Policies and Procedures:
Requirements for a Master's Degree Program

The following standards apply to all master's degree approved graduate programs:

  1. The program must include at least 45 quarter units of upper-division and graduate course work (i.e., courses numbered 300-699) taken while in postbaccalaureate standing. At least 70% of this work must be in courses organized primarily for graduate students (courses numbered 500-699).

  2. The program must include 70% or more quarter units of course work taken in residence on this campus. Work taken in summer session on this campus may be counted as residence credit. Credit by examination and credit for extension work are not considered as residence study.

  3. Except for students with coursework from accredited graduate social work programs, the program may not include more than 30% total program units in extension and transfer credit from other colleges. California State University, San Bernardino will not consider for transfer credit course work from an institution which will not accept that work in its own advanced degree program.

  4. The program must follow the department curriculum in effect at the time the student is officially admitted (classified) in the major program or at the time the program is filed with the program graduate coordinator. Recommendations for any substitutions to the program must be approved in writing by the advisor and attached to the program.

  5. All courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the degree must be completed with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 ("B") or better, except that a course in which no letter grade is assigned shall not be used in computing the grade point average.

  6. The program must include only courses with grades of "C" (2.0) or better. (Grades of "C-" (1.7) or less cannot be used).

  7. The program may not include more than 12 quarter units of work taken in unclassified status or before classified status was attained.

  8. The program must be completed within a seven-year period. No more than seven years may elapse between the time of registration or the earliest course listed on the program and the completion of all requirements for the degree.

  9. Courses numbered 100 to 299 and in the 1000 to 9999 series cannot be applied toward a master's degree. Courses taken to satisfy quantitative or qualitative deficiencies cannot be applied toward a master's degree.

  10. A course taken at another college with a grade such as CR, S, or P cannot be accepted on a master's degree study plan unless such a course with such a grade is accepted by that college or university toward a graduate degree.

  11. Graduate Entrance Writing Requirement . Graduate students will be required to pass (or to have passed) the upper-division writing requirement before being fully classified into a graduate program, unless an earlier completion is specified for a particular program. This requirement can be satisfied through the following:
    1. Completion, with a grade of "B" (3.0) or better, within seven years prior to acceptance into the program of one of the following courses: EDUC 306, ENG 306, HUM 306, MGMT 306, NSCI 306, or SSCI 306 (all graduate and postbaccalaureate students, regardless of citizenship, who preparatory education was principally in a language other than English and have a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL, or a minimum score of 213 on the Computer Based TOEFL, who fail to achieve a grade of "B" (3.0) or higher in one of the 306 courses will be required to retake any 306 class).
    2. Completion, with a grade of "B" (3.0) or better, of an equivalent advanced expository writing course at another college or university within seven years prior to acceptance into the program.
    3. Satisfactory completion of the Writing Requirement Exemption Examination (WREE) offered at this university, taken within seven years prior to acceptance into the program.


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