Enrollment at University of California, San Diego Extension increased 2 percent last year, according to Elizabeth Silva, registrar and director of student services for the University’s extended studies programs.

During the 2009-2010 academic year UC San Diego Extension served a record 55,598 enrollees, which translates to 26,006 students in 4,989 courses. Additionally another 47,946 individuals were trained throughout the western United States by UC San Diego Extension certified instructors.

Silva credits continued strong interest in career development and the University’s commitment to aligning workforce development with regional economic growth. Overall enrollment has increased 11 percent in three years.

“Enrollment is increasing because job seekers, unable to find work in their preferred fields, are going back to school to gain experience in other areas,” said Silva. “Continuing-education certificates continue to be an attractive way to transition to employment areas that are in higher demand, such as health IT and green jobs.”

UC San Diego Extension offers approximately 125 distinct academic programs ranging from the life sciences and engineering to arts and business leadership. For the convenience of working adults, classes are held evenings and weekends on the UC San Diego main campus and three other locations in Sorrento Mesa and Mission Valley, and also online.

Each student took an average of 2.2 classes and the average continuing education class size was 14.2 students. The student totals include online students from around the globe and 2,700 international students from 60 different countries in residence at UC San Diego Extension.

Concurrent enrollment, which permits individuals to experience undergraduate and graduate courses at the university and  is administered through UC San Diego Extension, increased nine percent over the previous year (2,296 to 2,509 enrollments).

Classes for the fall term begin Sept. 23. Some of the areas of possible study for career changers or those wishing to add new skills to their resume include: Accounting; Business; Digital Arts; Education; Engineering and Defense Technology; English Language Studies; Foreign Languages; Healthcare and Behavioral Sciences; Global Volunteerism; Humanities and Writing; Information Technology and Software Engineering; Law; Leadership and Management Development; Life Sciences; Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health; Photography, Art and Music and Public Service and Social Responsibility.

As the California unemployment rate continues to hover above 12 percent, UC San Diego Extension is expanding offerings in the following higher demand employment areas:

• Health information technology. As technology increases, so does the need for health information technicians to use and maintain patient data that is vital for quality healthcare and to keep all medical records organized and confidential. Technicians are needed for emerging jobs such as healthcare integration engineer, healthcare systems analyst, clinical IT consultant, and technology support specialist.
• Mobile media. Cell phones and other mobile devices are now multifunction devices that enable users to surf the Web, listen to music, download podcasts, use maps, access global positioning satellites, shoot and send photos and videos, and send text messages. With the countless new software applications, the number of ways to use smart phones is exploding.
• Data mining. Looking for a needle in a haystack is a good analogy for data mining jobs. Data mining is the technique of extracting specific types of information or patterns from large databases, such as data warehouses. Advanced statistical methods sift through large volumes of data, providing answers to questions that were once too time-consuming.
• Embedded engineering. There are career options for software developers willing to learn some new tricks. Devices from phones, appliances and televisions, to automobiles and iPods all use processors to run. These complex digital processors, or computers, are embedded systems, often built around a microprocessor core, that are designed by software engineers.
• Geriatric healthcare. The growing population of seniors continues to have a major impact on careers in health care.   As the numbers of aging baby boomers increase, so does the demand for certain healthcare jobs and services, including nursing, personal care and home healthcare.
• Occupational health and safety. More specialists are needed to cope with technological advances in safety equipment and threats, changing regulations, and increasing public expectations. Employment growth reflects overall business growth and continuing self-enforcement of government and company regulations.
• Spanish/English translation and interpretation. For those completely bilingual in Spanish and English, these highly marketable language skills open doors to new careers. The key is to gain experience through practical internships in specialized fields such as law, medicine and business.
• Sustainable business practices and the greening of all jobs. By the mid-21st century, all jobs will be green jobs. Organizations today must address potential regulation changes and look for business growth opportunities in the new era of sustainable environmental economics.
• Feature writing for the Web. Technology has transformed journalism and marketing, creating new ways for how news and information are conveyed. The new medium allows for more interactivity, as readers respond via comments or blogs.
• Teaching English as a foreign language. Interest in English teaching positions abroad has mushroomed. College graduates can find teaching jobs abroad, with travel as an added perk.

Also The Public Programs Arm

UC San Diego Extension is also the public programs arm of the University and provides monthly outreach to millions of people annually through innovative free public lectures, special events, online programs and broadcast television.

About 4.6 million viewers per month download videos from UC San Diego Extension, up from 500,000 per month the previous year. Both UC San Diego Television (UCSD-TV) and its systemwide counterpart University of California Television (UCTV) are in UC San Diego Extension’s public programs portfolio.

UCSD-TV launched in 1993 as a non-commercial, public-serving television station for the San Diego region, presenting programming from partners on the campus and throughout the community. The Emmy-award winning UCSD-TV, available to approximately 1 million homes throughout the region on broadcast and cable television, also offers its programs for free online viewing at ucsd.tv.

UCTV is the 24-hour satellite channel launched in 2000 by UC Office of the President to provide the public with programming that draws upon the vast intellectual, scientific and creative talents of the University of California. UCTV reaches approximately 22 million households nationwide on Dish Network satellite and cable (http://www.uctv.tv/about/wheretowatch.asp), and millions more worldwide through its live webstream and media partnerships with YouTube and iTunesU.

Although an integral part of the university since 1966, UC San Diego Extension does not receive any state support and relies on the revenue it generates from fees, contracts, grants and the assistance of sponsors and donors for its annual budget of approximately $35.4 million.

A total of 24,976 students were served by the continuing education arm of the University during the 2008-2009 academic year, resulting in 54,448 enrollees in a total of 4,675 courses. There were 29,777 students trained by UC San Diego Extension certified instructors in 2008-2009, the first year these statistics were tracked.