Life-Long Learners Find Abundant Opportunity in Local Continuing Ed Programs

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Whether you are looking to finish a degree, earn new credentials, or simply indulge a hunger for knowledge, the Tri-Valley is rich in opportunities for adult learning. Here is our directory of the area's offerings.

Universities

The Bay Area is home to some of the greatest institutions of higher learning in the world. One of the benefits of being in the Tri-Valley is the ability to take advantage of the reach of many of these that offer special opportunities for educational excellence.

Golden Gate University - Walnut Creek
One Ygnacio Center 2nd Floor Annex, Suite 20
1990 N. California Boulevard
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 296-0900
www.ggu.edu

Golden Gate University has been committed to meeting the career and educational needs of busy adults since 1901. Over the years, the school has established several regional learning sites beyond its original San Francisco campus. The Walnut Creek center, which began operation in 1985, offers fast-track degree completion programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as afternoon, evening, and weekend classes for working students. An innovative distance learning program, CyberCampus, makes accredited degree programs available online.

Equipped with seven classrooms including a computer lab and business resource library, the Walnut Creek facility houses programs in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Financial Planning, Human Resources, Information Technology, Law, Management, Marketing and Public Relations, Operations and Supply Chain, Psychology, Public Administration, and Tax.

At the graduate level, three MBA programs-Traditional Evening and Weekend, Professional, and Executive-along with a Doctor of Business Administration Program (DBA), provide flexibility for the diverse student population.

John F. Kennedy University
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-4817
(800) 696-5358
www.jfku.edu

Spring quarter begins March 31 at JFKU, whose Pleasant Hill campus offers undergraduate degree- completion programs, master's degrees, and continuing and extended education from its five schools: Education and Liberal Arts, Law, Management, Holistic Studies, and the Graduate School of Professional Psychology.

Recently selected to manage violence prevention training in the Western U.S. by the American Psychological Association, the School of Psychology also offers a doctoral program. Masters-level concentrations include Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Organizational Psychology, and Sport Psychology. Areas of certification include Coaching, Exercise and Sport Performance, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Conflict Management, and Sport Management. Post-graduate Clinical Training is also offered.

JFKU's continuing and extended education courses have been designed for psychologists, mental health professionals, nurses, and attorneys, while leadership development courses have been tailored for nonprofit managers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and corporate executives. The Ford Institute, which provides "distinctive" training in coaching practices and transformative learning, offers distance learning programs that create a true global classroom, accommodating the participation of international students and faculty.

Personal enrichment classes are also available, and the school welcomes non-degree students.

University of Phoenix - Tri-Valley Learning Center
7901 Stoneridge Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(877) 4-STUDENT
www.phoenix.edu

Founded in 1976 to "make higher education highly accessible for working students," the University of Phoenix has grown into the largest private university in North America. With nearly 200 locations and Internet delivery in most countries around the world, the school offers more than 100 degree programs at the associate, bachelor, masters, and doctoral levels in "much-desired employment areas, from business and technology to health care and education," says the Web site of this 21st century approach to higher learning.

At its Tri-Valley Learning Center in Pleasanton, the university offers the following undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Science in Communication; Bachelor of Science in Business, with concentrations in 15 areas, from Accounting to Integrated Supply Chain & Operations Management to Organizational Innovation; Criminal Justice and Security; Human Services; Bachelor of Science in Health Administration; Psychology; and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology - software, security, multimedia and visual communication.

Graduate-level programs include several MBA concentrations, from Global Management to Health Care Management; Master of Science/Administration of Justice and Security; Master of Arts in Education; Master of Science in Counseling/Marriage, Family and Child Therapy; Master of Health Administration; several Master of Science in Nursing programs; and Master of Information Systems.

Teachers can earn graduate-level continuing education credits for potential recertification, endorsements, or professional growth online. Certificate programs are also available; specialties vary by campus.

University of Phoenix Learning Centers are also located in Livermore, Concord, Fremont, Novato, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.

University of San Francisco - San Ramon Regional Campus
One Annabel Lane, Suite 115
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 867-2711
www.usfca.edu/hac

Like its sister locations in Cupertino, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa, USF's San Ramon Regional Campus is intended to make college accessible to working adults in their local communities. The degree programs offered at the regional campuses are "the same values-based, academically rigorous programs offered on the USF main campus," according to the school's Web site. Classes are scheduled for evenings and weekends, and in most cases students can complete a degree within one to two years.

The San Ramon campus is home to three major academic divisions. The School of Education offers graduate and teacher credential programs. The School of Nursing recently launched a unique Master of Science program for registered nurses. The College of Professional Studies, which began as part of the school's commitment to adult education, offers four undergraduate degree-completion programs and five graduate programs. Undergraduate programs include Applied Economics, Information Systems, Organizational Behavior and Leadership (Day and Evening) Programs, and Public/Law Enforcement Leadership/Non-Profit. Programs available at the graduate level include Information Systems, Organization Development, Project Management, and Public Administration.

Currently more than 350 students take advantage of the full-service facility with its seven modern classrooms, library, and degree planning assistance. The best introduction to degree completion at USF San Ramon is through the upcoming Information Meeting scheduled for 5:30 pm, Wednesday, April 9, 2008, which will feature academic advisors discussing the various areas of study and requirements.

Colleges

The college system is well represented in the Tri-Valley with many offerings available to employees and residents. Nearby facilities offer a wide-ranging curriculum for educational enrichment.

Las Positas College
3033 Collier Canyon Road
Livermore, CA 94551-9797
(925) 424-1000
www.laspositascollege.edu

Part of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, Las Positas College offers a range of studies, from associate degrees to certificate programs, specialized career education programs, general community education courses, and corporate training through Training and Development Solutions, the district's corporate services division.

The big news coming out of the district in 2008 is its selection as an OSHA Training Institute Education Center, one of eight new locations to be established nationwide by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Two four-day training classes, one targeted at general industry and the other tailored to the specific needs of the construction industry, will be offered at the district's headquarters office in Pleasanton starting on May 6.

Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees can be earned in fields including Administration of Justice, Automotive Electronics Technology, Accounting, Business, Business Administration, Marketing, Computer Information Systems, Occupational Safety and Health, and Viticulture.

Certificate programs, many of which can be completed in a year of daytime classes, are available in two dozen areas, ranging from Computer Application Software and Fire Service Technology to Horticulture and Visual Communications.

Saint Mary's College of California
1928 Saint Mary's Road
Moraga, CA 94575
(925) 631-4900, (866) 306-0395
www.stmarys-ca.edu

One of the oldest colleges in the West, Saint Mary's College of California was founded by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1863. The school moved to its present location in Moraga in 1928. In the midst of major renovation, today's campus boasts 11 buildings dating back to the original construction, along with many newer, state-of-the-art facilities. The college's highly regarded museum, the Hearst Art Gallery, houses a permanent collection of more than 3,500 art works.

Saint Mary's has a diverse selection of graduate degree programs, many of which are designed to meet the needs of the working professional. Through the Kalmanovitz School of Education, teachers can earn credentials in preliminary single and multiple subjects; Pupil Personnel Services (counseling or psychology); Reading and Language Arts; and Preliminary Administrative Services. Certificate programs in American Montessori Education and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) are also offered.

The School of Liberal Arts offers graduate programs in Kinesiology and Liberal Studies; a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and, supplementing the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP), a Master of Arts in Leadership. The School of Economics & Business Administration offers Executive, Global Executive, and Professional MBAs and a Master of Science in Financial Analysis and Investment Management Program.

The academic calendar for spring quarter 2008 graduate programs runs from Monday, March 31, to Saturday, June 14.

Extended and Adult Education

Whether a University Extension course or Adult Education, several institutions offer instruction on a wide variety of topics. Through these courses, participants can gain relevant skills and knowledge from a selection of stellar educators.

California State University, East Bay
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94542
(510) 885-3605
www.csueastbay.edu

With more than 100 majors, minors, and program options, Cal State East Bay offers a wide choice of fields of study and career possibilities. Students can select from 42 baccalaureate degrees with 66 minors, 30 master's degrees, and a new joint doctoral program with UC Berkeley. The most popular majors are Business Administration, Liberal Studies, Computer Science, Communication, Art, Psychology, and Biology. The newest undergraduate major is Industrial Engineering; at the graduate level, it's Social Work. Students can also create their own special majors.

In the area of continuing education, Cal State East Bay provides professional development training and education for professionals through more than 50 certificate and degree programs in a variety of industries and fields, from three locations in Hayward, Oakland, and Concord. New online programs are offered in Technical Writing and Private Investigation. Certificate programs are available in Construction Management, Human Resource Management, Nonprofit Management, Online Teaching & Learning, Paralegal Studies, Project Management, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Management, Teaching Chinese, and Video Game Design.

Ohlone College Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology
39399 Cherry Street
Newark, CA 94560-4902
(510) 742-2300
www.ohlone.edu/org/newark/

The brand-new Ohlone College Newark Center opened for its first semester of classes on Monday, January 28. Billed as the "College of the Future," the campus aims to teach environmental stewardship through responsible, sustainable practices such as photovoltaic solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, high-efficiency lighting, low water consumption, and extensive use of recycled materials.

Adapting to the learning needs of a very diverse student population, the Newark Center is also described as a "College of Opportunity." The curriculum focuses on five core areas: Biotechnology, Nursing, Health Sciences, Emerging Technologies, and Environmental Studies.

Among the specialties, the Ohlone College Nursing Program "enjoys a national reputation for innovative faculty and a cutting edge curriculum that is responsive to changing work force needs," according to the Web site. Other campus specialties include Respiratory Care, directed at "the diagnosis, treatment, management, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities associated with the cardio-respiratory system," and the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program, a two-calendar-year course of study leading to an Associate of Science Degree and eligibility to take the National PTA licensing examination.

Through Community and Contract Education, the college offers over 250 interest-based, professional development, and career-changing programs, held either on the Newark or Fremont campus or online.

Pleasanton Unified School District - Amador Valley Adult & Community Education
215 Abbie Street
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 426-4280
www.pleasanton.k12.ca.us/EducationalServices/AdultEducation/

Every semester the Amador Valley Adult and Community Education department of the Pleasanton School District offers more than 150 classes. Subjects including career technical education, health and safety, and computer software as well as personal enrichment classes like cooking, wine appreciation, money management, and conversational foreign languages.

Career-oriented classes vary from the multi session Special Education Aide Training Program, which runs from February to May, to the Notary Public training scheduled for April 2-3. CPR and First Aid courses are offered regularly, as are money management classes addressing specialty issues like establishing a credit rating, estate planning, and the 1031 TIC Exchange.

The full course catalog and registration forms can be viewed online at the Web site.

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