/main/inc/lib/course_request.lib.php
@@ -18,4 +18,24 @@ define(COURSE_REQUEST_REJECTED, 2);
 
 class CourseRequestManager {
 
+    /**
+     * Checks whether a given course code has been already occupied.
+     * @param string $wanted_course_code    The code to be checked.
+     * @return string
+     * Returns TRUE if there is created:
+     * - a course with the same code OR visual_code (visualcode).
+     * - a course request with the same code as the given one, or
+     * Othewise returns FALSE.
+     */
+    public static function course_code_exists($wanted_course_code) {
+        if ($code_exists = CourseManager::course_code_exists($wanted_course_code)) {
+            return $code_exists;
+        }
+        $table_course_request = Database :: get_main_table(TABLE_MAIN_COURSE_REQUEST);
+        $wanted_course_code = Database::escape_string($wanted_course_code);
+        $sql = sprintf('SELECT COUNT(*) as number FROM %s WHERE visual_code = "%s"', $table_course_request, $wanted_course_code);
+        $result = Database::fetch_array(Database::query($sql));
+        return $result['number'] > 0;
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file