CSUSM Welcomes High School Students Into Dual Enrollment Program

Students in Vista Unified School District can now enroll in college while still in high school. The district, in partnership with Cal State San Marcos, on Friday celebrated a new dual enrollment program through which students can take college courses that earn credits toward two new undergraduate degrees at CSUSM.

As part of a unique program in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at CSUSM - Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs - students at Rancho Buena Vista High School can earn college credit, giving them an early start toward a bachelor's degree. Courses completed count toward two specialized undergraduate degrees in health and wellness designed to allow students to obtain a degree in as little as three years.

One is in public health and the other in human development with a concentration in counseling.

To kick off the program, CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt and campus leaders from Vista Unified School District held a welcoming ceremony Friday for 22 students from Rancho Buena Vista.

"I am thrilled to welcome these students to the Cougar family," Neufeldt said. "With social mobility a part of everything we do, this program is our mission in action. We want students to know they have a path to college and into a career that can transform their lives, their families and their communities."

The degrees are focused on careers and preparing students for the workforce in health and wellness. In addition to a degree, students will graduate with the requirements to obtain in-demand professional certification. Public health students will complete the requirements for a Community Health Education Specialist (CHES) certificate to work as community health educators in various settings. Human development students will complete the requirements to become a wellness coach, which qualifies them in California to provide mental health and wellness support for children and young adults. These certificates set graduates up for advanced work and higher salaries after graduation.

"I hope that these students have the opportunity to reach their potential and thrive to go into a career that not only pays them a living wage, but that they are able to live comfortably here in San Diego and that they have a job," said Cipriano Vargas, a member of the Vista Unified Board of Education and a CSUSM alumnus. "The County of San Diego needs mental behavior health workers, and this program is helping to accomplish that."

The degrees are also designed to be highly supportive of students. For example, students can receive funding in the summer to complete internships that prepare them for careers in health and wellness when they graduate. Students also progress through their courses with a cohort of fellow students, within a supportive community of expert faculty. As part of this program, CSUSM also offers specialized career advising, employer networking and guest speakers to help students find a position and start their careers upon graduation.

According to a recent San Diego Workforce Partnership report, the San Diego region needs an additional 18,500 behavioral health professionals to meet industry demands. The dual enrollment program will provide a direct pipeline to support the much-needed workforce.

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