Community colleges offer two-year associate's degrees, professional certificates and provide programs that benefit the communities they serve. These schools often have multiple campuses located in an area called community college districts. The state's largest district, The Los Angeles Community College District, has nine schools in the greater Los Angeles region. In addition to offering an array of liberal arts and science degrees, LACCD's Los Angeles Trade and Technical College provides vocational and technical areas of study like Chemical Technology, Construction Design and Manufacturing, Culinary Arts and Cosmetology. Other public schools, like the San Diego Community College District, provide over 1,400 free continuing education programs to the community.
The California State University system includes 23 campuses located across the state. Four-year undergraduate and graduate programs are offered throughout the network. The university also provides a pre-Doctoral program designed to help economically and educationally disadvantaged students become possible candidates for future faculty positions within the CSU system. In addition to traditional classroom instruction, the network of schools also provides extended learning through non-credit information and skills updating for professionals and corporate training services. Furthermore, the university offers on-line study programs, such as the CalStateTEACH program, where people can earn elementary school level teaching credentials without attending college classes. Students receive instruction via the Internet and the curriculum includes options for those wishing to enter the teaching field and current instructors seeking additional credentials.
Ten campuses make up the University of California public college system that includes five medical centers. Students from the university's schools of medicine and health sciences learn via clinical programs that include Level I trauma centers. UC administers the largest medical and health science education program in the United States. Each medical center provides health care services to the communities they serve and offer medical attention to uninsured patients. In addition to medicine, UC provides degrees in dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, nursing, public health and veterinary medicine. Discoveries by the school's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources aid the state's farm economy through crop management and pest control. UC manages three national laboratories that conduct research in environmental areas such as air quality, energy efficiency and restoration of habitats. The school also conducts laboratory research pertaining to natural disasters like earthquakes and wildfires.
California public colleges often provide specialized skill and career training through separate vocational schools, like the California Maritime Academy. This academy, affiliated with California State University, offers degree training in areas like international business and logistics, maritime affairs, maritime engineering technology and marine transportation. The University of California operates the Hastings College of the Law. This school provides career training in Civil Litigation, Criminal, International and Intellectual Property Law. Other areas of study include Taxation and Social Justice.