One of the best ways to enhance your career possibilities is through education. Learning new skills and the recognition that comes with that attainment is a way to demonstrate your abilities and potential to employers. The Tri-Valley is known as a center of commerce and innovation, but it is also a great location for adult education, vocational training, and career development. Here is a directory of the local options for becoming a lifelong learner.

Las Positas College

Las Positas College, the area’s community college, was founded in 1963 as an extension center of Chabot College and has since developed into a fully accredited, comprehensive institution. Currently, almost 8,500 day and evening students are enrolled at the college’s 147-acre campus.

Las Positas offers curriculum for students seeking career preparation, transfer to a four-year college or university, or personal enrichment. The College provides university transfer classes, retraining classes for those in need of employment or career advancement, a first-time educational opportunity for many adults, enrichment classes for those seeking a broader perspective, and career and technical training for those entering the technical and paraprofessional work force. Las Positas College excels in helping students transfer to the University of California system, the California State University system, and other four-year institutions.

Students who come to the College can choose any of 24 Occupational Associate Degrees, 17 Transfer Associate Degrees, and 44 Certificate Programs. In addition, the College offers community education courses geared toward personal development and cultural enrichment. Academic rigor is maintained in a friendly, personal atmosphere. Las Positas College faculty and staff are distinguished by their energy, creativity, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the students they serve.

Las Positas College is a learning-centered institution focused on excellence and student success, and is fully committed to supporting all Tri-Valley residents in their quest for education and advancement. The campus is accessible from BART and Interstate 580. Students can take buses from the Pleasanton-Dublin BART station and from many locations in Livermore and Pleasanton. The College is proud of its exceptional safety record, which has made it one of the safest colleges in the Bay Area, and its commitment to sustainability, including LEED facilities, recycling and paper reduction practices, and photovoltaic parking structures generating one megawatt of energy.

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 Hacienda. Information about Corporate Services is available at www.tdsolutions.org.

Las Positas College
3000 Campus Hill Drive
Livermore, CA 94551-7623
(925) 424-1000
www.laspositascollege.edu
www.clpccd.org

California State University, East Bay Continuing Education

California State University, East Bay Continuing Education provides professional development training and education to Bay Area professionals and beyond. Offering more than 35 degree and certificate programs in a variety of industries and fields, you can explore areas 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. Programs are taught by industry-experienced and academically acclaimed instructors. Smaller class sizes and instructor-to-student ratio allow for more personal instruction, mentoring, and coaching.

Ranked as a “Best in the West” college by the Princeton Review for nine consecutive years, Cal State East Bay is a vital member of the regional community. As an extension of the University, Continuing Education aims to expand the reach of its rich educational resources to adult learners. Serving both locally and abroad, CSUEB Continuing Education meets the academic, professional, creative, and lifelong learning goals of its diverse community. Through collaboration with community, business, government, and constituents, the organization offers programs that expand student access and meet the University’s high standards of scholarship.

With an entrepreneurial spirit, Cal State East Bay Continuing Education adapts its programs and services to a diverse and highly complex global marketplace, focusing on real-world takeaways and meeting regional needs. As a result, CSUEB’s programs are highly regarded in the marketplace and make it easy for graduates to attain their professional goals. Many of the programs incorporate internship opportunities and career assistance, enabling students to expand their professional goals and build more than just one career path. Students can customize their education to fit their schedules with programs offered at a variety of times and formats including online and at three convenient campus locations in Hayward, Oakland, and Concord.

California State University, East Bay
Continuing Education
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94542
(800) 730-2784
www.ce.csueastbay.edu

Golden Gate University

Since 1901, Golden Gate University has helped adults achieve their professional goals by providing undergraduate and graduate education in accounting, law, taxation, business and related areas. The university's main campus is located in San Francisco with additional teaching sites in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Seattle. In addition to evening and weekend classes, most courses and degrees are offered entirely online. Since more than 80 percent of the university’s 5,000 students attend part-time, classes are offered on campus or online, with programs in the afternoons, evenings, and even on weekends. GGU also offers a range of scholarships and grants for undergraduate or graduate students, both on need- and merit-based bases.

Certificates, undergraduate degrees, and master’s degrees are available in fields including accounting; business analytics; business and management; finance; financial planning; general studies; human resources; international business; IT management; law; marketing and public relations; operations management; project management; psychology; public administration; supply chain management; and taxation.

Golden Gate University
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-442-7000
www.ggu.edu

St. Mary’s College of California

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary’s is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the East Bay community of Moraga, about 20 miles northwest of Hacienda, which is committed to social justice, respect for all persons, and the power of education to transform lives. The College enrolls more than 3,500 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 in creative writing and dance, and kinesiology, as well as teaching and administrative credentials and two Bachelor completion programs in leadership & organizational studies as well as another in the arts, designed for current or retired professional dancers.

St. Mary’s College of California
1928 Saint Mary’s Road
Moraga, CA 94575
(925) 631-4000
www.stmarys-ca.edu

UC Berkeley Extension

Founded in 1891, UC Berkeley Extension is the continuing education branch of the University of California, Berkeley. The organization offers more than 1,500 courses each year, including online courses, along with more than 75 professional certificates and specialized programs of study. Enrollment in 2011-12 was over 35,000.

To help working adults and full-time students reach their goals, Extension offers hundreds of courses every term. Beginning nearly every week of the year, daytime, evening and weekend courses are held at locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Belmont. For even greater convenience, many of our courses, professional certificates and specialized programs of study are also available online.

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 sustainability; education; humanities and languages; 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.

UC Berkeley Extension
1995 University Ave., Suite 200
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 642-4111
extension.berkeley.edu

City of Pleasanton Adult Education

Thanks to funding from recent state legislation, the City of Pleasanton has re-launched its Adult Education program. The curriculum now consists of beginning and intermediate courses in English as a Second Language (ESL), Citizenship, Highschool Equivalency & HiSET Testing, Parent & Guardian Education, Career Education, College & Career Transitions, Community Education Classes,  and Adults With Disabilities. Gradual expansion into other areas is slated for coming semesters.

Pleasanton Unified School District
Adult Education
4665 Bernal Ave.
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Phone: (925) 463-0616
www.pleasantonusd.net

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