SBCC and Brandman University Ink Early Advantage Partnership

Santa Barbara City College announced today that it will sign an Early Advantage Partnership (EAP) with Brandman University, a fully accredited adult university within the Chapman University System (ranked among the top colleges by U.S. News and World Report), on Wednesday, August 25. The signing presentation will begin at 10 a.m. at SBCC’s Luria Conference and Press Center overlooking La Playa Stadium.

By enrolling in Brandman’s EAP program, students at Santa Barbara City College will be admitted to Brandman University’s Santa Maria campus while still attending SBCC and taking transferable coursework in the following programs: Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Development, Legal Studies, Liberal Studies, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, Social Science, and Sociology. The EAP program also includes Brandman’s new Bachelor’s in Business Administration degree offered online and at the Santa Maria campus.

“Agreements such as this one with Brandman help ensure a seamless transition for interested students and help them stay focused on the courses they need in order to complete their education at both the community college and university levels.”
— Andreea Serban, SBCC Superintendent/President

In addition, these enrolled SBCC students will have access to Brandman’s enhanced cooperative academic and student services including advising services, information sessions, technology support, and educational plans. The arrangement will also allow students to lock in their academic catalog giving them the ability to transfer all completed coursework as outlined in the agreement. Brandman University will waive all application fees for students participating in the EAP program.

“Transferring to a four-year university is the educational goal of a large number of Santa Barbara City College students,” said Dr. Andreea Serban, SBCC superintendent/president. “Agreements such as this one with Brandman help ensure a seamless transition for interested students and help them stay focused on the courses they need in order to complete their education at both the community college and university levels.”

“Brandman University establishes Early Advantage Partnership agreements with community colleges like Santa Barbara City College to provide students with a clearly defined path to pursue their higher education,” said Gary Brahm, chancellor of Brandman University. “These types of partnerships between community colleges and Brandman University will continue to play an important role in students pursuing their educational goals at a time when the economic crisis is forcing the California State University and University of California systems to limit enrollments.”

Santa Barbara City College students can apply for the program after they have fulfilled 12 transferable credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher from all colleges previously attended. Students can transfer to Brandman University anytime up to one year after their last term of attendance at Santa Barbara City College. Transcripts from all previous colleges attended must be submitted with the application to verify GPA eligibility.

Brandman University, formerly Chapman University College, is a nonprofit adult education university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The university focuses on meeting the unique needs of more than 10,000 working students served online and through 25 campuses in California and Washington. Brandman is part of the Chapman University system and provides more than 200 degrees, credentials, certificates, and professional development programs. For more information, visit brandman.edu.

Santa Barbara City College is a premier community college serving the South Coast of Santa Barbara County. Established in 1909, SBCC is among the oldest of the state’s 112 community colleges. The college has a wide range of associate degree and certificate programs, as well as transfer programs that provide the first two years of study toward the baccalaureate degree. SBCC currently enrolls more than 20,500 credit students each semester. For more information, visit sbcc.edu.