UC vs Cal State systems?
 

What is the difference between the UC system and the Cal State system? Did one of them used to be teachers' colleges?

well the state colleges in massachusetts have lower standards for admission. This could be true for California.

UC has higher admissions standards and, honestly, a better reputation education wise.

CSU system isn't bad or anything, except many of them are known as party schools, like mine.

Which is kinda true. We can outparty UCSD any day!

Speaking from a limited perspective, CSUs are more oriented toward providing a practical, hands-on education, whereas the UCs aim to provide a more theoretical background.

http://www.universityofcalifornia.ed...c/mission.html
University of California's Mission

The University's fundamental missions are teaching, research and public service.

Mission Statement

We teach - educating students at all levels, from undergraduate to the most advanced graduate level. Undergraduate programs are available to all eligible California high-school graduates and community college transfer students who wish to attend the University of California.

Instructional programs at the undergraduate level transmit knowledge and skills to students. At the graduate level, students experience with their instructors the processes of developing and testing new hypotheses and fresh interpretations of knowledge. Education for professional careers, grounded in understanding of relevant sciences, literature and research methods, provides individuals with the tools to continue intellectual development over a lifetime and to contribute to the needs of a changing society.

Through our academic programs, UC helps create an educated workforce that keeps the California economy competitive. And, through University Extension, with a half-million enrollments annually, UC provides continuing education for Californians to improve their job skills and enhance the quality of their lives.

We do research - by some of the world's best researchers and brightest students in hundreds of disciplines at its campuses, national laboratories, medical centers and other research facilities around the state. UC provides a unique environment in which leading scholars and promising students strive together to expand fundamental knowledge of human nature, society, and the natural world. Its basic research programs yield a multitude of benefits for California: billions of tax dollars, economic growth through the creation of new products, technologies, jobs, companies and even new industries, agricultural productivity, advances in health care, improvements in the quality of life. UC's research has been vital in the establishment of the Internet and the semiconductor, software and biotechnology industries in California, making substantial economic and social contributions.

We provide public service, which dates back to UC's origins as a land grant institution in the 1860s. Today, through its public service programs and industry partnerships, UC disseminates research results and translates scientific discoveries into practical knowledge and technological innovations that benefit California and the nation.

UC's agricultural extension programs serve hundreds of thousands of Californians in every county in the state.

Open to all Californians, UC's libraries, museums, performing arts spaces, gardens and science centers are valuable public resources and community gathering places.

The University's active involvement in public-school partnerships and professional development institutes help strengthen the expertise of teachers and the academic achievement of students in communities throughout California.

*************************************************
http://www.calstate.edu/PA/info/mission.shtml
The Mission of the California State University

(as adopted by the Board of Trustees November 1985)

I. The mission of the California State University is:


To advance and extend knowledge, learning, and culture, especially throughout California.
To provide opportunities for individuals to develop intellectually, personally, and professionally.
To prepare significant numbers of educated, responsible people to contribute to California's schools, economy, culture, and future.
To encourage and provide access to an excellent education to all who are prepared for and wish to participate in collegiate study.
To offer undergraduate and graduate instruction leading to bachelor's and higher degrees in the liberal arts and sciences, the applied fields, and the professions, including the doctoral degree when authorized.
To prepare students for an international, multi-cultural society.
To provide public services that enrich the university and its communities.
II. To accomplish its mission over time and under changing conditions, the California State University:

Emphasizes quality in instruction.
Provides an environment in which scholarship, research, creative, artistic, and professional activity are valued and supported.
Stresses the importance of the liberal arts and sciences as the indispensable foundation of the baccalaureate degree.
Requires of its bachelor's degree graduates breadth of understanding, depth of knowledge, and the acquisition of such skills as will allow them to be responsible citizens in a democracy.
Requires of its advanced degree and credential recipients a depth of knowledge, completeness of understanding, and appreciation of excellence that enables them to contribute continuously to the advancement of their fields and professions.
Seeks out individuals with collegiate promise who face cultural, geographical, physical, educational, financial, or personal barriers to assist them in advancing to the highest educational levels they can reach.
Works in partnership with other California educational institutions to maximize educational opportunities for students.
Serves communities as educational, public service, cultural, and artistic centers in ways appropriate to individual campus locations and emphases.
Encourages campuses to embrace the culture and heritage of their surrounding regions as sources of individuality and strength.
Recognizes and values the distinctive history, culture, and mission of each campus.
Promotes an understanding and appreciation of the peoples, natural environment, cultures, economies, and diversity of the world.
Encourages free scholarly inquiry and protects the University as a forum for the discussion and critical examination of ideas, findings, and conclusions.
Offers degree programs in academic and applied areas that are responsive to the needs of the citizens of this state and provides for regular review of the nature and extent of these programs.
Offers or proposes to offer instruction at the doctoral level jointly with the University of California and with private institutions of postsecondary education, or independently in the field of education where the need is clearly demonstrated.



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Last Updated: February 1999

In a nutshell....
 

The requirements for admission to either system are actually very similar although the UC system might require slightly higher SAT scores, one additional year in various subjects at the high school level beyond that which is required for the CSU system, or other things to that effect. There are considerably fewer UC campuses than there are CSU campuses, which makes getting into a UC generally a little more difficult due to space restrictions if nothing else.

The CSU system does not offer any doctoral programs of any kind (although some campuses have joint efforts with other schools that do), and limited masters programs. Generally speaking, the CSU campuses focus more on hands-on training at the bachelors level than anything else. The UC system, on the other hand, focuses more on research and offers all sorts of degrees from bachelors to masters, doctorates, and professional degrees such as medicine and law. A degree at a CSU campus can prepare a student very well for further study at a UC campus or elsewhere, but a student's options within the CSU system are ultimately limited by budget restraints, space availability, and so on. It's also far easier to graduate from a UC in four years than from a CSU.

That's about it though.

Well Said!http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili.../xyxthumbs.gif

lol, yes- SDSU is known as a party school, but it is also the highest ranked CSU and most difficult to get into (behind Cal Poly SLO, but that's a diff. story :) )

Ah yes, Cal Poly, only in a perfect world would....n/m

One difference that's very noticeable is that CSU's are EVERYWHERE in Cali. UC wise there's only 4 in SoCal, 1 in Mid Cal and 4 in NorCal. Cal State's are just everywhere.

The University of California system was originally chartered by the California state legislature in 1868. In 1907, the legislature passed a law allowing local governments to establish junior colleges. The purpose of these junior colleges was to provide courses that were equivalent to collegiate curriculum at the University of California and that allowed, under a formal agreement proposed by UC faculty, transfer at the junior year to the campus at Berkeley.

In 1921 the legislature passed a law reorganizing the state's regional normal schools (teacher's colleges) into "State Teacher's Colleges." In 1923, the legislature granted those State Teacher's Colleges the right to give 4-year BA degrees. In 1935 the State Teacher's Colleges were renamed State Colleges and they were granted the right to have many different types of BA programs, not just teaching. In 1947 State Colleges were granted the right to give master's degrees. The "State Colleges" or former "teacher's colleges" became the California State University system.

There is a great page that summarizes the legislative changes to California higher education here.

So, the UCs are research universities, while the CSUs are not.

got it in a nutshell
 

Munchkin you got it in a nutshell. UC's are research and CSU's are hands on practicum (plus a lot of smaller classes at most CSU's vs the UC's)

Also, as someone else mentioned the UC's grant Doctoral Degrees while the CSU's are limited to Masters degrees as the highest they can award. However that is now changing as the CSU's are known to produce the most teachers in the state (my campus CSU Dominguez Hills being one of the top schools for Education degrees in the state). Because of the number of students graduating with degrees in education the CSU and UC's have recently implemented a program in which you can earn a Doctorate in Education at some CSU's that are working in conjunction with the UC system.

Someone mentioned that the UC's have a different admission (more difficult) standard for Freshman then the CSU's. Regarding course requirements needed in high schools the CSU's are completely in line with the UC's as to what classes are required. The CSU's require you to have an SAT or ACT score whereas the UC's don't, rather they look at the SAT IIs and AP scores, activities (I think), etc. I'm well versed in the CSU's admissions standards as I work as an Admissions Evaluator at CSUDH.

Although the UC's do tend to be ranked higher the CSU's sometimes, depending on the industry/career you want and on the program/major and the campus, you're going to sometimes the CSU's rank higher then the UCs. The MPA program I am in at CSUDH is a nationally known program for instance and has the highest accrediation ASPA can give it.

I have to disagree with SAEactive (a fellow CSU graduate) about it being easier to graduate from the UC then the CSU - 4 years vs 5 years. I think it's more the clientele the CSU serves that make the difference. A lot of the UC's are stereotypical college where you start at 18 and graduate in 4 years. the CSU profiles tend to be transfer or older students who work full time and maybe have a family which causes the time to get a degree to lenghten to 5 years. As for budget problems both the UC and CSUs are in a world of hurt with the budget proposed by the governor this year although the CSUs and UCs and definitely better off then the Community College system.

With the opening of CSU Channel Islands Fall 2002 there are 23 CSU's statewide. CSU Long Beach has moved past San Diego State as the largest (most enrolled students) with this past falls Full Time Enrollment numbers. The UC's have 9 campuses with the 10th, UC Merced, scheduled to have its first students Fall 2004.

Hope everyone has been able to answer some of your questions 33girl.

Carolyn

There are 23 CSU's and 11 UCs... indluding the new one in Merced although one UC (UC San Francisco) is strictly a medical/dental school and UC Hastings (also here in San Fran) is a law school.

Re: got it in a nutshell
 

Way off subject, but isnt your campus where they filmed part of Encino Man? I thought I read that somewhere.

whats the best uc to go to for graduate school in business?

You need to consult the rankings in business magazines, etc. At last check, I would say it is: UC-Berkeley (if you can get in....very competitive) and then UCLA (also very competitive)

I think it also depends on what emphasis you want to get your MBA in. You should just do a lot of research on all the UCs and find one that is going to suit you best.

And coming from the LA region I'll have to say that if you asked anyone around here what was the best UC school for Business everyone here would say UCLA over UC Berkeley any day. However I have a feeling if you're up in Northern Cal it is probably the other way around.

You might visit the campus's too to see what you like and where you would fit in better. Here in So. Cal. Berkeley has an image of being a "radical/liberal" school (ie hippies, protesters, etc) while UCLA has a more conservative image. Like it is with Sororities and Fraternities you just need to find the school that is going to fit you best. I mean for me I know I would love the region around Berkeley because Northern Cal has some of the most beautiful spots in the state but I definitely wouldn't be comfortable actually going to school there, even if it was the best school in the nation.

Haas at Berkeley is ranked 7th in the nation by US News & World Reports.

Anderson at UCLA is ranked 14th in the nation by USN&WR (with Yale and ahead of Cornell for all the east coast snobs).

It's interesting b/c Business Week and Forbes reverse the two and rank Anderson ahead of Haas.

UC Davis and UC Irvine are also ranked in the top 50.


What it boils down to is that getting into either Haas or Anderson is a HUGE accomplishment.

Here's a really cool site that compares the different rankings of business schools.

Thanks for all your help. Hey Im an east coast snob lol (just kidding).

And UCSB DOESN'T have a party school reputation?

The school has three winners of Nobel Prizes and "UCSB's faculty includes many elected members or fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (24), the National Academy of Sciences (22), the National Academy of Engineering (22), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (38)". In addition, UCSB is one of only "62 institutions elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities". Finally, And UCSB was named one of the 12 hottest American colleges in the Kaplan/Newsweek How to Get Into College guide for 2003.

All this and they are still known as "University of Cheap Sex and Beer" and for drunk coeds falling off the cliffs.

<please excuse the shameless plug for my alma mater ;)>

Better than the reps of San Diego State, Chico State, Long Beach?

U Can Study Buzzed will always be up there, no matter what the University does about it. I think it's a matter of opinion if LB, SD & Chico are crazier, but consider:

• Halloween in Isla Vista requires presence by the SWAT team and approximately 50 additional SB County Sheriffs
  
  There are 6 liquor stores within a 1 mile radius, and virtually every eating establishment in Isla Vista sells pitchers of beer.
  
  The off campus bookstore carries tee shirts that read 'UCSB - producing the best educated alcoholics since 1909'

Pretty sharp contrast to the academic achievements of the campus.

Well, at UCSB has some sort of academic rep as well, can;t say the same about SDSU, Chico or Long Beach.

Well, SDSu has one of the best grad schools and business schools.

wow if theres 6 liquor stores in a mile radius, i guess that it has to be a party school crazier than sdsu

HAHAHAHA!!!! I totally agree. I have been to some SJSU parties that are WAY better than CAL's

Last I checked there were 9 UC's and 22 CSU's. The number of CSU's has changed.

Yep the CSU's are up to 23 campuses now with the opening of Channel Islands (at the old Camarillo Psych Hospital) Fall 2002.

Here are the CSU campuses going from Southern to Northern Cal
1. San Diego, 2. San Marcos, 3. Fullerton, 4. Long Beach, 5. Dominguez Hills, 6. San Bernardino, 7. Cal Poly Pomona, 8. Los Angeles, 9. Northridge, 10. Channel Islands, 11. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 12. Bakersfield, 13. Monterey Bay, 14. Fresno, 15. San Jose, 16. Stanislaus, 17. San Francisco, 18. Hayward, 19. Maritime Academy, 20. Sonoma, 21. Sacramento, 22. Chico, 23. Humboldt Eventually there will be a 24th campus out in the Desert Area. Land has already been donated and/or bought and not sure which CSU it is has some satellite classes there sort of like Northridge did for years in Ventura/Oxnard area. It will be a few years before the Desert campus even breaks ground though.

Here are the UC campuses according to www.ucop.edu
1. San Diego, 2. Irvine, 3. Los Angeles, 4. Riverside, 5. Santa Barbara, 6. Santa Cruz, 7. San Francisco, 8. Berkeley, 9. Davis The 10th campus in Merced will have its first class of incoming students starting in Fall 2004.

As someone said the CSU's are everywhere in California compared to the UC's.

Re: got it in a nutshell
 

I agree about the "clientle" each system caters to. I have friends (who are actually cousins) that go to school down here in San Diego (one at UCSD, one at CSU San Marcos)...the one friend graduated in 4 years, after spending a year studying abroad, the other is going into her fifth year after transferring from a JC into CSUSM. I also agree that CSU and UC schools are a lot better off than the JC's with the budget proposed this year...I'm going to a JC right now as I get ready to apply for grad school, since I'm switching gears from my bachelor's degree, and just knowing how the price per unit is going up from about $11 to about $20 next semester is making me cringe....I'm going from paying about $66 for half-time status to about $140 for full time status next semester....not looking forward to it at all!

unfortunately imma have 2 agree wit dat..

As a junior as UC Santa Barbara and having friends at many Cal State schools, I can say with confidence that the UC system is definitely more rigorous and requires much more of it’s student than most Cal State schools. UCSB faculty continuously wins Nobel Prizes, we were just named one of the 12 hottest schools in the United States and just sold patents to fight disease in Africa. Plus the admission requirements should tell you a little sumthin’ sumthin’ too. Hmmmm

Albeit, we do party, we ALSO have an academic reputation which is growing year after year. I think that’s a lot more than CSULB, SDSU or CSU Chico can say --- and let’s not even get started with Cal State L.A….

i think it all just comes down to your major. sac state and davis have a huge rivalry when it comes to football and davis always throws the "they're a state school therefore they suck" card.

however, in my major, graphic design, a degree from sac state, cal poly, even chico state, are ranked higher than an "art media" degree from davis. (I have heard some nasty stories of davis grads coming to look for design work in sacto and getting turned down... hard.)

But i mean if you want to be a doctor or cow farmer or whatever... go to davis. :p

And to whoever posted the comment about taking 4 years at a UC and longer at a CSU... i got out in 4 years. ::shrugs::

LOL ChiDeltJen! I love Sac State - It's all about the Green and Gold (and chickens hehe).

I've also heard that Sac State's Criminal Justice, Business and Teacher Education programs aren't to shabby either.

Did someone say something about Sac State? woopwoop... seeya at Grand Slam Jen, hopefully...

You know I think it depends on your major quite a bit. I mean just because it's a UC doens't automatically make it a better school than a state school IMO. SFSU has one of the best broadcasting departments around, and Cal Poly has a general academic reputation that rivals any UC school (probably BETTER than UCR or UCI) I'm a believer that you can get a good education no matter where you go as long as you put the effort in, no matter what school you go to they're not just going to hand you a degee for doing nothing.

O.K. Coming from someone who goes to a Cal State school & has a sister who goes to a UCI, this is what I see as differences.

My classes are smaller so my professor can actually learn my name & face. I have a one on one rapport with them & can actually go to them when confused about the class or with questions.
At my sisters school, she's lucky if she gets to speak with the professors. Mostly, she'll get their assistants for everything yet the Professor gets the credit for teaching the class.

From an education perspective, I started in UC Riverside and then transferred to CSU Northridge when I changed my major and CSUN was the only school in CA that had my major...

When I was in UCR, the GE classes were HUGE...like 500-700 students!! Each class also had a 1-hour class with a T.A. who provided the assignments and reviewed the lecture material for the week and could answer our questions more personally...now mind you, UCR only had 7000 students when I went there in 1986...it's population has grown to over 25,000 students since then!!

When I transferred to CSUN, I still had GE's to finish in addition to my major classes. My largest class ever was 80 students. The professors could identify with us and the classes seemed more personable....when I transferred to CSUN, there were 30,000 students there!!! (in 1988).

From a Bachelor's student perspective, really, there's no difference between the CSU and UC systems...like any other university system, each college has strong majors and weaker majors and I always recommend students look at their major and determine their choice for colleges based on the program...like I said, CSUN is the only university in CA that has (to this day) a Bachelor's degree in my major (Deaf Studies), and is the best on the west coast...so staying in a UC wasn't practical for me...I felt more heard in the CSU system and my professors interacted more with me than the UC system...not to say that UC isn't a good system...it's great! But students need to focus on their individual needs...not what the name of their school is...

PiLove... they got rid of the chickens! :eek: :(

And CSUSigEp... I may drop by Grand Slam. Just be sure you team stays in the running long enough for me to see you all. ;) (I'm totally jokin' with you.)

[/hijack]

That's it in a nutshell. As a result, the admission criteria is higher at UC's. After undergrad, I attended a UC for grad school. Now, five years later, I'm at a Cal State. The difference is HUGE!!!

I have heard rumor , and we alll know how much wt we can put into rumor, that Cal State Northridge is being considered for upgrade to a UC school.....


it proberly isn't true but has anyone heard that?