GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
BULLETIN RIGHTS. Graduation requirements are determined by the ``Bulletin year'' assigned to the student. Once assigned a Bulletin year, a student has ``Bulletin rights'' that can be maintained even though there may be changes in university graduation requirements. Below are some definitions and answers to frequently asked questions about Bulletin rights.Where are students' Bulletin rights listed?
Letter of Admission: When a student is admitted to SFSU, s/he receives a letter of admission. The earliest Bulletin to which the student has rights is highlighted in the upper right hand corner of this letter.
Advanced Standing Evaluation (ASE) Form: Transfer students who enroll at SFSU are issued an ASE by the end of their first semester of attendance. The earliest Bulletin to which transfers have rights is listed on this document. Copies can be obtained from the Registrar's counter in ADM 253.
How are Bulletin rights defined for purposes of meeting General Education and other university graduation requirements? If the student maintains continuous attendance in regular sessions at campuses of the California community colleges or the California State University or a combination of the two, s/he may elect to meet the graduation requirements for San Francisco State University in effect: (1) at the time the student began his/her studies, (2) at the time the student entered SFSU, or (3) at the time the student graduates from SFSU. In other words, if a student maintains continuous attendance according to this policy, s/he has a choice of Bulletins.
Continuous attendance for purposes of Bulletin requirements is defined as matriculated attendance in at least one semester or two quarters each calendar year.
How are Bulletin rights defined for purposes of meeting major requirements? If a student was admitted after Fall, 1986, and s/he changes the major after being admitted to SFSU, or the student declares a major after being admitted with an undeclared major, s/he must meet the major requirements in effect at the time the major changed or was declared.
Information bulletins and registration materials for the EPT and ELM will be mailed to all students subject to the requirements. The materials may also be obtained from the Registrar's Office or the Testing Center.
Who is required to complete the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination? Students who do not have an ELM exemption are required to take the ELM examination before or during their FIRST semester at SFSU.
Students who register for a GE quantitative reasoning course at SFSU must: (1) have passed the ELM examination with a total score of 550 or above; or (2) have obtained one of the approved ELM exemptions listed below; or (3) after taking the ELM, have passed Algebra II at SFSU (MATH 70) or an equivalent course elsewhere with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better. Students who fail ELM may elect to: (1) take appropriate remedial mathematics courses at SFSU (see below); or (2) retake it, if they scored between 480 and 540; or (3) take appropriate remedial course work at a California community college, or (4) take and pass a course that is certified by a California community college as meeting the CSU Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Students who failed the ELM examination, but passed Algebra II or a higher level college mathematics course with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better may be eligible to enroll in an SFSU quantitative reasoning course. Students who passed an intermediate algebra course, but who did not take the ELM examination will not be permitted to take a GE quantitative reasoning course until they take the ELM examination. No exceptions will be granted. Students who have questions about ELM exemptions should contact the Testing Center, ADM 152.
San Francisco State University offers several remedial mathematics courses. Students who do not pass the ELM examination need to enroll in one or more of these courses. Students who score 370 or below on the ELM should enroll in ETHS 50 and MATH 60 through the Intensive Learning Program before attempting MATH 70 in preparation for quantitative reasoning. Contact the Intensive Learning Program, ADM 227, for assistance.
ETHS 50 Pre-Algebra Mathematics Skills Development (ELM score 370 or below) 3 MATH 60 Algebra I (ELM score 380-470) 3 MATH 70 Algebra II (ELM score 480-540) 3
Who is exempt from ELM? Students who have one or more of the scores listed below qualify for an ELM exemption.
Who must take the EPT? Students who do not have an EPT exemption are required to take the EPT during their first semester of attendance at SFSU. It is not necessary to pass EPT since the results will be used to place students in appropriate English composition courses. Students admitted with 56 or more transferable semester units and who are subject to a Bulletin earlier than 1986-87 are not required to complete the EPT.
Who is exempt from the EPT? Students who have one of the scores that follow qualify for an EPT exemption.
Students who score 141 or below on the English Placement Test will be required to take both ENG 49 and 50, a special two-semester sequence of composition instruction.
Units and grades earned in these courses will not count towards meeting graduation requirements. Successful completion of ENG 49 and/or 50 by students needing them is a prerequisite for enrollment in ENG 114.
Students who have passed for credit the CSU English Equivalency Examination or who have received scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination will receive six units of credit and are exempted from the ENG 114 and 214 requirements.
Students who transfer to this university with 80 or more semester units completed should take the JEPET examination during their first semester of enrollment at San Francisco State. Students who have taken and passed an upper division expository writing course at another institution may apply for a waiver of the JEPET/ENG 414 requirement.
Students who do not complete this requirement in accordance with the above stipulated provisions may not be able to graduate in the term planned. Questions regarding this requirement can be directed to the Composition Office, HUM 209, or to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, ADM 449.
Written English Proficiency Requirements for Non-Native Speakers of English
Non-native speakers of English must take the English Placement Test (CSU-EPT) during their first semester of attendance at SFSU. Non-native speakers of English must also take the SFSU English as a Second Language Placement Test (ESLPT) before they can enroll in ESL courses. The ESLPT is an SFSU requirement for placement in any ESL English course. Placement in ESL courses is determined by the ESL Coordinator solely on the basis of ESLPT scores, not on the basis of any course work or examinations taken at other campuses. Please consult the Testing Center Examination Calendar in the Class Schedule for ESLPT and EPT examination times and dates.Non-native speakers of English who are eligible to take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses must complete the sequence of ESL courses listed below as substitutes for the English 114, 214, and JEPET requirements. In order to enroll in an ESL course, students must first take the English as a Second Language Placement Test (ESLPT) and receive a qualifying score for that course. A student who satisfactorily completes an ESL course may proceed to the next level ESL course without retaking the ESLPT. The sequence of ESL courses is: ENG 208, 209, 310, 411 or 410.
Students on foreign visas and permanent residents who have been in the United States less than six years may substitute the following courses for the ENG 114, ENG 214, and JEPET requirements:
Non-native speakers of English who have lived in the United States more than six years and whose previous education was not predominantly in English may be eligible to make the above ESL course substitutions for the ENG 114, 214, and JEPET requirements. If they wish to do so, they should take the English as a Second Language Placement Test (ESLPT) and then consult the ESL Coordinator in the English Department.
Students with bilingual backgrounds who have completed all or most of their previous education in the United States may substitute ENG 410 for ENG 414 only if they qualify for ENG 410 on the basis of their ESLPT scores.
NOTE: Non-native speakers of English must also complete the oral communication requirement (General Education-Segment I: Basic Subjects). Students may meet this requirement by taking ENG 210 (instead of SPCH 150), if they qualify for this course on the basis of their ESLPT scores.
What is the U.S. History and Government Requirement? It is one requirement with two halves but three parts. The most confusing part of this requirement is that it is described as one requirement which sounds like it has two halves--a U.S. history course and a U.S. government course. Although it is usually satisfied by taking two three-unit courses, the government half of the requirement actually includes two parts--U.S. government and California state and local government. Public colleges and universities in California almost always cover both parts in one course. Not surprisingly, however, schools outside of California do not include California state and local government features in their general government course. Students may have to take a third course to satisfy all of the U.S. history and government requirement, even if that means they have to take more than the minimum possible six units. The best choice in this situation is to take a special course which meets only the California state and local government requirement. An alternative is to take a course which covers both U.S. and the California state and local government requirements.
Who must complete the six-unit U.S. History and Government requirement? Students who are under the 1985-86 Bulletin, or later Bulletins, must complete this six-unit requirement. It can be fulfilled at SFSU by taking a three-unit course in U.S. history and a three-unit course in U.S. government.
Are there any exceptions to the six-unit U.S. History and Government requirement? Students who are admitted under the 1984-85 Bulletin, or earlier Bulletins, may complete a three-unit U.S. History and Government Requirement course. Students should consult their Bulletin to determine the acceptable courses that satisfy the three-unit requirement. Students with waiver or equivalency requests should direct their questions to:
AIS 460 Power and Politics in American Indian History AAS 200 History of Asian Americans BLS 304 Black People and the American Experience ECON 400 Economic and Social History of the United States HIST 120 History of the United States to 1865 HIST 121 History of the United States since 1865 HIST 130 Survey of United States History for Foreign Students HIST 418 Society and Politics in American History LARA 376 History of La Raza in the United States SS 200 Development of American Institutions, Values, and Ideals WOMS 150 Women in American History and Society
AIS 205 American Indians and U.S. Laws AAS 205 Asian Americans and American Ideals and Institutions BLS 376 Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizen LARA 276 La Raza, Government, Ideals, and Constitution PLSI 200 American Politics SS 201 Governance in Urban-Industrial America WOMS 160 Women, Politics, and Citizenship
HIST 450 History of California PLSI 473 California Government and Politics
Can the six-unit U.S. History and Government requirement be met by examination? YES. This requirement may be met by achieving a passing score on three examinations. These exams may be taken only once. For information about these examinations and the challenge procedures, contact the Testing Center, ADM 152. Units of academic credit are not awarded for successful completion of this requirement by examination.
Can courses completed in fulfillment of this requirement also be used for my major? Students majoring in any department which offers courses satisfying the U.S. History and Government requirement should consult with their major advisers regarding appropriate means of integrating this requirement with their major.
Can courses completed in satisfying this requirement be used for General Education credit? NO. Units taken to meet this requirement at SFSU cannot be used to fulfill the university's General Education requirements. Engineering majors should consult the Engineering GE adviser for GE Program exceptions.
How can the Library Requirement be met? The Library Requirement can be met by completing Library Resources: A Self-Paced Workbook or comparable library instruction or experience.
Who must complete the Library Requirement? Undergraduate students entering SFSU should complete the Library Requirement during their first semester of attendance, and must complete it before graduation.
Questions about the university residence requirement for undergraduate students should be directed to the Executive Director for Enrollment Services, ADM 154.
The examination will be comprehensive and searching. A grade and appropriate grade points will be recorded on the student's permanent record, except for the U.S. History and the U.S. Government requirements, if they are completed by exam. Credit by examination may not be counted towards the residence requirement of the university. A student who registers as an auditor may not earn credit by examination in that course.
Matriculated students may also earn credit towards meeting the university's General Education requirements through the Credit by Evaluation for Experiential Learning (CEEL) Program. This program is designed to meet the needs of students who have university-level prior learning experiences that can be evaluated for credit. Credit is offered only after a comprehensive and searching evaluation by a faculty member in the area for which credit is sought. A maximum of six units of residence CEEL credit may be earned towards the baccalaureate degree at SFSU for any combination of the following courses: CEEL 300, CHS 350, and BSS 250. For further information, contact the Advising Center, ADM 212.
A maximum of thirty (30) semester units of credit for prior learning, knowledge, or skills-based experience may be earned toward award of the baccalaureate degree including any units for experiential learning which may be accepted as a result of California State University policy from other institutions. The faculty in any academic program may set additional limits on the number of experiential learning units accepted, or required, for majors or minors in that program.
Requests to take 20 or more units will not be permitted until: (1) approval from the appropriate dean has been received, and (2) this approval has been properly made to the student's official records by the Undergraduate Studies Office (ADM 449). The Registrar's staff will not accept course add forms in excess of 19 units until permission to exceed the maximum unit policy has been recorded on the student's official university records.
Students who wish to enroll in 25 or more units in one semester must receive the written approval of their adviser and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Course work taken at another university or through SFSU's College of Extended Learning must be included on the Petition to Exceed the Undergraduate Maximum Unit Policy.
Nursing majors who participate in the Advanced Placement Option for Registered Nurses are required to file a Petition to Exceed the Maximum Unit Policy, if their total unit load for any given semester exceeds nineteen (19) units, including all units earned through the advanced placement credit by examination option. Students in this program should consult with their Nursing Department adviser to ensure that they follow the appropriate procedures.
Questions concerning the undergraduate maximum unit policy should be directed to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, ADM 449.
In GE Segment III, students may only double count two courses required for fulfillment of Segment III requirements with their major, except Liberal Studies majors who may double count all three courses.
NOTE: Cross-counting between General Education Segments, Areas, and Categories is not permitted. Students cannot use the same course to satisfy both the Segment II and Segment III requirements of the General Education Program. For example, BIOL 330 is an approved course in both Segments II and III. Students may use this course to satisfy either Segment II or Segment III requirements, but not both.
Repetition of an individual undergraduate course. Another special provision of Academic Renewal allows the student to repeat a course and to have the previous attempt excluded in the calculation of the grade point average. This provision is applicable only if it enables the student to meet the minimum grade point average required for graduation. Requests should be directed to the Records and Registration Office. The following conditions apply:
California law requires students wishing to pursue a second baccalaureate degree to pay additional fees. Consult the Index under Fees, Duplicate Degree Tuition for additional information.