California Southern University

California Southern University is a private, for-profit, university in Chandler, Arizona. California Southern University is currently a member of the American InterContinental University System. It offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs online in psychology, business and management, risk management and regulatory compliance, criminal justice, nursing, and education. It is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation, publicly traded on the NASDAQ under PRDO and formerly known as Career Education Corporation (CEC).

History
The university was established in California on December 27, 1978, by Dr. Donald Hecht as a traditional correspondence school, and received its initial approval to offer degree programs from the California Department of Education. It originally offered associate level programs, then expanded to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. During the 1990s, the university added distance learning programs in the fields of business, psychology and law. The university is now recognized as an online degree granting institution.

Until June 2007, the university was known as the Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS) and was located in Anaheim, California.

In 2022, the university was acquired by the American InterContinental University System and joined into the overall AIUS community.

California Southern University offers bachelor's, master's and professional doctorate degrees entirely online without physical attendance on campus. The university was institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) before acquired by American InterContinental University System. CalSouthern was officially granted accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission on July 5, 2022.

California Southern does not accept applications from residents of Massachusetts and New York.

Programs
Most Popular Programs: California Southern University offers 12 degree programs and 10 post-baccalaureate certificate programs. The most popular programs are the master's degrees in business and psychology, and the Doctor of Psychology and the Doctor of Business Administration.

The California Southern School of Business received programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

The California Southern School of Nursing's baccalaureate and master's degree programs received programmatic accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

School of Law
The California Southern University School of Law is an unaccredited correspondence law school which offers two graduate-level degrees, the Master of Science in Law (MSL) and the Juris Doctor (J.D.). However, the university is not currently enrolling new learners in the School of Law. The school is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as a "Registered Unaccredited Correspondence Law School", which is sufficient to qualify its graduates to sit for the California Bar Examination provided they complete 864 hours of preparation (per year) and study over four years. A typical JD degree at an accredited institution is three years. It is not registered with or accredited by the American Bar Association.

Bar Examination Pass Rate
In the February administration of the California Bar Examination in 2020, one of 14 takers passed the examination, for a pass rate of seven percent. For the years 2008 through 2013, 20 graduates have taken the California Bar Examination as first-time takers; of that number, five passed the examination for a pass rate of 25 percent.

Student outcomes
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, California Southern University has a 6-year graduation rate of 17% and a 3-year default rate of 18.8 percent.

Notable alumni

 * Pam Blackwell - Educator
 * Clifford Mayes - Scholar