Certificate Admissions Up at UC San Diego Extension

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The number of continuing education students entering certificate programs at University of California San Diego Extension increased 19 percent last year, according to Elizabeth Silva, registrar and director of student services for the university’s continuing education programs. A total of 3,841 students entered continuing education certificate programs during 2011, as compared to 3,217 during 2010.

Certificate programs offer a practical, concentrated study in a specific professional area. Students must complete a set of required courses and electives to earn a certificate. Most of the 102 certificates offered by UC San Diego Extension can be earned in one to two years at a cost of around $1,875 to $3,200.

The certificate programs that experienced the highest percentage of admission growth in 2011,  in rank order, were:

• Lactation Consultant
• Data Mining
• Copyediting
• College Counseling
• Biostatistics
• Paralegal Studies
• Lean Six Sigma
• Leadership and Management
• Reading Instruction
• From Research to Practice
• Fundraising and Development

“Excellent instructors, innovative content tuned to the needs of professionals today and a broad reach to students in San Diego and around the world are the reasons behind the rise,” said Silva.

New specialized certificates that were added in 2011 include: Career Advising, Clinical Trials Administration in Latin America, Global Service Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design, In Vitro Diagnostics, Mobile Applications Development, Mobile Device Programming, and Video and Imaging Technologies.

Some of the areas of possible study for career changers or those wishing to add new skills to their resume include: Accounting; Business; Digital Arts; Education; Engineering; English Language Studies; Foreign Languages; Healthcare and Behavioral Sciences; Humanities and Writing; Information Technology and Software Engineering; Law; Leadership and Management Development; Life Sciences; Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health; Photography, Art and Music, and Public Service and Social Responsibility.

For the convenience of working adults, continuing education courses are held online or evenings and weekends on the UC San Diego main campus and two other locations: the Extension University City  Center and the Extension Mission Valley Center. During 2011 UC San Diego Extension began classes in a new three-story high-tech facility called University City Center that dramatically increases the university’s ability to serve adult learners.

About UC San Diego Extension

As the continuing education and public programs arm of the university, UC San Diego Extension educates approximately 56,000 enrollees annually, which translates to more than 26,000 students in over 4,900 courses. UC San Diego Extension is recognized nationally and internationally for linking the public to expert professionals and the knowledge resources of the University of California.