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Understanding
Higher Education in California
The system of higher education in California is comprised
of three levels.
Undergraduate Education in California
Public Schools
Community Colleges |
California State Schools |
University of California |
| Primarily vocational, job-training
oriented majors Both applied/skills oriented and
academic majors. Academic majors with a research
focus |
Both applied/skills oriented and academic
majors. |
Academic majors with a research focus |
| A student who wants to learn bookkeeping
might best do that at a community college |
A student who wants to learn business
management might best do that at a Cal State. |
A student who wants to learn business
economics might best do that at a UC. |
| Students can also take general education
requirements at a Community college and transfer
to a four year school. |
Some majors teach applied, job-related
skills in the classroom; other majors are primarily
academic . |
Virtually all majors are academic.
To acquire job-related skills consider internships,
part time and seasonal jobs. |
The UC's are the research wing of the California educational
system. Their mission is to provide state-of-the-art
discipline research in their fields,
with teaching as a concurrent goal. All the majors at the UCs are
academic and research based. They are not vocational. There can be some courses within
majors that have applied aspects, but these are the exception.
The research
orientation of the University of California is the
basis for its world-class reputation. UCSB has several
Nobel
laureates
as professors, and
is one of the top 60 research institutions in the United States. Employers
and graduate school programs across the nation find UCSB graduates among
their most desirable candidates because of our outstanding
research accomplishments.
However, it will be important that students who want an applied component
to their education or who want to find non-research
employment after graduating,
round out their education with work experience. Most employers seek a combination
of education and experience in their new hires. Students can gain this
experience through part time employment, summer jobs
and/or internships. Career Services
is a good place to come for help and placement assistance.
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