Facts about the education requirement

The au pair requirement is 6 semester hours of academic credit or the equivalent.  Second year au pairs are expected to take an additional 3 credits for a 6-month extension and 6 credits for a 9- or 12-month extension.

Generally, a 3-credit college course is 45 hours, and a 4-CEU (continuing education units) course is 40 hours. Non-credit and audit courses are counted by the number of hours spent in the classroom.

6 credits = approx. 72-80 hours in the classroom = approx. 8 CEUs

You can use any combination of hours, credits, or CEUs as long as they add up to the required number of hours.

UCLA Course – American Studies

American Studies Online is a 19-week media-rich, mostly self-paced online course of study. Designed specifically in cooperation with the American Institute For Foreign Study’s “Au Pair in America” program, UCLA Extension’s course offers successful participants 6 quarter units (4 semester units) and a certificate of completion from UCLA Extension.

Participants will read lessons, engage in activities, write, share resources, network with one another, and even collaborate on special projects – all designed to further their understanding of US culture.

The Community Involvement segment of the program takes the au pairs into face-to-face contact with the community. Au pairs will relate these experiences to their academic coursework in American Studies Online.

The interdisciplinary course of study will include:
• US History
• Arts in the US
• US literature
• Career counseling
• English language study (optional)
• TOEFL preparation (optional)

Each group is assigned a “Course Manager” who acts as an “online concierge” to provide high levels of service to ensure a rewarding and trouble-free educational experience.

For course descriptions and current schedule, visit  www.uclaextension.edu/aupairs