While the Rancho Bernardo Education Center (RBEC) offers a comprehensive set of courses, including General Education classes, Palomar College also provides a set of structured, guided pathways, otherwise known as “meta-majors."  These career pathways, or clusters, define a roadmap for college success by laying out courses semester by semester and taking much of the guesswork out of obtaining a degree or certificate.

The Rancho Bernardo Education Center offers academic pathway programs for the Associate Degree for Transfer (AS-T) in Mathematics and the Biology Pre-Allied Health Associate Degree.  Students at our center will be able to complete most of the classes associated with these degrees through a combination of face-to-face and online offerings.

The Rancho Bernardo Education Center also offers a variety of academic programs in areas targeting trade and industry.  An Associate's Degree in Science or a Certificate of Achievement can be earned in Architecture, Architectural Drafting, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising and Fashion: Visual Merchandising.  The Bachelor of Science in Building Performance Environmental Design (BPED) program initiates Fall 2026 and is open for interested applicants.  Learn more about the bachelor's degree here!

By scheduling nearly all classes at the center according to consistent blocks of time, Palomar College hopes to make it easier for busy students to take a number of courses on a Monday/Wednesday OR a Tuesday/Thursday schedule.  Other flexible scheduling options may also be available such as meeting one day a week or opting for courses that meet for 8 weeks instead of 16 weeks.

The Rancho Bernardo Education Center may change academic programs over time based upon demand and popularity of industry trends and gainful employment opportunities.