UC Berkeley Extension

What UC Berkeley Extension does

UC Berkeley Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Berkeley, founded in 1891 and operating as a fully self-supporting unit that receives no funding from the University or the State of California. It delivers roughly 1,500 courses annually to about 35,000 enrollments, spanning certificate programs (Project Management, Data Analysis, Business Process Management, Data Science, Software Development) and standalone individual courses across ten academic areas including business, technology, behavioral health, art and design, education, sciences, and humanities. Target students are working professionals, career changers, international students on F-1/J-1 visas, UC alumni, and adults facing educational barriers.

The core technology stack is the Canvas learning management system for online course delivery combined with Zoom for synchronous live sessions. Three online formats — Live Online, Fixed-Date, and Start Anytime — complement classroom instruction at four Bay Area locations (Berkeley Golden Bear Center, downtown San Francisco, Fremont/Ohlone College, Oakland/Merritt College). WASC accreditation through UC Berkeley provides academic recognition and credit transferability; PMI Authorized Training Partner status enables PDU issuance for the Project Management certificate.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from individual course tuition (typically $1,000-$1,050 per course) and certificate program registration ($50-$200 nonrefundable fees, with program totals ranging from $2,200 to $5,970). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer self-service enrollment through extension.berkeley.edu with no application required for most courses, supported by a multi-channel presence (website, Voices blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, Medium, WeChat, virtual information sessions, email). The Berkeley Global sub-brand handles international visa-bearing students, and the UC Excelerator scholarship program extends access to adults facing educational barriers.

Name

UC Berkeley Extension

Legal name

UC Berkeley Extension

Website

https://extension.berkeley.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UC Berkeley Extension is the continuing education division of UC Berkeley, delivering roughly 1,500 courses annually to 35,000 enrollments of working professionals, career changers, and international students via certificate programs, individual courses, and the Berkeley Global international sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB), Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Continuing education
• Professional certificates
• Online learning
• Career advancement
• University extension programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from individual course fees charged at enrollment. Course fees vary by program area and course length. Students pay per course at time of enrollment.
2. Program Registration Fees: Nonrefundable registration fees for certificate programs ranging from $50-$200 depending on program.
3. Self-Supporting Model: Completely self-supporting organization receiving no funding from the University or State of California. Relies entirely on course fees and contributions from individuals and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

UC Berkeley Extension delivers continuing and professional education through professional certificate programs (Project Management, Data Analysis, Business Process Management, Data Science, Software Development) and individual courses across 10 academic areas. Programs are delivered in classroom, Live Online, Fixed-Date, and Start Anytime formats, supported by the Canvas learning management system. Tuition is charged per course at enrollment, with nonrefundable registration fees for certificate programs.

Product overview

UC Berkeley Extension is the continuing education division of UC Berkeley, offering a portfolio of professional certificate programs and individual online courses delivered through Canvas LMS. The core offerings include structured certificate programs (Project Management, Data Analysis, Business Process Management, Data Science, Software Development) requiring multiple courses totaling 4-12 semester units, alongside standalone individual courses. Berkeley Global serves as the international programs sub-brand for visa-holding international students. The institution also operates the UC Excelerator scholarship program. All programs combine theory with practical skills for career advancement, offered in classroom, live online, fixed-date, and start-anytime formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berkeley Global: International programs division of UC Berkeley Extension offering visiting-student programs, professional diploma programs, and academic programs for international students studying in the U.S.
• UC Excelerator

Products and services

• Professional Program in Project Management A professional certificate program requiring 5 courses for 10 semester units, covering project management principles, Agile methodologies, stakeholder management, and PMP exam preparation, for working professionals seeking the PMP credential. Estimated cost is $5,400 plus a $100 nonrefundable registration fee and course materials.
• Professional Program in Data Analysis A flexible professional certificate program requiring 4 courses for 8 semester units focused on SQL, R, Python, data visualization, and statistical methods, completable in one year fully online. Estimated cost is $4,000 plus a $200 registration fee.
• Professional Program in Business Process Management A professional certificate program requiring 4 semester units (minimum 2 courses) focused on optimizing business processes using IT and management theories, including design, modeling, execution, monitoring, and optimization. Estimated cost is $2,200 plus a $50 registration fee.
• Program in Data Science An online professional program requiring 5 courses for 10 semester units covering machine learning, deep learning, Python, statistics, and big data, including an optional capstone. Estimated cost is $5,100.
• Program in Software Development A comprehensive software development program requiring 6 courses for 12 semester units covering programming (Java, Python), databases, front-end and back-end development, cloud computing, DevOps, and security, completable in 1-3 years fully online. Estimated cost is $5,970.
• Individual Online Courses Standalone continuing-education courses including Project Management, Introduction to Data Analytics, SQL, Databases, Data Visualization, Python for Data Analysis, R for Data Analysis, Data Warehousing, and AI Foundations, offered in Live Online, Fixed-Date, and Start-Anytime formats with no application required.
• Berkeley Global International Programs International programs sub-brand offering visiting-student programs for F-1 and J-1 visa holders, including Berkeley Global Access (semester/academic-year study abroad), professional diploma programs (Business Administration, Data Analysis, Entrepreneurship), and online courses.
• UC Excelerator Scholarship Program Scholarship program funded by Professor Scott Galloway that covers full course fees for eligible adult learners pursuing data analytics, project management, business administration, or construction management coursework, plus academic advising and professional development workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000 enrollments per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Project Management Institute (PMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley Extension is a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP), approved to offer training on courses that provide PDUs (Professional Development Units) for eligibility to sit for the PMP exam. Instructors possess PMP and PMP/ACP credentials.
• Data Analytics Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry advisory board including professionals from Pinterest, MapR Technologies, WalmartLabs, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Notable, Syntegra, and independent practitioners who provide guidance on curriculum and industry needs.
• Software Development Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry advisory board including professionals from Sift, Marqeta, Twilio, and other technology companies providing guidance on software development curriculum and industry trends.
• Ohlone CollegeminorOthersClassroom facilities partnership at Ohlone College in Fremont for extension courses.
• Merritt CollegeminorOthersClassroom facilities partnership at Merritt College in Oakland for extension courses.
• Canvas Learning Management SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline learning platform powering all online courses, offering interactive video lectures, discussion forums, readings, and 24/7 access to messaging, assignments, and technical support.
• Zoom Video ConferencingcoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo conferencing platform used for live online course sessions in Pacific Time zone.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Extension School: The continuing and professional education division of Harvard University, offering certificate, degree, and online programs to working professionals. Directly comparable as a peer-elite-university extension school competing for the same self-funded professional learner.
• Stanford Continuing Studies: Stanford's professional and lifelong learning arm offering certificates, online courses, and on-campus programs. Comparable as a top-tier public-adjacent university extension competing for Bay Area professionals and global online learners.
• UCLA Extension: The continuing education division of UCLA, the other flagship University of California campus. Directly competes with UC Berkeley Extension for California-based professionals and international F-1 students within the same UC system.
• Columbia University School of Professional Studies: Columbia's professional education arm offering certificates and master's programs. Comparable as an Ivy League-branded continuing education provider with global online reach.
• NYU School of Professional Studies: NYU's division delivering professional certificates, degrees, and short courses to working professionals. Comparable model of a major private university monetizing continuing education with similar certificate-and-online mix.
• MIT Professional Education: MIT's professional education arm offering short courses, certificates, and custom programs for industry professionals. Comparable as a top STEM university continuing-ed brand competing in technology and data-related certificate programs.

Emerging players

• General Assembly: Bootcamp-style training provider in technology, data, and business (now part of Adecco). Competes with Extension's Project Management, Data Analysis, and Software Development certificates through shorter, more intensive formats.
• Emeritus: Online professional education company partnering with top universities (including Columbia, MIT, Northwestern) to deliver certificate programs globally. Competes directly with Extension's online certificate portfolio and international reach.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Largest online learning platform partnering with universities (including some UC Berkeley content) to deliver professional certificates. Competes for the same professional upskilling wallet share but at dramatically lower price points and broader scale.
• edX: Major MOOC platform founded by Harvard and MIT, now owned by 2U. Delivers university-branded professional certificates online at lower cost, directly overlapping with Extension's online certificate offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UCBerkeleyExt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC20sZe5RHww1skkZmDdHC-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/UC-Berkeley-Extension/246684998518
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ucberkeleyextension
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucberkeleyext

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UC Berkeley Extension