Certificate Enrollment Steady at
UC San Diego Extension

February 18, 2010

By Henry DeVries

The number of students entering certificate programs at University of California San Diego Extension grew modestly in 2009 and has grown 44 percent over the past three years, according to Elizabeth Silva, acting registrar and director of student services for the university’s continuing education programs.

Adjusted enrollment figures show 1 percent growth for the past year, with 2,706 students beginning certificate programs as compared to 2,677 in 2008 and 2,264 in 2007. The adjusted numbers omit enrollments for the anomaly of a national Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
certificate program that averages 75 new students a year but had 393 students enter in 2008 in order to qualify before a change in requirements.

The top ten UCSD Extension certificate programs attracting the most new enrollees in 2009 are:

• Accounting
• Business Management
• Clinical Trials
• Copyediting
• Human Resource Management
• Paralegal Studies
• Project Management
• Regulatory Affairs for the Biomedical Industry
• Sustainable Business Practices
• Teaching English as a Foreign Language

“For recent and mid-career college graduates facing a still challenging job market and a weak economy, continuing-education certificates remain an attractive as a way to bridge to employment areas that are in higher demand,” said Silva.

Overall, an unadjusted total of 2,759 students entered continuing education certificate programs during 2009, as compared to 2,362 during 2007 and 1,890 during 2006. A total of 3,070 students entered certificate programs in 2008, due to the OSHA program spike in enrollments.

For the convenience of working adults, classes for most of UC San Diego 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 in other locations in Sorrento Mesa 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.

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.

About UC San Diego Extension

As the continuing education and public programs arm of the university, UC San Diego Extension educates about 22,600 students per year, which results in almost 54,000 enrollees in more than 4,600 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. Through UCSD-TV, 1 million San Diego homes enjoy daily access to an abundance of useful ideas, creative minds and provocative thinkers. Although a part of the university since 1966, Extension receives no state support and relies on the funding generated from fees, contracts, grants, sponsors and donors for its annual budget of approximately $35 million.

Media Contact:Henry DeVries 619-540-3031 or 858-534-9955