Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom is pointing to the University of California’s new UC Degree Plus Program as an early sign that students are looking for more direct pathways between the classroom and the workplace.
Launched in 2025, the two-year pilot is available at no additional cost to students at UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. It pairs a UC bachelor’s degree with skills-based certificates and paid internships, giving undergraduates a stronger bridge into a job market being reshaped by technology, regional industry needs and fast-moving economic change.
The program is expected to serve 480 students across the two campuses from 2025 through 2027. State officials say demand is already strong, reflecting a broader interest in career-readiness training that goes beyond traditional degree requirements…