Sonoma State University

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Degree Programs at Sonoma State University

Sonoma State University appears in our ranking of 100 Affordable Public Schools With High 40-Year ROIs.

Sonoma State University can help students prepare for the future with certificates and graduate and undergraduate degree programs. More than 40 certificate programs are available to help students study everything from American culture and art to theater and gender studies. The theater option is popular with students who want to work in California, but others choose to study Spanish and other foreign languages. Music, geology, nursing, and history are other subjects that students can study in a certificate program.

The university also offers dozens of majors for undergrads that include French and psychology. In the French program, students learn how to read and write French as well as how to converse with others who speak that language and understand what they say. This program includes a study abroad component in which students can spend a semester or more in France to see how their skills transfer. In the psychology program, students look at how the mind and body work together and what affects human behavior. This program features internships with government agencies and health departments too. Other majors include political science, history, Chicano and Latino studies, biology, computer science and women’s and gender studies.

The university’s Spanish program also offers a track for graduate students. It features concentrations for those who want to teach Spanish and those who want to work with students who speak English as a second language. Students look at both Spanish literature and the culture of the country too. A popular option for business majors is the Sonoma State University Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. This is available as an executive track in general business or wine business and as a traditional program in either track. Students in the wine tracks can pick electives in marketing and business operations. All MBA students will do a business capstone also.

Another popular choice is the university’s Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling. It includes tracks in both clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) and school counseling. Clinical Diagnoses and Treatment Planning, Theory and Practice of Group Counseling, Counseling Orientation, Laws and Ethics and Case Management Practices and Couples and Sexuality Counseling are courses in the CMHC program. The school counseling program includes Working with Families in a School Setting, Group Counseling in the Schools, Crisis Intervention and Law and Ethics for School Counselors. Both programs include practicums too.

About Sonoma State University

Sonoma State University is a public university affiliated with California State University. Established in 1960 as Sonoma State College, it was created by an act of legislature as the newest member in the CSU System. Faculty members working for San Francisco State University helped develop the new college’s curriculum. Known as Sonoma State University since 1978, it uses other names such as Sonoma State, SSU and Sonoma. Though the university expanded rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, it is still one of the smallest campuses in the CSU System. While Forbes and Wall Street Journal rank Sonoma State as one of the top 500 schools in the US, U.S. News and World Report ranked SSU as the country’s 37th best university. It also ranked on the Washington Monthly list of the nation’s best graduate schools. More than 8,600 students attend Sonoma State annually.

Sonoma State University Accreditation Details

Sonoma State has regional accreditation that lets students transfer there from other schools. It comes from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and also gives students the choice of applying for financial aid. They can get all the help they need when they submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The nursing, design, education and business programs at SSU are some of those that have specialty accreditation too.

Sonoma State University Application Requirements

Freshmen applying to Sonoma State need to have transcripts that show they took 15 units of courses, including science, English, math, social studies, and a foreign language. The application for incoming freshmen opens on October first and closes in the middle of December. Students applying to the undergraduate business program and the liberal arts programs have until the end of March to apply. All undergrads need to apply online through the Cal State application website and provide their test scores and grades on the application. They can then send official copies of their transcripts and ACT/SAT scores to SSU.

Students applying to the SSU graduate programs need transcripts that show they took prerequisite classes. In the counseling programs, those prerequisites include psychology theory and child development courses. These programs also ask for a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a bachelor’s degree in one of the social sciences and three letters of recommendation. Prospective students can upload their letters when they apply through the Cal State application website. Future MBA students need to apply to Cal State and the graduate department. They need a minimum GMAT score of 450 and a statement of purpose. Sonoma also asks for a transcript, resume, and proof that the applicant has two years of experience in the wine industry if applying to one of those programs. Most of the university’s graduate programs have similar requirements.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergrads at Sonoma State pay $7,880 each year for their main fees and tuition. Students who are not from California need to pay an $11,880 non-resident fee for a total of $19,760 every year. They can also add a room and board package for an average of $15,210 a year. Students in select classes may pay extra for their lab fees or for the clinical work that they do. Sonoma State graduate students pay $9,312 each year for their tuition and fees.

As soon as SSU gets the FAFSA, it will begin working on a financial aid package for that student. Students can now file the FAFSA at the same time that they apply to Sonoma State. Undergrads can qualify for scholarships based on their test scores or grades and scholarships based on how much help they need. They can use the on-campus work-study program and qualify for grants and loans also. Graduate students can get several types of loans, including those that come from private lenders and the federal government. All of the degree programs available at Sonoma State University have financial aid packages available for students.