SFSU's 2nd-Bac Program
Applicants Near BA/BS/BFA Completion
Application Deadlines
Due to severe California budget cuts, applications for entry in Spring 2009 closed on Sept 2, 2008 and applications for entry in Fall 2009 closed on Nov 30, 2008. In both cases a smaller than usual number of 2nd-Bacs were admitted. At present, the only recourses at SFSU for those not yet admitted to the 2nd-Bac Program are: 1) our Formal Post-Bac Program or 2) our Open U. Other possibilities for post-bacs in the SF Bay area include UC Berkeley Extension's Post-Bac Program and Mills College. Other nearby CSUs (SJSU, CSU-EB) may be responding to budget cuts in different ways from SFSU, so they may be keeping 2nd-bac admissions open. Community colleges are a last resort.
Important Notes
Starting in Spring 09, 2nd-Bacs will have a lowered registration priority compared to that of previous semesters. This may make it difficult for 2nd-Bacs to get into the classes they need. If such a scenario emerges, SFSU may offer additional sections of courses for 2nd-Bacs costing about $300/unit in additional tuition. This is likely to be a transitional solution, leading up to a more long-term solution, as described below.
Starting in Fall 09, registration and tuition for 2nd-Bacs may be changed to a "self-support" system in which students pay about $300-$400 per unit for all classes. Please stay tuned for further developments.
Applicants Near BA/BS/BFA Completion
Applicants who anticipate completing their BA/BS/BFA degree soon after the next deadline may still apply before that deadline. The best approach is to send transcripts immediately upon applying; this identifies your application as that of a 2nd-Bac and puts it on hold until the arrival of official transcripts documenting that the 1st-bac has been granted. Until then, you can take classes through our Open U.
Completion of 2nd-BS
After admission, based on your transcripts, SFSU will issue a Degree Audit Report (DARS) and/or an Advanced Standing Evaluation that shows which courses you need to complete to finish the 2nd-BS. However, most 2nd-Bacs at SFSU never complete the 2nd-degree. 2nd-Bacs may be required to fulfill SFSU's English and math requirements and/or take the JEPET and EPT/ELM tests soon after admission, even if you do not want to complete the degree. For more complete information, see the Graduation Requirements section of the current SFSU Bulletin.
Choosing a 2nd-Bac Major
2nd-Bacs can choose any major except Nursing or Social Work (these have special admissions requirements). However, in large part, choosing a major as a 2nd-Bac is a formality because most 2nd-Bacs do not finish the degree. With this in mind, I suggest the following majors in that they reflect a strong biomedical focus: the Physiology, Cell & Molecular Biology and Microbiology concentrations within the Biology Department, and the Biochemistry and Chemistry concentrations within the Chemistry Department.
Checking Admission Status
Applicants who have been given an SFSU ID number can check the status of their application online at the MySFSU web site or at the Admission Status web page. To make use of these sites, applicants must first establish an SFSU account. If they do not know their SFSU ID number, or do, but did not create a PAC (personal access code) number, the web site will give instructions. Applicants can also call 415-338-1113; however, this is a high volume number with possibly long waits. We prefer that applicants first check their admission status on the web, then call with their questions about what they have read on the web. You can call 338-1113, 338-1634 or 338-6486, or e-mail ugadmit@sfsu.edu to follow up on your application.
Tuition
2nd-Bac students pay Graduate tuition fees. Full-time (6.1 to 21 units) 2nd-Bacs pay $2,235 per semester; part-time 2nd-Bacs (6.0 units or less) pay $1,446 per semester. Out-of-state and international students pay an extra $339 per unit. Tuition is due within 4 weeks of starting classes. See our Tuition Web Page for more details. When taking a light course load, it may be less expensive to enroll through Open U, although there are distinct disadvantages to this approach.
Financial Aid
To qualify for financial aid you must have a degree objective such as a 2nd-BA/BS/BFA. Financial aid for 2nd-Bacs that qualify is usually in the form of small, federally-supported loans and/or private loans, as shown in a chart on on the Types of Financial Aid web page. View the Financial Aid section of the SFSU Bulletin and contact SFSU's Financial Aid Office for additional help.
Registration
2nd-Bacs are assigned registration dates that fall about two months before classes begin. Registration can be accomplished online at MySFSU. Consider looking at the SFSU Registrar's web site for other useful information.
