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Higher Education in California
American laws governing the establishment and operation of education are left to the respective states. Since the late 1700s, each state has established its own higher educational processes and institutions, all tied together through a set of agreed upon academic standards, through academic accrediting organizations.
In the State of California, there are four systems of higher education:
- Community Colleges -109 Two-year colleges leading to Associate in Arts and Associate in Sciences Degrees
- State Universities - 22 Four-year universities leading to a Bachelors Degree or higher
- University of California - Nine Four-year universities leading to a Bachelors Degree or higher
- Private Colleges & Universities - Numerous two and four-year colleges and universities leading to a Bachelors Degree or higher
The last three systems of higher education have varying criteria for admissions of entry and transfer students. The criteria include but are not limited to: specific course work in high school; academic grade point average; scores on S.A.T. or A.C.T. examinations; biographies showing extra-curricula activities, and letters of recommendation.
The current philosophy of the California Community Colleges is known as the "Open Door Policy." This allows for the admission of applicants if they are high school graduates or have reached their 18th birthday, by the beginning of the semester for which they are applying.
The Community College is a two-year, tax funded, public college that usually offers two kinds of programs
- Courses that prepare students for a specific job or career (in two years or less). Examples are Aviation Technology, Computer Technology, Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Electronics, Accounting, Office Administration, and Travel/Tourism, to name a few. Students can earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.) Degree and/or a Certificate of Completion in their major career subject.
- Courses that prepare students for transfer to a four-year university. Some 60% of California university students start their academic program at a community college. Students who attend a community college and complete a prescribed pattern of courses, 56 transferable semester units, and attain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 for international students, can be considered for admission to California State University in junior status (third year standing). International students who complete the University of California A through F course requirements, 56 transferable semester units with a G.P.A. of 2.8 are eligible for admission in junior standing to the University of California system.
The Community Colleges in California have transfer agreements (articulation agreements) with the California State University, University of California systems and numerous private universities. This assures that the classes you complete in the two-year college will be accepted as transfer courses - especially if you follow the courses as prescribed in the Intersegmental General Education Curriculum (IGETC), for the California State system.
The Community Colleges in California are divided into "districts." Most Community College Districts in California are single colleges while some Districts, especially those located in large metropolitan areas, have multiple college campuses. The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is the largest community college district in the world. The nine campuses of the LACCD enroll over 125,000 students every year. For more information on the district, visit: www.laccd.edu.
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