
Sofia University
Palo Alto & Costa Mesa, California
Sofia University
Campus Locations:
1069 E. Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303 3333 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
School Locations:
Palo Alto & Costa Mesa, California
School Accreditations:
WASC Senior College and University Commission, California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Day-1 CPT Programs:
MBA (18 - 24 months), MBA - Data Analytics (STEM*, 24 - 30 months), MS Computer Science(STEM*, 18 - 24 months)
Estimated Tuition:
$18,720 - $24,960/Program
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Overall Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cost Effectiveness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Academic Pressure: ⭐️⭐️
Commute Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| 1.About the School
Sofia University, was established in 1975 by Drs. Robert Frager and James Fadiman. It is formerly known as California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which provided ongoing training programs to psychologists. The university has many years of experience and unique strength in the master’s programs in Transpersonal Psychology.
The curriculum for the master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology was initially designed by co-founder and former president Dr. Robert Frager.
The program focused on six areas of inquiry: the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical, social and creative aspects of life.
| Accreditations
Sofia University is accredited by:
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Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Sofia University has been accredited by the nation’s premier regional accreditation body for higher education, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC), since 1998. Through its rigorous review process, WSCUC confirms that Sofia University possesses the resources, policies, and practices to achieve its educational goals and shows a dedication to the improvement and accountability of its programs. In June of 2022, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) reaffirmed Sofia University’s accreditation for a period of 6 years!
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California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)
Sofia University is on California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)’s Listing of Accredited Institutions and Programs.
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Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Sofia University is on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s Listing of Accredited and Candidate Institutions (CHEA).
| School Locations
Sofia University has two campus locations in California. The Bay Area campus is located in Palo Alto while the LA campus is located in Costa Mesa.
The main campus in Palo Alto is in the heart of silicon valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is close to the headquarters of Google, Apple, Facebook and Airbnb.
The main campus is located at 1069 East Meadow Circle, which spans over an area of 46,000 square ft. and includes a library, computer labs, student center, office spaces, lecture halls, and other facilities.
The Costa Mesa campus, which is spread over 14 acres, is located in Orange County. It is formally known as Whittier Law School.
Palo Alto Campus
1069 E. Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Costa Mesa Campus
3333 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
| 2.CPT Policies
The courses at Sofia University are hybrid (in-person and remote learning), with an emphasis on applying the knowledge obtained from the classroom into the real world.
International students are required to participate in an internship with CPT in order to graduate from a Day-1 CPT program. The job responsibilities must be related to the degree being pursued.
For instance, the name of the MBA program indicates that the program focuses on combining classroom knowledge with real-world applications, which is Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Work Integrated Learning (WIL) (Hybrid, a combination of Campus and Online Courses).
Regarding the CPT Internship, according to the latest official catalog, *F1 transfer students of MBA, MBA - Data Analytics (STEM), and MS in CS (STEM) programs could start CPT on the first day of the class.
—To apply for CPT, you will need:
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An offer letter from your employer
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A signed CPT agreement from your manager or HR
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The CPT agreement can be replaced by an employment letter
(or an offer letter in some cases)
*Please contact us and we can guide you through the CPT documents and application.
*Sofia University announced, in 2023 spring that Students who apply for CPT will no longer be billed for an additional credit hour. Instead, Sofia University charges a fixed amount of $260 per quarter for CPT, which is a comparatively lower fee.
| 3.Day-1 CPT Programs
Master of Business Administration
One of the biggest highlights of the MBA program at Sofia University is the courses that combine Psychology and Business Administration. These courses provide unique perspectives on the psychological impact on employees when their companies go through business events such as mergers, acquisitions, and downsizing.
| MBA - Data Analytics, STEM ( a 48-credit program concentration starting Summer 2023)
MBA - DA requires 48 credits to graduate, including 36 core courses credits, and 12 credits from Data Analytics concentration courses.
12 Core Courses (36 credits)
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MBA2001 Personality and Motivation
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MBA2002 Positive Psychology for Business
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MBA3005 Operations
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MBA3006 Business Law and Ethics
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MBA4602 Sustainability and Global Leadership
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MBA4001 Capstone
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MBA4302 Organizational Psychology
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MBA4401 Technology and Innovation
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MBA2003 Decision Science
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MBA3002 Finance
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MBA3008 Marketing
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MBA4601 Marketing and Consumer Psychology
4 Data Analytics Concentration Courses (12 credits)
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MSCS 3805 Statistical Analysis for Computer Science
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MSCS 2401 Data Science
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MSCS 3019 Data Visualization
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MBA 3004 Data Analysis and Forecasting
Business Analytics
Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness
Management of Technology and Innovation
General Concentration
4 Core Courses (12 credit hours)
Financial Accounting (3)
Operations (3)
Business Law and Ethics (3)
Marketing (3)
3 Fundamental Courses: (9 credit hours)
Personality and Motivation (3)
Positive Psychology for Business (3)
Decision Science (3)
For every concentration:
Business Analytics
Data Science (3)
Data Visualization (3)
Statistical Analysis for Computer Science (3)
Organizational Leadership & Management
Technology Innovation & Production Management (3)
Program and Project Management (3)
Marketing 2 (3)
Management of Technology and Innovation
Technology Innovation & Production Management (3)
Marketing 2 (3)
Choose one course below:
Organizational Leadership & Management (3)
Program and Project Management (3)
General Concentration
Program and Project Management (3)
Technology Innovation & Product Management (3)
Marketing 2 (3)
* to graduate from the MBA program, students will need to participate in internships for at least 3 semesters.
Masters of Science in Computer Science (STEM)
MS Computer Science is a STEM program that allows you to have 3 years total of OPT.
The program focuses on innovative, transpersonal, and transformative learning in the classroom and at the workplace to ensure that students are well prepared for the technical and managerial challenges of the rapidly evolving computing, engineering, and scientific industries as well as the challenges of future academic and research-based endeavors.

Artificial Intelligence - Data Science
Cyber Security & Information Assurance
Artificial Intelligence
• MSCS 3805 -Statistical Analysis for Computer Science
• MSCS 2201 -Artificial Intelligence
• MSCS 3008 -Introduction to Robotics
• MSCS 3806 -Advanced Topics in AI and Machine Learning
Cyber Security and Information Assurance
• MSCS 3920 -Cyber Security: Defense
• MSCS 3921 -Cyber Security: Forensics and Attack Analysis
• MSCS 2219 -Advanced Threat Analysis
| 4.Onsite Frequency
The course with Onsite Requirement:
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The onsite course requires the students to attend class onsite once a month for a total of 3 onsite sessions per quarter.
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The onsite session is from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday or Sunday.
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There are two sessions that are hosted on Zoom, a total of 5 sessions for a quarter.
The online course is:
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100% online and there is no fixed schedule or Zoom meetings required to attend the class. The class is self-taught and it requires the students to log into Canvas, a course management system, to complete the classwork and homework.
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Weekly login is required. Students who asked to complete the course work in a timely manner.
*From our student’s experience, it takes about 1-2 hours per week to complete the homework from the two courses.
5.Tuition and Scholarship
Per Credit | Total Credits | Tuition Total (CPT not included) | Annual Tuition | |
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MBA | $520 | 36 | $18,720 | $9,360 |
MBA - Data Analytics | $520 | 48 | $24,960 | $9,360 |
MS Computer Science | $520 | 42 | $21,840 | $10,920 |
*Students who apply for CPT will no longer be billed for an additional credit hour. Instead, Sofia University charges a fixed amount of $260 per quarter for CPT, which is a comparatively lower fee.
| Scholarships
⭐️ Apply through CPTDog / GoElite and get a $100 Amazon gift card (when you enroll)
Sophia University offers scholarship opportunities to all admitted students, and scholarships are awarded on an as-needed basis and subject to approval: (seek scholarship application assistance from CPTDog).
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Moving Humanity Forward Scholarship (for new students) - $2,000
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Merit-Based Scholarship (for outstanding academic performance) - $5,000
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International Students Scholarship (for international students) - $2,500
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Entrepreneurship Scholarship (for entrepreneurs) - $2,000
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Community Engagement & Social Advocacy Scholarship (for public service contributors) - $2,000
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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Scholarship (for underrepresented groups and minorities) - $4,000
*Sophia University scholarships are usually disbursed in four installments within one year to offset tuition fees. Students can apply for multiple scholarships at once, but typically receive one.
| 6.Academic Calendar
Session Start | Application Deadline | |
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2023 Spring | 4/3/2023 | 3/15/2023 |
2023 Summer | 7/3/2023 | 6/14/2023 |
2023 Fall | 10/2/2023 | 9/13/2023 |
2024 Winter | 1/8/2024 | 12/19/2023 |
The school has a quarterly system, with 4 quarters per year, each lasting for 11 weeks. Students can
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Take a break for one quarter after completing 3 consecutive quarters
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Use full-time CPT through out the break
*There is no gap between CPT periods in each semester, and students can work for 365 days a year.
The courses are offered in a hybrid format, with at least 2 courses per semester (each course is 3 credits, a total of 6 credits, and CPT counts as an additional credit), one online and one onsite, in compliance with the requirements of F-1 international students by the Immigration Bureau. Students can take at most one pure online course per semester.
*If you miss the application deadline, don't worry, contact us, CPTDog could work with School Admissions to expedite admission decisions within an average of 3 days.
*You can also find the 2023-2024 Sofia University Academic Calendar in HERE
| 7.Application Guide
( Follow the Application Guide to Earn $100 Limited Bonus, and Get Application Fee Reimbursed after Enrollment)
*Started in 2022, Sofia University accepts applications for domestic international students who reside in the US, both in and outside of California. Find the list of eligible States HERE.
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Click here to apply and receive the online application form. (CPTDog will reimbursed your app fee when you enroll)
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Submit the documents below in your online application form:
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I-20
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Passport
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Visa
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Resume
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Personal Statement
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I-20 Release Form
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Official Transcript
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Certificate of deposit (a bank statement with a balance of more than $30,417 within the last 6 months or a certificate of deposit in the equivalent amount of another currency)
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After receiving your admission letter, you will be asked to pay $200 Acceptance Fee and to confirm the time to transfer SEVIS to Sofia University. To transfer the SEVIS, you will need to fill out the SEVIS transfer form to request the SEVIS to be transferred to Sofia University from your original school.
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Before school starts, students need to send their official transcript by email, or to the address below:
Official e-transcript: Send it to email address Registrar@sofia.edu as an attachment
Official paper transcript: Send it as a letter to,
Sofia University Registrar Office
1069 East Meadow Cr.
Palo Alto, CA, 94303

*Please feel free to ask us any questions during the application process.
*Your application will only be reviewed when all the materials are submitted.
*It normally takes 7 days to receive the result. If you wish to expedite the application, please contact us and we’ll work with an admissions officer to work on your case and deliver result as soon as 3 business days.
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