With its 300,000 students, the National Autonomous University of Mexico is the largest university in the Western Hemisphere.

The main campus, south of Mexico City, is also known as a place where many “professional students” linger for years with minimal class loads. Some of those students in recent years drifted away, finding work in the United States and elsewhere before completing their degrees.

Now, UNAM, as it is abbreviated in Spanish, has opened its first satellite office in downtown Los Angeles after operating for three years out of the local Consulate.

Why now? The simple answer: the job market.

With Los Angeles County home to the largest population of Mexican immigrants in the nation, many of those students who got off-track are figuring they may as well get back on and complete their degrees.

The office, rather than being classroom-intensive, is focused on putting students in touch with professors in Mexico. It offers long-distance classes, final exams and consultations for theses and dissertations. Among the favorite degrees are law, nursing and economics, said Carlos Escobar, director of academic affairs for UNAM-LA, located at 634 S. Spring St.

“A lot of these students just need to take their exam to become a doctor or a lawyer,” Escobar said. “As long as they don’t need laboratory classes, we can help them get their degree.”