Sofia University｜Accredited Day 1 CPT University in Bay Area

University Overview

Sofia University was established in 1975 by Drs. Robert Frager and James Fadiman. It is formerly known as the California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which provided ongoing training programs to psychologists. After decades of development, Sofia University has become one of the best universities in the region. It acquired WASC accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC) in 1998. This is the highest form of accreditation. It is the same accreditation that Stanford University and UCLA have.

In addition, Sofia University is also accredited by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Sofia University’s Accreditation

Currently, Sofia University provides day 1 CPT options for only 3 of their graduate-level programs, MSCS [STEM], MBA & DBA With only three CPT programs, Sofia is still one of the most popular day 1 CPT universities in the region. This is due to its accreditations, scholarship opportunities, and low RFE rate.

If you are interested in Sofia University and its day 1 CPT programs, fill out the form at the bottom of this page. We will contact you back, and help you with the application process. Our free service includes consultation and waiving the application fee for eligible students.

>>> Check out our blog about Sofia University and its day 1 CPT programs.

Locations

Sofia University has 2 campuses. Both of them are located in California, one near the Bay Area and the other next to LA. The original campus is at the core of Silicon Valley, while the second campus is in the southern part of California. These perfect locations the premier reason why Sofia is the number one choice for those who need day 1 CPT on the west coast.

Bay Area - Palo Alto: 1069 E. Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA
Los Angeles - Costa Mesa: 3333 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA

F1 students are required to take 2 courses per semester to maintain their full-time student status. 1 of them is online, and the other one is on-site.
Online course takes place every week, usually scheduled on a weekdays
MSCS (STEM), MBA & DBA support Day 1 CPT: MSCS requires 42 credit hours to complete, MBA requires 36 credit hours to complete, and DBA requires 54 credit hours to complete. This brings the average time to graduate to 18 - 48 months depending on whether the students choose to take a break in between.

You can work 365 days a year: Sofia University has 4 quarters/year (11 weeks/quarter). Students can choose to take a break for a quarter after completing 3 quarters of study consecutively. They can still work full-time under CPT during the break. Also, there is no gap between each quarter, which means the student can work 365 days a year.

Onsite Frequency
- 1 per month
- MSCS: During the first semester, there is a requirement to attend campus twice a month.

Campbellsville University, in accordance with USCIS regulations, grants CPT work authorization to students. Typically, international students need to be enrolled for over a year before they can apply for CPT.

Due to program requirements, students in the MSITM and PMBA programs can apply for CPT authorization starting from their first semester and engage in either full-time or part-time work. The MSCS, MSCC, and MSDSAI programs allow students who have already obtained a Master's degree in the US to apply for CPT authorization from their first semester for either full-time or part-time work.

Students in these five programs can continuously apply for CPT during their studies without interruption. To utilize CPT, students need to enroll in the BA500 Graduate Management Externship Course (0 credits) every semester. CPT authorization needs to be renewed annually.

Day 1 CPT at Campbellsville University

Day 1 CPT Class Requirement

Campbellsville University's graduate program is divided into three semesters in a year: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Each semester is further divided into two terms. Students in the Day-1 CPT program register for 6 credits each semester, which includes one 3-credit hybrid course and one 3-credit online course.

The hybrid course lasts for 16 weeks (2 terms) and has an in-person session over one weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Students who fail to attend will lose their F1 student status.

Tuition

Every admitted student at Sofia University is eligible to apply for scholarships. Scholarships are offered when the requirements are met. Students are allowed to apply for multiple scholarships, but normally only one scholarship will be granted per student.

Tuition Fee

Program	Total Tuition	Annual Tuition
MSCS [STEM]	$24,000	$12,000
MBA	$24,000	$12,000
DBA	$51,300	$17,100

Other fees
- Application Fee $75 (Contact Us to waive)
- Technology Fee $150/semester

Who can apply: new students
Amount: $2,000

Who can apply: students with outstanding academic performance

Amount: $5,000

Who can apply: international students

Amount: $2,500

Who can apply: entrepreneurs

Amount: $2,000

Who can apply: public service givers

Amount: $2,000

Who can apply: marginalized and minority populations)

Amount: $4,000

Who can apply: DBA Students

Amount: Year 1: 30% tuition reduction, Year 2&3: 10% reduction in tuition.

Academic Calendar

Terms	Application Deadline	Semester Start Date	CPT Start Date
Spring1	12/13/2024	1/13/2025	1/13/2025
Spring2	2/7/2025	3/10/2025	3/10/2025
Summer1	4/5/2025	5/6/2025	5/6/2025
Summer2	5/28/2025	6/30/2025	6/30/2025
Fall1	7/26/2025	8/25/2025	8/25/2025
Fall2	9/20/2025	10/20/2025	10/20/2025

Initial F1 Students: 3 months before the first day of the term. If you missed the deadline, please get in touch with us.
We are the official recruitment partner of Campbellsville University; we can help you accelerate your application.

Hybrid Professional Programs at Sofia University

DBA

This DBA provides continual immersion in an integrated program designed for business leaders interested in engaging academic methods to solve real-world problems.

Possible Career Outcomes Include: Executive Business Leadership, Global Team and Project Leadership, Professor in Global Business, Coach and Mentor of Global Business Leaders, and Executive Global Business Strategist & Policy Analyst.

Students will take one fully asynchronous online course with faculty and students. Students will also take one course in a hybrid residential format at either Costa Mesa or Palo Alto for 6 hours, three times a term.

To receive a Doctorate in Business Administration degree, a total of 54 units is required for graduation. There would be two courses, each 10 weeks, covering 2 credit courses with 2 hours of synchronous engagement and 3 credit courses with 3 hours of synchronous engagement.

The following are the specific degree requirements for the Domestic DBA:

Phase I: Global Business and Transformational Leadership Engagement (18 units)

Term 1:

GDBC6000 Critical Thinking and Business Communication (2)
GDBC6040 The Entrepreneurial Mind and Transpersonal Psychology (3)
DBA5011 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 2:

GDBC6010 Quantitative and Qualitative Research and Business Opportunities (3)
GDBC6020 Methods of Leading Change (2)
DBA5012 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 3:

GDBC6030 Mixed Methods Research for Business Opportunities (2)
GDBC6050 Transpersonal Leadership and Action Research (3) (GPHD7210)
DBA5013 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 4:

GDBC6020 Seminar: Business Challenges and Opportunities (2)
GDBC6900 Directed Studies (1)
DBA5014 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Phase II: Business Value and Global Leadership Program (18 units)

Term 1:

GDBC7000 Psychology of Organizational Transformation (3)
GDBC7010 Globalization and Sustainability (2)
DBA5021 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 2:

GDBC7020 Technology, Innovation and Creativity in Business (3)
GDBC7030 Leadership and Ethics in the Global Economy (2)
DBA5022 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 3:

GDBC7040 Leadership by Design (2)
GDBC7050 Transformational Leadership in Organizations and Communities (3)
DBA5023 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 4:

GDBC7060 Doctoral Project & Leadership Opportunities (2)
GDBC6910 Directed Studies (1)
DBA5024 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Phase III: Leadership Responses to Global Business Changes (18 units)

Term 1:

GDBC8100 Doctoral Project Proposal & Pitch (2)
GDBC8200 Doctoral Project Leadership Plan (2)
DBA5031 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 2:

GDBC8300 Doctoral Project Implementation (2)
GDBC8400 Conflict and Innovation Lab (2)
DBA5032 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 3:

GDBC8500 Doctoral Project Evaluation (2)
GDBC8600 Leadership Plan for the Future (2)
DBA5033 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

Term 4:

GDBC8700 The Business Congress & Leadership Engagement (6)
DBA5034 Business Integration Practicum - BIP (0)

MBA

Core Courses (21 units)

The Core consists of courses that aim to provide students with both the human relations and quantitative decision-making skills to lead business operations.

MBA2001 Personality and Motivation (3)
MBA2002 Positive Psychology for Business (3)
MBA2003 Decision Science (3)
MBA3002 Finance(3)
MBA3005 Operations (3)
MBA3006 Business Law and Ethics (3)
MBA3008 Marketing (3)

Advanced Courses (12 units)

Advanced courses allow students to explore issues of innovation,
technology, and advanced topics in transpersonal psychology,
leadership and organizational behavior. There are 4 advanced
required courses:

MBA4302 Organizational Psychology (3)
MBA4401 Technology Innovation and Product Management (3)
MBA4601 Marketing and Consumer Psychology (3)
MBA4602 Sustainability and Global Leadership (3)

MBA Capstone (3 units)

The Capstone is the final component of a student’s graduate studies.

MBA4001 Capstone (3)

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Based Internship Program or Elective (0 Units)

Students pursuing the MBA Degree Program are required to pass Sofia University’s 0-credit internship class, Work Integrated Learning (WIL). WIL is a graduation requirement and an integral part to a student’s degree program. Additionally, after completion of the WIL internship class, students have the option to re-enroll in following terms, which will aid them on their continued internship journey while in the MBA program.

Data Analytics Concentration (Optional, 12 Units)

Students seeking to expand their skill set can incorporate a Data Analytics concentration into their MBA program. This specialization in Data Analytics is achievable by opting for any four (equivalent to 12 units) selected MSCS courses. These additional courses help students broaden their analytical capabilities, a skill increasingly valued in today’s data-driven business world.

MSCS 2401 Data Science
MSCS3019 Data Visualization
MSCS3020 Mining Massive Data Sets
MSCS3805 Statistical Analysis for Computer Science
MSCS3809 Advanced Data Science
MSCS3807 Data Modeling in Python and R

MSCS [STEM]

MSCS at Sofia University is an accredited day 1 CPT STEM program, which grants its graduates 3 years of OPT after graduation. The program requires students to complete 42 credit hours of study.

The available concentrations are designed based on market demands, attempting to help students adapt to the industry's needs as quickly as possible. The currently available concentrations are Artificial Intelligence - Data Science and Cybersecurity and Information Assurance.

Mandatory Core Courses（24 credits）

The following are the program core courses:

MSCS 2103 -Systems Programming
MSCS 3801 -Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
MSCS 3802 -Automata, Computation, and Complexity
MSCS 2401 -Data Science
MSCS 2202 -Machine Learning
MSCS 2101 -Software Engineering
MSCS 3804 -Cyber Security and Information Assurance
MSCS 3019 -Data Visualization

Concentration Courses（12 credits）

Students will select one of the following concentrations. All courses in the concentration must be completed to earn that concentration. Substitution of courses is permitted with Program Chair approval.

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 3922 Applied Cryptography
MSCS 2219 -Advanced Threat Analysis

Data Science

MSCS3020 Mining Massive Data Sets
MSCS3805 Statistical Analysis for Computer Science
MSCS3807 Data Modeling in Python and R
MSCS3809 Advanced Data Science

Elective Courses (3 credits)

A total of 3 units of electives in the computer science, psychology, or business programs must be completed.

Work Integrated Learning-Based Program (0 Unit)

WILC5000 Full-Time Internship in Computer Science

Capstone Course (3 credits)

The Capstone Course is mandatory and should be completed in the final or next-to-final term of study.

MSCS 1022 -Technical Writing and Analysis for Computer Scientists: Capstone

Application to Sofia University

If you miss the window and wish to catch up, you may consider our expedited enrollment service. For details, leave us a message regarding your situation, our consultants are on their way to help!

Before Enrollment

Sofia University Now Accepts Applications from International Students in 27 States (ARIZONA, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, FLORIDA, HAWAII, IDAHO, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VERMONT, and WEST VIRGINIA).

Step 1. Create your account and apply online.

**If you directly apply via the link, the $75 Application Fee will automatically be waived.**

Step 2. Prepare the following documents for your application:

Application Fee (can be waived/reimbursed): $75
Statement of Purpose
ID (Copy of Passport or Driver’s License)
All Official Academic Transcripts
Foreign Transcript Evaluation (If Applicable)
English Proficiency Score (If Applicable)
Acceptance Fee: $200
F-1 Admissions Requirements
Bank Statement (within 6 months: min $30,417)
Affidavit of Support (If Applicable)
Copy of Passport
Current I-20
Visa (If Applicable)
Current I-94 (If Applicable)
Current I-797A (If Applicable)
EAD Card (If Applicable)

👉Before school starts, students need to send their official transcript by email (Registrar@sofia.edu) or to the address below: Sofia University Registrar's Office

1069 East Meadow Cr. Palo Alto, CA, 94303

⭐️ It normally takes 5-7 days to receive the result.

If you wish to accelerate the process, contact us!

Having trouble with the application? Contact us.

After Enrollment - CPT Application

After receiving the acceptance letter, confirm with your advisor the SEVIS transfer time and fill out the SEVIS transfer form to transfer SEVIS from your original school to Sofia University.

Students can submit their CPT application at any time after receiving their admission. Application materials include:

To apply for CPT, you will need an offer letter from your employer and a signed CPT agreement from your manager or HR. Sofia University has a relatively flexible CPT approval process. The CPT agreement can be replaced by an employment letter or an offer letter in some cases. If you are not sure whether your documents are sufficient, check with your DSO or contact us for a free consultation.
You can only start to use CPT after successfully enrolled in the CPT course which is equivalent to a 1 credit hour class.
Application Deadlines: 4 weeks before the quarter starts. If you miss the deadline, please contact us and we will arrange an interview for you to meet with the admissions officer as soon as possible. If you are admitted, you will receive the admissions letter and I-20 in as fast as 2-3 days.

Sofia University FAQs

MBA
MBA - DS
MSCS (STEM)
DBA

Once a month.

The onsite instruction of the hybrid course will take place on weekends (Saturday or Sunday) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Moving Humanity Forward Scholarship - $2,000
Merit-Based Scholarship - $5,000
Entrepreneurship Scholarship - $2,000
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Scholarship - $4,000
Honoring Heroes Scholarship - $2,000
International Students Scholarship - $2,500
Community Engagement & Social Advocacy Scholarship - $2,000

Each program has a different cost per credit and graduation requirement, the whole program might cost approximately $24,000 to $51,300.

It usually takes 1 - 2 weeks to process the CPT application after students get enrolled.

If you live in California, especially in the Bay Area, Sofia is a great choice for you due to its ideal location. At Sofia University, you can use CPT all year round without any Gap. The only downside of choosing Sofia is that it only has three Day 1 CPT programs. Please make sure that your JD and your background fit these three majors to fulfill the CPT requirement.

Contact our expert immediately. We are the official partner of Sofia University and provide expedited application service. Our consultant will follow up on your case and get the optimum result. We can also advise on alternative choices.

*The deadline for F1 transfer students (F1/OPT/CPT) is 4 weeks before the first day of the term.

For other students, it is 3 months before the first day of the term.

🚨Disclaimer: The term "Day 1 CPT Universities" is not officially recognized. Instead, it typically refers to universities that allow students to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) from their first semester. However, obtaining CPT approval on the first day of the program is not guaranteed and depends on the timely submission and completeness of the application documents. Typically, it takes 5-15 business days to receive CPT approval after the documents have been received.

✓ One-on-One Free Consultation

✓ Personalized Day 1 CPT Universities List

✓ Application Fee Waiver & Application Assistant

✓ Scholarship Opportunities

✓ Connecting to the Admission Officer to Get Pre-Approval

✓ Premium Process - Get an Offer and I-20 within 3 days [added-value service]

*Our consultants are committed to providing a seamless experience. Once you initiate a case with us, you will be assigned a specific consultant who will thoroughly understand your case, ensuring that there's no need for you to repeat information each time you call. We will not change your consultant unless you request it.