Prepare to become an independent college admissions consultant
This program can be completed fully online.
You can finish the curriculum in 1 year.
Through this program, you will learn best practices in the field of college admissions advising, including identifying available resources and how to effectively evaluate them. Within this context, you will obtain knowledge to:
Upon successful completion of the program, you will know how to:
Imagine what your next couple of semesters could look like:
Enrollment in individual courses is open to anyone who meets the stated prerequisites.
Participants in the Professional Program in College Admissions Consulting must have earned at least a bachelor's degree (B.A.) or equivalent at an accredited institution.
For students whose native language is not English, it is recommended that you achieve a minimum level of English proficiency. For example, if you achieved a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80, a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, a minimum of 115 with the Duolingo English Test, or have previously taken and successfully completed courses taught in English, you may be more confident in your ability to succeed in a UC Berkeley Extension course. You do not need to submit test scores.
The curriculum consists of 4 required courses for a total of 14 semester units (202 hours of instruction). This program can be completed in 1 year. Candidates must pay a nonrefundable registration fee.
All courses must be taken for a letter grade. To receive the Award of Completion, you must complete each course with a grade of C or better. All coursework must be completed within three years.
Courses in this program are provided in two different course formats: fixed date online and live online. Specifically, EDUC X369.3 Foundations of College Admissions Advising, EDUC X369.4 Strategies for College Admissions Advising and EDUC X371 Business in Independent Educational Consulting are all fixed date online formats. EDUC X372 Practicum in Independent Educational Consultancy is live online with four required live online meetings, typically scheduled from 6–9 pm PT. Learn more about these two course formats.
By registering, you declare your intention to complete the curriculum. You should register for the program after you complete the first course in the curriculum. To register online for the Professional Program in College Admissions Consulting, complete these two steps:
Evidence of a bachelor's degree is required of all new applicants. Once you register for the program, have your undergraduate (or graduate) institution send official e-transcripts to extension-education@berkeley.edu. We cannot accept forwarded PDFs from students.
All non-U.S. transcripts must be accompanied by a foreign transcript evaluation. The most basic evaluation is sufficient; there is no need for the class-by-class report.
It is not necessary to send your transcript and registration fee if you are enrolling in an individual course.
Each course is priced individually, and you pay the course fee at the time of enrollment. The program has an estimated total cost of $4,850 (not including course materials or one-time registration fee). Course fees are subject to change.
Once you have completed the coursework, notify UC Berkeley Extension that you have completed the curriculum and request your Award of Completion. Send an email to extension-education@berkeley.edu. After your records have been reviewed, verified and approved (usually within two to three weeks), your Award of Completion will be mailed to you.
For school counselors who want to demonstrate their knowledge in college admissions advising, you may visit the Professional Program in College Admissions Advising in Schools.
UC Berkeley Extension's Professional Program in College Admissions Consulting offers IECA members (professional, associate and student) a 10-percent discount on all required courses, including: Foundations of College Admissions Advising, Strategies for College Admissions Advising, The Business of Independent Educational Consulting and Practicum in Independent Educational Consulting.
For more information or help with registration with the discount, please email IECA's general membership at membership@iecaonline.com.
The Professional Program in College Admissions Consulting meets the requirements for membership for the following organizations:
Prospective and current students are welcome to join our UC Berkeley Extension College Admissions Advising Professional Network on LinkedIn. We will post periodic announcements about our programs, courses and instructors, and about any job or volunteer opportunities from outside organizations that might interest our students.
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