There is no singular, “correct” way to achieve one’s academic and professional goals. Beyond the traditional path of attending a four-year university, taking 15 units a semester, earning a bachelor’s degree and settling into a career after graduating, there are many other routes that people can take to discover their passion.
Everyone has different obligations, circumstances and life changes that call for a diverse offering of programs to help them be successful. Cal State Fullerton’s Extension and International Programs offers a variety of flexible programs to help students reach their goals.
CSUF Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs
In 2023, 109 total students graduated from EIP’s online degree completion programs. This included an online bachelor’s degree in business administration, an online bachelor’s degree in sociology, and an online bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences. These programs allowed students to earn their degrees in a flexible, accessible format that fit their schedules.
Adelia Jones is a military spouse who needed a way to earn her degree while in the process of moving from Northern California to Delaware. EIP’s online B.A. in humanities and social sciences was the perfect solution. Jones earned the same degree as on-campus students, attended the same graduation, and went on to get accepted into nursing school at Delaware State University.
“The online option was the best thing that ever could have happened because without it I wouldn’t have gotten my degree,” said Jones.
CSUF Master’s Degree Programs
Many aspire to earn their master’s degree, but they may be unable to due to an impacted schedule or time constraints. EIPs master’s programs help by offering convenient benefits such as evening classes or an accelerated schedule.
The accelerated master’s in software engineering helped Madhurima Gazula efficiently achieve her goal of working in the field.
“The AMSE program at CSUF provided amazing coursework and resources to earn my degree sooner and get into the software field faster,” said Gazula, who earned her degree in just 16 months before going on to work at Extron Electronics in Anaheim.
CSUF Pre-Health Postbaccalaureate Program
Becoming a competitive health care school applicant is possible, even for students who graduated with non-science bachelor’s degrees. The Pre-Health Postbaccalaureate Program offered by EIP helps students prepare for medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, physician assistant and pharmacy professional school programs.
There are many success stories to be shared, such as Keytiana Hempstead, who went from earning a political science degree to being accepted into UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, and Alex Argame, who worked as a registered nurse for seven years before deciding to pursue interventional radiology.
CSUF Summer and Winter Sessions
Enrolling in summer and winter courses is an excellent way for students to raise their GPA, stay on track to graduate, accelerate their graduation date and more. In 2023, over 11,300 degree-seeking students and 1,000 non-degree-seeking students enrolled for summer or winter session.
Open University at CSUF
Open University is an impactful program that allows non-admitted students to take classes at CSUF. After facing academic disqualification and joining Open University, Veronica Carter raised her GPA, got re-admitted to CSUF and earned her master’s degree in gerontology.
“Anyone can do it, even me at 55,” said Carter. “As an immigrant who came to this country without speaking a word of English, achieving a master’s degree makes me feel great. So keep going, and don’t ever give up.”
There are many more success stories to recap from the past year, as well as other programs that can benefit your academic and professional career. Discover these stories in EIP’s digital Annual Impact Report.