Western Governors University (WGU) and UC Santa Barbara’s PaCE, formerly known as the UC Santa Barbara Extension, have signed an articulation agreement to offer flexible certificate-to-degree paths to support degree attainment and completion for non-traditional, students on the Central Coast.
The agreement will create seamless paths for students who want to transfer their credits to an accredited WGU bachelor’s degree program in accounting or human resource management, while minimizing credit loss.
Most students will require the completion of a certificate from PaCE, and both institutions will collaborate to support the articulation and transfer process.
The partnership also allows PaCE certificate earners to apply for specially designated scholarships valued at $2,500.
The institutions pursued collaboration based on shared student demographics, comparable tuition costs, and the alignment between WGU’s competency-based degrees and PaCE’s skills-focused, industry-aligned professional certificates.
“Partnering with WGU will give PaCE students the roadmap to a reputable and cost-effective degree, whether undergraduate or graduate,” said Sheetal Gavankar, associate dean for PaCE.
“For working professionals and non-traditional students that PaCE serves, this new partnership provides accessible education: convenient offering of classes between our institutions, practical and pragmatic courses on important subjects, and with WGU specifically, a competency-based model of education that aligns with the tenets of professional education and workforce training,” Gavankar said. “We at UCSB PaCE look forward to what the future holds for our students.”
For 75 years, PaCE has provided essential skills to students that allow them to compete in job markets. PaCE serves 20,000 domestic and international students across 2,000 courses annually, and issues more than 2,500 certificates spanning executive leadership to technology.
“By leveraging the strengths of both institutions, we can create affordable and flexible pathways that lead to a brighter future for all learners, regardless of their background or circumstances,” said Rick Benbow, WGU regional vice president.
The articulation agreement serves as another pathway for the 5.6 million Californians with some college and no degree to reach their higher education goals. WGU’s flexible, affordable, competency-based model is designed to fit into busy work and home schedules and create pathways to opportunity.
To learn more about the partnership, visit https://www.wgu.edu/partners/ucsb.html. Learn more about WGU at wgu.edu.