California Community Colleges Will Add 7 New Bachelor’s Degrees

The California Community Colleges (CCC) system has approved seven new bachelor’s degree programs.

The latest degrees, announced late last month, include dental hygiene offered at Cerritos College and Fresno City College, respiratory care at Hartnell College, respiratory therapy at Los Angeles Valley College, dental hygiene administration at Taft College, automotive career education at Ventura College, and aviation maintenance at West Los Angeles College.

The additional programs bring the total number of bachelor’s degrees offered by the California Community Colleges to 31.

Of the 116 community colleges in the CCC system, 21 offer bachelor’s degrees, with programs ranging from respiratory care, dental hygiene, and health information management to automotive technology, biomanufacturing, and even mortuary science.

All four-year degrees offered by the CCC are exclusive to the system and aren’t offered at California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campuses.

The California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Degree Program began with a pilot program at 15 community colleges in 2014. In 2021, the program expanded indefinitely to include up to 30 baccalaureate degree programs in two application cycles per academic year, according to the CCC.

“Our bachelor’s degree programs will transform lives. Many students in these programs come from underrepresented communities and have circumstances that don’t allow them to relocate to continue their education at a four-year university,” interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D., said in a press release.

“By expanding the Baccalaureate Degree Program, Californians have increased access to a clear workforce pathway and career opportunities in their local communities.”