FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2007

CONTACT: Steve Dolan
(619) 594-5664
sdolan@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, July 5, 2007 - San Diego State University's College of Extended Studies offers a wide variety of lifelong learning classes, seminars, and certificate programs. Career advancement courses are offered in many areas of management, leadership, and quality improvement while self-enrichment courses range from astronomy to web design. Additionally, the College offers over 35 certificate programs, online courses, and many other learning opportunities. The College is organized into three divisions, including Professional Development, Extension, and the American Language Institute.

The Professional Development division is dedicated to meeting the educational, training and development needs of San Diego's business community. Through seminars and workshops on the most crucial issues facing business today, Professional Development helps companies organize, operate, and manage their businesses more efficiently. The Professional Development division's membership program allows local organizations to partner with SDSU's College of Extended Studies to receive superior career training while realizing a substantial savings on the costs of the programs.

Professional Development programs typically fall into four categories including: public programs, on-site programs, professional development online, and professional certificate programs. Public programs cover specific business practices such as lean manufacturing and broader management and leadership topics. All of the topics and courses available through public programs can be customized and presented on-site to an organization.

A range of programs is available through the College's Extension Division. Classes typically fall in the following categories: Self-enrichment classes, International Programs for Teachers, Open University, Distance Education Opportunities, Travel Study, Degree Programs for Working Adults, and Conferences and Seminars. One of the founding principles of the College of Extended Studies is to offer the community self-enrichment classes that are interesting, convenient and affordable. Subjects vary from astronomy to writing, and everything in-between. The Open University program allows San Diego residents to take regular SDSU courses without being admitted to SDSU. Open University students can earn credit toward a degree, update their professional skills, or explore a new career.

The College is committed to offering distance education courses to individuals in San Diego and across the globe. Credit and noncredit extension courses are available via the Internet. The travel study program allows students to venture out of the classroom to learn the language and culture of another country.

Special seminars are offered throughout the year. The annual SDSU Writers' Conference, held each January, is one of the largest on the West Coast, attracting hundreds of aspiring writers annually.

The American Language Institute serves as one of the largest university-based ESL (English as a Second Language) programs in the country and provides a wide array of English language training. The Institute holds classes daily for international students who come to SDSU to learn English. Also, international companies send groups of managers to learn business English in concentrated three-week sessions. ALI provides English training for companies in San Diego who employ an international workforce. It also offers an amTEFL program, which trains individuals to teach throughout the world.