Formal Post-Bac Program:
Application Process and Admission Requirements
Use the links immediately below to help you navigate through this section. Click the "Apply Now" button below to initiate an online application.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to either the Career Changer Track (CCT) or Academic Enhancer Track (AET) must have graduated from an accredited institution of higher learning with a baccalaureate or higher degree and a final GPA of 2.5 or above, or they must earn a GPA of 2.5 or above in their most recent 60 semester-units or 90 quarter-units of course work. Because of the limited number of students that can be accommodated by the Program, applicants with considerably higher GPAs will have an advantage in being admitted. However, GPA will be only one of many factors in evaluating applicants.
Application Process
Online Application
Applicants must access and complete our updated Online Application. Note that the same online application is used for both CCTs and AETs, because we, rather than the applicant, are in the best position to decide whether an admittee is a CCT or an AET. US citizens, both in-state and out-of-state, and those with Resident Status (Green Card) are welcome to apply to the Program. There is no preference nor quotas for any these types of applicants; all applicants are treated equally. However, at present, we are unable to enroll international students.
The application contains a prompted personal statement, a listing of relevant course work and a listing of various types of experiences. Required supporting documents include transcripts and two letters of reference, preferably one from a college faculty member. A third letter is optional. Students who consider themselves economically and/or educationally disadvantaged should indicate this in the application and provide supporting information. A $60 non-refundable application fee must be made by credit card to finalize the application.
Processing of a file will begin only after a complete application has been received. Applicants who pass our initial screening will receive an invitation for an interview. Those who pass our interview screening will receive an offer of admission. Holding a seat in the Program will require payment of a $500 non-refundable admissions processing fee, usually within 2-3 weeks.
Admissions Calendars
We use a yearlong rolling admissions process and the same deadlines for both tracks. We also use the same online application, because we, rather than the applicant, are in the best position to decide whether an admittee is a CCT or an AET. (Consult our Formal Post-Bac Advisor if you would like help determining to which track you would be assigned).
However, the admissions processes for the CCT and AET differ in significant ways. The CCT admits a new cohort of no more than 60 students each summer (start date, June 4, 2012, for Cohort 7), and allows a few transfers during the following fall and spring semesters. CCT applications are reviewed as they are submitted; however, most CCTs will not begin taking classes until the summer. It is to the applicant's advantage to submit their application as much before the March 1 deadline as possible. The AET presently has about 75 students and will be adding 10-20 students each semester. Because of this more evenly distributed admissions process, we will review all accumulated AET applications after the announced deadline each semester. AET applications arriving after the deadline (see calendar below) will be carried over for consideration during the following semester.
Career-Changer Track (CCT)
Each CCT cohort begins in early June (summer semester). During the following fall and spring semesters, a small number of transfers are also admitted into the CCT to fill any seats made available by attrition. CCT Cohort 7 will begin on June 4, 2012; applications for this cohort are now open and will close on March 1, 2012. See the calendar below for more details.
If all 60 seats in the CCT have not been filled by applicants submitting by the March 1 deadline, late applicantions will be considered. Because applicants do not have much control over their letter-writers, we will observe a 2-week grace period after the March deadline for letters to arrive. However, the application itself must be submitted by the March 1 deadline. To speed the completion of applications, we only require unofficial transcripts to be submitted with the application. However, official transcripts must arrive within 4 weeks of the March 1 deadline.
An optional Chemistry Boot-Camp to help prepare CCTs for entry into General Chemistry I (Chem 115) will be held Wed-Fri, May 30-June 1, 2012. An optional Math Boot-Camp to help prepare CCTs for entry into Pre-Calculus (Math 109) or Calculus I (Math 226) will be held Mon-Fri, June 4-15, 2012. Math 109 and Math 226 will begin on Mon, June 18, 2012.
CCT Application & Admission Calendar
Cohort |
Semester |
Type |
Deadline |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7 |
Summer 2012 (Begins 6/4/12) |
Entranta | Mar 1, 2012 | Openc |
7 |
Fall 2012 (Begins 8/21/12) |
Transferb | May 1, 2012 | Openc |
7 |
Spring 2013 (Begins 1/21/13) |
Transferb | Oct 1, 2012 | Openc |
8 |
Summer 2013 (Begins 6/3/13) |
Entranta | Mar 1, 2013 | Closed; Will Open 1/1/13 |
| Notes | a New CCT cohorts of about 60 students each begin every summer in early June. Students attending a university on the quarter system usually graduate in mid-late June, 1-3 weeks after the CCT begins. Because the Program does not recommend starting classes late, students graduating from quarter-system schools in summer 2012 should either skip the last week or two of their final undergraduate quarter (highly preferred), or if they qualify apply as fall Cohort 7 transfers (see b below). | |||
| b We accept a small number of transfers into the CCT during the following fall and spring semesters. Potential CCT Cohort 7 fall 2012 transfers will have completed Pre-Calculus or Calculus I, plus General Chemistry I lecture & lab with grades of B or above. Potential CCT Cohort 7 spring 2013 transfers will have completed Pre-Calculus or Calculus I, plus General Chemistry I lecture & lab, Organic Chemistry I lecture & lab and Physics I lecture & lab with grades of B or above. | ||||
| cPlease use the CCT Cohort 6 - AET Cohort B Online Application. for applications begun before January 17, and the CCT Cohort 7 - AET Cohort C Online Application for applications begun after January 17. Either version of the application will be accepted and treated equally. | ||||
Academic Enhancer Track (AET)
The AET presently has about 75 students, and about 10-25 new AETs are admitted each semester. Because of the large number of AET applications received, we carefully observe deadlines. However, because applicants do not have much control over their letter-writers, we will observe a 2-week grace period after the deadline for letters to arrive. However, the application itself must be submitted by the deadline. To speed the completion of applications, we only require unofficial transcripts to be submitted with the application. However, official transcripts must arrive within 4 weeks of the deadline.
Cohort names are arbtrary, as AETs are admitted eaach semester. AET Cohort A began during summer, 2010, and also admitted students during fall 2010 and spring 2011. AET Cohort B began during summer, 2011, and also admitted students during fall 2011 and has just admitted about 10 students for spring 2012. AET Cohort C will begin during summer, 2012, and will also admitt students during fall 2012 and spring 2013 (see calendar below). AET Cohort D will begin during summer, 2013.
AET Application & Admission Calendar
Cohort |
Semester |
Type |
Deadline |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
Summer, 2012 | Entranta | Mar 1, 2012 | Openb |
C |
Fall, 2012 | Entrant | May 1, 2012 | Openb |
C |
Spring, 2013 | Entrant | Oct 1, 2012 | Openb |
D |
Summer, 2013 | Entranta | Mar 1, 2013 | Closed; Will Open 1/1/13 |
| Notes: | a AET participants that need to retake General Chemistry I (due to previous grade of C- or lower) are advised to begin during the summer, the only semester during which the Formal Post-Bac Program offers General Chemistry I. Students attending a university on the quarter system usually graduate in mid-late June, 1-3 weeks after the summer semester begins. Because the Program does not allow participants to begin classes late, students graduating from quarter-system schools in summer 2012 should either skip the last week or two of their final undergraduate quarter (highly preferred), or begin Cohort C in the fall semester. |
|||
| bPlease use the CCT Cohort 6 - AET Cohort B Online Application. for applications begun before January 17, and the CCT Cohort 7 - AET Cohort C Online Application for applications begun after January 17. Either version of the application will be accepted and treated equally. | ||||
Interviews
Final admission into the CCT or AET requires completing an in-person interview at SFSU. The Director will contact those to invited for interviews. In cases of extenuating circumstances, a video interview via Skype may be granted.
International Students: At this point in time, international students cannot be admitted to the Formal Post-Bac Program. We hope to convert our Program to one that confers a 2nd-Bac and/or a Master's degree, at which time international students may be able to qualify for admission. Please stay tuned.
Linkage Agreements
The Program presently has no linkage agreements with graduate health profession schools.
