IN THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY

When you’re ready to learn new skills for a job promotion, shift your focus to a new industry entirely, or explore the latest Silicon Valley best practices in a given field, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension will help you get there.

We are a nonprofit educator focused on providing relevant workforce skills to people interested in improving their career options. Many of our students are professionals with college degrees but need to update their skills to meet changing workforce demands.

Our beautiful campus building, surrounded by many of the top global industry leaders, such as Nvidia, Yahoo, Cisco, Erickson, and (soon) Amazon, is just across the street from Santa Clara Square, a Whole Foods Market, and several restaurants and retail establishments.

AFFORDABILITY

As a student, you are invited to take a single course, pursue a particular topic series, or dive into one of our internationally respected certificate programs. Whatever path you choose, you are able to pay as you go. No other upfront expense is necessary beyond your current course load.

UC-VETTED & WASC-ACCREDITED

We offer more than 30 credential and award programs in bioscience, business, education, law, and technology. Our courses are vetted and approved by UC Santa Cruz. We are also accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASUC), a regional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Our experienced instructors are working Silicon Valley professionals who understand the unique Silicon Valley culture and the latest workforce trends. Students benefit from skills training that is inventive, current, and, above all, practical. It is designed to help you quickly build technical skills on the job as you learn, as well as critical soft skills practice such as networking, collaboration, and job search preparation.

DESIGNED FOR WORKING PROFESSIONALS

Our courses are often taught evenings and weekends and in a variety of formats—from classroom to online, hybrid, and flexible—to meet the needs of working professionals in the region.

INTERNATIONAL: EDUCATION VISAS

UCSC Extension is authorized to issue I-20 forms for initial entry, transfer, reinstatement, and change of status applications for international students. After you complete your studies, you can gain work experience in a relevant company by applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT), extending your visa with a year of work experience in Silicon Valley.

A LEGACY • A FUTURE

No other accredited Silicon Valley educational institution has focused on workforce development as long as UCSC Extension.

We have a proven track record and we will be here for your future. Unlike the many new highly leveraged, investment-backed for-profit online educators, we are almost entirely funded by student fees and we are here to stay. We are here to give you the skills you need to succeed in each step of your career—from the newly graduated to the working professional and the lifelong learner.