Certificate Enrollment Climbs
28% at UC San Diego Extension
January 15, 2009
By Henry DeVries
The number of students entering certificate programs at University of California San Diego Extension has increased 28 percent, according to Edward Abeyta, registrar and director of student services for the university’s continuing education programs. A total of 3,023 students entered continuing education certificate programs during 2008, as compared to 2,362 during 2007.
For the first half of the 2008-2009 academic year overall enrollment is up 27 percent, as compared to the same period last year. A total of 22,616 students were served by the continuing education arm of the university during the 2007-2008 academic year, resulting in 49,932 enrollees in a total of 4,286 courses. During the first half of 2008-2009 there are 27,463 enrollees at UC San Diego Extension, as compared to 21,571 for the first half of 2007-2008.
“For recent and mid-career college graduates facing a difficult job market and a troubling economy, continuing-education certificates are becoming increasingly attractive as a way to bridge to employment areas that are in demand,” said Abeyta. “This is the second straight year with a 25 percent jump in certificate enrollment applications.”
The top ten UCSD Extension certificate programs attracting the most new enrollees are:
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Clinical Trials
- Copyediting
- Human Resource Management
- Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
- Paralegal Studies
- Project Management
- Regulatory Affairs for the Biomedical Industry
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language
In addition to an increased local impact, UCSD Extension programs are gaining in national influence. Certificate programs that are fully online attracted 431 new applicants from across the country, an 18 percent increase over the previous year.
For the convenience of working adults, classes for most of UCSD Extension’s 90 certificate programs and more than 12 specialized study programs are held evenings and weekends on the UC San Diego main campus and three other locations in Sorrento Mesa, Rancho Bernardo and Mission Valley. 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 certificates can be earned in one to two years at a cost of around $1,875 to $3,200.
Classes for the winter term begin this week. 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 and Defense Technology; 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.
Media Contact: Henry DeVries, 619-540-3031 or 858-534-9955
