If you’ve earned college credits before, you may be closer to a bachelor’s degree than you think.
The California Lutheran University Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals is made for anyone who started a college-level degree and wants to finish what they began.
Your previous credits from accredited institutions transfer in, so you pick up where you left off. We also offer evening and online classes and five start dates a year, so you don’t have to keep waiting for the right time to start.
What Is a Degree Completion Program?
A degree completion program is a bachelor’s degree for people who already have college credit. Instead of starting over, you transfer in what you’ve earned and complete what’s left.
To qualify for Cal Lutheran’s program, you’ll need at least 24 credits from an accredited institution. Many students arrive with 60 or more, which means they’re already halfway to the finish line on their first day.
Curious what that would look like for you? Give us a call at 805-521-9856. We’ll talk through your previous education and help you figure out the best way forward.
Choose From Six Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs
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You’ll Be Surrounded by People Who Want to Help You Graduate
No one walks alone here. An advisor works with you from admission through graduation, professors make it easy to speak up when life gets complicated and your classmates understand the balancing act because they’re doing it too. When you need help, you won’t have to look far or explain your situation twice.
When alumni describe their time at Cal Lutheran, they talk about the career-changing skills, but they also talk about the people. Years after their last class, many are still in touch with the professors and classmates who saw them through.
Read more about what it’s like to go back to school as an adult.
Hear From Cal Lutheran Graduates
Tony Ayala ’22
“What I see in every student that goes through the [Bachelor’s Degrees for Professionals] program is that they’re well rounded. . . . Now I have the confidence to represent my organization. This is just the beginning and I feel like I’m on top of the world right now.” — Tony Ayala, BS in Accounting and Financial Analysis Alum
You Have Questions. That’s a Good Place to Start.
Every one of our alumni started exactly where you are: looking at a website, trying to find answers to your questions. Here are some of the ones we hear most.
“Do I have time for this?”
This is one of the most common reasons why people don’t make the move they know they need to. We make finishing your degree as flexible as possible.
The pace is built around a fulfilling life instead of punishing one. You can complete the entire course asynchronously without ever logging in at a set time, or you can join an optional weekly live session with your faculty and classmates when you want the real-time connection. These live sessions take place in the evenings.
“Am I going to be the only one in my class who’s returning to school?”
You’ll be in good company. Your classmates are managers, parents, veterans, career changers, caregivers and business owners, most of them returning to school after time away. Their work and life experience make valuable contributions to class discussions, and your own experiences will be just as welcome.
“Do my instructors get it?”
Yes. The professors here choose to teach working adults, and they treat you like a colleague. They don’t expect perfection, but they do expect you to show up and do the work. They make sure you’re comfortable asking for help when you need it, and give you the space you need to work independently when you want it.
“Is this degree really worth it?”
We think so. A bachelor’s degree is still the credential that many promotions, career changes and graduate programs request or require, and finishing one you’ve already started is the most direct way to earn it.
There are numbers to back that up. The median average salary in the United States in 2025-2026 for jobs requiring a high school diploma or GED was $45,500. For jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, that average salary jumps to $97,200, a 116% increase. There were also more than 2.5 million unique job postings.
Plus, in 2025 the Carnegie Classification named Cal Lutheran an Opportunity College and University, a designation earned by only 16% of American colleges and universities. It marks schools where students from underrepresented backgrounds both gain access and go on to higher earnings after graduation.
Find out more about how a bachelor’s degree benefits non-traditional students.
You probably have questions of your own beyond these. Our enrollment specialists know these programs inside and out, and they’ll give you a realistic picture of what to expect when completing your degree. Call 805-521-9856. You’ll be glad you did.
Request Information
To learn more about the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals offered by the Cal Lutheran School for Professional and Continuing Studies and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-521-9856.
