Live and Learn

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

With the need for skills development playing a greater role in our lives than ever before, continuing education is growing increasingly important, no matter what your career path. Fortunately, the Tri-Valley and East Bay offer a variety of learning opportunities, whether you're looking to pick up an advanced degree, a new certification, or simply to broaden your horizons.

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
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2968
800-GGU-4YOU
www.ggu.edu

Another path to a degree or professional certificate is offered by Golden Gate University and their online CyberCampus. Students can apply, register, take classes, and even interact with their professors and fellow students without having to travel to a classroom. CyberCampus courses are taught by the same faculty and are held to the same academic standards as courses offered in traditional classroom settings, and although the web-based format is unique, the courses are the same as those offered in-person at any Golden Gate University location.

GGU's CyberCampus offers a variety of certificate programs as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees. Fields of study include Accounting; Business and Management; Finance; Financial Planning; Human Resources; IT Management; International Business; Law; Marketing and Public Relations; Supply Chain Management; Preparation in Language and University Studies (PLUS); Project Management; Psychology; Public Administration; and Taxation.

John F. Kennedy University
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-4817
(800) 557-1384
www.jfku.edu

JFK University's Continuing Education Department (CE) offers post-graduate courses for licensed professionals to maintain their licenses in psychology, mental health and law. CE offers courses onsite and online, as well as provides public service workshops and professional development conferences.

University of Phoenix
2481 Constitution Drive
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 273-8100
www.phoenix.edu

Since its founding in 1976, the University of Phoenix has grown to over 200 locations around the world, in addition to a robust offering of online courses. At the school's Livermore Learning Center - one of five Bay Area University of Phoenix locations - students can earn a number of both undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates.

For example, Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in both Health Administration and Management, as is a Master's degree in Information Systems. Additionally, the Livermore location offers a certificate in Information Systems Security and a teaching credential program, as well as distance-learning degree programs for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an MBA.

As a school that focuses largely on adult learners, University of Phoenix courses and degree programs have been designed to accommodate working professionals with features like evening classes, flexible scheduling, and continuous enrollment.

University of San Francisco, Pleasanton Campus
6120 Stoneridge Mall Road, Suite 150
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 867-2711
www.usfca.edu/pleasanton
pleasantoncampus@usfca.edu

Serving the East Bay and Tri-Valley Regions for over 30 years, the University of San Francisco Pleasanton Campus is located in the heart of the East Bay on the 580/680 corridor. The campus is conveniently accessible by additional freeways, Amtrak, the Altamont Commuter Express train and is within walking distance to the West Dublin BART station. USF offers bachelor and master degree programs designed to serve those who have a passion for justice and are interested in creating a more humane and just world. We invite you to explore becoming part of our learning community. Contact us to discuss your professional and academic goals.

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
3000 Campus Hill Drive
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 424-1000
www.laspositascollege.edu
www.clpccd.org

Las Positas College is the Tri-Valley community's college. It currently enrolls approximately 9,000 students at its 150 acre campus in the Livermore hills. LPC provides curricula for students seeking transfer to a four-year college or university, career preparation, or basic skills education.

Las Positas College offers almost 100 Associate Degree and Certificate majors. It excels in both arenas: Not only is LPC among the top ten of the 112 community colleges in California in terms of transfers to four year institutions, but it is also recognized as a pre-eminent leader in career-technical programs that provide exceptional training for those entering the paraprofessional work force.

Among its several missions, Las Positas College is a regional leader in work-force development. Included in a broad range of studies in this area, key programs are automobile and welding technology, a host of public safety-focused careers and an array of increasingly important medical-technological specialties.

The Las Positas College campus is accessible from BART and I-580. It is one of the safest colleges in the Bay Area... and one of the most beautiful. It has appealing low-maintenance landscaping that is part of a commitment to sustainability that includes LEED certified facilities. Currently, LPC generates approximately 65% of its electrical power usage by means of photovoltaic solar arrays.

Las Positas College is a learning-centered institution focused on excellence and student success. It is fully committed to supporting Tri-Valley residents in their quest for education and advancement. In addition to typical college students, Las Positas is especially proud to have a robust veterans' program that assists the transition of returning service members to high-earning careers in the civilian sector.

LPC, along with Chabot College in Hayward, is part of the Chabot Las Positas Community College District. The District operates an OSHA Training Center and offers custom training programs through its Corporate Services Division at its headquarters in Dublin.

For more information about Las Positas College, contact Ted Kaye, Ph.D. at (925) 424-1010 or tkaye@laspositascollege.edu. Information about Corporate Services is available at www.tdsolutions.org.

St. Mary's College of California
1928 Saint Mary's Road
Moraga, CA 94556
(925) 631-4000
www.stmarys-ca.edu

Saint Mary's is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the East Bay community of Moraga, 23 miles east of San Francisco. The College enrolls more than 4, 000 undergraduate and graduate students in a rigorous educational program that engages the intellect and spirit, and awakens a desire to change society.

Guided by the Christian Brothers, the Catholic Church's oldest order dedicated exclusively to teaching, Saint Mary's programs span many disciplines and areas of academic interest, serving a wide range of students, from traditional undergraduates to international students to working professionals.

At the heart of the undergraduate program is Collegiate Seminar, in which undergraduates read and discuss great works and learn how to listen. Saint Mary's offers graduate programs in education, business, leadership, fine arts, and kinesiology, as well as teaching and administrative credentials. Uniting them all is the belief that education is a catalyst for life-changing leadership and social justice.

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 Continuing & International Education
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94542
(510) 885-3605
www.ce.csueastbay.edu

California State University, East Bay Continuing Education provides professional development training in a vast number of fields, offering more than 40 degree and certificate programs, with popular areas of study including Art and Design, Behavioral and Health Sciences, Business and Management, Education, Engineering and Project Management, Hospitality, Legal Studies, Medical and Healthcare, Social Work, Specialized Training, and Test Preparation.

CSU East Bay Continuing Education programs emphasize quality of instruction and a personal touch. Classes are taught by instructors with both industry experience and academic excellence, and the program's smaller class sizes and instructor-to-student ratio allows for more mentoring, and coaching.

In addition to facilities in Hayward, Concord, and Oakland, the university also offers online classes. For example, an innovative online two-year degree completion program allows students to receive a B.S. in Business Administration by taking classes over the Internet. The school even offers two M.S. degrees in education online. Other degree programs include a one-year intensive MBA and a specialized MBA for global innovators.

CSU East Bay's list of certificate programs includes areas such as human resources management; nonprofit management; online teaching and learning; paralegal studies; project management;wedding planning; and many more. The university also offers courses meeting continuing education requirements in fields such as law and teaching.

For more information about Las Positas College, contact Janet Kelly, Unit Manager/Program Coordinator at (510) 885-2313 Fax (510) 885-4817.

Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program
2600 Kitty Hawk Road, Suite 117
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 455-4800
www.tvrop.org

The Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program (ROP) provides hands-on career exploration and training to students throughout the Tri-Valley. Courses are held on high school campuses in Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton, as well as facilities including TV Channel 30, the Dublin San Ramon Services District Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (Pleasanton), and Dublin Beauty College.

While the Tri-Valley ROP's programs are primarily targeted towards high school students and they are given priority enrollment, they are also provided to adults. For example, the Water Pollution Control program allows for hands-on experience at an operating wastewater treatment facility, training students to perform preventative maintenance on process equipment and instrumentation; read and interpret charts, meters, and gauges; collect lab samples, and perform simple analytical tests.

Program graduates will be familiar with the equipment at a treatment plant and understand the biological, chemical, and physical processes that remove harmful contaminants from wastewater before it is recycled or returned to the environment and be eligible to take the State Water Resources Control Board Grade 1 Operator Certification examination.

UC Berkeley Extension
1995 University Avenue, Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 642-4111
extension.berkeley.edu

The continuing education branch of the University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley Extension offers more than 2,000 courses each year in addition to 75 professional certificates and specialized programs of study. Founded in 1891, the organization strives to provide a Berkeley-quality education to adult students and those who are looking to change or advance their careers. The school also offers teaching credentials, licensure courses for continuing education units, and hundreds of online courses. With over 30,000 enrollments each year, it's clear that they are succeeding in their mission to extend the research and scholarship of UC Berkeley worldwide by increasing access to higher education, contributing to the global information economy, improving the workforce, and enriching the local community.

UC Berkeley Extension's courses, professional certificates, and specialized programs of study cover topics in nine major areas, including Art and Design; Behavioral Health Sciences; Business; Construction and Environmental Management; Education; Humanities, Languages, and Personal Development; Sciences, Mathematics, and Biotechnology; Technology and Information Management; and Writing, Editing, and Technical Communication. For information on specific programs, access the school's web site at the address below.

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