Formal Post-Bac Program Summary
Use the links immediately below to help you navigate through this section. Click the "Apply Now" button below to initiate an online application.
Post-Bac Programs at SFSU: For the last six years, SFSU has had three post-bac programs: a Formal Post-Bac Program (officially known as the Pre-Health Professions Certificate Program), a Dental Post-Bac Program and an Informal Post-Bac Program. In summer 2012, we will initiate a 4-semester (15 month, 1ΒΌ -year) Pre-Nursing Post-Bac Program, modeled in many ways on the highly successful Formal Post-Bac Program.
During summer 2010, the Formal Post-Bac Program was split into two components, a Career-Changer Track (CCT) and an Academic Enhancer Track (AET). Due to severe state budget cuts, the 2nd-Bac component of Informal Program has been suspended since spring 2009 and will continue to be suspended for the foreseeable future, leaving only the Open U Program. For details on any of the SFSU Post-Bac Programs, use the appropriate links in the column to the left. For advice on any of these Programs, use the Advising web page.
Mission: The short-term goal of the Formal Post-Bac Program is to guide participants through the entire preparation and application process so that they will be successful applicants to graduate health profession schools. The three long-term goals of the Program are: 1) to help train healthcare providers that know how to conduct balanced lives and work with each other in a cooperative rather than competitive manner, 2) to contribute to social justice by training a diverse population of participants so that the pool of healthcare providers better matches the pool of patients, thus lessening the access, treatment and outcome disparities that plague our healthcare system, and 3) to further contribute to social justice by providing socioeconomically disadvantaged participants a career path that provides them and their families with greater socioeconomic resources. See the SFSU Diversity web page for more information.
Population: The Program is highly structured and intended for students that have already earned a Bachelor's degree and wish to apply to allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy or veterinary medicine schools. Students wishing to apply to other health profession schools may also be considered.
Two Tracks: The Program runs as two somewhat overlapping components: a Career Changer Track (CCT) for those concentrating on pre-requisite courses and an Academic Enhancer Track (AET) for those concentrating on upper-division science electives. The CCT is a 2-year, 6-semester (summer 1, fall 1, spring 1, summer 2, fall 2, spring 2) continuous program that begins in early June. CCT coursework consists mainly of major's level, introductory science lectures, labs and discussion sections; these classes are pre-requisites for admission to graduate health profession schools. Most CCTs take a few major's level, upper-division Biology electives as well. The AET is a continuous 1- to 6-semester program that accepts 10-25 students each semester (summer, fall and spring). AET coursework consists mainly of major's level, upper-division Biology lectures, and in some cases a few pre-requisites that need to be retaken.
Nearly all Formal Post-Bac course work is scheduled between 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays and nearly all participants are full-time students, although both Programs can accommodate part-time students. See the Curricula and Electives web pages for details.
Typical CCT participants are non-science majors that have been out of college for 0-5 years, hence in their early- to late-20's. Many were turned off by pre-meds (pre-dents, etc.) as undergraduates, but have an abiding interest in medicine, dentistry, etc., that has motivated them to return to a post-bac program where they might now feel comfortable taking health profession school pre-requisites. Those admitted to the CCT have an average undergraduate GPA of about 3.3.
Typical AET participants are science majors that show promise based on previous academic performance, clinical experience and standardized tests but that need to strengthen their records to become stronger health profession school applicants or reapplicants.
Cohorts: The Program admits one cohort of no more than 60 students to the CCT each summer and a small number of transfers during the following fall and spring semesters. Cohort 7 of the CCT will begin taking classes on June 4, 2012 (summer semester). In addition, the Program will maintain a population of about 100 AETs. Those admitted up to summer 2011 are arbitrarily considered members of Cohort A; those admitted during summer 2011, fall 2011 and spring 2012, are considered members of Cohort B. Cohort C will begin in summer 2012 and continue through fall 2012 and spring 2013.
Application Process: 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, an AET or some combination thereof (Consult our Formal Post-Bac Advisors if you would like help determining to which track you would be assigned). However, the admissions process differs in significant ways for each track. 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 small number of 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 10-25 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 will be carried over for consideration during the following semester. See the Application and Admission web page for details.
Requirements: Admission to either track requires a BA, BS or BFA from a regionally accredited college or university and a minimum GPA of 2.5 for the Bachelor's degree, or for the last 60 semester-units or 90 quarter-units of coursework taken. However, due to the limited number of seats available in each track, GPAs considerably above the minimum are usually needed to gain an admissions offer. The Program accepts students with US Citizenship or Permanent Resident status, but not those with international student visas, such as F-1.
Costs: All those completing an online application pay a $60 non-refundable fee. Those admitted to the Program pay a one-time $500 non-refundable processing fee to hold their positions in the Program. The CCT costs $600 per unit for core classes (all health profession school pre-requisite science and math courses and $500 per unit for electives. Likewise, Special Studies in Biology costs $600 per unit. As an incentive, discussion sections now cost $200 per unit ($200 total) and Colloquia cost $100 per unit ($200 total). There is no difference in costs for in-state and out-of-state residents.
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The entire 2-year (6-semester), 63-unit tuition for CCT Cohort 6 is $36,150. The minimum 2-year tuition is $25,200. However, total CCT tuition is usually between these two extremes, because no one is forced to take core classes they have already taken and done well in, and most participants enroll in some but not all optional classes. Based on previous cohort's selection of classes, the avergae CCT Cohort 6, 2-year tuition is expected to be about $30,000 based on 52 units of course work. See Financial Aid, below.
The AET costs $500 per unit for electives or $6,000 per semester for a full 12-unit course load. We recommend that AETs take 9 units of course work during our 10-week summer semester and 12 units of course work during our 15-week fall and spring semesters. Further, we recommend that those AETs who before entering our Program earned grades of B or above for their most recent 60 semester-units or 90 quarter-units of pre-health course work, consider applying to health profession graduate schools after one year (3 semesters) in our Program (cost, ~$16,500). Lastly, we recommend that that AETs who do not meet this criterion apply to health profession graduate schools after two years (6 semesters) in our Program (cost, ~$32,650). On occasion, AETs who need only a few courses are admitted. See Financial Aid, below.
See the Fees web page for details.
Financial aid is available in the form of subsidized and non-subsidized federal loans and unsubsidized private loans. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application as soon as possible and officially forward a copy to our Financial Aid Office. When completing the FAFSA, be sure to indicate that you are applying for an undergraduate, post-bac program.
Please note: Recent changes in federal policy has reduced the financial aid available to Formal Post-Bacs. At present, because the Formal Post-Bac Program confers a certificate and not a degree, students are only able to receive federal financial aid for one year (three continuous semesters), starting when the student joins the program. Thereafter, students can still get financial aid through private loans and scholarships. Students facing this issue can also work part-time while taking classes part-time. This issue affects most CCTs, who are part of a 2-year program and those AETs who need to be in the Formal Post-Bac Program for more than three semesters. We presently are working to remedy this situation by converting the Formal Post-Bac Program into a 2nd-Bac and/or Master's degree program.
For more information on financial aid, please contact our Financial Aid Advisor; from whom you are more likely to get a speedy response than from the SFSU Financial Aid Office, which has been overwhelmed with inquiries.
Success Rate: Now that the CCT is nearly six years old, we have accumulated sufficient data on acceptance rates. From the 2007-2008 to the 2010-2011 application cycle, 59 of 75 Formal Post-Bac applicants were accepted into medical, dental, podiatry, nursing or veterinary medical schools, an overall success rate of 79%. We expect this high rate of success to continue into future cohorts. Although we have little data pertaining to the AET, which was recently established, our Dental Post-Bac Program, which also works with academic enhancers, may be a good predictive model; it has a success rate of about 90%.
Benefits: The Formal Post-Bac Program has the following advantages: 1) it guarantees enrollment into all core classes and most electives; 2) all core classes are populated almost entirely by post-bacs; 3) it organizes students into mutually supportive cohorts of about 60 students each; 4) it offers all pre-requisite courses and a broad expanse of upper-division science electives; 5) it is flexible - no one is forced to take classes they have already completed and done well in, electives can be taken as needed, and part-time enrollment is possible; 6) tuition is comparable to that of most public universities and lower than that of private schools and most other formal post-bac programs; 7) it emphasizes cooperation rather than competition, and provides a high level of peer and staff support, including Chemistry and Math Boot-Camps, support groups, discussion sections, a full-time Director and three Co-Directors, a Committee to write detailed letters of recommendation, and access to a Learning Specialist and a Psychotherapist; 8) it is a highly diverse program located in a highly diverse urban university; 9) it has synergistic interactions with the many other pre-health Programs at SFSU. See the Benefits web page for more details.
For more details use links to other Formal Post-Bac web pages in the column to the left, contact the Formal Post-Bac Office (415-338-2410) or the Formal Post-Bac Student Advisors (415-405-4239). Prospective students are welcome to arrange a visit to the Program, during which they can observe classes and speak candidly with Formal Post-Bacs and Program staff.
