Technical, occupational and professional training credited in four new bachelor’s degree completion programs

Los Angeles – Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) is now accepting applications for four new bachelor’s degree programs that allow students to leverage their technical, occupational and professional training skills and apply these on-the-job skills toward academic credit. Bachelor’s degrees in applied studies, applied arts and media, urban communities and justice, and applied technology and business leadership differ from AULA’s existing liberal studies degree because they emphasize and recognize the value of the students’ vocational education and skills in addition to their prior academic credit.

“The current and future workforce requires people to be both technically and academically proficient in specific trades while also being savvy business people, communicators, leaders and problem solvers,” said Dr. Tex Boggs, President of Antioch University Los Angeles. “AULA’s new applied studies degrees recognize vocational skills as an integral and valuable component of a well-rounded education by granting credit for those experiences, which speeds the time to degree and lowers cost.”

A new BA in Applied Studies track builds upon technical and occupational skills by teaching new perspectives and ways of defining success with a focus on understanding business climate, industry pressures and problem solving. The BA in Applied Arts and Media contextualizes media from a historical and cultural perspective while focusing on the use of art as a platform for marketing and communication. AULA’s Urban Communities and Justice major prepares those with skills in community and justice issues (ex: criminal justice or public safety workers) to refine their professional and leadership skills in ways that employers crave: integrated with students’ technical acumen.  And the BS program in Applied Technology and Business Leadership brings together business concepts with leadership strategies. This includes developing ethical awareness and interpersonal skills alongside the recognition of students’ specific technical skills, such as medical technology or auto mechanics, to help graduates advance professionally or start their own businesses.

AULA launched the programs to help combat expected workforce gaps in California’s future. According to a 2010 report from the College Board on annual median earnings for full-time workers, the state will face a severe shortage of highly educated workers by 2025. By that time, 41 percent of the jobs will require a college degree, but only 35 percent of the population will have one.

“Many adults have excellent technical and vocational training that universities do not acknowledge, but AULA’s Applied Studies programs help create a pathway for these students to earn a Bachelor's degree,” Boggs said.

The programs are thus designed with working adults in mind, and along with flexible schedules and experiential learning opportunities, integrate interdisciplinary academic coursework and AULA’s tradition of social justice. The training poises graduates to save time and money during their college careers and positions them for career advancement and higher salaries in the future.

“Not only are graduates prepared to tackle any challenge that comes their way, but they also have an education that emphasizes using their skills in an ethical and socially conscious manner,” said Dr. MeHee Hyun, Co-Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Department.

To learn more about AULA’s new Applied Studies degrees, contact AULA Admissions at 1-800-726-8462 or visit www.antiochla.edu/appliedstudies

About Antioch University Los Angeles

Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) provides a rigorous progressive education to prepare students for the complexities of today’s diverse societies. AULA, a not-for-profit institution and part of the Antioch University system, has served the greater Los Angeles area since 1972. The core values of social justice, service to the community, and lifelong learning lie at the heart of the undergraduate degree completion programs in Liberal Studies, Applied Studies, Applied Arts and Media, Urban Communities and Justice, and Applied Technology and Business Leadership and graduate programs in Nonprofit Management, Education and Teacher Credentialing, Psychology, Creative Writing, and Urban Sustainability.

Inspired by the work of pioneering educator Horace Mann, Antioch University provides learner-centered education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, economic, and environmental justice. With campuses in Keene, New Hampshire; Los Angeles; Santa Barbara; Seattle; Yellow Springs, Ohio; and online at AU Connected, Antioch University is a bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education. The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

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