Graduate Student Handbook

General information

The Office of Graduate Studies

The Office of Graduate Studies supports prospective and current graduate students across the university, from admissions guidance through research, professional development, and career planning. It administers the fellowships described in section 06, coordinates the Graduate Advisory Council, and runs the format review and archiving process for University Theses.

Graduate program coordinators

Each degree program has a faculty graduate program coordinator who supervises the program and advises its students. Arrange your advising appointments with that coordinator. Contacts for every program are on the graduate program coordinators page.

International students

Graduate students on a student visa contact the Center for International Education about visa status, employment eligibility, and any special academic requirements. The International Admissions Office sets separate admission requirements and filing dates.

Financial support

File the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application each year; eligibility for most support depends on having one on file. Tuition and fees are on the cost of attendance page. Grants, loans, work study, and the fellowships the Office of Graduate Studies administers are described on the graduate opportunities and financial resources page.

Offices and contacts

Admission and enrollment

Transitory admission

Graduate students are eligible for Intrasystem Concurrent Enrollment, Intrasystem Visitor Enrollment, and cross-registration with the University of California, Berkeley and selected other East Bay colleges. Contact the Office of the Registrar about either intrasystem option.

Intrasystem Concurrent Enrollment lets a student enrolled at any CSU campus apply to attend another campus while concurrently enrolled at the home campus. Intrasystem Visitor Enrollment lets a student of any CSU campus apply for admission as a visiting student at another campus for a period of one term. Both carry the same eligibility requirements. You must:

• have completed at least one term at the home campus as a matriculated student, or be enrolled concurrently in that status;
• be, or have been, enrolled in an authorized graduate program at the home campus;
• be in good standing at the last college attended.

Returning students

CSU East Bay students receive an automatic leave of absence for one semester. The leave maintains continuous attendance status, keeps you eligible to register in following semesters, and holds the catalog that determines your degree requirements.

Former students absent for two or more semesters apply for readmission and pay an application fee. Readmission may carry new university or program requirements. Students who left in negative academic standing may need additional coursework before returning, after a mandatory interruption of one or more semesters. Students who were academically disqualified or dismissed file an appeal for reinstatement.

Enrollment and degree progress

Graduate students in the following categories must enroll in courses that apply to a definite program, a master's degree or a credential:

• students applying for veterans' benefits, or for benefits as dependents of disabled or deceased veterans;
• international students wanting Department of Homeland Security certification;
• student athletes wanting to compete in intercollegiate sports;
• students on most types of financial aid.

Full-time enrollment for graduate students and classified post-baccalaureate students is 8 or more units, for financial aid, for F-1 and J-1 visas, and for veterans and reservists under Chapter 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, or 1606. These classifications apply to fall and spring semesters and to summer session. They don't apply to University Extension non-degree programs or to shorter sessions, winter included.

Degree requirements

The master's degree

A master's degree requires four things:

1. Advancement to candidacy.
2. At least 30 semester units applicable to the degree. The total required by each program is in the catalog.
3. A program of study approved by the department, including a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination.
4. A 3.0 grade point average in all units counted toward the degree, with a minimum grade of C in every course. A course that counts toward degree requirements with a grade of C− or below must be repeated.

The units counted toward the degree carry these limits:

• all units must be earned within the five calendar years immediately preceding receipt of the degree. Outdated units may be accepted for one additional year with the approval of the major department and Graduate Studies. If the degree isn't completed in the sixth year, currency in the subject matter of the outdated courses must be demonstrated. Courses older than seven years are applied only in exceptional circumstances;
• at least 70 percent of the total units required by the program must be completed in residence while enrolled as an admitted graduate student at CSU East Bay, which is 21 units for a 30-unit program. The number of transferable units for each program is rounded to the nearest whole unit;
• at least half the units must be in stand-alone 600-level courses. Up to half may be in upper-division undergraduate courses or dual-listed undergraduate and graduate courses;
• no lower-division units count;
• no more than 6 units of university thesis, departmental thesis, or project work count;
• no more than 8 units of independent study count;
• no units taken CR/NC count unless the course is offered exclusively on that basis, which is mostly fieldwork and internship courses. This doesn't apply to courses taken to satisfy prerequisite or proficiency requirements.

Academic course load

A graduate student who wants a master's degree in two years enrolls in approximately 8 units per semester, 15 units a year in a 30-unit program. Eight units per semester is also the minimum for financial aid and reporting purposes.

Transferring units

Because at least 70 percent of the units required by your program must be completed in residence, transfer credit is limited to the remainder. Some programs require more than 70 percent in residence, and the program's section of the catalog says so.

Units don't count as resident if taken:

• at other schools;
• as an undergraduate with permission to take graduate courses;
• while pursuing an additional baccalaureate degree in unclassified post-baccalaureate status;
• while enrolled in another graduate degree program;
• while enrolled in Continuing Education courses, Open University courses included.

Courses offered in special session, summer for instance, are resident units.

To request transfer credit, all four of these must hold:

• you took the course after earning a bachelor's degree;
• you took it within the five calendar years immediately preceding receipt of your degree;
• your department accepts the course as relevant to your degree program;
• the institution where you took it customarily grants the level of credit, graduate or upper division, that you want to receive for it here.

CSU East Bay generally doesn't allow the use of credit-by-examination from challenged courses for master's degree requirements. Individual departments may establish exceptions, which must be noted in the degree description in the catalog and are governed by three policies:

• you must pass the exam challenging the course with a grade of B− or better;
• no more than 9 semester units of credit-by-examination may be applied to the degree;
• challenged courses may not be credited toward the residency requirement.

Graduate certificate programs

Students already enrolled as post-baccalaureates, pursuing a graduate degree or credential program, may apply to a graduate certificate program. Students not already enrolled apply to the university as a post-baccalaureate classified student. Applicants meet the minimum requirements for admission to graduate and post-baccalaureate studies and contact the department for the additional admissions criteria each program sets.

Where a degree program in the sponsoring department is appropriate, seek admission to it as well, so that graduate units may be taken for later application to the degree. No more than 9 units, or 30 percent for master's programs over 30 units, taken in classified post-baccalaureate status may be applied toward a graduate degree.

A graduate certificate program is a coherent set of academic courses, narrower in scope and objectives than a degree. Each program carries these requirements:

• a minimum of 12 units, or 15 units where the program includes undergraduate courses, which must be upper division;
• only one course below the 600 level may be taken CR/NC, and no graduate course may be taken CR/NC unless that's the only grading pattern for the course;
• at least 75 percent of the courses, and all 600-level courses, taken at CSU East Bay, through University Extension or as a regularly admitted and enrolled student.

No student is required to complete a certificate program. The certificate itself recognizes completion; there's no notation on the diploma or the permanent record, though the courses appear on the record.

Change in educational objective

Continuing post-baccalaureate students changing their degree objective or credential program file a Change of Graduate Objective Request with the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Doctoral degrees

CSU East Bay offers a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Policies and procedures for continuing student performance, and the program's graduation requirements, differ from those for master's programs, and so does the academic course load. Students accepted into the Educational Leadership for Social Justice program work closely with their academic advisors to ensure that all policies and procedures are being followed. Contact the Department of Educational Leadership for specific requirements and complete program information.

Writing proficiency

All students demonstrate competency in writing skills as a requirement for graduation, the University Writing Skills Requirement. Information on the currently available ways to meet it comes from Academic Programs and Services.

Some graduate programs require coursework that also fulfills the requirement. Students in those programs complete the courses their program requires in order to earn the degree.

Academic policies

Grading

The typical grading pattern for graduate courses is A–F, and the use of plus and minus is at each instructor's discretion. Grades lower than C don't satisfy master's degree requirements, and some programs require higher; check with your department. A B−, though described as adequate, generates fewer than 3.0 grade points and must be balanced by a B+ or higher to maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Students can't select CR or NC. Those grades are available only in graduate courses offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis, typically fieldwork and internships, where CR indicates work of at least B− quality. The same holds for post-baccalaureate 500-level courses. Courses taken CR/NC meet degree requirements only where that is the sole grading pattern.

Faculty provide careful evaluation and timely assignment of an appropriate grade to each enrolled student. Grades assigned are presumed correct, and anyone appealing a grade carries the burden of showing otherwise. In the absence of compelling reasons, such as instructor or clerical error, prejudice, or capriciousness, the grade determined by the instructor of record is final.

To correct an error, an instructor may change a grade with the approval of the department chair and the college dean. No grade may be changed once graduation has been recorded unless an error was made, in which case you have one term after your degree is awarded to dispute it and have it corrected, or unless a grade appeal petition results in a change. A faculty member can't assign the administrative symbol for withdrawal.

Appealing a grade

If you believe an appropriate grade wasn't assigned, work through these steps in order:

1. Attempt to resolve the problem with your instructor.
2. Discuss the issue with the chair of the department in which the course was offered.
3. Make an appointment with the dean or associate dean of the college in which the course is offered.
4. If all previous actions fail, contact the Presidential Appointee to the Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee at 510-885-3716.

If you have applied for graduation, notify your graduation evaluator that a question is pending resolution.

The Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance process lets students resolve serious cases of alleged academic unfairness after every effort by all parties has been ineffective. The Presidential Appointee assists students in exhausting all normal channels and, where necessary, in filing a Grade Appeal Petition Form. Submit the petition and supporting documentation to Academic Programs and Services. The committee reviews that documentation along with the responses filed by the other parties, and convenes a hearing panel where it finds possible grounds for a grievance. Under normal circumstances you must file the petition before the end of the semester following the semester in which the alleged incident took place.

The committee can change a grade in accordance with the Grade Appeal Document, and can assign a grade where the instructor may have assigned an unfair academic grade. It does either only after a proper review of the case.

Grade point average

Your GPA is the number of grade points earned divided by quality hours, meaning units attempted excluding CR/NC courses.

If you repeat a course required in the major, your department has the discretion, under specific circumstances, to leave the earlier attempt out of the calculation. The department submits that approval to the Office of the Registrar, at any time while you're enrolled in the degree program but not after the degree is awarded.

Your graduate program coordinator or department chair may also request that grades in courses which don't count toward graduate degree requirements be excluded, and this is permitted only where those grades would place you on academic probation. Courses taken in a second baccalaureate program or in a different graduate degree program may qualify. The request may not include:

• courses taken after your admission to the current graduate program;
• courses taken in the degree program that you subsequently elect not to count toward program requirements;
• grades for courses used toward a conferred post-baccalaureate degree.

The request goes to Academic Programs and Services, which makes the final determination, and can be made at any time while you're in the degree program but not after the degree is awarded.

Registration

Master's students follow the same registration policies as undergraduates; see Registration and Enrollment in the catalog. Thesis and project courses differ: complete a Special Registration Petition for each semester you enroll in one, submitted to the department office before the add/drop deadline, and check on its progress yourself.

Courses that typically require a Special Registration Petition are independent study, individual study, capstone project, departmental thesis, and university thesis.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who need to cancel their registration or withdraw from all classes after enrolling for any academic term must follow the university's official withdrawal procedures. Failing to follow them can mean an obligation to pay fees, failing grades in all courses, and applying for readmission before enrolling in another term. Students who fail to fulfill enrollment or matriculation requirements, or otherwise fail to follow academic or university regulations, are subject to immediate administrative action, which may place them on Administrative Probation or cancel their enrollment for the term.

During the add/drop period, dropping all your courses in MyCSUEB requires no withdrawal form. After add/drop ends, during the third through the twelfth week of instruction:

1. Complete a Withdrawal form.
2. Obtain approval signatures from each instructor and department chair.
3. Return it to the Office of the Registrar.

A semester you withdraw from isn't counted as an interruption of enrollment for matriculated student status. An approved late withdrawal petition doesn't result in a fee refund, and a withdrawal may not automatically produce one; contact Student Financial Services about refunds.

Matriculated students who don't enroll for two consecutive semesters, not counting summer or winter sessions, and don't enroll in the third, are discontinued and submit a new application for readmission.

Declassification

A student may be declassified from a graduate degree or credential program for any of these reasons:

• unprofessional conduct;
• failure to maintain professional standards;
• behavior that interferes with the learning of others;
• failure to progress toward the degree as set out by university and program policies;
• failure to complete required components of the program, such as fieldwork or practicum courses;
• failure to meet the grade requirements for good standing;
• a determination by program faculty that the student can't complete degree requirements at the level expected in the discipline, even with a GPA above 3.0.

The major department initiates the request with the support of the chair and the college dean or designee. Requests go to Academic Programs and Services for final action and official notification to the student and the Registrar. That office also determines whether the student is academically or administratively disqualified from the university.

A declassified student who isn't disqualified and wants to continue applies formally to another graduate program, and can't enroll through the university or Open University in any undergraduate or graduate course in the program they were declassified from. Unless the declassification involved conduct that interferes with campus interactions, a declassified student may apply to a new program and be accepted by it. Acceptance must come no later than two semesters after declassification; otherwise the student reapplies to the university.

Research with human subjects

The university has approved policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects in research, development, and related activities carried out by faculty, staff, and students. An Institutional Review Board reviews research protocols to determine whether human subjects would be at risk and to protect their rights and welfare. Protocols must be approved before research commences.

Any research involving surveys, experiments, questionnaires, interviews, and similar methodology involves research with human subjects. Theses and projects in the social and behavioral sciences, education, the health fields, and management and administration will probably require this review.

Contact the IRB Coordinator early in your planning and submit your completed protocol to the IRB at least two months before you plan to begin research. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has the policy document.

The capstone

Every graduate program ends in a thesis, a project, or a comprehensive examination. The quality of the work, expression included, is the major consideration in judging it. Your program specifies which one you complete, and some programs offer a choice.

The three kinds

A University Thesis is a formal presentation of an objective, critical investigation, written in a formal, scholarly manner in standard English. It demonstrates originality, clear purpose, appropriate organization, critical analysis, independent thinking, and accurate and complete documentation, with consistent style, language, and punctuation. Description, cataloging, compilation, and other simple procedures aren't adequate. University Theses follow university formatting guidelines, undergo format review by the Office of Graduate Studies, and are archived in ScholarWorks. University Thesis courses are numbered 691.

A Departmental Thesis matches the University Thesis in objective and content. Its format is specified by your department rather than the university, and it doesn't undergo format review by the Office of Graduate Studies. Departmental Thesis courses are numbered 699.

A Capstone Project is a significant undertaking in a fine or applied art or in a professional field, providing evidence of originality, independent thinking, and appropriate form and organization. You describe the project in a written abstract addressing its significance, objectives, methodology, and conclusions, and in some cases present an oral defense. Capstone Project courses are numbered 693.

These criteria hold for both kinds of thesis, and for the Capstone Project except where noted:

• you must be a graduate student, admitted to a master's degree program, to enroll in a thesis or project course, and the academic department may add requirements;
• your work is supervised by a departmental committee, which must include at least one CSU East Bay faculty member from the major department. The Thesis Committee Policy carries the rest of the committee requirements. A Capstone Project may or may not require a committee, so contact your department;
• you may not receive credit for more units of thesis work than your degree program allows, and no more than 6 units count for either kind of thesis. Some programs set a lower limit, given in the program description in the catalog;
• each semester you receive a grade of RP, Report in Progress, for units earned in 691, 693, or 699 until the work is complete, at which point you receive a final grade for the entire course. RP units count toward neither the degree nor the GPA;
• an RP in a thesis course becomes F or NC, depending on the grading pattern of the course, if the thesis isn't approved within five years of your initial enrollment in it. An RP in a project course becomes F, with no NC option, after one year;
• a degree candidate is normally required to present an oral defense.

A student who changes from a program requiring a thesis to one requiring a project, or the reverse, may count a combined maximum of 6 units of 691, 693, and 699 toward the degree.

Questions of content and academic quality are settled by your thesis or project advisor. For a Departmental Thesis or Capstone Project, your program coordinator has the format requirements. If your department doesn't specify a format, following the University Thesis guidelines will produce a document of professional quality.

How to begin

Start with your department. Consult a graduate advisor about your program and its requirements for the capstone, then select a thesis or project advisor whose research interests match yours and with whom you have a good working relationship. That advisor guides you through the selection and definition of a topic and methodology, which is the element that most determines whether the thesis succeeds.

For University and Departmental Theses, form a thesis committee. Guidelines vary by department, so contact yours. The chair of your committee must be a CSU East Bay faculty member. Capstone Projects may or may not require a committee.

Previously published papers can be used for a thesis if you're first or senior author on them, the publishers give written permission to use them, and you supply an introductory chapter and a concluding chapter connecting the papers together.

Enroll in your department's thesis or project course. For a University Thesis, download the University Thesis Writing Guide and the Thesis Format One-Pager, and settle your topic with departmental guidance and thesis committee approval.

IRB approval

Where your research involves human subjects, approval of the protocol by the Institutional Review Board is mandatory and must be obtained before research commences. The standards for research with human subjects in section 04 say which methods count and when to submit.

Defense

If your department or committee requires an oral defense of a University Thesis, you must have successfully defended it and made all committee-requested changes before submitting for final format review. Between final format review and electronic library submission, only the formatting changes the Thesis Editor requests may be made; content can't change once the thesis has gone in for final review.

Departments may require an oral defense of a Departmental Thesis or Capstone Project. Contact yours for details.

University Thesis format review

Only University Theses go through format review by the Office of Graduate Studies. Departmental Theses and Capstone Projects follow the format their department sets, and skip everything in this part. As of Fall 2024 the review runs in two stages: an initial application by the end of the tenth week of classes declaring that you intend to submit, and the completed thesis by the end of the fourteenth week.

Required elements

A University Thesis contains four mandatory sections, shown below in bold. The rest are optional. Assemble them in this order.

1. Title page
2. Copyright page
3. Abstract
4. Signature page, completed through AdobeSign
5. Acknowledgments
6. Table of contents
7. Lists of figures, graphs, photos, plates, maps, and tables, if used
8. Preface
9. Page 1, the first page of thesis text
10. Endnotes, if not in text or at the end of chapters
11. Bibliography
12. Appendix

Use the title page template in the University Thesis Writing Guide, inserting the same number of blank lines the template indicates. To check alignment, hold your typed title page up to the light against a copy of the template; alignment varies slightly with font.

Initial format review

By the initial format review deadline, submit:

1. The Thesis/Capstone Submission Information Form.
2. Your title page, table of contents, and sample first page. If your thesis will contain figures, submit a sample figure as well.

Email these to both gradstudies@csueastbay.edu and thesiseditor@csueastbay.edu, with "Initial University Thesis Submission" in the subject line.

During the review the Thesis Editor returns the Thesis Checklist and a copy of your thesis with recommended edits. Work with the Thesis Editor to make the changes, then return the thesis with "Revised Thesis" in the subject line for a final check at this stage.

The signature page

For University Theses, the Signature Page and the committee approval signatures are handled through AdobeSign. After you submit the Thesis/Capstone Submission Information Form, the Office of Graduate Studies emails an AdobeSign request to your Horizon account. Enter your thesis title in all capitals and delete any unused lines. Once you select Submit, the office routes the page to your committee members, and you receive a copy when they've approved.

Special characters in a title need a workaround. On Windows, use Character Map to find a symbol or accented letter, copy it, and paste it into the AdobeSign field; mathematical equations must be typed in Word and pasted, following Microsoft's instructions. On macOS, hold a key to open the accent menu, or press Control-Command-Space for the Character Viewer; equations must be typed in Pages and pasted, following Apple's instructions.

Final format review

By the final format review deadline, submit the completed and defended thesis to thesiseditor@csueastbay.edu and gradstudies@csueastbay.edu, with "Final University Thesis Submission" in the subject line. It can go as a single PDF, or as two, with the preliminary pages separate from the content pages. Early submissions are appreciated.

Remind your committee members to sign the Signature Page digitally; they were emailed a request when you made your initial submission. If the chair of your committee will be away from campus during your final semester, you're responsible for making alternative arrangements for final approval.

The Thesis Editor returns the checklist and recommended edits again. After revising, return the thesis with "Revised Thesis" in the subject line. When the review is complete, the Thesis Editor sends an approval email stating that your thesis is ready to submit for archiving.

Deadlines

Students completing a University Thesis submit for format review by the deadlines for the semester in which they intend to graduate. These are firm: missing them delays graduation. Students completing a Departmental Thesis or Capstone Project don't submit for review by the Office of Graduate Studies, since their department determines the format, but they do submit an electronic copy to the Library for ScholarWorks. Their ScholarWorks deadline is two weeks after the electronic library submission deadline below.

Thesis resources

• University Thesis Writing Guide
• Thesis Format One-Pager
• Thesis/Capstone Submission Information Form
• Non-Exclusive Distribution License and Availability Agreement
• Thesis templates

Archiving

Theses and projects are archived electronically in ScholarWorks, the CSUEB institutional repository. For a University Thesis:

1. Complete and sign the Non-Exclusive Distribution License and Availability Agreement. The Department Chair signature is required only for an embargo.
2. Email the agreement and a PDF of the complete thesis, including a copy of the signed Signature Page, to archives@csueastbay.edu.
3. Make sure every committee signature has been collected through AdobeSign by the deadline.

Once the Library has the thesis, the Office of Graduate Studies notifies the graduation evaluators in the Records Office that it's been accepted.

For a Departmental Thesis or Capstone Project, follow the same electronic library submission steps, and in addition:

1. Email the Thesis/Capstone Submission Information Form to gradstudies@csueastbay.edu, with a subject line of "Departmental Thesis Submission Info Form" or "Capstone Project Submission Form".
2. Ask your thesis or project advisor to email the same address with a subject line of "Thesis Approval: Student Name" or "Project Approval: Student Name", including your name, department, and thesis title. For capstone courses, an instructor may send one message listing every student who completed a project in the course.

Questions about archiving go to University Archives.

Embargo

Items in ScholarWorks are open access by default, reachable through the repository, the library catalog, and search engines. Restricting access to a deposited item is an embargo, and items may be embargoed for six months, one year, or two years where necessary, as at many institutional repositories. During an embargo the full-text PDF isn't available online, but a record for the work appears in ScholarWorks noting the date the full text becomes available.

Embargoes are rarely necessary, since many publishers allow deposit of pre-submission versions in institutional repositories before publication. You can check a journal's pre-print, post-print, and embargo policies in Open Policy Finder, the Jisc service that replaced Sherpa/RoMEO. Discuss any need for an embargo with your advisor before submitting, and note the decision on the Non-Exclusive Distribution License and Availability Agreement. If you don't restrict access, your advisor doesn't need to sign the form.

Bound copies

Some departments require one or two printed and bound copies. Verify the requirement with your thesis chair or project advisor or instructor. Where a bound copy is required, or where you want one for your own records, contact a thesis binding service and contract with them individually.

Completing your degree

Graduate study completion

Students who have completed all the units required for the master's degree but are still working on the capstone, whether a thesis, a project, or studying for a comprehensive examination, can keep access to university facilities by registering for XXXX 890 Graduate Study Completion through Continuing Education. Register for the course within your major prefix: a graduate chemistry major registers for CHEM 890. It's a 1-unit course, and the current fee is printed on the registration form.

Registering provides:

• a valid student ID card;
• the ability to check books out of the library;
• remote access to computerized databases in the library;
• use of computer labs on campus;
• the ability to continue working on projects in science labs;
• eligibility to purchase a parking permit;
• access to other benefits enjoyed by regularly registered students.

Enrollment in XXXX 890 also qualifies as enrollment for students serving as a teaching associate.

To register, pick up a Graduate Study Completion Form in your department or at Continuing Education in SF 102, or download the registration form. You'll need a signature from your major department.

Dual and second master's degrees

To pursue two master's degrees at the same time:

1. Apply to your primary degree through Cal State Apply.
2. File a Change of Graduate Objective form with the Office of Graduate Admissions to apply for the second degree. You may request the second objective any time before you graduate under your first.

Acceptance to the second program isn't guaranteed. The decision rests on that program's admission requirements.

To pursue a second master's degree after earning one, apply and gain admission to the department offering the second program.

Both paths carry the same requirements after acceptance:

• fulfill all prerequisites and requirements for the second degree;
• complete at least 70 percent of the units required for the second degree in residence after admission to that program, which is 21 units for a 30-unit program. Up to 30 percent of the units from the first degree, 9 units for a 30-unit program, may be applied to the second where that program accepts them. Where no units from the first degree are accepted, all units for the second must be completed;
• earn all units for the second degree within the five calendar years immediately preceding receipt of the degree.

Probation, disqualification, and reinstatement

There are two kinds of probation and disqualification, academic and administrative.

Maintain a 3.00 GPA in all units attempted after admission to your graduate program, prerequisite courses included, to remain in good standing. Grades in any coursework taken after admission count toward that calculation. If your GPA falls below 3.00 you're placed on Academic Probation, and you consult your graduate advisor before registering for the next semester. University services such as advising and tutoring are there to help.

You may be academically disqualified if:

• during any semester on probation you don't achieve the minimum 3.0 GPA in all units taken after admission to your program;
• at any time you don't meet the academic criteria of your department;
• a campus administrator finds that you have demonstrated behavior so contrary to the standards of the profession you're preparing for as to render you unfit for it. In that case disqualification occurs immediately upon notice.

You may be placed on Administrative Probation if you:

• withdraw from all courses for two consecutive semesters or any three semesters;
• don't progress toward your degree while enrolled, such as by earning a number of NC grades;
• don't comply with appropriate academic requirements;
• earn only IC, F, WU, or NC grades for two consecutive semesters or any three semesters.

You will be administratively disqualified if you:

• don't meet the conditions for removal of your Administrative Probation;
• are placed on Administrative Probation twice for the same reason;
• are placed on Academic Probation while on Administrative Probation.

Students disqualified either academically or administratively may apply for reinstatement to their graduate program through a Petition for Graduate Reinstatement, approved by the graduate program coordinator or department chair and by the Office of Graduate Studies. Reinstatement is granted under one of four conditions.

• Under the program of study option, you enroll in 6 to 9 units of coursework approved by your graduate coordinator through Open University and earn a 3.3 overall GPA in those courses, which may be used for program credit. Coordinators may contact the Office of Graduate Studies for exceptions to the unit requirement. File the petition after completing the coursework, naming this option and listing the courses taken.
• Where an incomplete is resolved or a grade was posted in error, the corrected term GPA may move your standing from disqualification to continued alert or good standing. Name the change of grade option and attach a copy of the change of grade form as soon as possible.
• An approved retroactive course or semester withdrawal petition filed after academic standing posts may change the term GPA the same way. Name the extenuating circumstances option and attach a copy of the late withdrawal form as soon as possible.
• Special consideration is reserved for students returning after three or more years who want to enter a new program, or who can demonstrate that life experience has better prepared them to complete their program. Contact the graduate coordinator for that program.

To seek reinstatement:

1. Address a letter to your graduate coordinator or major department chair, stating why your GPA fell below 3.00, or why you were removed from your graduate program for any issue unrelated to grades. Say how you'll improve your grades or address the other performance issues and remain in good standing if reinstated.
2. Meet with your coordinator or chair to discuss the issues in the letter.
3. If the coordinator supports reinstatement, they complete and sign the Petition for Graduate Reinstatement and send it, with your letter, to the Director of Graduate Studies, who has final authority to approve reinstatement.

A student disqualified a second time normally won't be considered for reinstatement.

Career readiness

The Next Step: CSU Graduate Career Readiness is a free, self-paced micro-credential program open to CSU graduate students. It's built on the NACE Career Readiness Competencies and asks students to reflect on their academic and professional experience and describe it in the terms employers use. Students work at their own pace and earn eight LinkedIn-shareable competency badges, which stack into the full micro-credential.

The eight competencies are career and self development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology. CSU East Bay faculty contributed to module design and content development.