UC San Diego Extension Certificate Programs Up 11 Percent

LA JOLLA, Calif., March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Enrollment in UC San Diego Extension's professional certificate programs increased 11 percent in 2013 over the previous year, with a total 3,633 students admitted.

The most popular certificate program was copyediting, followed by data mining, accounting, teaching English as a foreign language and paralegal studies.

Overall student satisfaction with their classes was markedly high, at 92 percent. Equally noteworthy, students' employment status as a direct result of taking job-related courses improved at a rate of 83 percent. Overall enrollment held steady with a 2 percent gain.

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.

As a prime example of Extension's wide-ranging certificate offerings, another popular new certificate program in 2013 was brewing, which debuted a year ago, followed by terrestrial carbon accounting, a first-time course that drew dozens of environmental professionals from the world's most threatened regions.

Highlights from 2013 UC San Diego Extension:

Top 10 most popular courses, in rank order:

1. Copyediting
2. Data mining
3. Accounting
4. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL)
5. Paralegal studies
6. Project management
7. Human resource management
8. Business management
9. College counseling
10. Lactation consultant

Overall student satisfaction:

• Overall satisfaction: 92%
• Employment status improved: 83%

Student enrollment:

• Enrolled students: 31,736 (+ 2%)
• Gender of students: 65% female; 35% male
• Academic degrees of students: 50% BA/BS; 26% high school; 6% Phd/JD/MD; 6% AA

Instructors:

• Number of instructors: 996
• Instructor, average rating: 4.46 (of 5)

Professional certificate programs:

• Certificate programs offered: 92
• Certificates awarded in 2013: 1,687

Cost range, certificate programs:

• $1,875 to $3,200 (approx)

New (or updated) certificate programs:

• Biofuels processes
• Biofuels science
• Brewing
• Digital media information systems
• Global health policy
• Terrestrial carbon accounting
• SAS Programming
• Outpatient coding

About UC San Diego Extension:

As the continuing education and public programs arm of the university, UC San Diego Extension educates approximately 63,000 enrollees a year, which translates to about 33,000 students in nearly 4,300 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.

Read more news from UC San Diego Extension.

SOURCE UC San Diego Extension