California Southern University

For-profit university in Chandler, Arizona, US

Not to be confused with the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California).

California Southern University

Motto| Cognitio Vincet Omne

Motto in English

| Knowledge conquers all
Type| Private for-profit online university
Established| 1978
Accreditation| HLC
Chancellor| John Kline
President| Sunitha Araamudhu
Students| 10,997
Undergraduates| 6,830
Postgraduates| 4,167
Location|

Chandler

Arizona

United States

33°10′58″N 111°30′15″W﻿ / ﻿33.18272700°N 111.50417840°W﻿ / 33.18272700; -111.50417840
Website| www.calsouthern.edu

California Southern University is a private for-profit online university in Chandler, Arizona. It is part of the American InterContinental University System.[1] It offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. The university is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation, publicly traded on the NASDAQ under PRDO and formerly known as Career Education Corporation (CEC).[2]

## History

[edit]

The university was established in California on December 27, 1978, by Donald Hecht as a traditional correspondence school and received its initial approval to offer degree programs from the California Department of Education. It originally offered associate level programs, then expanded to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. During the 1990s, the university added distance learning programs in the fields of business, psychology and law.[3] The university is now recognized as an online degree granting institution.

Until June 2007, the university was known as the Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS) and was located in Anaheim, California.[4]

On July 1, 2020, Christina Villanueva issued a Citation and Order of Abatement in her official capacity as Discipline Manager of the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, a unit of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. On October 29, 2019, bureau staff conducted an unannounced compliance inspection at the school. Staff of the university were unable to access the supporting documentation for the 2016–2017 School Performance Fact Sheet (SPFS) as well as the documentation for the 2019 3rd quarter Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) Assessment Reporting Form.[5]

In 2022, the university was acquired by Perdoceo Education Corporation for $40 million and merged this acquisition into American InterContinental University as a branch campus joining the American InterContinental University System.[6]

The university was regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) before being acquired by Perdoceo Education Corporation.[7] CalSouthern was officially granted institutional accreditation under the American InterContinental University System by the Higher Learning Commission on July 5, 2022.[8] The university closed its Irvine and Costa Mesa, California locations as part of the merger with American InterContinental University and opened their main office in Chandler, Arizona by late 2022.[9]

California Southern does not accept applications from residents of Massachusetts and New York.[10]

## Academics

[edit]

California Southern University offers bachelor's, master's, and professional doctorate degrees entirely online.[11] The California Southern School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).[12] The California Southern School of Nursing's baccalaureate and master's degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).[13]

## School of Law

[edit]

Not to be confused with California Southern Law School (Riverside, California), or Southern California Institute of Law (Santa Barbara, California).

California Southern University
School of Law

Established| 1994[14]
School type| Private correspondence law school
Location| Costa Mesa, California, USA
Faculty| 18
Bar pass rate| 7% (1/14) in February 2020 [15]
Website| www.calsouthern.edu/law

The California Southern University School of Law is an unaccredited correspondence law school which offers two graduate-level degrees, the Master of Science in Law (MSL) and the Juris Doctor (J.D.). However, the university is not currently enrolling new learners in the School of Law. The school is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as a "Registered Unaccredited Correspondence Law School", which is sufficient to qualify its graduates to sit for the California Bar Examination provided they complete 864 hours of preparation (per year) and study over four years.[17] A typical JD degree at an accredited institution is three years. It is not registered with or accredited by the American Bar Association.[18]

### Bar examination pass rate

[edit]

In the February administration of the California Bar Examination in 2020, one of 14 takers passed the examination, for a pass rate of seven percent.[19] For the years 2008 through 2013, 20 graduates have taken the California Bar Examination as first-time takers; of that number, five passed the examination for a pass rate of 25 percent.[20]

### Student outcomes

[edit]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, California Southern University has a 6-year graduation rate of 17% and a 3-year default rate of 18.8 percent.[21]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Pam Blackwell \- Educator
* Clifford Mayes \- Scholar

## See also

[edit]

* List of colleges and universities in California

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Accreditation & Approvals".
2. ^ "November 2020 Actions". Veterans Education Success. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
3. ^ California Southern History – A Rich History of Pioneering history page on official site.
4. ^ Southern California University for Professional Studies website, accessed December 21, 2007
5. ^ "CITATION AND ORDER OF ABATEMENT" (PDF). Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. July 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
6. ^ "PERDOCEO EDUCATION CORPORATION". UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. December 2022.
7. ^ WASC Statement of Accreditation Status Retrieved July 18, 2015
8. ^ "June 2022 Actions:HLC". 20 September 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
9. ^ "California Southern University contact us". Retrieved 2023-12-17.
10. ^ "California Southern University". Retrieved 2024-12-17.
11. ^ "Online Accredited Graduate Degree Programs - California Southern University". www.calsouthern.edu.
12. ^ "California Southern University - Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs". acbsp.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
13. ^ "CCNE-Accredited Nursing Degree Programs". directory.ccnecommunity.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
14. ^ "CalSouthern History - California Southern University". www.calsouthern.edu.
15. ^ "General Statistics Report – February 2020 California Bar Examination" (PDF). California State Bar. 2020-06-20.
16. ^ "JD Degree - Juris Doctor Online Degree - California Southern University". www.calsouthern.edu.
17. ^ "The State Bar of California". admissions.calbar.ca.gov.
18. ^ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
19. ^ "General Statistics Report – February 2020 California Bar Examination" (PDF). California State Bar. 2020-06-20.
20. ^ "The State Bar of California". admissions.calbar.ca.gov.
21. ^ "College Navigator - California Southern University at AIU". nces.ed.gov.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Costa Mesa, California

Areas|

* South Coast Metro

Municipal government|

* Elections
* Costa Mesa Fire Department
* Costa Mesa Police Department

Primary and secondary schools|

* Newport-Mesa Unified School District
* Costa Mesa High School
* Estancia High School

Colleges and universities|

* Orange Coast College
* Whittier Law School
* Vanguard University of Southern California

Landmarks|

* Pacific Amphitheatre
* Segerstrom Center for the Arts
* South Coast Plaza
* South Coast Repertory
* Santa Ana Army Air Base (former)

Recreation|

* Orange County Fair

Media|

* OC Weekly

* v
* t
* e

Unaccredited law schools registered with the State Bar of California

Correspondence|

* American Institute of Law
* Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy
* Taft Law School

Distance learning|

* Abraham Lincoln University School of Law
* California School of Law
* Pacific Coast University School of Law
* Southern California Institute of Law

In-person|

* California Desert Trial Academy College of Law

Not accepting new students|

* San Francisco Law School

Closed|

* California Southern Law School
* New College of California School of Law
* Northrop University
* People's College of Law
* University of Northern California, Lorenzo Patiño School of Law
* University of Silicon Valley Law School
* Western Sierra Law School

Authority control databases |

* ISNI

|

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