³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥

spr24-095

University History

In 1959, the Louisiana Legislature authorized the establishment of LSUA as a two-year commuter college under the governance of the LSU Board of Supervisors. LSUA registered its first students in September of 1960. The first degree program, an Associate in Nursing degree, was initiated in the Division of Nursing in 1964.

The additional academic divisions of Liberal Arts, Business Administration, and Sciences were created in 1967. In 1974, LSUA was accredited by the Commission on ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥s of the Southern Association of ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥s and Schools (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 1984, 1994, and 2004.

Only one associate degree was available at LSUA from 1964 to March 1986, when the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science transfer degrees were approved. Over the next 15 years, several associate degree and certificate programs were added that the university continues to offer including:

  • Associate of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science (1996)
  • Associate of Arts in The Care and Development of Young Children (Spring 2001)
  • Certificate in Pharmacy Technology (Spring 2001)
  • Associate of Science in Radiologic Technology (Fall 2001)

From 1976 through Spring 2003, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ offered the upper-level course work for select bachelor's degree programs on the LSUA campus through a program known as LSU Senior ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥. Initially, the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of General Studies were offered. The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education was added in 1982-83.

5 Ways to Use a Career Center

Feb 16, 2023, 09:49 AM
It’s never too early to start exploring, and fortunately there are many options to enrich your professional development beyond a university degree.

Five ways to use the Career Center

In today’s competitive job market, having a college degree might not be enough to land your desired job. What makes the difference to stand out from the crowd is what you do while on the journey to a college diploma. We know you are not in college for fun, but because you want to prepare for a future career. Although it can be overwhelming to know where to even start looking, our goal at the LSUA Career Center is to help you take your academic experience and translate it into a meaningful career in the future.  It’s never too early to start exploring, and fortunately there are many options to enrich your professional development beyond a university degree. Here there are some ways you can take advantage of a Career Center: 

1) Find Internships 

Finding an internship during college can be highly beneficial as you go beyond the classroom and acquire relevant, practical skills in your field of study. Furthermore, internships not only allow you to make connections in the workforce or lead to job offers after graduation, but are also an essential tool to discover if a certain career path is right for you. You don’t have to wait until you graduate to find out if a career in a certain field is what you really like. According to a survey conducted by Forage, a free virtual experience platform we have partnered with, showed that 2 out of 3 who took internships during college changed majors and/or career paths. That’s not data to be scared about, as it shows these students were able to find their best fit in their professional career. 
 
But where do you even start looking? The LSUA Career Center was specifically created to guide you, from the moment you start thinking about internships to when you land your first job. We have been working hard to bring our students with the best tools to launch your career and stand out.  

2) Prepare for an Interview 

Preparing for an interview is a crucial step in landing your job. It is an opportunity to showcase your skills, experience, and personality to a potential employer. However, the thought of an interview can be intimidating and nerve-wracking.  
 
Having advising doesn’t have to end in academics, and the LSUA Career Center can be a valuable asset to have before nailing the upcoming interview you are having. We will provide you with resources such as preparation, practice, advising or assessment, so you are not alone at any point of the process. What are my strengths? What questions should I ask? What would my employer want to hear from me? 
 

3) Earn a certification 

Earning a certification is an asset that is often overlooked by students and young professionals. A certificate is a form of course and/or examination that you earn on your own to prove your expertise of a certain skill or to specialize in a specific field.  
 
Having a certificate on your resume can become the key difference when competing with other candidates for jobs, and shows that your knowledge of the field is up to professional standards. On top of that, it is a statement that speaks for itself in your commitment for career readiness and can narrow down to specific jobs you are looking to get (for instance, marketing is a very broad field, but you would like to work in digital and social media).  
 
With so many different certificates out there on the internet, the LSUA Career Center can help you identify and assist in finding that great certification that will improve your resume, your skills, and expertise in the area of your choice to become an attractive candidate for employers. 
 

4) Discover career interests and paths 

Discovering your career interests and paths can be a daunting and transformative journey. Whether you are just starting to think about your life after college or have an idea of what you want to do, it is important to take the time to explore your interests and identify potential career paths that align with them. Questions you might have on what kind of career you would like to have is a good start even if you can’t find an answer right now. We should keep in mind that a job is a job, but it is a component that can benefit your overall well-being.  
 
Your college experience is a moment of exploration and development, so it makes perfect sense to start exploring interests and a purpose to your academic degree. At the LSUA Career Center, we are happy to talk to our students about their interests, guide them, and provide them with resources to find the path that makes a college degree a practical asset towards a great future.  
 

5) Expand your network 

Expanding your network is an essential step in building a successful career. The more people you know and connect with, the more opportunities you will have to advance your career, and the more you will be known. For better or worse, many times finding opportunities in the workforce is about who you know before what you know.  
 
We understand students can have a hard time trying to make connections with other professionals, and one of our goals at the Career Center is connecting our students to start building and expanding their network, so you know them and they know you. We host events like the Career Fair in which we bring employers to campus so they can meet motivated students that are looking to work. 
 

Recent Times

On June 5, 2001, following approval by the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Legislature passed legislation (Senate Bill 853) allowing Louisiana State University at Alexandria to offer baccalaureate degrees. In December 2002, SACSCOC approved a substantive change request from LSUA, thereby accrediting the university to award both associate and baccalaureate degrees.

In Fall 2003, LSUA was reorganized into colleges and departments rather than divisions. The ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ of Arts and Sciences is comprised of the departments of Arts, English and Humanities; Behavioral and Social Sciences; Biological Sciences; and Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ of Professional Studies is comprised of the departments of Allied Health, Business Administration, Education, and Nursing.

LSUA began offering four baccalaureate degrees in Fall 2003: Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Liberal Studies. Because there were students at LSUA who had completed upper-level course work through LSU Senior ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥, LSUA produced its first bachelor's degree graduates in December 2003.

A Bachelor of Science in Psychology, approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors in March 2005, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, approved by the LSU Board in June 2006, are now offered. In 2008 the university began offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, Communication Studies, and History, along with Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Nursing.

In addition to the Department of Education offering courses that lead to an Associate of Arts in The Care and Development of Young Children and the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, courses are offered for alternative certification in the following areas: Elementary Education, Grades 1-5; Health and Physical Education, Grades K-12; and Secondary Education, Grades 6-12 for the areas of biology, English, history, and mathematics. Students who major in biology, English, history, or mathematics may declare Secondary Education as a minor in these areas of study, earning certification to teach that subject in Grades 6-12. Add-on certifications are available for Early Childhood Education (PK-3) and Special Education in area of existing certification(s).

The Oaks, the university’s first student housing complex, opened in the fall of 2007. The complex, which includes four apartment buildings and a community center.

LSUA hired its first athletic director in January 2007 and began competing in NAIA men’s baseball and women’s fast-pitch softball in Spring 2008. In January 2010, LSUA’s new on-campus baseball-softball complex was unveiled in an opening day dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The complex is located on the north side of campus adjacent to the Fitness Center and features seats transferred from the famed Alex Box Stadium on the Baton Rouge campus.

LSUA added five sports in 2014 including men’s and women’s basketball and soccer teams along with women’s tennis. LSUA joined the Red River Athletic Conference in 2014. The RRAC includes Bacone ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Okla.), Huston-Tilloston University (Texas), Jarvis Christian ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Texas), Langston University (Okla.), LSU-Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas), Paul Quinn ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Texas), Texas ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥, University of St. Thomas (Texas), University of Texas-Brownsville, University of the Southwest (New Mexico) and Wiley ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Texas) in addition to LSUA.

The university’s newest building, Mulder Hall, was opened in August 2011. The building is a 70,000 square-foot facility that provides 18 classrooms, 4 academic department office suites, 52 faculty offices, 2 conference rooms, a computer lab and a writing lab, a painting and drawing studio, a ceramics studio, a photography suite, and a black box theater that seats 175 people.

Related Links