THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University has renamed its professional schools on the anniversary of their formation.

The School of Education is now the Graduate School of Education, and the School of Business is now the School of Management. The name changes reflect the evolution of these programs through the years. The School of Management now offers many management-related programs and serves students working for nonprofit and government organizations in addition to businesses. Graduate School of Education faculty members now teach post-baccalaureate students almost exclusively.

CLU began offering a single master’s degree in education in the mid-1960s and launched an MBA program in the early 1970s. In 1986, the university established the School of Education and the School of Business and changed its name from California Lutheran College to reflect the growth in programs. A series of celebrations and presentations by distinguished speakers throughout the 2011-2012 year will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the professional schools, which now offer classes in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills and online.

The Graduate School of Education now confers five master’s and two doctoral degrees. Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, CLU has helped prepare nearly 8,000 counselors, teachers, principals and superintendents for their work.

CLU has awarded more than 3,000 graduate business degrees, and the School of Management has helped shape the region through education, research and outreach. Eighty percent of the alumni work locally.

Both professional schools have a history of innovation. From 1983 to 1990, many bilingual classroom teachers obtained master’s degrees through a pioneering program at CLU that provided federal funding to cover full tuition for selected students. CLU’s California Reading and Literature Project, the only such program housed at a private university, has provided professional development to more than 5,000 teachers since 2000. In recent years, the Graduate School of Education launched an online credential, started a deaf and hard-of-hearing teacher-preparation program and began developing a national model for using drama in the classroom.

In the past decade, the number of graduate programs offered by the School of Management has grown considerably. New master’s degree offerings include an international MBA program that has 100 full-time students from China, Taiwan, India, Saudi Arabia and many European countries, and an online MBA program in financial planning that has been honored by the United States Distance Learning Association. The School of Management is included in the 2010-2011 Global 200 Top Business Schools report, which is based on a survey of international employers. CLU has also established research centers to provide information on economic trends and forecasts.