A student, except a classified graduate student, not in a period of continuous attendance at the time of filing for a degree and/or credential must meet the Bulletin requirements in effect at the time of filing. Continuous attendance for purposes of Bulletin requirements is defined as matriculated attendance in at least one semester or two quarters each calendar year.
Newly Admitted
Students who have never enrolled at San Francisco State University in a fall or spring semester and who have been admitted to the university for a specific semester, or students who have previously attended San Francisco State University and are returning to begin a new degree objective (e.g., a new graduate student who received a B.A. from SFSU) are considered newly admitted.
Continuing
Students who were previously enrolled in this university in a regular semester and who have not been absent from the university for more than one complete semester (excluding Summer and Winter Sessions) and who have not attended another college or university during their absence from San Francisco State University are considered continuing students.
Per immigration regulations, foreign students are required to be continuously enrolled every semester. Undergraduates must carry a minimum of twelve units and graduate students must carry a minimum of nine units.
In order to be considered in attendance for any semester, the student must be reported as enrolled in at least one class on the 20th day of instruction.
Readmitted
Students who have been absent from San Francisco State University for two full semesters (excluding Summer and Winter Sessions), or who have attended another college or university during their absence, must have applied and been readmitted to the university by the undergraduate or graduate Admissions Office.
A graduate student must be officially enrolled with the university during any term in which she/he is utilizing university resources which are determined to be more than incidental by the major department and, if appropriate, by other units of the university. A student who was admitted to a graduate program at this campus before Fall 1990, and who maintains continuing registration eligibility, will not be subject to this requirement. She/he should follow the Bulletin in effect for the term she/he was admitted to the graduate program.
The class level of students is determined according to units completed (earned units) as follows:
| Class Level | Units Completed |
| Lower Division: | |
| Freshmen | 0-29 |
| Sophomore | 30-59 |
| Upper Division: | |
| Junior | 60-89 |
| Senior | 90 or more |
| Graduate: | |
| Holding a baccalaureate or master's degree from an accredited university or college. |
This university and the State of California are very supportive of individuals completing course work for degrees, credentials, and certificates offered by the university, as well as for professional growth, and for personal enrichment within reasonable limits. With the limitation of physical and personnel resources available, the university reserves the right to limit, or terminate, the enrollment of any individual it feels has been fairly served by educational opportunities at this institution or elsewhere, and where the enrollment needs of other individuals must be given higher priority in the context of the resources available.
The Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Services reviews the records of students who have earned sufficient units of credit to graduate, but have not applied for graduation. When the student has met all requirements for graduation, the director, after conference with the student, may take the necessary action to have the student graduated. In those cases where the requirements for graduation can be completed in one additional semester, the director, after conference with the student, the appropriate department chair, and either the Dean of Undergraduate Studies or the Dean of the Graduate Division, may notify the student that he has only one additional semester in which to complete the graduation requirements. If graduation requirements are not completed in the time designated, future registration in the university may not be permitted or may be subject to conditions mutually agreed upon by the student and the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Services.
Registration for all students is by telephone, using a Touch Tone Registration system. Touch Tone appointments and fee payment instructions are sent to all eligible students prior to the first available touch tone date. Registration fees must be paid prior to using the touch tone system. Please refer to the Class Schedule for specific dates and details.
Adding Courses after Initial Touch Tone. If the student has paid sufficient fees and has instructor approval, s/he may add courses via Touch Tone with instructor assigned permit numbers during the first two weeks of the semester.
Dropping Courses after Initial Touch Tone. The student must use the Touch Tone system to drop individual classes until the 20th day of instruction. After that point, s/he may withdraw from a course or courses only for serious and compelling reasons. Petitions for withdrawal are available at the Student Services Center (HSS 127), and must be signed by the instructor and department chair. (College dean approval is required if withdrawal is in the last three weeks of the semester.)
Touch Tone Enrollment Verification. A student may verify his/her enrollment via the Touch Tone Registration system or via the Internet at: www.sfsu.edu/student. A Touch Tone program verification will be mailed prior to the first day of classes, and a second verification will be sent at the end of the second week of the semester.
A student who wishes to audit a course instead of enrolling for credit must be admitted to the university, register and pay fees in the same manner as s/he would for credit courses. A student registers as an auditor by receiving permission from the instructor during the first two weeks of instruction and adding with permit numbers via Touch Tone.
Any student admitted to a class as an auditor will not be permitted to obtain credit by examination for that class. A student registered as an auditor may be required to participate in any or all classroom activities at the discretion of the instructor.
A student may change his/her status from audit to credit or from credit to audit during the first two weeks of instruction, if the change is approved by the course instructor.
The normal academic load for undergraduates is fifteen units per semester. For graduates, the normal load is from nine to twelve units per semester. Two hours of preparation for each hour of regular class work should be expected. For international students, immigration regulations require a minimum academic load of twelve units for undergraduates and eight units for graduates.
Verification for enrollment is calculated as follows:
| Undergraduates | |
| Full Time | 12+ units |
| Half Time | 6-11 units |
| Less than Half Time | 1-5 units |
| Graduates | |
| Full Time | 8+ units |
| Half Time | 4-7 |
| Less than Half Time | 1-3 |
| Undergraduates | |
| Full Time | 8+ units |
| Half Time | 4-7 units |
| Less than Half Time | 1-3 units |
| Graduates | |
| Full Time | 8+ units |
| Half Time | 4-7 |
| Less than Half Time | 1-3 |
NOTE: For purposes of financial aid, each upper-division and graduate-level course (courses numbered 300 and above) is worth 1.5 units for a graduate student. Each lower-division course (courses numbered 100-299) is worth 1 unit.
In planning programs, students should observe Veterans Administration regulations concerning minimum academic loads. For certification under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-358), undergraduates must register for twelve or more semester units of credit to receive maximum benefits. Graduate students must register and complete eight or more upper division or graduate-level semester units of credit each term to receive maximum benefits. Additional information may be obtained from the Registrar's Office.
All students requesting and accepting financial aid through San Francisco State University must register for and complete twelve or more semester units as an undergraduate and eight or more semester units as a graduate. Some financial aid programs allow a reduced unit requirement. Additional information may be obtained from Financial Aid.
Students who wish to enroll in extension work with this university and/or to enroll in courses at other institutions at the same time as they are registered for courses at this university, should plan the combined program with their major adviser. Under no circumstances is the total unit load for all course registrations in all institutions being attended to exceed the maximum unit load restrictions for this institution without written approval in advance from either the Dean of Undergraduate Studies or the Dean of the Graduate Division. Failure to obtain such approval in advance will subject the student to possible loss of units taken here and/or a restriction of units for transfer from the other institutions.
Students are expected to attend classes regularly because classroom work is one of the necessary and important means of learning and of attaining the educational objectives of the institution.
Students should not miss classes except for valid reasons, such as illness, accidents, or participation in officially approved university activities. When a student is absent from classes, it is his/her responsibility to inform his/her instructors of the reason for the absence and to arrange to make up missed assignments and class work insofar as this is possible.
The instructor may consider regular attendance when assigning grades. In that case, the requirement for regular attendance must be stated in writing as part of the course requirements and distributed to students at the beginning of the semester.
Continuing students who have been officially admitted to, and who are actively pursuing, a degree and/or credential program may qualify to absent themselves from enrollment in the institution for periods up to two academic years and still maintain the option of continuing student status. As a consequence of a leave of absence, it is expected that a student will improve his/her ability to complete the degree program. A petition for the leave must clearly demonstrate that during the absence from the university the student will be doing something significantly relevant to his/her program. Requests for health, financial, or other personal reasons, or matriculation at another institution, are not recognized for the purpose of granting a leave of absence. In the latter instances, students would need to reapply for admission when they are ready to resume their studies in the university. Undergraduate students should contact the Student Services Center for more information.
To be eligible for an educational leave of absence, a graduate student must: (a) be a U.S. citizen or resident alien (foreign students ineligible); (b) have been officially admitted to a master's and/or credential program offered by the university; (c) have a Graduate Approved Program (GAP) on file in the Graduate Division Office or Credential Approved Program (CAP) on file in the Credentials Office in the College of Education; (d) be in good academic standing; and (e) have completed acceptable course work (at least nine units) toward the identified objective prior to the effective date of the leave. Such a planned academic leave does not change the beginning or ending dates of the seven-year completion of degree requirements for master's degree candidates. For further information contact the Graduate Division Office.
Students who find it necessary to withdraw from SFSU after enrolling for any academic term are required to follow the official withdrawal procedures. Failure to follow formal withdrawal procedures may result in the assignment of failing grades in all courses and the need to apply for readmission before being permitted to enroll in another academic term. Information on withdrawal procedures is available from the Registrar's Office.
Students who are receiving financial aid funds must consult with the Office of Student Financial Aid prior to withdrawing from the university regarding any required return or repayments of grant or loan assistance received for that academic term. If a recipient of financial assistance under federal Title IV financial aid programs withdraws from the institution during a payment period, the amount of grant or loan assistance received is subject to return and repayment provisions governed by federal law.
Dropping a Course or Courses
During the first four weeks of instruction students can drop a course or courses without restriction or penalty. No symbol is recorded on the student's permanent record. The procedure for dropping a course during this period is described in detail in the Class Schedule.
Withdrawal from Courses
After the first four weeks of instruction and before the final three weeks of instruction, withdrawal from a course or courses is permissible by consulting the instructor involved. The student should submit the appropriate form and supporting documents (including unofficial transcripts) to the instructor. The instructor will review, either approve or deny, and sign it. If the withdrawal is approved, the student will submit the signed form to Student Records. If the student has previously withdrawn from the same course two times, the petition will be denied. Should the instructor be unavailable despite the student's best effort to meet with him/her, the withdrawal request may be reviewed and determined by the chair of the department in which the course is given. Student may receive a grade of 'W' which will appear on his/her permanent record. However, a 'W' grade shall not be counted toward the student's GPA. The student may appeal an instructor's denial of a withdrawal request through the Board of Appeals and Review.
Withdrawals are normally not permitted during the final three weeks except in verified cases of accident or serious illness where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances clearly beyond the student's control and where the assignment
Students who are receiving financial aid funds must consult with the Office of Student Financial Aid prior to withdrawing from the university regarding any refunds or repayments of grant or loan assistance received for that academic term. If a recipient of financial assistance under federal Title IV financial aid programs withdraws from the institution during a payment period the amount of grant or loan assistance received is subject to refund and repayment provisions governed by federal law.
Withdrawal From the University
A student may withdraw completely from the university for serious and compelling reasons or in verified cases of accident or serious illness. All requests for withdrawal or retroactive withdrawal from the university must be submitted and justified in writing to the Registrar.
Official transcripts of courses taken at the university are issued only with the written permission of the student concerned. Partial transcripts are not issued. A fee of $4.00 for a single transcript must be received before the request can be processed. Additional transcripts prepared at the same time up to ten (10) transcripts are $2.00 each. Additional transcripts prepared at the same time which exceed the first ten (10) transcripts cost $1.00 each.
Transcripts show all San Francisco State University work completed as of the date of application for the transcript. Work in progress accompanies the transcript only if specifically requested by the student on the application for transcript form. Requests for transcripts to show end of current semester's work are held until all grades are recorded.
Transcript requests are processed in accordance with the date of filing.
Transcripts from other institutions, which have been presented for admission or evaluation, become a part of the student's permanent academic file and are not returned or copied for distribution. Students desiring transcripts covering work attempted elsewhere should request them from the appropriate institutions.