An associate’s degree is an academic degree normally awarded for completing two years of lower level studies and is the first step in continuing your college education. Many associate’s degree programs lend themselves to easily transfer into a bachelor’s degree program.

It is recommended that you choose a community college near your home, as this will give you the opportunity to attend classes on-line or on campus. Although many community colleges offer on-line programs, occasionally students may be required to take exams on campus.

It is also highly recommended that you complete your AA or AS degree at a community college before you transfer to a four year school. The tuition cost at a community college is much lower than a four year school (approximately $60.00 per 3 unit class vs. $700 per 3 unit class at a four year school).

College counselors are available to meet with you at the campus of your choice. Please obtain all previous college transcripts and have them reviewed by a counselor (transcripts can be faxed and reviewed via phone with counselors).

Please note that LASD University does not review college transcripts or determine the number of courses you need to complete your degree. This is handled by college counselors and they will assist you in determining the number of courses you need to complete your associate’s degree, or to complete the general education requirements for transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) system.

All community colleges offer assessment testing. Testing schedules are usually located on the college’s website.

LASD University has established direct relationships with the following community colleges which have both PACE (an accelerated educational format for working adults) and on-line programs:

East Los Angeles College

The Progressive Adult College Education (PACE) program is a full-time college transfer program for the full-time working adults. The five semester, sixty unit, pre-selected, PACE curriculum is designed to meet the general education transfer requirements and the lower division requirements in liberal arts, teaching or business majors at the California State University, Dominguez Hills; California State University, Los Angeles; and other universities. It also provides all the courses necessary for an associate of arts degree.

The PACE student takes one or two courses at a time during an eight-week session. There are two eight-week sessions per semester; therefore the student typically completes three or four courses each semester. Eleven to thirteen units are earned per semester and 60 transferable units can be completed in five semesters and eight weeks. The courses of the PACE curriculum are pre-selected and planned as a whole set in order to satisfy the objectives listed in the previous paragraph. Attendance involves one weekday evening selected by the student, Monday through Thursday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM and six to seven scheduled Saturday conferences per eight week session. Some of the weekday evening classes are offered at the ELAC campus; some are at off-campus locations. Saturday conferences are scheduled from 8:00 AM to 5:15 PM at the ELAC campus. In addition to classroom attendance, the students are required at least 11 TBA hours per eight-week session.

If the PACE program doesn't meet with your schedule, ELAC also offers a host of on-line classes. Contact a counselor to go over your options.

Contact Karl Traber at (323) 265-8834 for questions regarding the PACE Program.

For Sworn Personnel: Questions regarding obtaining academic credit for Basic Academy training should be directed to Patrick Hauser via email at hauserp@elac.edu.

For detailed information regarding specific academy classes, please read "Obtaining Academic Credit for Academy Training."

General information can be answered on-line at www.elac.edu.

College of the Canyons

College of the Canyons offers the PACE Program. The information below was gathered from their website:

Progressive Adult College Education is a unique approach to college education for busy adults. How does it work?

Classes are accelerated. Rather than the marathon of a standard sixteen-week semester, you run hard and fast through seven- and eight-week sessions. During each session, you can complete two classes at the same time, so over a sixteen-week semester, you can complete four classes—just like a traditional-age, full-time student.

Class schedules fit your schedule. You will meet at the Canyon Country Campus five Saturdays per session and complete the remaining work via the Internet. This maximizes your flexibility while still allowing personal contact with classmates and instructors. We call this combination of on-campus and online work a hybrid format.

Classes lead to degrees you need. We offer three tracks of classes in PACE: Business Accounting, Liberal Studies, Social Science.

Classes are planned to help you achieve your goals. By taking all the classes in the PACE format, you could complete the courses you need in order to earn your Associate degree and qualify to transfer to a university. Our planned curriculum runs in a five-semester cycle, so you can start at nearly any point.

Classmates are busy adults like you. You know what you’re doing, where you’re going, and how to get there. Your classmates do, too.

In only five semesters, taking 2 courses each session, you can fulfill most requirements for your associate degree and prepare to transfer to a university.

Contact James Grossklag at (661) 362-3632 for questions regarding the PACE Program. For on-line courses, contact Renee Drake at (661) 362-3600.

General information can be answered on-line at www.canyons.edu.

West Los Angeles College

West Los Angeles Community College (WLAC) offers an online Transfer/Degree program designed to help students complete all of the General Education Requirements for transfer purposes and to satisfy the AA degree requirements. The program is on-line and accelerated, with most courses requiring eight weeks to complete. The entire program was designed to be completed in approximately eighteen months. WLAC counselors will evaluate your transcripts from other colleges with an outlook toward avoiding any duplication of effort. By accessing the WLAC website (link listed below) you can see the entire Online Transfer/Degree Program. Under Student Services you can also see the application form which you can complete on line.

NOTE: When filing your application, please indicate you are a member of the Sheriff's Department or heard about the program through LASD University.

The following is contact information for West L.A. College:

Contact Helen Young at (310) 287-4289 regarding Counseling and enrollment assistance.

Contact Patty Banday at (310) 287-4462 regarding Assessment testing.

General Information can be answered on-line at www.wlac.edu.

California Virtual Campus

The California Virtual Campus is another excellent tool available to assist you in obtaining information on on-line classes. The California Virtual Campus lists all on-line classes in California. Units from completed classes can then be transferred to the community college of your choice.

For further information regarding the California Virtual Campus, go so www.cvc.edu.

A complete list of all Community Colleges can be found on the LASD University web pages on the Department’s Intranet and Internet sites.

Southern California Community Colleges