Transfer Students

Course Registration

Incoming transfer students are strongly advised to take Psy 270 during their first semester at SSU. If students have not taken a statistics course (equivalent to Math 165) or a psychological research methods course (equivalent to Psy 280), they should take these courses as early as possible at SSU, as well. Transfer students from community colleges, or other universities, can meet the Psy 250, Introduction to Psychology, and Psy 280 course, Research Methods in Psychology, requirements with equivalent courses from their previous institutions (or AP credit in the case of Psy 250, Introduction to Psychology).

In order to graduate in 4 years, the University recommends taking 15 units per semester. Incoming transfer students typically take anywhere from 12 to 16 units. Psychology majors are encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss their interest areas in Psychology and plan coursework which meets their individual interests and career goals. For information on how to meet with an advisor, check our Advising page. For information on major requirements, check Major Requirements.

A Psychology advisor reviews major requirements and special department offerings and programs. The GE Advisor is Cem Burnham; email burnhamc@sonoma.edu and ask for an advising GE appointment to discuss requirements outside of the Psychology major. Check your Advising Report 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).

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 for courses such as PSY 270, which is only for Psychology majors, this means that your status as a Psychology major has not yet been entered into the registration system. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I do not have my transfer report?

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

What GE courses should I take?

  • Read your transfer 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 transfer 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).

I took other psychology classes at my Junior College, am I allowed to take them again at SSU?

  • Yes, you are allowed to take classes again in order to receive upper-division credit toward the major.

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 Resource Center website.
  • Please note that the GWAR requirement is suspended through Fall 2022 graduation.

Who is my Academic Advisor?

  • Your Psychology major advisor is one of the department's tenured or tenure-track faculty members. Your advisor’s name appears in your MySSU Student Center.
  • Your GE advisor is Ryan Walsh from the Advising Center. Make an appointment with him by emailing advisingcenter@sonoma.edu.

Why should I attend a Group Advising session?

  • You receive valuable information about the major and about registration. You can also receive answers to your questions about the major.

When is Group Advising?

  • At the beginning of the semester, before registration and graduation application deadlines. Majors are contacted via email about advising sessions.

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.