Transfer Students

Course Planning

Transfer students are strongly advised to take PSY 270 (Psychology of Self-Discovery) during their first semester at SSU.

Transfer students can meet the PSY 250 (Introduction to Psychology) and PSY 280 (Research Methods in Psychology) requirements with equivalent courses from their previous institutions (or AP credit in the case of PSY 250). If students do not have the PSY 250 and PSY 280 equivalents or a statistics course (equivalent to MATH 165) completed elsewhere, they should take these courses as early as possible at SSU.

In order to graduate in four years, the University recommends taking an average of 15 units per semester. Students should check their Advising Requirements Report (ARR) regularly and look out for red squares (to-do), yellow diamonds (in-progress), and green circles (done). Apply to graduate when your report shows all requirements in progress or met (no red squares).

Psychology majors are encouraged to meet with their assigned Faculty Major Advisor to discuss their interest areas in Psychology and plan coursework which meets their individual interests and career goals. For more information on major requirements, check Major Requirements.

Psychology's GE & LD major Advisor is available to discuss university requirements outside of the Psychology major. Contact Cem Burnham, burnhamc@sonoma.edu 

Advice for Registration

During the registration periods, the University will notify you of your registration date and time, sometime before registration begins. This information may be found on your student services page, under the ARR section. Registration is done online through a system called PeopleSoft. You should access registration in PeopleSoft before your registration time so that you know how to use the system. All course information, GE information, and registration information is online using PeopleSoft.

If the registration system does not allow you to enroll in courses for which PSY 250 is a prerequisite, your transferred Introduction to Psychology course may need to be approved by an advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the psychology department determine what GE courses transfer to specific GE areas?

What GE courses should I take?

  • Read your Academic Advising Report to identify which of the GE areas you need to complete. 

How many psychology courses from a Junior College transfer into the psychology major at SSU?

  • Only these three courses are transferable: 
    • Psy 250 Introduction to Psychology or equivalent (ex., General Psychology)
    • Psy 280 Research Methods or equivalent
    • Math 165 or equivalent Statistic class

Do other psychology courses taken at a Junior College transfer to SSU?

  • Yes, other psychology classes transfer as GENERAL ELECTIVES but do not count towards the 40 units required to complete our psychology major. They are lower division classes and our major is upper division except for the lower-division required courses. They do count as general electives toward the 120 unit SSU degree, and they demonstrate discipline learning on your academic transcript.

How do I know which psychology courses I should take?

What if a course I took does not show up on my Academic Requirement Report?

  • It might be that you have not completed the course or that your grades have not yet been received. 

What if a course I took is not counted towards the psychology units?

  • Ask your major advisor to complete an ARR Update Form to correct your transcript. You should do this as soon as you see that the course isn't on your advising report (it will show as a red box rather than a green circle).

Do GE classes double or triple count towards fulfilling major and GE requirements?

  • Yes, Psy 250, Introduction to Psychology, can count as both a lower-division area D GE, as well as fulfill the lower-division requirement for the major.

What is the GWAR and do I have to take it?

  • Students must pass the California State University Graduate Written Assessment Requirement (GWAR) in order to graduate. All students must complete the GWAR requirement by successfully completing a Writing Intensive Course (WIC), during or after their Junior year. For more information, go to the Learning and Academic Resources Center website. 
  • As of Fall 2023, the CSU has reinstated the GWAR. It is now a degree requirement for any students who are in catalog year Fall 2023 and later.

Who is my Advisor?

  • Your Psychology Major Advisor is one of the department's tenured or tenure-track faculty members. See the Advising page for your alphabetically assigned advisor. Their name appears in your MySSU Student Center.
  • Your GE advisor is Cem Burnham, Psychology's GE & LD Advisor, burnhamc@sonoma.edu 
  • Students participating in certain Designated Special Programs and Populations are assigned an advisor other an Psychology's GE & LD Major Advisor.

Need help?

Do you need help in finding out what classes to take and how to search for classes that will count for a requirement? Take a look at the advising tutorial videos.