UCLA Extension

What it is

UCLA Extension is the continuing and professional education division of UCLA, with its main address at the UCLA Extension Gayley Center in Los Angeles. Its about page describes it as "one of the nation's oldest, largest and most comprehensive continuing and professional studies providers," and the home page says it has served learners for more than 100 years. The tagline is "All kinds of learning for all kinds of people," and the site organizes its offer around four goals: take a course, earn a certificate, change career, or reach an academic goal.

Enrollment is open: the about page says most courses "require no admission decision." Courses run in the evening, on weekends, during the day and online, with the option to study in person at UCLA in Westwood. The curriculum is UCLA-approved, and the offer includes certificate and specialization programs, transferable undergraduate degree credit, continuing education credits, custom programs and corporate education available worldwide, plus non-credit courses, workshops and special events. The audience named on the about page is working adults, college students and lifelong learners.

Four ways to take a class

The instruction methods page sets out the formats:

• In Person: class meetings are held primarily in a physical classroom with the instructor and all students.
• Live Online: all class meetings are scheduled and held in real time on Zoom, with live interaction.
• Online: content is delivered through the Canvas online learning platform, so learners can study from anywhere with an internet connection, engaging with the instructor and classmates online.
• Hybrid: a mix of online, live online and in-person learning, typically online coursework plus scheduled on-campus meetings.

Whatever the format, class materials sit in Canvas and assignments are due regularly. International students can check each section's details to see whether it is eligible for international student enrollment. Enrollment runs by academic term; the online certificates page notes that winter enrollment opens in November.

Online certificates

For a professional choosing executive or continuing education, the online certificates are the core product. The certificates page says "A UCLA Extension certificate offers in-depth study of a professional field," with coursework developed by industry experts that balances theory and real-world practice, giving "the knowledge you need to transform your career in less time than many traditional postgraduate degrees."

The list is long. In accounting and finance: Accounting, Accounting Fundamentals, Finance, Internal Audit, Personal Financial Planning (including an accelerated online version), Pre-MBA and Taxation. In business and management: Business Analysis, Business Fundamentals, Digital Marketing, Enterprise Risk Management, General Business Studies with concentrations in Entrepreneurship, Marketing or Real Estate, Human Resources Management, International Trade and Commerce, Marketing, Project Management and Strategic Branding and Public Relations. In digital technology: Applications Programming, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Database Management, GIS and Geospatial Technology and Systems Analysis. Education certificates include College Counseling, three Early Childhood Education certificates and Teaching English to Learners of Other Languages (TESOL). Engineering covers Construction Management, Contract Management, Medical Device Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering, Blockchain Technology Management and Plumbing Systems Design. There are also certificates in journalism, photography, user experience, paralegal studies, sustainability, infection prevention and control, horticulture and interior design.

Certificate students get what the page calls exclusive UCLA benefits: workshops, networking events, career advising and job search resources, under the heading "Once a Bruin, Always a Bruin." Graduates receive access to the UCLA Alumni Association.

Programs for organizations and other pathways

The Certificates and Programs menu adds several routes beyond individual certificates: Custom and Corporate Training for organizations, the Technical Management Program (TMP), the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a Pathway Program and UC Excelerator. Complimentary courses and seminars run under the UCLAxOpen name, which the home page describes as "complimentary online courses and seminars designed for timely, lifelong learning." Learners aiming at a degree can take Transfer Credit Courses, and the site has guides on course numbers and transferability and on concurrent and cross enrollment.

Writing and entertainment

The Writing department shows how deep a single subject can go. The screenwriting course list is filtered by beginning, intermediate and advanced feature film and television writing. Feature Film I opens "a four-course sequence," teaching how to write a screenplay by developing a compelling story and a feature film script outline; Feature Film II to IV take the writer through Act I, a large part of Act II and a finished draft with revision tactics. Those four are offered live online, online and in person. Experienced writers continue with Feature Film V, VI and a rewrite workshop, and a Feature Film Writing Conservatory takes a script from concept to completion with weeks devoted to professional development.

Specialist courses round it out: Anatomy of a Pilot, Creating a Pitch Document, Crafting Powerful Dialogue, Comics and Graphic Novels I, Developing Video Game Narratives, Creating Immersive Audio Stories for narrative podcasts, and Career Planning for Screenwriters, which offers tips on finding managers and agents. From Idea to Script in 11 Weeks is aimed at experienced, motivated writers completing a first draft. Related certificates include Feature Film Writing, Television Writing, Screenwriting: Film and TV Comprehensive, Film and TV Development and Producing.

Instructors, money and support

The join-our-team page describes instructors as people who "share your experience and transfer your knowledge" to "the next generation of professionals in your field," with support and training in evidence-based teaching strategies. The home page features an alumna, the journalist Michelle Fisher, who returned to teach.

The course and certificate listings show no fees. The site's How to Enroll menu links to Financial Aid, Scholarships and Discounts, an academic term calendar and a guide to dropping, transferring or withdrawing. Student resources include enrollment support, transcripts, credits and grades, a Career Success Hub, international student support and graduation information. The home page also highlights a collaboration with the SoLa Foundation offering tuition-free university courses in South Los Angeles.

Who it suits

UCLA Extension suits a working professional who wants a UCLA certificate in a practical field, from accounting or project management to data science or TESOL, and wants to choose between classroom, Zoom and self-paced online study. Career changers get a structured route through a certificate plus career advising, and aspiring screenwriters get a full sequence from first outline to finished, rewritten script. Organizations can turn to custom and corporate training.

Learners should check each section's format, start date and international eligibility before enrolling, since live online and in-person sections run on fixed schedules.