SAN DIEGO, CA (MAY 16, 2024) — National University (NU), — a distinguished nonprofit Minority Serving Institution that serves more than 130,000 learners annually through its degree and professional training programs and San Diego Mesa College (Mesa) — one of the largest community colleges in California, serving 20,000 students per year and offering over 200 associate degree and certificate programs today announce a renewed educational partnership to further advance a higher educational commitment to increase educational attainment opportunities for nontraditional, working and military students in San Diego.

San Diego - On October 13, 2023, San Diego Mesa College was granted provisional approval by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) to offer a Bachelor's Degree in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program. Mesa College’s innovative PTA program, which currently offers an Associate of Science (AS) degree, will be able to offer licensed physical therapist assistants the ability to enhance their clinical and leadership skills with the addition of a Baccalaureate degree program, leading to improved patient care within our community. Mesa’s first Bachelor’s degree program, Health Information Management (HIM), was fully approved in 2016.

As a new graduate of Mesa College’s Health Information Management (HIM) bachelor’s program, Vicki Dunbar celebrates an educational milestone almost 30 years in the making. While Dunbar originally intended to continue her education immediately after earning an associate degree in Health Information Technology from Cypress College in 1994, life steered her in another direction.

A pilot program allowing 15 California community colleges – including San Diego Mesa College – to offer bachelor’s degrees in critical workforce areas has been extended through July of 2026, thanks to legislation signed into law September 20 by Governor Jerry Brown.

San Diego, CA ---- San Diego Mesa College is discussed in an article published today by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The article, entitled, “More Community Colleges Are Offering Bachelor’s Degrees — And Four-Year Universities Aren’t Happy About It”, discusses the merits – and controversy – of community colleges offering four-year degrees. San Diego Mesa College will award the first baccalaureate degrees in the College’s history in May 2018.

As San Diego Mesa College’s Health Information Management (HIM) bachelor’s degree program premier junior class moves into their second semester, the program is accepting applications online until April 27 for the fall of 2017.

Workers in the field of health information looking to get higher paying jobs just got more good news. Not only can they complete a four-year degree at San Diego Mesa College at a fraction of what it costs at private institutions, but they can begin college this fall as juniors, and they can also apply for financial aid. This thanks to the Department of Education, which approved the college’s application for eligibility and certification last week.

San Diego Mesa College is now accepting applications for its first upper-division cohort in the Health Information Management (HIM) Bachelor Degree program. This cohort will enter the HIM program as juniors in fall 2016, and be a part of Mesa College’s first bachelor’s degree graduating class in May 2018. Applicants have until May 6th to apply.