image- Computer Science Department Logo. Cal State Home Page, To access CSUSM home page press alt h and hit enter Cal State Home Page Computer Science Department, CSUSM
Graduate Links
Graduate Studies Policies and Procedures

 

Continuous Enrollment Requirement and Time-Limit To Degree.

Conditionally Classified or Classified graduate students must be continuously enrolled unless an authorized Request for Graduate Student Leave of Absence has been filed with the Enrollment Services Information Center. No more than 12 months total can be excused through authorized leaves of absence. Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment are dropped from the graduate program and must reapply. Requirements for the Master's degree are to be finished within five years after the beginning of course work as a Conditionally Classified or Classified graduate student at CSU San Marcos. Authorized leaves of absence do not extend the time limit for completion of the degree.

GRAD E699--Graduate standing continuation

Provides continuation of graduate standing for students working independently on culminating activities (thesis, project, or comprehensive exam). ***GRAD E-699 carries zero credit units, has no instructor of record, and is "graded" CR automatically upon completion of the term. It is designed to confer enrollment status for the purpose of the continuous enrollment policy.*** Registration for this enrollment status is offered through Extended Studies (follow the instructions on the GRAD E699 Enrollment Form). GRAD E699 is for master's students who have completed all of their graduate coursework, including the for-credit supervised thesis/project coursework called for in their respective graduate programs. When authorized by the graduate program, GRAD E699 provides access to certain university resources (such as use of the library and e-mail/computing accounts) while the student works independently to finish the culminating activity. Students who are still working closely with an advisor should enroll in their respective department's graduate-level independent study course, rather than GRAD E-699.

Graduate Probation, Disqualification, and Reinstatement (link to university Policies and Procedures website)

It is the policy of California State University San Marcos to place graduate students on academic or administrative probation when their overall work is less than satisfactory, as reflected in a deficient cumulative grade point average, or other failure to make adequate academic progress. Graduate students are dismissed from the university through academic disqualification when the conditions needed to achieve good standing are not met in a timely fashion. Consideration for reinstatement is provided through a petition process (Graduate Student Reinstatement Petition).

Graduate Student Course Load

Graduate students who are enrolled in nine (9) units or more in a fall or spring semester are classified as full-time. Graduate students who hold a University assistantship requiring one-third time services or more are considered full-time when enrolled in six (6) units during an academic term.

Graduate Student GPA Adjustment Policy
  1. If a graduate student has received a grade of B- (2.7) or less (or NC) in a non-thesis course, then the course may be repeated once for purposes of satisfying requirements and/or having the GPA adjusted. Once the student has repeated the course in a subsequent term and earned a better grade, then a Graduate Student GPA Adjustment Request Form may be submitted to the Enrollment Services Information Center. All requests should be submitted in consultation with the graduate program advisor. Any request confirmed as complying with this policy will be granted.
  2. When a request is granted, the prior grade earned in the course is ignored for the purpose of calculating the GPA. However, all grades for a given course will be maintained as part of the student record and will appear on the student's transcripts.
  3. A maximum of two (2) different courses may be repeated, and a maximum of two (2) requests may be filed within an approved graduate plan of study at Cal State San Marcos. Only one request may be filed for any single course.
  4. Since CR/NC grades do not enter into the GPA calculation, it is not necessary to submit this form when repeating a course in which a grade of NC was earned, even when the course was repeated to satisfy degree requirements. If a course previously taken for a grade is repeated CR/NC, the original grade will continue to be calculated in the GPA.
  5. Unless the student submits a Graduate Student GPA Adjustment Request Form to the Enrollment Services Information Center, both grades earned in any repeated course will be used to calculate the student's GPA.
  6. A request may not be filed until the student has completed the repeat, and may not be filed if the student received a grade of CR, NC, F, I, RD, SP or U when the course was repeated.
  7. The program director (or designee) of the graduate program offering the degree is authorized to approve substitute graduate-level courses that may be taken in lieu of a graduate-level course that the student wishes to repeat, when the original course is not scheduled to be offered again within the term of the student's expected time to degree. The substitute course must be taken after completion of the original course.
Graduate Student Leave of Absence.

Graduate degree students may take an authorized leave of absence for a period of up to 12 consecutive months. Multiple leaves of absence may be taken, altogether totaling no more than twelve months. Leaves of absence will be authorized for conditionally classified or classified graduate students if they are in good academic standing (as defined by the program's requirements), if they have completed at least six credit hours of CSUSM coursework toward the graduate degree in the program, and if they file a completed Graduate Student Request for Leave of Absence form. The completed form, including signature of the student's faculty advisor (where applicable) and the graduate program coordinator, must be filed with the Enrollment Services Information Center before the beginning of the term for which the leave has been requested. Unauthorized leaves and failures to return from an authorized leave of absence will result in the student being dropped from the graduate program.

An authorized leave of absence preserves the election of curriculum rights regarding catalog requirements. However, authorized leaves of absence do not extend the time limit for completion of the degree. A student on a leave of absence does not qualify for supervision from faculty nor for the use of university resources such as the library, computer labs, parking, or student heath services. Students submitting the completed thesis or final project must be regularly enrolled or enrolled for thesis or project extension credit through the Office of Extended Studies; the completed thesis or final project will not be accepted during the term of an authorized leave of absence.

Students who take a leave for two consecutive semesters will be required to pay a reapplication fee upon their reinstatement to the University. This fee will be waived where the principal purpose of the leave was related to the student's educational objective, provided that the conditions of the leave have been met.

Use of Undergraduate Courses in Master's Degree Programs

Master's students may not count any course at the 300-level or lower toward fulfillment of Master's degree requirements, nor may courses which bear General Education credit be counted toward Master's degree requirements.

Only with prior, case-by-case approval of the graduate program offering the degree may Master's students, on an individual basis, count a 400-level, non-General Education course toward the Master's degree requirements.

Under no circumstances may a Master's student apply more than nine (9) units of 400-level coursework toward fulfillment of Master's degree requirements.