GRADUATE AND POST-BACCALAUREATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES
All graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants (e.g., master's degree applicants, those
seeking credentials, and those interested in taking graduate-level courses for personal or
professional growth) must file a complete graduate application as described in the
graduate and post-baccalaureate admissions booklet. Applicants who completed
undergraduate degree requirements and graduated the preceding term are also
required to complete and submit an application and the $55 nonrefundable application
fee. Applicants for post-baccalaureate programs are limited to the choice of a single
campus on each application. To be assured of initial consideration by more than one
campus, it is necessary for an applicant to submit separate applications (including fees)
to each. Applications may be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office of any
California State University campus in addition to the sources noted for undergraduate
applications.
GRADUATE AND POST-BACCALAUREATE
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants may apply for a degree objective, a
credential or certificate objective, or may have no program objective. Depending on
the objective, the CSU will consider an application for admission as follows:
General Requirements
The general requirements for admission to graduate and post-baccalaureate studies at a California State University campus are in accordance with
university regulations as well as Title 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3 of the California Code of
Regulations. Specifically, a student shall (1) have completed a four-year college course
of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited
by a regional accrediting association, or shall have completed equivalent academic
preparation as determined by appropriate campus authorities; (2) be in good academic
standing at the last college or university attended; (3) have attained a grade point
average of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted; and
(4) satisfactorily meet the professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards for
graduate study, including qualifying examinations, as appropriate campus authorities
may prescribe. In unusual circumstances, a campus may make exceptions to these
criteria.
TOEFL Requirement
All graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants, regardless of
citizenship, whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than
English must demonstrate competence in English. Those who do not possess a bachelor's
degree from a post-secondary institution where English is the principal language of
instruction must receive a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL).
ADMISSION CATEGORIES
If a student meets the minimum requirements for graduate and post-baccalaureate
studies, s/he will be considered for admission in one of the four following categories.
Post-Baccalaureate Unclassified
To enroll in courses for professional or personal growth, a
student must be admitted as a post-baccalaureate unclassified student. By meeting the
general requirements, s/he is eligible for admission as a post-baccalaureate unclassified
student. Some departments may restrict the enrollment of unclassified students in classes
due to heavy enrollment pressure. Admission in this status does not constitute admission
to, or assurance of consideration for admission to, any graduate degree or credential
program. For procedures to change to classified graduate status in a master's program,
see "Change of Major" section.
Post-Baccalaureate Classified
If a student wishes to enroll in a credential or certificate
program, s/he will be required to satisfy additional professional, personal, scholastic, and
other standards, including qualifying examinations, prescribed by the campus.
Graduate Conditionally Classified
A student may be admitted to a graduate degree
program in this category if, in the opinion of appropriate campus authority, the student
can remedy deficiencies by additional preparation.
Graduate Classified
To pursue a graduate degree, a student is required to fulfill all of the
professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards, including qualifying examinations,
prescribed by the campus.
NOTE: No more than twelve semester units of work completed prior to being formally
admitted by the university to classified status in a master's program may be applied to
meet the requirements of that program, and even these units must have approval of the
major department.
TRANSCRIPTS
All post-baccalaureate applicants must furnish the Office of Admission with two official
transcripts from each college or university attended. A separate transcript from each
college or university is required even though one transcript may show work taken at
another institution. Credential applicants must also send a set of transcripts to the
Credentials Office in the College of Education.
Students who attend Summer Sessions only need not file transcripts unless they plan to
earn degrees or credentials at this university or wish to earn credit which can be
identified as post-baccalaureate degree work on transcripts issued by this institution.
The Registrar's Office will provide transcripts to the major department for those applicants
who have completed course work at this university.
ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS
The university does not require applicants to complete an entrance examination as a
condition for graduate admission. Some programs require that applicants for their
graduate degrees submit results of the aptitude, advanced, or area tests of the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other required examinations. Applicants are
responsible for having the required examination results forwarded directly to the
department involved. Information regarding which examinations, if any, are required
may be obtained from the department office.
CONTINGENT ADMITTANCE
A post-baccalaureate applicant who is admitted to the university before the final award
of the baccalaureate degree is considered as a contingent admittee. Any applicant
who enrolls without having officially completed the baccalaureate degree and without
having filed an official transcript showing the award of this degree, is subject to having
one or more of the following actions taken: admission and registration cancelled,
automatic reversion to undergraduate status, loss of all units taken for post-baccalaureate credit, disciplinary action as may be appropriate.
SECOND ADVANCED DEGREE
Approval for a second advanced degree is not typically granted when the new degree
desired is closely related to the advanced degree already earned. California law
requires students wishing to pursue a second graduate degree to pay additional fees.
See "Fees and Other Expenses" for additional information.
A foreign student will not be permitted to work on a second master's degree at this
university except where a compelling justification can be presented. Further information
may be obtained by contacting the Graduate Division Office. Petition forms for foreign
students may be obtained from the Graduate Division Office, ADM 254.
ADMISSION LIMITATIONS
The extent of enrollment pressures relative to available resources varies considerably from
one department to another at this university. Some post-baccalaureate programs are in
a position to admit most of the qualified applicants while others must use admission
quotas to control the number of students admitted. Selection processes have been
developed by each department to best serve students within the limits of its resources.
This university honors an initial filing period for accepting admission applications (see
"Application Filing Periods"). A post-baccalaureate application filed during the initial open
filing period (defined as the months of November for the following fall semester and
August for the following spring semester respectively) will be given every consideration for
admission. When a program does not receive sufficient applications, the filing period will
remain open until a deadline date announced by the program is reached. As a result,
certain programs will be closed to applications before others.
CANCELLATION OF ADMISSION
Admission will be cancelled automatically if an applicant is accepted by this university
for a given semester and does not register for that term. If the applicant wishes to
undertake work at the university at a later date, s/he must file a new application, pay a
new fee, and meet the current requirements for admission. Materials supporting the
application for admission, such as transcripts and required documents, are retained by
Enrollment Services for two years and may be used during this time to meet the
requirements associated with the new application.
TRANSFER CREDIT FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS
A student wishing to have a course taken at another institution included as part of his/her
graduate program should do the following:
- Secure the approval of his/her graduate adviser.
- Include the course on his/her Graduate Approved Program (GAP) form.
- See that the relevant official transcript is forwarded to the Registrar's Office. (The
transcript will remain on file until the student applies for graduation, at which time the
final confirmation of course eligibility will occur.)
A course will be deemed eligible for inclusion in a graduate program under the following
conditions:
- The course content is such that it clearly meets the program's curricular requirements
stipulated in the university Bulletin.
- The course was taken at an accredited higher education institution.
- The course was completed after earning the baccalaureate degree.
- The student earned an acceptable grade (C or better) in the course.
- The course was either an upper division or a graduate course at the institution at which it
was taken.
- The course was not used to meet any other degree requirement either at the institution
where it was taken or at SFSU.
- The course was not taken any earlier than seven years from the date the student is
planning to graduate.
- The sum of all credit-by-examination, extension, or transfer courses being proposed for
inclusion on the GAP does not exceed six units in a 30-unit program (or twelve units in a
60-unit program).
- The GAP, with the transfer course(s) on it, has been approved by the student's graduate
adviser.
- The GAP has been approved by the college graduate coordinator and by the Graduate
Division.
It is the obligation of the student and of the student's adviser to determine that the
proposed transfer course will meet all of the conditions for eligibility. Should a student or
adviser wish eligibility determined prior to submission of the application for graduation, a
request for evaluation may be made at the Registrar's Office, ADM 253.
ADMISSION FROM NON-ACCREDITED OR NON-EQUIVALENT INSTITUTIONS
A student who is a graduate of a non-accredited institution or from an institution whose
degree is not considered equivalent to a baccalaureate degree from this university in
terms of quality and/or content (e.g., specialized, professional, or certain foreign
institutions) may not be admitted directly to post-baccalaureate status at this university.
Instead, s/he may be considered for admission as an undergraduate student. Upon
satisfactory completion of the undergraduate degree, the student may then apply and
be considered for admission to post-baccalaureate status.
CONCURRENT STUDY FOR MASTER'S DEGREE AND CREDENTIAL
Students intending to secure both a master's degree and a California basic teaching
credential may in some programs pursue these objectives concurrently, although the
same courses may not be used for both objectives.
CONCURRENT STUDY FOR TWO DIFFERENT DEGREES
Pursuit of more than one graduate degree at a time is specifically precluded by the
university. A student pursuing a graduate degree at San Francisco State University may
not simultaneously enroll and complete course work for the purpose of meeting
requirements for any other degree offered by this or any other institution of higher
education. Each degree must be completed in its entirety before work may be taken for
the purpose of meeting requirements for a new degree. Any questions regarding this
policy should be directed to the dean of the Graduate Division.
SUMMER SESSIONS
Through this university's Summer Sessions (a part of Extended Learning), a post-
baccalaureate student may earn residence credit which may be used to satisfy some of
the requirements for an advanced degree or credential. Enrollment in Summer Sessions
only does not require formal admission to the university. A student who is planning to
pursue an advanced degree at this university through attendance in Summer Sessions
only should contact the Graduate Division and obtain instructions about how to attain
classified graduate status.
EXTENSION CLASSES
This university offers extension classes through its Extended Education Division which,
under certain conditions, may be applied toward an advanced degree. The total
number of units which can be allowed toward a 30-unit master's degree at this university,
in any acceptable combination of university extension units, transfer credit from other
accredited institutions, and credit by examination, is six semester units.