Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
UC pilots "Degree Plus" career-readiness program at UCSB and UCSD to pair degrees with certificates and paid internships
Summary
The University of California launched a two-year pilot, Degree Plus, at UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego to combine bachelor’s degrees with professional certificates, paid internships and labor-market analytics; the pilot will serve 240 students beginning winter 2026 and seeks federal financial-aid coverage and external evaluation.
Provost Richard Newman described Degree Plus as a pilot that pairs a demanding bachelor’s degree with a professional certificate and a paid internship to strengthen career readiness. "We are asking, does this combination make a difference in hiring outcomes?" Newman said.
Two campuses will run pilot programs this year: UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. At UC Santa Barbara, Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall said the College of Engineering’s Technology Management department and the Carsey Wolf Center will help build certificates focused on how artificial intelligence is changing work. Marshall said UCSB will hire staff to create internship opportunities and leverage campus relationships that have placed students with agencies and studios including CAA, HBO and Warner Brothers, and with local employers such as Deckers and Raytheon.
At UC San Diego, Executive Vice Chancellor…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
