This program offers an alternative route to a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies for working adults who have completed lower-division coursework and whose schedules do not permit them to attend regular campus classes. Instruction is organized around one full Saturday seminar per month on campus, combined with weekly online seminars and ongoing reading and writing assignments.
Topics include Identity & Society, Work and the Global Future, Technology and the Environment, and a self-designed Senior Project. The two-year, 40-unit program is offered by SSU's Hutchins School of Liberal Studies in conjunction with the School of Extended Education.
If you are a Napa Valley College student and wish to enter their Liberal Studies BA program, that website is www.sonoma.edu/exed/degrees/napa/napa.html. Residents of Mendocino and Lake Counties may attend the Liberal Studies BA program based at the Mendocino College campus in Ukiah; that website is http://www.sonoma.edu/ukiah/
Information Meetings:
Information meetings are held twice a semester on the SSU
campus. Click here for times and dates.
Program Highlights
- Participation in a learning community
- Thematic interdisciplinary courses
- Global perspectives
- Field-based and experiential learning
- Focus on the world of the future
- Development of written and oral communication skills
Class Structure
Students come one Saturday per month to the Sonoma State campus for a full
day of activities. The morning is devoted to a seminar with your cohort of
15 students, guided by the instructor. The afternoon may include a lecture
or workshop and a short concluding seminar to discuss the day's insights.
The Web-based computer seminars allow students to explore topics and readings in depth. Each week, students read the assigned materials and compose a one-page response that is then posted on the forum. Several days later, they log back in to read each other's postings and respond to at least one other person's comments. The instructor caps the week's discussion with a summarizing response. In this way, class members carry on a rich dialogue without having to coordinate busy schedules.
Field-based projects complete the curriculum, showing students how the theories they have been discussing apply to everyday life.
Curriculum
Students take one 10-unit interdisciplinary course per semester. The courses
are designed by at least two faculty members from different disciplines,
and explore topics of current interest. The first three are thematic courses
taught by faculty; the final 10 units of the major is a self-designed Senior
Project. The core courses are designed to cover a variety
of issues and angles on a common theme, moving from the personal to the global.
- Identity and Society explores the interplay of the internal and external forces that shape the self. We consider everything from Descartes and genetics to Taoism and ethnic literature.
- Work and the Global Future investigates the changing world of work and what it means to be a global citizen.
- Technology and the Environment looks
at energy and water cycles and how human activities affect natural processes.
- The Senior Project allows students to design a course of study geared to their own specific interests and goals.
Electives for completing the 120-unit requirement for graduation may be met in many ways, including directed studies and independent studies. The Faculty-Evaluated Prior Learning program is available, and the program advisor, Beth Warner, can help you explore these and other options.
Student Support
Throughout your program, you will be provided with the information you need to complete your Bachelor's degree. The program Advisor provides guidance from pre-admissions advising through navigating the graduation ceremony and beyond.
For further information:
For a detailed brochure, application forms, or further information about
these programs, contact Beth Warner at 707/664-3977 or email beth.warner@sonoma.edu or
explore the links on this page.
Admission
In order to be admitted to the program, students need to have completed 60 semester units of transferable college-level work with a C average by the end of the Spring semester of the year they start our program. Thirty units must be in general education at a C or better according to the CSU pattern, including all of Area A (Speech, Composition, and Critical Thinking). Ours is the only program on campus that allows students to waive Math as an entrance requirement but it mst be completed in order to graduate.
Advising
Beth Warner provides pre-admissions advising for the program. She can evaluate
your transcripts and tell you what you need to do in order to fulfill entrance
requirements. Please contact her for
this service.
Application Filing Period for Fall 2008:
October 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008
We accept applications on a first-come basis from October 1 through March 31for entrance to the program the following Fall semester. Fill out the program
application, print it and mail it with a check or money order payable to
SSU for the $55 processing fee. You do not need to fill out a regular SSU application
form. Please note that you cannot apply for this program online. You may fill out the form and print it. However, it will be necessary to submit two official copies of transcripts from all colleges you have attended (except SSU). The materials should be mailed to the following address:
Beth Warner
SSU Extended Education
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohner Park, CA 94928
Fees
The current fee for each 10-unit course is $325 per unit. Fees may
be paid by check, money order, or credit card at the time of registration;
a three-payment plan is available to help spread out the cost.
Financial Aid
Federal grants and loans are available to help pay for your course of study and are disbursed directly to us by the campus Financial Aid Office. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available there or at any college campus, or you can download one at FAFSA . The
priority application period is from January 1st through the beginning of
March for the following Fall semester. Our school code is 001156. The priority application period is from January 1 through the beginning of March for the following Fall semester. You can also search the web for private loan sources. You might check with your employer about reimbursement for all or part of your expenses. Also, ask your tax advisor if you qualify for the Lifetime Learning tax credit.
Scholarships are available to those with a high GPA; the application period runs from September 15 through January 15. The application and more information are at the Scholarship website. The site also has links to external scholarship opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the entrance requirements?
In order to be admitted to the program, students need to have completed 60 semester units of transferable college-level work with a C average by the end of the Spring semester of the year they start our program. Thirty units must be in general education at a C or better according to the CSU pattern, including all of Area A (Speech, Composition, and Critical Thinking). Ours is the only program on campus that allows students to waive Math as an entrance requirement but it mst be completed in order to graduate.
How long does the program take?
Like most majors, Liberal Studies requires 40 units of coursework to complete.
You will take one 10-unit class per semester for 4 semesters to complete
the major requirements. You need 120 units to graduate. If you need additional electives or general education coursework you may need to take longer or use your summers to take needed classes.
What does the program cost?
The current fee per semester is $325 per unit
($3250 persemester; subject to change). The fee level at which you begin is "locked in" unless
you interrupt your studies.
Is financial aid available?
Federal grants and loans are available to help pay for your course of study and are disbursed directly to us by the campus Financial Aid Office. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available there or at any college campus, or you can download one at FAFSA . The
priority application period is from January 1st through the beginning of
March for the following Fall semester. Our school code is 001156. The priority application period is from January 1 through the beginning of March for the following Fall semester. You might check with your employer about reimbursement for all or part of your expenses. Also, ask your tax advisor if you qualify for the Lifetime Learning tax credit.
Scholarships are available to those with a high GPA; the application period runs from September 15 through January 15. The application and more information are at the Scholarship website. The site also has links to external scholarship opportunities.
How do I apply?
Applications are processed separately from the resident SSU programs. Use the
application forms link at the bottom of this page or call Beth Warner at
707/664-3977 or email. Applications
are accepted from October 1st through March 31st for the following Fall
semester.
When can I start?
Two groups of 15 students begin each Fall semester. If there are more applications
than openings, we create a waiting list. We then notify people by mid-July
if space has become available. Advising is available to help you use your
time before admission wisely, or to help you fulfill your entrance requirements.
What kind of time commitment are we talking
about?
The readings, writing and preparation for seminar and fieldwork will require
a minimum of 20 to 30 hours per week in addition to the monthly Saturday seminars. Given the full schedule that you will have,
the key will be careful budgeting of time and learning how not to procrastinate.
What about the fieldwork component of the
program?
Fieldwork is the hands-on part of the program. It is your opportunity to tackle
issues of particular interest to you and bring your own experience to bear
on the theoretical problems posed by the courses. Faculty will work with you
to design projects that help you learn to analyze and report on the world around
you.
Is there much writing in this program?
In a word, yes. There are weekly computer postings, autobiographical and journal
writings, synthesizing papers, and reports on fieldwork, among other assignments.
A writing tutor will be available throughout the first course and thereafter
as needed.
You need 120 units to graduate with a Bachelor's degree from
this program. Our major coursework comes to 40 units; the program
advisor will work with students individually on their remaining requirements,
if any. If you do require additional units, here are some of the available
options.
Community Colleges
Community Colleges offer an inexpensive alternative for gathering units. Up to 70 units can be applied towards your BA. Check with a counselor at your chosen college to make sure your courses are transferable.
Links to local community colleges (not a complete list):
City College of San Francisco
College of Marin
College of the Redwoods
Diablo Valley College
Mendocino College
Napa Valley College
Santa Rosa Junior College
Solano Community College
Yuba College
SSU Extension Classes
Up to 24 units of academic credit coursework may be counted towards your degree.
These may be either SSU Extension classes or from another (accredited) institution.
Make sure your class awards academic units and not continuing education units
(CEUs).
Certificate Programs
Extended Education offers Certificate programs for career and professional
advancement. Up to 24 units from these programs can be applied to your Bachelor's
degree. Some courses in the Paralegal Program have been approved to fulfill
Area A general education requirements.
Paralegal Program
Conflict Resolution
Open University
If there is space in any regular campus class offered at SSU, you may pay the
per-unit Extension fee found in general
information and enroll without going through a formal application process.
This option can also be used for independent study options in any department.
You must first make arrangements with a sponsoring faculty member. For information
on how to register through Open University visit the Web
site.
Distance Learning Courses
Many accredited colleges offer these courses. Visit the California Virtual Campus website at www.cvc.edu for
a list of California colleges with distance learning programs. Other resources
include the Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning, and many search engines
have an Education link. Before enrolling in such a course, make sure it is
from an accredited college and check with the Program Advisor that it can be accepted for academic credit.
Credit By Examination
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) administers
tests in various subject areas, mostly at the lower division level. These
can be used to fulfill General Education requirements. See the SSU catalog
for acceptable subject tests; visit www.collegeboard.org/testing for registration
information.Up to 30 units may be counted towards your degree.
Various academic departments have challenge exams available for general education
coursework. Your U.S. History and Government statutory requirements can be
fulfilled this way.
Credit for Military Service
If you have had one year or more of active service, you can get 6 units of
lower-division elective credit. If you have had military schooling, additional
credits can be awarded. Contact Veteran's Affairs at 707/664-2619.
Staff and Faculty
Staff
Beth Warner
Beth Warner, Administrative Coordinator, got her Bachelor
of Arts through the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies in 1989 with a
minor in Linguistics. She is currently pursuing a Master's in History at Sonoma State. As a re-entry student who worked while attending
classes, she knows the challenges of juggling academic and personal concerns.
SSU Extended Education
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
Phone: 707/664-3977 Fax: 707/664-2613 email
Office: Rachel Carson Hall Room 53
Summer hours: Monday through Friday by appointment.
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm
Faculty
Professors from different disciplines form the Hutchins School
faculty. Each brings a unique viewpoint to the discussions.
Debora Hammond, Faculty Coordinator, completed her Ph.D.
D.
in the History of Science at the University of California at Berkeley
in May 1997 after teaching at the secondary level in Colorado and on
the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Her dissertation, "Toward a Science
of Synthesis: The Heritage of General Systems Theory," traced the development
of systems ideas in the mid-twentieth century. She is particularly interested
in topics relating to the environment, health, women, and the social
implications of contemporary developments in science and technology.
email Debora Hammond
Jack Wikse comes to the Hutchins School ol from Shimer College in the Chicago area, where he was Dean of Adult Education. Shimer's "great books" curriculum began when Robert Hutchins developed his early entrant program for the University of Chicago there. Jack is a political theorist (PhD, U.C. Berkeley). He is the author of ABOUT POSSESSION: the Self as Private Property. His recent writings have explored dreams as social information, dialogue as meditative thought and the ethics of globalization. He served as the Research Director of the Lifwynn Foundation where he organized research on addiction as a social phenomenon. Jack has also taught stone sculpture and aesthetics, and is currently working on a series of alabaster carvings on the history of myth.
JoAnn Vrilakas has an MA in cultural anthropology from Hunter College. She spent two years, 1991-1993, in Dharamsala, India researching the lives of Tibetan Buddhist nuns. JoAnn has taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, Lehman College in The Bronx, Portland State University, Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. Before pursuing her interest in cultural anthropology JoAnn worked as a field biologist for the US Forest Service, The Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy. She has published poetry and essays in Oregon East, an award winning regional arts magazine, and was included in a retrospective anthology edited by William Stafford.
Ervand Peterson received his bachelors degree in geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Masters and Doctorate in Environmental Education and Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His professional experiences over 35 years have included developing and directing the School for Field Studies tropical forest research station in far north Queensland, Australia; consulting on conservation education and professional forester training to the Wildlife Institute of India and the India Institute for Forest Management; 10 years in international training for the U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, working with resource managers and park managers from 120 nations; and teaching as adjunct professor in Environmental Studies and Liberal Studies.