Alternative options for nontraditional students in higher education

Today, a four-year degree is touted as the only respectable option for postsecondary training when in actuality a myriad of choices exists for students. Because of the overvaluing of degrees, over 70 percent of high school graduates now enter college. Many students are not prepared for success and flounder in college, only to exit several years later deeply in debt, without a credential, and with no viable career pathway. Alternative programs exist that can prepare students for a career in a lucrative field not requiring a degree. While we know the statistics on what type of careers are available without degrees, not enough research exists on the quality of these alternative programs, and how well they work. Therefore, in this study, I evaluate the outcomes of a specific alternative program for nontraditional students. The focus of this evaluative study is the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program at a public four-year university in California. The central question guiding this study was "What is the effectiveness, impact, professional support, and accessibility of this certificate program for nontraditional students?" Using a theoretical frame of social reproduction theory and credentialism, and a program design logic model, I utilized a survey and focus group to conduct a mixed-methods study designed to examine the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program and evaluate whether the desired outcomes of the program are being achieved and if the students' needs are being met.