Admissions Catalog Provision:
During the admissions process, prospective students are provided with an electronic copy of the Academic Catalog via email. This Catalog contains descriptions of each academic program, curriculum format, dissertation, practicum, internship information, as well as general information about the University and relevant policies.
Admissions Application:
To ensure that space is available at the time of preferred entry into a degree program, it is recommended that applications be submitted at least 12 weeks before the start of their desired term. Programs may set additional limitations on when students may enter. NOTE: Prospective students may submit an initial application before all materials are formally collected and completed.
Application Fee:
A nonrefundable fee of $50 (U.S. dollars) is required with an application. Applicants may pay by check, money order, credit card, or via the online application portal.
Retention of Application Materials:
Application materials from accepted applicants who do not matriculate into a program will be retained in the Office of Admissions.
Enrollment Agreement:
Before signing the Enrollment Agreement, each student will be provided a Student Performance Fact Sheet appropriate to the selected program. This fact sheet discloses the recent history of students’ performance and completion rates for the specific degree. The student must initial and date the Student Performance Fact Sheet and a copy is maintained in the student’s file.
Upon open registration, students will be required to complete the Enrollment Agreement prior to being enrolled. A member of the Registrar team will guide students on completing the documentation in a timely fashion to ensure that all areas of the document are signed accurately. The completed Agreement is then combined with the admissions (applicant) records, and those documents are subsequently transferred to the newly admitted Student Record. A copy of this document can be also provided to the student for their records.
When signing an Enrollment Agreement, students acknowledge receipt of the Academic Catalog and agree to abide by the policies, rules, and regulations of the University. When signing an Enrollment Agreement, students acknowledge receipt of the Academic Catalog and agree to abide by the policies, rules, and regulations of the University.
Enrollment Status:
Each student enrolled at the University is assigned an enrollment status. Status is used to track progress through the program and to determine billing. A student’s enrollment status is determined by the number of units enrolled in for any given quarter. The chart below outlines the requirements for each enrollment status.
| Level | Half-Time (Minimum) | Full- Time (Minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Students | 6 Units | 12 Units |
| Graduate Students | 3 Units | 6 Units |
| Doctoral Students who are enrolled in a Dissertation course while completing other degree requirements | 3 Units | 5 Units |
| Doctoral Students who have advanced to Candidacy* | N/A | 3 Units |
* Candidacy for doctoral students is defined as the point where all degree requirements (all coursework except the dissertation and PsyD internship) have been successfully completed. At the stage that students reach Candidacy, registration for three units of Dissertation coursework or continuation is considered full-time status. Doctoral students who have not reached Candidacy are considered full-time with a minimum enrollment in five units per quarter.
Students who participate in Federal Title IV Financial Aid Programs will have their enrollment status reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) each quarter as required by Federal Title IV Regulations. A student’s enrollment status, along with other factors, determines that student’s eligibility for certain types of financial aid, as well as that student’s ability to defer loan repayments. Student’s must be enrolled at least half-time to receive any federal loans and/or qualify for continued deferral of repayment for any federal loans previously received.
Conditional Acceptance:
Some applicants are accepted conditionally into a program, pending completion of prerequisite courses or receipt of the remaining required application materials. If prerequisite courses are needed, the applicant is required to submit an Action Plan provided by the Program Chair detailing how these requirements will be completed. This plan should accompany the applicant’s acceptance letter and must be returned to the Office of Admissions along with the Acceptance Form and deposit. Failure to adhere to the timetable of the Action Plan will result in academic probation, suspension, and ultimately administrative withdrawal from the program.
Appeal Process: Students may be requested by the Admissions team to undergo an appeal of their application in order to boost their candidacy. This process can involve submitting extra documentation (e.g., resume/Curriculum Vitae, statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, course-by-course review, etc.). Materials will be reviewed by a counselor and the Program Chair. Approval must be formally granted, in writing by the Chair, for students to continue through the admissions process. Please note that appeal approval is granted on a case-by-case basis.
Deferral of Entry:
Applicants who have been accepted into a program but wish to delay their enrollment must submit their acceptance form and deposit with written request to defer admission for up to one academic year. Students who wish to resume the application process one year or more after their initial submission must reapply to Sofia University. Applicable fees and terms must be honored at the time of reapplication.
Readmission Policy:
Withdrawn students are required to adhere to the following readmission policy regardless of when they withdrew from the University and regardless of the number of courses they have to complete and earn their degree.
- Applications for readmission are considered on the basis of the same criteria as those for new applicants in effect at the time of submission.
- Doctoral students who achieved candidacy but withdrew in good standing should contact the Program Chair to determine whether they need to complete additional coursework due to a change in the curriculum.
- Students who were asked to leave the University because of difficulties with satisfactory academic progress may be required to submit additional documentation demonstrating how they have resolved the issues that led to poor academic performance.
- Students who were withdrawn due to non-payment of tuition must resolve outstanding balances before a readmission decision will be made.
- Applications from permanently dismissed students will not be considered.
- Students who re-enter a program are subject to the graduation requirements in place at the time of re-entry.
Students who have withdrawn from one program and who wish to enroll in a different program should contact the Office of Admissions about their readmission. The following application materials are required for students seeking readmission:
- Completed application form and application fee
- Additional items requested by the Office of Admissions
- Applications for readmission will be considered under the same criteria as new applicants in effect at the time
Once all materials have been submitted to the Office of Admissions, the applicant’s file will be reviewed. Upon acceptance, the applicant is required to submit a nonrefundable acceptance deposit. Additionally, the student will be required to sign a new Enrollment Agreement with applicable terms and fees included.
Note: Students who re-enter the University will be subject to the graduation requirements for the program in place at the time of re-entry. Tuition is charged at the then-current published rate. Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Office of Admissions.
Admission Rejection Policy:
In the event that students do not meet the criteria for a given academic program of interest, or fail to meet admissions requirements, the Sofia University Admissions Office has the right to reject a student for admission.
State Authorization/Residence Policy:
Sofia University is authorized to deliver online education to students in select U.S. territories. The U.S. Department of Education requires that any institution offering online programs to students who reside outside of its home state must acquire authorization from the states in which students reside. Regulations vary from state to state and, as such, federal, state, and institutional policies may limit Sofia University’s authorization to deliver online education to students in certain states. Students must note that changing their location from a state where Sofia meets State requirements to a state where Sofia does not meet State requirements may have consequences including the inability to enroll or loss of eligibility for Title IV federal financial aid funds. Students must contact their counselor to discuss any change in location prior to relocation. Should a student relocate to a state in which Sofia University is not authorized to provide distance education, continued enrollment cannot be guaranteed. To view the current list of approved states for distance education, please consult the official Sofia University website.
International Student Admissions:
Sofia University is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant aliens as students. Final authority to grant entry into the United States rests solely with the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS.) Note: Application requirements are program specific. Please see Undergraduate Application Requirements and Graduate Application Requirements for more information.
International students must take at least six units per quarter, which equates to two courses. Only one online course can be taken per quarter, and the other courses must be taken physically on campus. The online class is 100% remote, and there is no fixed time for the class (due to the asynchronous schedule). You are required to login to the self-study platform on Canvas and complete the weekly assignments. Each on-campus course is divided into five sessions, three of which must be completed on campus (Saturday or Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) one day per month. The remaining two sessions are Zoom meetings that follow the same schedule. The CPT internship course requires that students come to campus once per month to participate in a three-to-four-hour class (held on weekday evenings).
Foreign Transcript Evaluation:
Sofia University accepts document-by-document GPA reports equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the U.S. if a student’s degree is NOT from a U.S. accredited institution. A course-by-course GPA report will be required if the student wishes to transfer course credits to Sofia University. This report includes the CGPA course listing.
- Applicants must use a NACES certified evaluation (https://www.naces.org/members) service for evaluation. These evaluation services are not affiliated with Sofia University and applicants are responsible for any associated processing fees.
- Official foreign transcript evaluation reports should be sent directly from the evaluation service to the Office of the Registrar (registrar@sofia.edu) or via post to:
Sofia University Office of the Registrar
1069 East Meadow Cr.
Palo Alto, CA, 94303 USA
English Proficiency Requirements:
Students must use the following criteria to determine their exemption status for taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of Written English (TWE), and the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) requirements.
If you meet at least one of the following requirements, you are exempt from TOEFL/TWE/OPI:
- Your native language is English.
- You have completed all secondary or postsecondary education in the United States, Canada, or other another English-speaking country.
- Attended a U.S. educational institution for 1 year or more and earned a degree (not a certificate)with a 3.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or higher.
- Attended an institution in a country where the native language is English for 1 year or more andearned a degree (not a certificate) with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
- Attended an institution for a year or more and earned a degree (not a certificate) with a 3.0cumulative GPA or higher where the official language of the institution was English for all coursework.
- Attended and successfully completed a Sofia-approved Intensive English Program in the U.S. (Please contact the Office of Admissions for an approved list of English programs.
- Have taken a different English proficiency exam and achieved an equivalent score that meetsSofia’s requirement. Please send your official valid English score to the Office of Admissions. All official reports must be sent directly from the test center (not from the student).
*To prove that ALL courses were taught in English, students may provide one of the following:
- Verbiage in the official transcript verifying the program was taught in English.
- Verbiage in the transcript evaluation verifying the program was taught in English.
- Published information about the program on the school website – students need to provide it.
- Verification by the Registrar’s Office – an email must be directly sent by the school to Sofia Admissions.
*English scores cannot be older than two years at the time they are submitted to Sofia University
Courses taught in Chinese are exempt from the English proficiency requirements.
The following countries are exempt from TOEFL/TWE/OPI:
|
Antigua and Barbuda |
Cayman Islands |
Liberia |
Acceptable English Scores for Bachelor’s Degree Programs
|
Test |
Minimum score required for full admission |
How to submit your English score |
|---|---|---|
|
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet Based Test (IBT) |
61 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code:9770 |
|
TOEFL Computer Based Test (CBT) |
173 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code:9770 |
|
TOEFL Paper Based Test (PBT) |
500 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code:9770 |
|
6.0 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
50 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
3.5 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
169 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
85 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
Acceptable English Scores for Master’s and Doctoral Degree Programs
|
Test |
Minimum score required for full admission |
How to submit your English score |
|---|---|---|
|
Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet Based Test (IBT) |
79 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code: 9770 |
|
TOEFL Computer Based Test (CBT) |
212 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code: 9770 |
|
TOEFL Paper Based Test (PBT) |
548 |
Official English score sent by Test Center; Sofia University School Code: 9770 |
|
6.5 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
50 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
4.0 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
176 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |
|
|
90 |
Official English score sent by Test Center |