FAQs about the BA program

Yes. The BA Program is a degree completion program designed for students who have already earned some college credit. To apply, prospective students are expected to have earned at least 36 quarter (24 semester) units of general education credit at an accredited institution of higher education. The formal process for evaluating previously earned units for transfer begins in the admission process. Units accepted for transfer count toward the 180 minimum required for the degree. Contact the Office of Admissions to have your transcripts evaluated and to answer any additional questions you may have.

A maximum of 135 transfer units (calculated as quarter units) can be credited toward your BA degree at AULA.

Transfer units from quarter-based systems translate directly into the same number of Antioch University units as originally earned. Transfer units from semester or trimester-based institutions are converted to quarter units using the following formulas with fractions rounded down to the nearest to half-unit: number of semester units multiplied by 1.5 = number of quarter units; number of trimester units multiplied by 1.5 = number of quarter units. AULA does not accept transfer credits for remedial, vocational, or continuing education courses. We do accept some extension courses from UCLA. Limits apply on credits for technical courses, physical education and nursing programs. Contact the Office of Admissions for more information. Our Admissions counselors would be happy review your transcripts with you in detail.

Usually Antioch University can accept units on the basis of transcript information alone, especially in cases of community colleges with which we have articulation agreements or prior experience. In exceptional cases where there the transferability of a course is in question, we ask the student to provide a catalog description or course syllabus to assist us in evaluating whether the course meets AULA’s transfer requirements.

Of the total 180 units required for the degree, at least 45 must be earned while at Antioch University. Prior learning units do not count toward the 45-unit residency requirement. At least 90 units of the 180 required for the BA degree must be earned through upper division course work, which means 300 or 400 level (junior or senior level) courses. Courses taken at the graduate level (500 and 600 level) also count toward the upper division requirement. Some of the 90 upper division units may be transferred in from other institutions.

Yes. Antioch University Los Angeles has articulation agreements with local community colleges and partner institutions. As a rule of thumb, any course that is transferrable to one of the California State Universities or University of California is transferable to Antioch. We do not accept transfer credits for remedial, vocational, or continuing education courses. We do accept some extension courses from UCLA. Limits apply on credits for technical courses, physical education and nursing programs. Our Admissions team is always happy to review your transcripts and discuss transfer options.

Yes! We have a prior learning option that assists students to document and earn credit for college-level learning that took place outside of the college classrooms and before enrollment at Antioch University Los Angeles. Prior learning units may be awarded by Antioch University with appropriate documentation evaluated by an approved expert in the field. Students may earn up to 44 credits for prior learning, depending on the number and level of transfer credits accepted. Prior learning documentation can substantially shorten the length of enrollment and the expense of the degree. These units, however, do not count toward the 45-unit minimum residency requirement.

There are several ways to learn more about Antioch University Los Angeles and the BA program.

• Contact the Office of Admissions by phone or email if you have specific questions.
• Request an information packet be sent to you that includes brochures about the BA program and general information on Antioch University as well as the application process and financial aid options.
• Attend one of our regularly scheduled Information Sessions, offered at our Culver City campus each quarter.
• Visit our campus; you can meet with the admissions staff and even sit in on a class.

Antioch University operates on the quarter system. BA program students may enter at the beginning of October for fall, January for winter, April for spring, and July for the summer quarter.

There are ten weeks of classes each quarter that fly by at lightning speed followed by a three-week break while instructors review and evaluate students’ work.

Most courses are scheduled for a three-hour session once each week at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., but we also offer about 8 or 9 one-day or two-day intensive workshops on Fridays and Saturdays each quarter.

BA classes typically have 8 - 18 students.

All incoming students are assigned to a faculty mentor within the first two weeks of enrollment, based on the student’s stated academic and professional goals. All faculty advisors are members of the BA core and affiliate faculty.

Since the BA Program is an interdisciplinary program, we do not have "majors." Instead we have areas of concentration, which are generally equivalent to majors: Liberal Studies, Business and Social Entrepreneurship, Creative Writing, Psychology, or Urban Community and Environment. A student may also craft an individualized area of concentration with the guidance of a faculty mentor. In addition to the areas of concentration listed above, you can also pursue a secondary, minor area of concentration in Child Studies or LGBT/Queer Studies.

Antioch University students demonstrate their learning through writing papers in almost all of their classes. All entering BA students complete a writing assessment during their first quarter and are placed into an academic writing course to develop their skills. The campus Math and Writing Center offers tutoring services to students at no extra charge. We emphasize writing assignments instead of tests and exams because we believe that the ability to communicate effectively in writing is one of the most valuable skills you can take away from your education.

Many students who enter Antioch describe themselves as “math phobic.” The BA program’s outstanding math instructors supported by the math tutors make sure that every student succeeds in meeting the math requirement, no matter how challenged they think they are in this domain of knowledge. All entering BA students complete a math assessment during the first quarter of study. Students who need to review basic skills complete review workbooks and may call upon the assistance of the math tutors in Antioch University's Math & Writing Center. All students are required to complete 6 units (usually two courses) in quantitative methods either through courses transferred in from other schools or through courses taken at AULA.

Antioch University's undergraduate program prepares students to pursue graduate studies in advanced degree programs nationwide. We offer fast tracks into AULA’s Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability, Master of Arts in Psychology, and into the Teacher Credentialing program that can significantly shorten the time and expense of earning a graduate degree at AULA. In addition, BA students may be eligible to take graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Organizational Management program and in the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Change program, which may be credited toward advanced standing in those programs if the student chooses to apply and is accepted.

Antioch University offers DSST/DANTES testing once each quarter. Students can take up to two tests on a given testing date. CLEP is not offered at the AULA campus. Contact the Office of Admissions for more information on upcoming dates and times. For information on local CLEP testing sites, visit the CLEP web site: http://clep.collegeboard.org/exam. More information about DSST/DANTES can be found at http://www.dantes.doded.mil/Sub%20Pages/Exams/Exams_DSST.html.

Absolutely! There are classes throughout the day and in the evening that prospective students can attend. You will need to contact the Office of Admissions for more information and to schedule a specific classroom visit. Another way to learn more about our BA completion program is to visit us at one of our regularly scheduled Information Sessions. All information sessions are held on our Culver City campus, and are scheduled several times each quarter. RSVPs are encouraged but not required, and walk-ins are welcomed!

The curriculum promotes qualities of the mind - critical thinking, effective communication, problem solving, and ethical reasoning - that equip students for a wide range of careers. And, the simple fact of having a BA degree makes you eligible for a far wider range of jobs than those who do not have degrees. Unemployment is also far lower among college-educated adults than among those with some college or with only a high school diploma. According to the US Census Bureau, Adults age 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $51,554 in 2004, while those with a high school diploma earned $28,645. The 2008 Current Population Survey shows that this wage gap is widening. Because Antioch University's curriculum emphasizes active engagement with community issues, our graduates are particularly well suited to working with community-based organizations that promote service and advocacy. A high proportion of our students also pursue graduate education to prepare them for careers in a wide variety of professional fields.

Antioch University's undergraduate program prepares students to pursue graduate studies in advanced degree programs nationwide. We offer fast tracks into AULA’s Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability, Master of Arts in Psychology, and into the Teacher Credentialing program that can significantly shorten the time and expense of earning a graduate degree at AULA. In addition, BA students may be eligible to take graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Organizational Management program and in the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Change program, which may be credited toward advanced standing in those programs if the student chooses to apply and is accepted.