UCLA Extension

I looked at UCLA's "Certificate Program in Introductory Science" description. Looks ok to me.

I have three concerns about this program. You'd want to talk to as many people at UCLA about this stuff as possible.
- The unit count seems weird - 4 unit course that meets 12 times? That's light. A 5 unit course that meets 27 times? That's better. Make sure you're taking the serious premed classes and not surveys.
- The courses with labs aren't through extension, so you're competing with all of UCLA's premeds to get into courses. What kind of registration priority do you get? At my school you'd get no help trying to get into bio through extension.
- Will you get any premed advising? Are instructors faculty and thus potential recommenders? Will you get a premed committee letter? None of these are explained.

Here's what look like Bio 1,2 - Chem 1,2 etc. equivalents to me. UCLA should be able to confirm this.

Take this if you're not ready for chemistry yet. Not required.
- Chemistry XL 2
Take this if you're not ready for calculus yet. Not required.
- Mathematics XL 1

1st year general chem (must include labs):
- Chemistry XL 14A, 14B
O-chem (must include labs):
- Chemistry XL 14C, 14D
Take this series if you're doing biochem (some med schools require it):
- Chemistry XL 153A, 153B, 153C
1st year general bio (must include labs):
- Life Sciences XL 1, 2, 3, 4 (4 might be elective)
1st year calculus:
- Mathematics XL 31A, 31B
1st year physics (must include labs):
- Physics XL 6A, 6B, 6C

Electives:
Mathematics XL 32A
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology XL 30, 40, 100, 138
Microbiology XL 6
Physics XL 10
Statistics XL 10

Best of luck to you.

Don't take your pre-med classes through UCLA Extension during the regular nighttime / weekend classes. I would recommend you take the pre-med classes through a program called "Open Doors," (also known as "concurrent enrollment"), which allows you to take these classes during daytime UCLA and competing with the regular UCLA students. UCLA Extension has the information on the "Open Doors" program. Go to the UCLA Extension page and type in "Open Doors", and you will see the information there.

I have taken several courses through regular UCLA Extension, and these are my conclusions: First of all, few of the instructors have a Ph.D. They may be mildly interested in the topic, and some may actually teach for the entire time segment, but other instructors will let you go early and not cover all the material (and then just make their tests easy). I also know that UCLA Extension pays their instructors a lower salary than other gigs: while some instructors teach for the pure joy of teaching, others think it looks impressive that they are teaching at UCLA Extension. In other words, their heart isn't necessarily into the students' education; they definitely don't do extra stuff like create web pages or use technology at all in their classes; they don't have office hours; it's hard to get in touch with them outside of class; etc. 2) There isn't an entrance requirement for the students, anybody off the street can enroll in these Extension classes. So your fellow classmates might be smart, or they might not be so smart. Since the instructors want to be rehired the following term, they create exams where this bunch of (bright + not-so-bright) students have a chance of getting decent grades. In other words, the coursework isn't necessarily academically demanding.

UCLA Extension (the nighttime / weekend courses) is a bit of a scam, in my opinion. I teach in the humanities at UCLA (regular "daytime" UCLA), and there is a general opinion among the daytime crowd about Extension that it is a money-making business. They are good at marketing themselves. For example, these certificate programs rope you in and have you take all these classes, which may be academically strong classes, or jokes. You may get halfway through the coursework, realize the classes are really lame, but there you are stuck having already paid all that money, so you continue on just to finish the certificate. And what is a certificate anyway? (another scam - it isn't a degree, like a B.S. or M.A....Just something cute to put on your résumé.)

The pros and cons of taking classes through the "Open Doors" program are: Pros: You are competing alongside regular UCLA students (those who applied and were accepted into UCLA); you receive the same instruction those college kids receive; you will be exposed to more technology, plus have access to science labs, computer labs, etc. The academic bar will be much higher and you will receive a better education. The cost (I believe) will be about the same you would pay for an Extension class (around $500 a class).

Cons: Because you are classified as "concurrent enrollment," it may be difficult actually getting into these classes. The "concurrent enrollment" students are the last on the totem pole, and you need the instructor's signature to enroll. The basic pre-med classes at UCLA are super full & overcrowded. Just like in many classes at UCLA or other big schools, you have to be proactive and assertive to get around - there probably isn't much hand-holding in the sciences (not to mention some of the basic classes could have 300 students enrolled). You have to be self-motivated and do whatever it takes to get through it all. But I am guessing you would have access to the "pre-med advising" people if you were a concurrent student.

Good luck!!

I took XL153A-C at UCLA and thought it was fine...had all UCLA profs