General Information

History

The University of La Verne was founded as Lordsburg College in 1891 by members of the Church of the Brethren, a denomination with roots in 18th century Germany, who later immigrated to Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom. Many were later drawn to California in the late 19th century by opportunities in agriculture. Mostly farmers, they valued education as a means for their children’s social mobility, and as a way to advance the values of the Church of the Brethren heritage — peaceful living, simplicity, and community.

Today, 134 years later, the University of La Verne is a Carnegie classified National Comprehensive Doctoral Granting/Community Engaged University, and federally designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. No longer affiliated with any religious group, the University’s student body is majority-minority, with over half students of color or international, who represent many or no faiths. A significant number of La Verne’s students are first-generation.

Both the College and small agricultural community were renamed La Verne in 1917. During the 1920’s and 1930’s almost three quarters of the student body studied teacher education. In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, programs of study and campus facilities multiplied, the Board of Trustees became independent of church control, and the student body became increasingly diverse as the College continued a commitment to service and a sound, values-oriented education. In the 1960’s, the college awarded its first master’s degree, and in 1979, it conferred its first doctorate.

In line with its mission of providing access to groups often excluded from higher education, La Verne began offering degree programs to adult students in 1969, first under the name School of Continuing Education and later the Regional and Online Campuses. In 1970, La Verne opened its College of Law, then reorganized as the University of La Verne in 1977, and eventually formed five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, the LaFetra College of Education, the College of Health and Community Well-Being, and the College of Law and Public Service. To better serve working adults, the University founded an Orange County campus in 1981 and a San Fernando Valley campus in 1983. To date, the University has a total of eight campuses across Southern California and has moved the College of Law and Public Service to its own campus in downtown Ontario, California.

Vision

The University of La Verne will be nationally recognized for its enriching and relevant educational experience, which prepares students to achieve more than they ever imagined.

University Mission

The University of La Verne offers a distinctive and relevant educational experience to a diverse population of traditional-age, adult, and graduate learners preparing them for successful careers and a commitment to lifelong learning across the liberal arts and professional programs.

Core Values of the University of La Verne

Ethical Reasoning

The University affirms a value system that actively supports peace with justice, respect of individuals and humanity and the health of the planet and its people. Students are reflective about personal, professional, and societal values that support professional and social responsibility.

Diversity and Inclusivity

The University supports a diverse and inclusive environment where students recognize and benefit from the life experiences and viewpoints of other students, faculty and staff.

Lifelong Learning

The University promotes intellectual curiosity and the importance of lifelong learning. It teaches students how to learn, to think critically, to be capable of original research, and to access and integrate information to prepare them for continued personal and professional growth.

Community and Civic Engagement

The University asserts a commitment to improving and enhancing local, regional and global communities.

Accreditation

The University of La Verne is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The LaFetra College of Education approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for offering credentials in several areas. The Juris Doctor Program is accredited by the State Bar of California.  The Master of Public Administration degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The Master's of Science Athletic Training Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The Legal Studies Program is approved by the American Bar Association. The Doctor of Psychology Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Questions related to the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology's accredited status should be directed to the following:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org

Memberships

The University of La Verne maintains memberships in many organizations. Among them are the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, the College Board, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the New American Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Collegiate Honors Council, and the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Regional and Online Education

In line with its mission of providing access to populations often excluded from higher education, the University of La Verne began offering degree programs to working professionals and non-traditional students in 1969, first under the name School of Continuing Education and currently the Regional and Online Campuses. The Regional and Online Campuses offer full-time and part-time bachelor degree and master degree programs at Bakersfield and College of the Canyons campuses, Point Mugu and Port Hueneme military bases, the La Verne campus and through La Verne Online.  Online, on-ground, hyflex, and hybrid course options allow students to create their own flexible schedule.   

Degree/Credential Programs Offered at Regional and Online Campuses

The table below denotes programs offered through University of La Verne Regional and Online Campuses.  This table will allow you to search by Program or Location including programs available through ULV Online.  Please note this table does not include a roster of all programs offered online, but instead notes programs delivered specifically through ULV Online.

Regional Campuses

Bakersfield Campus
10800 Stockdale Highway Ste 201
Bakersfield, CA 93311
(661) 861-6800

La Verne: Campus Accelerated Program for Adults (CAPA)
A La Verne campus program designed for working adult students. Classes are offered in the evening, daytime, online, and on weekends.

1950 Third Street
La Verne, CA 91750
(909) 448-4151
https://laverne.edu/capa

La Verne Online
​The programs listed for this campus are limited to only those run through La Verne Online; this does not include all programs offered through an online modality. Please see the La Verne Request  for Information form for a full listing of programs offered through an online modality. 

1950 Third Street
La Verne, CA 91750
(909) 448-4994
https://laverne.edu/online

Naval Base Ventura County Campus
121 N. Mugu Road
Point Mugu, CA 93042
(805) 986-6900

Santa Clarita Campus
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
University Center Suite 203
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661)-362-5876

Other Programs

Extended Learning

1950 Third Street
La Verne, CA 91750
​(909) 448-4976

Professional Development Courses
Flexible, graduate-level courses designed for K–12 educators seeking to enhance their instructional practice, advance their careers, and meet salary advancement or recertification requirements. These non-degree courses provide practical, classroom-relevant learning without the commitment of a full degree program.

*Select Regional and Online Campus programs and locations, including CAPA, are being phased out beginning Fall 2027 and are no longer enrolling new students.

Academic Organization

The University of La Verne is classified as a Carnegie Doctoral/Research Community-Engaged University. Located in Inland Southern California, the University enrolls over 8,000 students in five colleges: the College of Health and Community Well-Being, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Law and Public Service, and the LaFetra College of Education. The University of La Verne has eight regional campuses in southern California administered through the office of Regional and Online Campuses.

College of Health and Community Well-Being

Kathleen Tangenberg, Dean
Jerry Kernes, Associate Dean

The transformative initiative of our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan is the launch of a new College of Health and Community Well-Being. Graduates from this new University of La Verne college will have the training and skills to apply our core values to the healthcare workforce of the future and will meet a critical need in this region. These core values are ethical decision making, diversity and inclusion, lifelong learning, and civic and community engagement.

A number of disciplines and majors that currently exist in various colleges and units across the University of La Verne will come together this spring to form the core of the College of Health and Community Well-Being. These programs include kinesiology, athletic training, clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, child life, health administration, and various certificate programs. About 1,100 students are enrolled in these programs, studying with 34 full-time professors.

Full description: https://health.laverne.edu/

College of Arts & Sciences

Shannon Mathews, Dean
Ngoc H. Bui, Associate Dean
Gerard P. Lavatori, Associate Dean

The College of Arts and Sciences engages students in exceptional liberal arts, sciences and select professional education programs that prepares them to be reflective individuals, responsible citizens, and thoughtful professionals committed to critical inquiry, cultural responsiveness and social justice.

Full description: https://artsci.laverne.edu

College of Business

Emmeline de Pillis, Dean
Keeok Park, Associate Dean

The College of Business offers relevant and distinctive educational experiences that meet the professional and educational needs of our diverse student body and employers in the business, public and social sectors.

Full description: https://business.laverne.edu

College of Law and Public Service

Kevin S. Marshall, Dean and Professor of Law
Krystal Rodriguez-Campos, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs-Law and Director of Clinical Education
Suzanne Beaumaster, Associate Dean for Public Administration and Professor of Public Administration
Evelyn De Anda, Registrar and Director of Academic Affairs

The College of Law and Public Service offers systematic and thorough instruction in the law to prepare students to enter the legal profession.

Full description: https://law.laverne.edu/

LaFetra College of Education

MD Haque, Dean
Donna Redman, Associate Dean
Rich Whitney, Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs & Research

The LaFetra College of Education champions social equity for youth, adults, families, and communities by equipping and empowering scholarly, highly-skilled practitioners, education advocates, and leaders. The college offers programs for traditional-aged students as well as working professionals attending full or part-time. Classes can be found on our main campus in La Verne and at regional campuses throughout California. We offer a broad range of programs to prepare professional educators in a number of specialties, including child development, child life, educational leadership, elementary education, elementary, secondary and special education teaching, higher education, educational counseling, school psychology, and pupil personnel services. We are home to one of the largest and most successful programs in the country for training executive leaders through our Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. Recognized as an innovator in the development of leaders, care professionals and educators in Southern California, the LaFetra College of Education has received state (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing) and national (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) accreditation. With opportunities to apply theory to practice embedded in all of our programs, our students graduate with the confidence, knowledge and skills to enter or advance in their professional fields.

Full description: https://education.laverne.edu