The number of students entering certificate programs at University of California San Diego Extension increased 17 percent last year, according to Elizabeth Silva, registrar and director of student services for the university’s continuing education programs.

A total of 3,217 students entered continuing education certificate programs during 2010, as compared to 2,706 during 2009.

The certificate programs that experienced the highest percentage of admission growth in 2010 were:

• Healthcare Information Technology
• Lactation Consultant
• Life Sciences Information Technology
• Hospital Coding Specialist
• Java Programming
• Translation and Interpretation (Spanish/English)
• Gifted and Talented Education
• Case Management

“For recent and mid-career college graduates facing a still challenging job market and a recovering economy, continuing-education certificates remain an attractive way to bridge to employment areas that are in higher demand,” said Silva.

New specialized certificates that were added in 2010 include: Biostatistics, Translation (Spanish/English) and Information Systems Management.

Certificate enrollment is up 59 percent in the last four years. UC San Diego Extension signed a lease in 2010 on a new three-story high-tech facility called University City Center that will dramatically increase its ability to serve adult learners.

For the convenience of working adults, classes for most of UC San Diego Extension’s 100 certificate and special study programs are held evenings and weekends on the UC San Diego main campus and two other locations in Sorrento Mesa and Mission Valley.  A new University City Center will replace the Sorrento Mesa Center with a soft opening in the summer of 2011 and a grand opening in the fall of 2011.

Conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 805 near the Governor Drive exit, the 49,819-square-foot University City Center is twice the size of Sorrento Mesa Center and is designed to meet the needs of today’s working student. University City Center offers 23 high-tech classrooms, expansive executive-style learning space, 13 hands-on labs, a dedicated online learning studio suite, expanded student counseling spaces and abundant meeting room and video-conferencing space for conferences and workshops. The center will also house the UC San Diego Extension’s new career transition program for displaced college-prepared professionals. The site offers ample free parking and student lounges/study areas.

 Certificate programs offer a practical, concentrated study in a specific professional area. Students must complete a set of required courses and electives to earn a certificate. Most certificates can be earned in one to two years at a cost of around $1,875 to $3,200.

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; English Language Studies; Foreign Languages; Healthcare and Behavioral Sciences; 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.