La Salle University College of Professional and Continuing Studies

What is now the College of Professional and Continuing Studies opened in Fall 1946 as the La Salle Evening Division, with 36 men meeting in six courses on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Shortly thereafter, the Evening Division was having “a tremendous impact on Delaware Valley industries with over 350 different businesses and industrial concerns … represented in the student body.” In its first two decades, the Evening Division attracted students primarily concerned with professional and skills-oriented curricula, “in Chemistry, Electronic Physics, and Applied Mathematics.” Accounting, Industrial Management, and Engineering Physics were the more popular majors, and three local companies, General Electric, Philco, and RCA, each had more than 100 employees attending La Salle at night. By the 1970s, new job opportunities in fields related to public welfare engendered a wave of student interest in the social sciences, particularly Psychology and Criminal Justice. Later, Computer Science and Business Administration attracted the largest number of students.

Many socioeconomic changes took place in the 1970s. Residents and businesses moved from the city to the suburbs. The Christian Brothers’ history of “meeting students where they are” provided a supportive context for the plans to educate adults. To meet the growing demand for undergraduate and graduate studies, the Bucks County Center in Newtown Pennsylvania was established in 1997 and the Montgomery County Metroplex in Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania was established in 2008.

La Salle University’s dedication to innovation, accessibility, and outstanding academic quality within the context of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies strives constantly to maintain its reputation as one of the region's best institutions for educating adults. The College of Professional and Continuing Studies' leadership, instructors, and staff are committed to ensuring that all participants receive the very best opportunities for lifelong learning.


Mission Statement

The La Salle University College of Professional and Continuing Studies desires to be the institution of choice in the Delaware Valley to meet the changing needs of adult learners seeking the best in lifelong learning.