UCSC Silicon Valley Extension — Attraction in Santa Clara

I am a Registered Nurse and I wanted to get into Research and Clinical Trials while I was completing my Bachelors Degree. I saw the program at UCSC and before I graduated with my Bachelors degree, I started taking the classes for Clinical Trials. I completed the ones I took while working full time, days. The courses were definitely challenging, especially Dr. Rozen's Drugs and Development class (I think that is what is was called). My only C in 'college'. Most of the people in the program were already in the industry or had various other degrees trying to get into the industry. Chemists. Engineers. Attorneys. Nurses. Biologists. Not any undergrads except for me as far as I could tell. Lots of long hours and collaboration, mostly didactic. Tons of studying and many exams. I totally loved the course, but I never did complete the whole certification process through UCSC because after I got a job in Clinical Trials, following 7 years in the Critical Care Units, my employer sent me to classes sponsored by our Research arm of the company and I qualified to take the exam and became a CCRC! I managed several different types of trials, drug development phase 3, phase 4, device studies phase 3 and 4 as well as several smaller studies including one that I presented to our own IRB and got $30,000.00 in funding from my employer! I have to say that the program does support you. It is taught by people in the industry and they keep in touch with you, encouraging you to go on to complete the program. They had many contacts in the industry that they were willing to share. I was probably one of the few who paid my own way. There were, of course, some people looking for a new industry and were not currently working who dove in and just got everything done in a few semesters. I fitted it in between the hours I worked by going to all of my classes at night. It was so convenient because at the time, the courses for this program were held in Cupertino. Now they are in Sunnyvale, I think, which is also very convenient. I highly recommend...

I recently completed the curriculum for the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) certification. I had decided to go with the UCSC Extension program for several reasons, including the opportunities for in class discussions, getting to know others pursuing similar interests, and the discipline and accountability that comes with an in-class experience.

I found the program to be an excellent learning experience from beginning to end. I had the opportunity to learn from and get to know many fantastic instructors, and to become acquainted with and to collaborate with a very diverse and interesting group of other aspiring CFP students. The classroom discussions were thought-provoking and interesting, and the 8 classes went by very quickly. An added bonus has been the many great opportunities to hear from CFP professionals in the Bay Area through the CFP Student Forum program.

I am very happy that I chose the UCSC program. I highly recommend it to others who are considering a CFP career, and to those who would simply like to learn more about personal...

The classes and programs are great. I've had a couple of classes which I found to not be as useful but overall, if you are getting a certificate or completing a program, it is a great way to get skills and be competitive in your field. Like with anything, it depends on how much time and effort you can put into it. You can't just take a few classes here and there or just attend class once a week and not do the assignments and think you will succeed. You also should work with a program manager and discuss which classes you need to reach your goals. It's a great environment with solid industry instructors. The also have free wifi and break room and it's a great place to network. It would be nice if they had child care available for...