Class Scheduling

The Academic Coordinator, with input from the faculty, Department Chairs, respective program Deans, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs, develops all course schedules.

The final schedule will be made available to students prior to quarterly registration. On-campus students should anticipate classes between Monday and Friday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., some weekend Intensives and Saturday examinations may occur. Online students have more flexible schedules but follow the same quarterly term system.

Class Breaks

Breaks may be taken during classes that are over one hour in length. Faculty generally allows a ten-minute break for each hour of class, depending on the situation. If you require additional breaks due to medical conditions, contact the Dean of Students to discuss your situation.

Class Time Changes and Cancellation

If a class must be canceled or a meeting time or classroom location changed, students will be notified by email, or a notice will be posted on the classroom door.

Community Service Requirement 

(ND Students)

The Community Service program, for ND students,  is overseen by the Advising Office. The program has been established to allow students to actively promote and support Sonoran University and the field of naturopathic medicine outside of the usual coursework experience. Community service hours may be acquired through direct service to any area of Sonoran University that is not normally a paid position, or through outreach to the general community. Students in the ND degree program are required to contribute 45 hours of their time to community service before graduation. The student does not receive academic credit or pay for these activities.

Community service opportunities may be posted on MySonoran, or sent via email from Student Affairs. For a list of qualified activities, see the Community Service Policy on MySonoran.

Completed Community Service hours are to be logged on the University Community Service Verification form and signed by the community member supervising the work. Unsupervised work cannot be accepted for this requirement. A Community Service Timesheet is available on MySonoran. Completed forms are to be submitted online through MySonoran.

Additional hours beyond the required 45 will not be recorded; however, they will be placed in the student’s file. Students may reach out with questions regarding the program or visit MySonoran to view recorded hours worked.

Designation of Status While Attending School

To protect our students and the public, and to avoid confusion about health provider status, students enrolled in degree programs may only represent and identify themselves (on business cards, introductions, email signatures, letters, websites, and any other public-facing media formats, etc.), as a Student of Sonoran University. Students may add their current year of study or anticipated graduation date if desired. Examples are as follows:

• Student, Sonoran University, Class of Spring 20XX
• Student, Year 3, Sonoran University College of Naturopathic Medicine
• Student, Master of Clinical Nutrition Program, Sonoran University

Students in all degree programs may not misrepresent their professional education, credentials, or academic standing, irrespective of licensure status in their home state, and must abide by the requirements of the state of Arizona, where the school is located. Failure to do so is seen as a Student Code of Professional Conduct Violation for Unprofessional Behavior and Dishonesty and is subject to appropriate actions depending on the nature of the violation. For questions about a student's ability to provide healthcare under a license they hold while enrolled at Sonoran University, the student is advised to speak with their program Dean for clarification and guidance.

ND Students

Failing to comply with the Designation of Status policy may lead to sanctions by the Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board, which may negatively impact the application for licensure after graduation. For more details, see Unauthorized Practice of Healing Arts. For more information about student limitations and licensure requirements, visit the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board website. 

MSCN Students

Failing to comply with the Designation of Status policy may lead to sanctions by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS) for violating their Code of Ethics. Violations can result in suspension, revoking, or denial of certification. For more information about the code of conduct and certification requirements, visit BSCN’s website.

Safety and Prevention Courses

As part of our ongoing effort to support the health and safety of our entire Sonoran University community Sonoran University partners with a third-party vendor to bring staff, faculty, and students online training courses. These courses are not for credit and are free to students. 

Sonoran University requires all incoming students to complete the following free online courses: AlcoholEDU, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, and in compliance with Title IX and the Clery Act, Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students. Prior to graduation, students are required to complete the Sexual Assault Prevention: Healthy Relationships course. This requirement is enforced during registration and applies to all degree-seeking students regardless of full- or part-time status.

Textbooks and Recommended Resources

The list of required texts or recommended resources is compiled and made available to students during New Student Orientation and prior to the start of each quarter. Changes in textbook or resource requirements will occur after week 8 of the prior quarter. Changes may only be made after week eight (8) under exceptional circumstances (i.e., book/resource is unavailable from the publisher, not available in digital format, or out of print) and only with approval from the Department Chair and/or Division Director.

Required texts and resources are defined as material that is covered in class and that students will be expected to know and for which they will be tested. Recommended texts are defined as materials that more fully explore and reinforce course information and are optional but highly recommended reading for students. If the class does not lend itself to a required text, it will be noted on the textbook list that material will come from notes, handouts, etc. If a choice of textbooks is provided, there will be a limit of two choices. If the faculty feels that more than two choices of a required text are needed, the Department Chair must approve the choices. Texts are only required for a course if they will be heavily used within the course. 

Supplemental reading is additional reading that adds personal knowledge or depth to a subject area. Supplemental reading will not be noted on the official textbook list but will be noted on the course syllabi. There is no restriction on supplemental reading.

Textbook lists are posted in Canvas and in Sonoran's Library. It is highly recommended that textbooks be acquired and/or downloaded before the first day of class.