Off-Campus Degree Programs for Midcareer Professionals

Off-campus, regional degree programs offered by California State University, Northridge (CSUN) through The Tseng College increase the university's responsiveness to requests for academic programs from individuals and organizations throughout the region who are unable to commit to study at the main CSUN campus.

Off-campus programs give CSUN the ability to respond to educational needs at various locations.

Off-campus programs meet all CSUN accrediting standards and go through the applicable review and approval processes. All offerings are subject to the same oversight by CSUN full-time faculty as programs offered in traditional formats.

These programs are offered in a cohort (group) format, enabling CSUN to take the same program to successive cohorts at other locations in response to local needs.

Learn as a Group

CSUN's off-campus, cohort-based degree programs are planned and scheduled for midcareer adults who are studying part-time while working and/or fulfilling family responsibilities.
In the cohort format students begin each program as a group and move through a predetermined sequence of courses together. This format allows courses to be integrated so knowledge acquired in one course is built upon in those that follow.
In a cohort program, faculty members know exactly which courses students have taken and in what order, allowing faculty to plan and teach in ways that build on prior learning.
Cohort students are guaranteed all courses in the degree program for the life of the cohort.
The "community of learning" that is created among cohort members and faculty typically increases student retention and speeds the time to successful degree completion.

See What Is Cohort-Based Programming for details.

Accreditation

California State University, Northridge is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. In California, CSUN is accredited by the State Board of Education. Additionally, many professional degree programs are accredited by national societies and associations.
In a comprehensive assessment, an accreditation team from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) noted that California State University, Northridge "continues to provide exceptional quality education to students of the San Fernando Valley and beyond. The university stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."

Instructional Excellence

Working with the relevant academic departments, The Tseng College selects the most accomplished instructors for each program. Tseng College programs are taught by CSUN faculty with experience working with midcareer professionals, equally accomplished faculty from sister institutions, established authors, and widely recognized practitioners.