Program

Admissions to the Depth Psychology Master's Program

Request an Application

To request an application, please email your name and mailing address, with your request, to Karen Fischer, or phone (707) 664-2682, or come in to our office in Stevenson Hall 3092. The application includes application to the University as well as to the Psychology Department's Depth Psychology M.A. Program administered through Extended Education.

Download an Application

You may also download a complete pdf version of the application here.

Depth Psychology M.A. Admission Requirements

The criteria for application and acceptance into the Depth Psychology M.A. Program are the following:

• B.A. or B.S. from an accredited institution.
• Minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 in the last 60 units of coursework.
• Competency in written and oral expression, as demonstrated by the coherence of the personal statement, and an oral interview.
• Emotional maturity, as demonstrated in the personal written statement, life experiences, and oral interview.
• Readiness for graduate work, as evidenced through 3 letters of recommendation.
• Completion of specified prerequisite coursework in psychology. A maximum of 9 units may be lower division courses completed at a Community College. The courses must be completed before the first day of classes in late August.
• Minimum semester-long experience in symbolic process.
• 

Depth Psychology M.A. Prerequisites

Psychology Course Prerequisites

• Child Development (a Lifespan Development course can meet either the Child or the Adult Development requirement)
• Adult Development (may include Transitions in Adult Development; Psychology of Aging; Jungian Psychology; Psychology of Women; and other courses which focus on psychological growth in adulthood)
• Abnormal Psychology (also known as Psychopathology)
• Personality Psychology
• Research Methods in Psychology (may include qualitative or narrative methodology, as well as quantitative methods; qualitative methods are primarily used in the program)

Symbolic Process Prerequisite

Symbolic process involves personal expression in symbolic forms (art, dreamwork, poetry, myth, sandplay, for example) and reflection on that expression for personal growth. Undergraduate courses offered in Sonoma State's Psychology Department, such as Myth, Dream, and Symbol; Jungian Psychology; Introduction to Art Therapy; selected Psychology 490 seminars; and Art Therapy courses offered through Extended Education; meet the requirements for symbolic process. Therapeutic dreamwork also meets this requirement.

Enrolling at SSU or SRJC for Prerequisites

If you're planning to take prerequisite courses at a Junior College such as Santa Rosa Junior College, or at Sonoma State, check their websites for information on application and semester schedules. SSU courses may be taken through Open University. SSU offers a January Intersession as well as a Summer session, with enrollment through Extended Education; these do not require advance application.

On-line Coursework

Some students avail themselves of on-line Psychology courses to meet the academic prerequisites. UC Berkeley, Foothill College, and other colleges and universities offer on-line courses that accommodate distance learning.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation should be from those who know the applicant in a meaningful way. When possible, we ask for at least one recommendation from an academic teacher and one from a supervisor from the work setting. For undergraduates, three academic letters are fine.

Financial Aid

Sonoma State offers loans and selected scholarships to Master's students. Students may be eligible for university scholarships, external scholarships through foundations and other funds, federal work-study, Perkins loans, and Direct Loans. Because Depth Psychology students are not charged state fees to attend the program, students are not eligible for funds from state university grants, Cal Grants or the state veterans fee waiver program.

The FAFSA is required for financial aid and should be completed early in the calendar year (January or February) for the best financial aid packages. In order to ensure timely processing for the fall semester, applications for financial aid should be completed at the time of application to the Master's program--if the applicant does not enroll in the fall semester, the package can be declined. On-line application is the fastest way to apply.

Returning second year Master's students may apply to selected Psychology Department scholarships; contact Karen Fischer for more information. For students presenting their work at national and international academic conferences, the James L. Jarrett Award is a competitive award providing monetary recognition for their accomplishments.

Students receiving financial aid must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, with no Incompletes carried into the next semester, to ensure continued financial aid. A course Incomplete places a student on Academic Probation; the Incomplete must be completed the semester following the course in order to qualify for future financial aid. See the Financial Aid website for more information on satisfactory academic progress, maximum units, and disqualification.

Questions and Inquiries

Questions about the program, prerequisites, competency equivalents for the prerequisite courses, as well as the symbolic process prerequisite, should be directed to Laurel McCabe, the Program Coordinator. Questions about general admissions procedures should be directed to Karen Fischer, the Graduate Administrative Specialist. Potential applicants are sometimes advised to take psychology or art therapy courses offered at Sonoma State, either during the regular semester, or during January Intersession and Summer Session, through Open University. Prerequisites must be completed before the start of classes in August.

Application Timeline

We begin reviewing the primary set of applications after the January 31 priority deadline, when an applicant's file is complete. It is up to the applicant to make timely inquiries about the status of their application regarding transcripts and letters of recommendation. We make initial evaluations and then schedule personal interviews in late February or March. We notify applicants of acceptance by mail around the first week of April. We do continue to take applications into May and June, until we reach the optimal number and constitution for each entering class.