GRADUATE ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The following minimum standards apply to all master's degree Graduate Approved Programs.
The first level (or assessment) of proficiency in written English shall be determined by the major department for all newly admitted students to the program, preferably before the first enrollment takes place, but no later than the end of the first semester of enrollment. An applicant is expected to be able to use correct grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation and to present concepts and information in a logically organized and coherent form appropriate for initial study in the major field. Some departments require that their students take the Graduate Essay Test (GET), administered by the Testing Office, to determine if writing deficiencies exist and, if so, what type. If remedial work is necessary, the student shall be expected to complete prescribed courses in English or other corrective work at a level acceptable to the department.
The second level (or assessment) of proficiency in written English occurs later in the student's graduate program, preferably by the time of Advancement to Candidacy (i.e., the time a Graduate Approved Program is filed and approved). At this time, the student shall be expected to demonstrate writing skills which exemplify scholarly style in his/her chosen discipline. In some disciplines the style may be somewhat impersonal and objective, while in others it may be more subjective and creative. The student should know how to quote, paraphrase or write a precis, integrate quotations and rephrasings with original ideas, cite sources, and prepare manuscripts or other works in accordance with accepted scholarly style in the field of study.
A Graduate Approved Program (GAP) will be valid only as long as the student maintains continuous enrollment status with the university as defined elsewhere in the Bulletin. Any time a student is required to reapply for admission to the university, s/he must also be reconsidered for admission by the major department. If readmitted, a new GAP must be completed that meets current curricular requirements.
If the student fails to earn the minimum 3.0 grade point average on completion of the revised Graduate Approved Program, it will be recommended that his/her candidacy be terminated without the award of the master's degree.
The additional courses must be: at the upper division or graduate level; graded with letter grades; regular courses, not to include 699 or 899 courses; approved by the graduate major adviser; and applicable to the degree objective, although the courses need not be restricted to the student's major department/program.
In accordance with Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, this culminating experience can be met by the satisfactory completion of a thesis, special project, comprehensive examination, or, in some cases, a combination of more than one of these. An oral defense of the work completed for the culminating experience is normally required.
Students must file a Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement form which has been approved by appropriate program faculty. This form must be submitted subsequent to or simultaneous with the Graduate Approved Program (GAP) form. Students are not permitted to enroll in a culminating experience course until both of these forms have been approved by the Graduate Division.
Supervised Field Internship (course 892): A supervised field internship (alternatively referred to as Site Administration or Supervised Field Experience) involves the placement of the student in a work experience situation for the purpose of testing the application of the knowledge and skills learned. Normally, it is expected that the student will establish, with counsel from the faculty supervisor, specific written goals and/or problems to be addressed during the field internship. A written report or evaluation of the experience covering significance, objectives, methodology, and a conclusion or recommendations, is required, and should be kept on permanent file within the department or college. Also, an oral defense of the report may be required by the department. When the work is completed, the student's committee chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form. This completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the Graduate Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the University Calendar.
Written Creative Work (course 893): A written creative work is a creative achievement in writing, usually a short story, a novel, a series of poems, play, etc. It is expected to be a demonstration of the student's achieved unique style of writing. At the present time, only students in the graduate program offered by the Department of Creative Writing may use this alternative to meet the Culminating Experience Requirement. The guidelines for the preparation of the final work for submission to the Graduate Division are virtually identical to those for the thesis. Instead of an abstract as required for a thesis, an annotation page must be completed and filed as a part of the final work. The annotation is expected to be descriptive of the content or theme.
Creative Work Project (course 894): A creative work project is a significant undertaking generally appropriate to the fine and applied arts. It is more than the presentation of a mere outline, plan, depiction, description, or documentation, although it may include these elements. It must evidence originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. It usually takes the form of a work such as a musical composition, a series or group of paintings, a performance, a film or other endeavor. It must be described in a written document that summarizes the project's significance, objectives, creative methodology employed, and a conclusion or recommendation. An oral defense of the project may be required. The written document is expected to be kept on permanent file within the major department. When the work is completed the student's committee chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form. This completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the Graduate Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the University Calendar.
Field Study or Applied Research Project (course 895): A field study or applied research project serves as a culminating experience for professional fields. It may take a variety of forms consistent with the expectations of the specific college or department. It should incorporate the application of knowledge and techniques acquired in the student's graduate program of study, and as such, should testify to the attainments of the student as a potential master's degree recipient.
Each field study or applied research project must be described and summarized in a written component which will include, at a minimum, the project's significance, objectives, methodology, and a conclusion or recommendations. It is expected that these written reports will be filed and made available as permanent reference documents either in the departmental or college offices. An oral defense of the project may be required. When completed, the student's committee chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form. This completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the Graduate Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the University Calendar.
The following procedures apply to the administration of the master's comprehensive examination:
A student who does not complete an 892 or 895 course by the end of the academic semester or summer session of registration will be issued a grade of SP (Satisfactory Progress) or, if warranted, a NC (No Credit). When the project is completed, a grade change (normally a CR [Credit]) will be submitted to the Registrar's Office.
A student who registers for the 893, 894, or 898 course, but does not complete it by the end of the first semester or summer session of registration, will be issued a grade of SP (Satisfactory Progress) or an NC (No Credit) grade if progress has been unsatisfactory.
For thesis or written creative works, all members of the student's graduate committee must sign the Certificate of Approval page which appears in the final copy presented by the student to the Graduate Division. When the thesis or written creative work has been approved by the candidate's graduate committee and accepted by the Graduate Division within the time period permitted, a grade of CR (Credit) will be recorded for those units of course 893 or 898 which the student has registered.
For creative work projects, the student is required to file the completed project in the department in accordance with the instructions of the major adviser. The student's committee chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form.
The student and the chair will examine the final work for accuracy and correct form. When fully satisfied with the final prepared manuscript, all the committee members should sign the Certification of Approval page.
Students must observe specific regulations in the preparation and submission of the thesis/written creative work. Detailed instructions are contained in the publication, Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of Theses/Written Creative Works, which can be purchased for a nominal fee at the Rapid Copy Center of the Library.
Dates for Filing: The thesis/written creative work must be filed in the Graduate Division by the posted and published deadlines which are announced in the University Calendar found in various campus publications including this Bulletin.
Review of Theses/Written Creative Works: Theses or written creative works received in the Graduate Division by the published deadline will be reviewed for the purpose of determining whether or not they conform to the requirements set forth in the Guidelines mentioned above. Should corrections be necessary, the student and the committee chair will be notified. It is then the student's responsibility to resubmit the corrected copy in an acceptable form by the subsequent deadline.
Number of Copies: Only the original, or an acceptable high quality copy of the original, of the final written work, appropriately approved by the sponsoring faculty members with original signatures, is required to be filed in the Library. The student should consult the graduate major adviser to find out whether additional bound copies are required by the department or college. The student may also wish to submit a copy which can be bound for personal retention.
Binding Fee: In order to graduate, students completing a master's thesis/written creative work must submit this work to the Rapid Copy Center of the Library for binding. Students must pay $25.00 to cover the costs of preparing two microfiche copies and binding the copy required for the Library. For each additional copy, the student must pay $15.00 to cover the binding costs. A receipt, upon payment, from the Rapid Copy Center is sent to the graduation evaluator to indicate that this process has been completed.
With outdated requirements (generally courses) the candidate has the following options:
First requirements Time limit on GAP begun: GAP will expire: Fall 1989 August 1996 Spring 1990 January 1997 Summer 1990 June 1997 Fall 1990 August 1997 Spring 1991 January 1998 Summer 1991 June 1998 Fall 1991 August 1998 Spring 1992 January 1999 Summer 1992 June 1999 Fall 1992 August 1999 Spring 1993 January 2000 Summer 1993 June 2000 Fall 1993 August 2000 Spring 1994 January 2001 Summer 1994 June 2001 Fall 1994 August 2001 Spring 1995 January 2002 Summer 1995 June 2002 Fall 1995 August 2002 Spring 1996 January 2003 Summer 1996 June 2003 Fall 1996 August 2003 Spring 1997 January 2004 Summer 1997 June 2004
Applications for degrees to be awarded at the end of a summer session should be completed, fee paid at the Cashier's Office, and form filed in the Graduate Division after the end of the second week of instruction of the regular summer session.
Applications will not be approved for a specified term unless all requirements have been met as of the deadline date for filing, with the exception of courses and culminating experience requirements. If a candidate does not complete the requirements as planned in a particular semester, s/he must refile the Application for Graduation to be considered in a subsequent semester.