CSULB, LBCCD to Potentially Take Part In New Associate Degree Program

A major change could be on the horizon for both California Community Colleges (CCC) and California State Universities (CSU), as a new proposed assembly bill seeks to create a new way for freshman students to earn their associate degrees.

On Feb. 11, California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 1858, otherwise referred to as the Joint Associate Degree Pilot Program, which proposes to implement a new joint associate degree program across various CSU campuses. According to a digital transcript of the assembly bill published by the California Legislative Information, the proposal aims to award associate’s degrees to former CSU students who have left without finishing their bachelor’s or master’s degrees but have completed enough academic units to have received an associate’s degree.

According to the proposed assembly bill, the Joint Associate Degree Pilot Program would require both the Long Beach Community College District and California State University, Long Beach to participate, as well as 3 other CCC districts and CSU campuses selected by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University. The bill would also require both chancellors to jointly submit a report on how effective the pilot program was during its operation.

Should this bill be passed into law, it would certainly be a major change to CSU campuses that could potentially aid former students. According to a data report published in December 2025 by EdSource, the majority of freshmen 4-year graduation rates across most CSU campuses ranged from 25% to 36%, and the majority of freshmen 6-year graduation rates across CSU campuses ranging from 52% to 60%.

Discussions of CSU campuses introducing associate degree programs such as AB-1858 have been ongoing long before Assemblymember Lowenthal’s initial proposal. According to a 2023 proposal paper published by CSULB Vice Provost for Academic Planning Dhushy Sathianathan and his associates at the university, there are several benefits to implementing a way for CSU students to earn associate degrees, including that of ensuring that every CSU student can obtain a major certification on their academic record. The proposal paper also states that another benefit to awarding associate degrees across CSU campuses would be that it has potential for former students to one day return to college and finish their bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Prior to the proposed bill, CSU campuses typically would not award associate degrees to students who have met the required units for one. Instead, campuses such as CSULB partner with CCC campuses in the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) Program, which allows for undergraduate college students to earn either an Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree, in order to receive admission to any CSU campus.

Beachcomber has reached out to CSULB for comments on the proposed assembly bill but was unable to get a response at this time.

AB-1858 is yet to be passed or rejected by the California State Assembly. However, should it be passed, implementation of the bill’s pilot program could be expected to begin on or before July 1, 2027.