You are in the official 2000-2001 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
You are in the official 2000-2001 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Admission to postbaccalaureate/graduate studies must be restricted to
the number of students for whom an effective education can be provided by
staff, facilities, and funding available at California State University,
Fresno. The university may limit postbaccalaureate/graduate enrollment on
the basis of the academic field and the relative aptitude of the applicant,
based on approved admissions criteria.
The minimum university requirements for admission to graduate and postbaccalaureate
studies at a California State University campus are in accordance with university
regulations as well as Title V, chapter 1, subchapter 3 of the California
Code of Regulations. Specifically, a student shall (1) have completed a
four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree
from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association, or
have completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by appropriate
campus authorities; (2) be in good academic standing at the last college
or university attended; (3) have attained a grade point average of at least
2.5 (A=4.0) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted; and (4)
satisfactorily meet the professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards
for graduate study, including qualifying examinations, as appropriate campus
authorities may prescribe. In unusual circumstances, a campus may make exceptions
to these criteria.
Postbaccalaureate applicants not interested in a graduate program may
choose to take courses for professional or personal growth, apply to work
toward a credential or certificate objective, or work toward a second baccalaureate
degree. These students may be admitted to the university in postbaccalaureate
standing in either an unclassified status or a classified status.
Admission to Postbaccalaureate Standing: Unclassified. By meeting
the minimum requirements to the university, students are eligible for admission
as postbaccalaureate unclassified, nondegree-seeking students. Students
who fall under this category may enroll in graduate courses for professional
or personal growth if prerequisite preparation has been accomplished and
the appropriate standardized test scores are on file. Some departments may
restrict enrollment of unclassified students due to heavy enrollment pressure.
Admission in this status does not constitute admission to or assurance of
consideration for admission to a graduate degree program or to a credential
program.
Admission to Postbaccalaureate Standing: Classified. Students admitted
to the university as postbaccalaureate classified students have satisfied
additional professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards - including
qualifying examinations - prescribed by the campus, and may enroll in a
particular postbaccalaureate credential or certificate program. Admission
to postbaccalaureate classified standing does not constitute admission to
or consideration for admission to a graduate degree program, to a credential,
or to a certificate program.
Admission to the university for postbaccalaureate students who wish to
pursue a specific graduate program occurs in two phases: admission to the
university and admission by the Division of Graduate Studies to a graduate
program. Acceptance by the university does not guarantee admission by the
Division of Graduate Studies to a specific graduate program. Only those
students who are admitted to both the university and the Division of Graduate
Studies will be granted graduate standing in a master's or joint doctoral
degree program. See the admission diagram.
Admission to graduate standing is the responsibility of the Division
of Graduate Studies. Students admitted to graduate standing have met the
general requirements for university admission. Students have also met the
additional requirements and standards of the Division of Graduate Studies
for admission to a graduate degree program, including academic preparation,
evidence of scholarly and professional ability (standardized test scores
and letters of recommendation), personal statement, and other requirements
as described for each program in the appropriate section of this catalog.
Some graduate programs require a separate application in addition to the
university application to graduate and postbaccalaureate admission.
All applicants to a master's degree and advanced certificate programs are
required to submit appropriate admission test scores with the university
Application to Graduate/Postbaccalaureate Studies. Admission will require
submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test,
or for business students, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
Applicants for admission to the MPA program may submit either GRE or GMAT
scores. Applicants to master's degree programs in the School of Education
and Human Development may submit either GRE or Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
scores. For application information concerning the GRE, contact the Graduate
Division in Thomas Administration, Room 132. GMAT information is available
in the Craig School of Business Graduate Office in the Peters Building,
Room 183. Information concerning the MAT as well as the GRE and GMAT is
available through the Testing Office in the Family and Food Sciences Building,
Room 110.
The University Graduate Committee has established a standardized test score
requirement for all applicants to provide a significant basis of comparison
to national educational standards and to ensure the admission of highly
qualified students to graduate degree programs. It should be noted that
an applicant's standardized test scores will not constitute the sole criterion
according to which an admissions decision will be rendered, as noted in
a previous paragraph. However, some departments, particularly in the sciences,
may give more importance to standardized test scores than departments in
other fields.
Applicants to the joint doctoral program in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
are required to submit official scores of the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) General Test or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). For other requirements,
contact the California State University, Fresno/University of California
Davis Joint Doctoral Program.
All applicants granted graduate standing by the Division of Graduate Studies
are admitted to a graduate program through conditional or classified standing
as follows.
Graduate Conditionally Classified Standing. Students may be admitted
to a graduate degree program in this category if, in the opinion of the
appropriate campus authority, the student can remedy deficiencies by additional
preparation, including the combination of prerequisite requirements.
Note: Students who have been granted conditionally classified admission
to a graduate program are required to complete all conditions for achieving
classified status (full admission) to the program by the semester in which
a maximum of 10 units to be used toward the master's degree is completed.
In programs of 60 units, except counseling, classification must occur prior
to the completion of 20 units. Failure to attain classified standing in
a timely manner as outlined above may result in the loss of units to be
applied toward the degree since excess units may not be listed on the Petition
of Advancement to Candidacy.
A student is expected to attain classified standing either at admission
or during the first semester of studies. Candidates for classification are
expected to possess a 3.0 or better grade point average in coursework undertaken
for use toward the master's degree.
Graduate Classified Standing. This category is granted to those students
who fully meet all admission requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies.
It enables the student to pursue a graduate degree and fulfill all of the
professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards -- including qualifying
examinations -- prescribed by the campus.
Only those applicants who show promise of success and fitness will be admitted
to master's degree curricula, and only those who continue to demonstrate
a satisfactory level of scholastic competence and fitness shall be eligible
to proceed in such curricula. (See also Grade Requirements.)
Postbaccalaureate/graduate students who intend to change their major
or degree objective must complete and file a Change of Graduate Degree Objective,
which includes a fee payable at the cashier's window in the Joyal Administration
Building. These students must meet the admissions requirements of the new
program. These students must meet the admissions requirements of the new
program. The application for Change of Graduate Degree or Credential Objective
is available in the Division of Graduate Studies, Thomas Administration
Building, Room 132.
Students planning to engage in study toward a second master's degree
must obtain prior approval from the graduate dean. Students may not earn
a second master's degree in the same field. Coursework used to satisfy the
requirements of one degree may not be used to satisfy the require ments
of the second degree. Students may not be awarded two degrees in the same
degree-granting period or term.
Those graduate/postbaccalaureate students pursuing more than one objective
(i.e., two graduate degrees or a graduate degree and a credential) must
notify the Division of Graduate Studies so that appropriate student standing
may be noted with departments concerned.
A Certificate of Advanced Study may be earned in a limited number of
approved, nondegree programs. Such programs provide useful coursework and
professional experiences that emphasize the acquisition of advanced technical
skills of a practical, applied nature. For a current list of such programs,
consult the Division of Graduate Studies, (559) 278-2448. Applicants to
a Certificate of Advanced Study program must meet the specific admission
requirements of the individual program and the university. These include
admission to postbaccalaureate standing and the submission of relevant test
scores. With prior approval, those pursuing study toward a master's degree
may also pursue study toward a Certificate of Advanced Study. Double-counting
of units on the certificate and on the graduate program, though limited,
is possible. Those whose sole objective is the earning of the Certificate
of Advanced Study are ineligible to receive graduate assistantships, fellowships,
and other awards designed for those pursuing a graduate degree. An application
for the awarding of the certificate of advanced study must be on file in
the Division of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term
in which all courses and requirements are expected to be completed. The
applications for the awarding of the certificate are available in the Division
of Graduate Studies, Thomas Administration Building, Room 132.
Postbaccalaureate students interested in pursuing a second bachelor's
degree or a second undergraduate major should read the relevant portion
of the university catalog (Second Baccalaureate and/or Second Major) and
contact the appropriate academic department.
No units used to fulfill the requirements of one degree may be used to
fulfill the requirements of another degree. For example, 100-series courses
used toward a bachelor's degree may not be subsequently used toward a master's
degree.
A postbaccalaureate student pursuing a graduate degree may repeat a course
for academic credit (subject to limitations in some degree curricula) regardless
of what grade was originally earned in the course. However, such a student
is not eligible to petition for grade substitution. All coursework taken,
beginning with the first term of the student's master's degree program,
is used in determining the student's grade point average and graduation
eligibility.
A graduate of a nonaccredited college may be granted admission with unvalidated
unclassified postbaccalaureate standing, upon the filing of the application
and two copies of official transcripts of all college work. Such a student
may be eligible for placement in regular postbaccalaureate or graduate standing
when he or she has cleared all undergraduate deficiencies and has maintained,
in residence at California State University, Fresno, a grade point average
of 3.0 on 12 units of approved upper-division work or an average of 2.5
on 24 units of approved upper-division work. (Prospective applicants to
master's degree programs, see also Master's Degrees - Grade
Requirements.) When students with unvalidated postbaccalaureate standing
have met the listed requirements, it is their responsibility to request
a new statement of standing from their department and to file a Change of
Graduate Degree Objective with the Division of Graduate Studies Office.
The Division of Graduate Studies seeks to bring students from all parts
of the world to the campus. Since English is the language of instruction
at the university, students should be prepared to write their theses, examinations,
and seminar papers in English. Applicants whose native language is not English
must have acquired competence in the English language prior to enrolling
in a graduate program or prerequisite courses in order to avoid any delay
or difficulty in pursuing their studies.
All graduate and postbaccalaureate applicants, regardless of citizenship,
and whose native language is not English, must demonstrate competence in
English. Those applicants must receive a minimum score of 550 (for the paper-based
test) and 213 (for the computer-based test) on the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL). Some graduate programs may require a higher score.
Applicants to the English program must attain a score of 600 (on the paper-based
test) or 250 (on the computer-based test).
It is highly recommended that TOEFL scores, Graduate Record Examination
Aptitude Test scores, application, and official academic documents reach
the university Admissions Office at least six months before the semester
for which admission is desired. Applicants to the MBA program must submit
Graduate Management Admissions Test scores; applicants to the MPA program
may submit either GMAT or GRE scores.
The TOEFL is administered at various centers throughout the world. For further
information about the TOEFL, write or phone the educational attaché
at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate office or write to:
Testing Services Office
California State University, Fresno
5300 Campus Drive M/S FF63
Family Food Sciences Building, Room 110
Fresno, CA 93740-8019
U.S.A.
Requests for applications for international postbaccalaureate/graduate admission
should be directed to:
International Student Services and Programs
California State University, Fresno
5150 North Maple Avenue M/S JA56
Fresno, CA 93740-8026
U.S.A.
During the first semester at California State University, Fresno, foreign
graduate students whose native language is not English may be required to
enroll in special courses in English to help improve writing skills and
to provide the greatest possibility of success in graduate studies.
Classified graduate standing gives a student permission to work toward
qualifying for candidacy. See Advancement to Candidacy diagram on the next
page. Advancement to candidacy gives a student permission to proceed toward
qualifying for the degree and provides the student with a program of study
that has been officially reviewed and approved by both the student's faculty
and by the Graduate Dean. This important step confers on the student the
status of candidate for the degree and represents a commitment both on the
part of the student and the degree program to complete the degree within
a specified time limit according to requirements published in a specific
university catalog year. Advancement to candidacy is essential to the student
in planning for registration in courses. The student should therefore meet
with his/her graduate program coordinator soon after attaining classified
standing to discuss advancement to candidacy. (See also Petition of Advancement
to Candidacy.) Campus policy requires a student to petition for advancement
to candidacy as soon as he/she becomes eligible to do so. Normally, this
should occur within one semester of having attained classified standing.
Compliance with this policy is necessary for a student to remain in good
standing. All students in graduate standing must also demonstrate a satisfactory
level of scholastic, professional, and ethical competence as determined
by program faculty to be eligible to continue in the graduate program. Eligibility
requirements for advancement to candidacy include the following:
For advancement to candidacy, demonstration of competence, usually equivalent
to that achieved through two years of collegiate study of one foreign language,
is required in specified majors in which upper-division and graduate courses
demand such competence. Consult your graduate adviser or the chair of the
Foreign Languages and Literatures Department for information about placement
tests.
Competence in the use of a foreign language is required for advancement
to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree in English, music (vocal performance
and music history only), and the M.F.A. in Creative Writing. The foreign
language requirement for the M.A. in International Relations is a prerequisite
for graduation rather than advancement to candidacy. Ordinarily, the requirement
calls for demonstration of the ability to read materials of the major in
one appropriate foreign language. Geology and history, however, specify
that a student doing a thesis involving a foreign country must have a reading
knowledge of the language of that country.
The approved degree program for the master's degree is a coherent pattern
of (1) specific requirements for the program and (2) additional courses
selected to meet the student's particular needs. It consists of at least
30 units which must be completed within five years just preceding the granting
of the master's degree. Only graduate courses (200 series) and such upper-division
courses (100 series) as are recommended by the colleges, schools, or departments
and approved by the University Graduate Committee are acceptable on the
unit requirement. Other courses are counted in calculating the student's
study load, but cannot be counted toward the unit requirement for the master's
degree. Courses that were used to satisfy the requirements of a previous
degree may not be used on the program. The approved program must be consistent
with the following policies:
At least 21 units of a 30-unit program must be residence credit (courses
taken through regular enrollment at California State University, Fresno).
No more than 9 units of transfer and/or California State University, Fresno
Extension credit may be included in the 30-unit program.
Click here to view the Advancement to Candidacy chart.
A culminating experience is required for each master's degree. Acceptable
culminating experiences include thesis (299), project (298), or comprehensive
examination. Individual departments permit one or more culminating experiences
described in this section. Students who have enrolled in thesis or project
units will not be permitted to change to another culminating experience
after the initial semester of such enrollment.
It is the student's responsibility to complete the specific courses listed
on his or her Petition of Advancement to Candidacy. Once a program has been
approved by the University Graduate Committee, it may be changed only on
the written request of the student and his or her department or college/school
adviser and with the approval of the dean, Division of Graduate Studies.
Program Adjustment Request forms are available in the Division of Graduate
Studies Office.
No academic distinction is made between a thesis and a project. Either
one is equally acceptable as a means of fulfilling the requirements for
the master's degree. Specific departmental instructions or requirements
should, however, be ascertained by the candidate before enrollment in courses
298 or 299. The instructor of record for thesis or project must issue a
letter grade on the Master's Degree Clearance form through the Division
of Graduate Studies.
Whether a student is preparing a thesis or a project, it should be noted
that quality of work accomplished is a major consideration in judging acceptability.
The finished project must evidence originality, appropriate organization,
clarity of purpose, critical analysis, and accuracy and completeness of
documentation where needed.
Critical and independent thinking should characterize every project. Mere
description, cataloging, compilation, and other superficial procedures are
not adequate.
The quality of writing, format, and documentation must meet standards appropriate
for publication in the scholarly journals of the field, or be consistent
with the dictates of an authorized stylebook.
Students conducting thesis research involving human subjects should not
begin use of human subjects until written approval has been received from
the departmental Human Subjects Committee and, where review demands, the
University Committee on Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS). Guidelines
and forms for protocols can be obtained from the departmental office. Students
should allow at least two weeks for a required CPHS review.
Students planning to conduct research involving live animals housed on campus
must receive approval of the research from the Animal Care and Use Committee.
Forms may be obtained from the departmental office.
University policy requires graduate students to be continuously enrolled
at the university (1) while completing a grade of SP in either thesis or
project, or a grade of SP or I in any other course; (2) while preparing
to take a comprehensive examination; or (3) during the semester in which
an application for the degree to be granted is filed. This policy does not
apply to students who are either enrolled in a course for a letter grade
or who have been officially granted a planned educational leave of absence.
All students must maintain continuous enrollment during all fall and spring
semesters, and during any summer term in which they apply to graduate. To
maintain the required enrollment, students must enroll in Graduate Studies
Continuation through Extended Education (Extension) or in G S 299 (Regular
University Enrollment).
Students who choose to enroll through the Extension option and who later
wish to return to regular enrollment at California State University, Fresno
will be required to refile an application for admission to the university.
Those who have been out of regular enrollment for more than one semester
and wish to return will be required to pay an application fee, in addition
to refiling an application for admission. For additional information and
deadlines, consult the Division of Graduate Studies. Students unable to
register in person may provide a letter of permission to a "proxy,"
allowing the proxy to register on their behalf.
G S Continuation (Extension). Students who choose to enroll in G
S Continuation should go to the Division of Graduate Studies office by the
second week of the semester or summer term to have their enrollment eligibility
verified. If determined eligible by the Graduate Division, students will
be given the appropriate paperwork and will be directed to the Division
of Extended Education, Education Building, Room 130, to pay registration
fees. Checks for GS Continuation are made payable to California State University,
Fresno in the amount of $227 (amount subject to change.)
G S 299 (Regular University Enrollment). Students enrolling in G
S 299 through regular university enrollment should follow the instructions
for S.T.A.R. Registration in the Schedule of Courses. G S 299 enrollees
must go to the office of the Division of Graduate Studies to obtain the
schedule number and have their eligibility verified prior to their assigned
registration date and time as indi cated on the S.T.A.R. Registration letter.
The International Students Services and Programs Office has indicated that
international students may fulfill the continuous enrollment requirement
only through G S 299 registration (regular university enrollment) in the
fall or spring semesters.
Exclusive of prerequisite coursework, a period of five years is allowed
for the completion of all requirements for the master's degree. This time
limit is indicated for each student on the approved advancement to candidacy
form. A student whose program has been interrupted by military service should
consult the dean of the Division of Graduate Studies about provisions for
military extensions. Outdated coursework will not be approved for inclusion
on the Petition of Advancement to Candidacy at the time formal approval
of the petition is granted. Those courses completed more than five years
before the date for completion of all requirements for the master's degree
cannot be used to meet total unit requirements except through validation
as follows:
Out-of-date coursework may only be validated if such work has been previously
approved on this Petition of Advancement to Candidacy. A maximum of one-third
of required degree units may thus be validated by such means as are recommended
by the department and approved by the graduate dean. Coursework from other
institutions may not be validated.
All graduate students will be held to the scholarship standards listed
under Academic Regulations. The following provisions also apply to master's
degree programs.
A student admitted to a master's degree program in conditionally classified
or classified standing is required to maintain a minimum grade point average
of B (3.0) on all work taken subsequent to admission to the program.
No course with a grade below C may apply on an approved program for the
master's degree.
To be eligible for advancement to candidacy, a student must have earned
at least a B average (overall, program, and California State University,
Fresno) on all coursework completed after the date of embarking on the first
course to be included in the master's degree program.
To be eligible for enrollment in the thesis or project, a student must have
been advanced to candidacy and must have maintained a minimum grade point
average of B on his or her approved program.
To be eligible for the granting of the master's degree, a student must have
maintained a B average on his or her complete approved program as well as
on all courses taken, beginning with the first term listed on the Petition
of Advancement to Candidacy.
To be eligible to receive the master's degree with distinction, a student
must have earned at least a 3.9 grade point average on all coursework taken
from the first semester of the approved master's degree program. A minimum
GPA of 3.9 must also be attained on the approved program to qualify.
Graduate (master's degree) students wishing to request substitutions or modifications in a department's degree requirements should initiate their request through the department's graduate committee. Requests for exceptions to established university policies governing graduate study may be addressed to the dean, Division of Graduate Studies and also to the university Graduate Commit tee. Grade protests must be submitted to the Student Academic Petitions Committee through the director of advising services according to university policy. Information concerning grade protest procedures is available in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs.
Enrollment in Graduate-level (200-297) Courses. Enrollment in
graduate-level (200-297) courses is limited to those who have been officially
admitted to a graduate degree, advanced certificate, or credential program.
However, there is a special program for last-semester undergraduate seniors
who want to enroll in 200-level courses. All criteria listed on the Undergraduate
Petition to Enroll in Graduate (200-level) Courses must be met. This petition,
available from the Division of Graduate Studies, should be filed prior to
the semester in which the student desires enrollment in 200-level course(s).
An application for the master's degree to be granted (which includes the graduation fee payable at the Cashier's Window in Joyal Administration Building) must be filed within the first two weeks of the semester in which the work is to be completed. In addition, applicants must be enrolled (see Continuous Enrollment). During the summer, the application should be filed before the end of the third week of the first summer session. (See Academic Calendar and Fees and Expenses in this catalog and the Schedule of Courses.) Graduation application forms are available in the Division of Graduate Studies office. Prior to filing a request for the master's degree to be granted, the student should check with the graduate adviser of the master's program concerned in order to ensure that all program requirements have been, or will soon be, completed.
Once all requirements for the degree to be granted have been met, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that all necessary paperwork, including the Master's Degree Clearance form, is submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies by the published deadlines. Diplomas for those completing degree requirements will be awarded approximately two to four months after the end of the semester or final summer session.
Failure to complete requirements for the degree during the semester (or
summer) of the application necessitates the filing of a new application,
including a reapplication fee, for the termof actual completion. Such reapplication
is subject to the same time schedule as the original application.
Graduate Studies (G S)
300T.Topics in Graduate Studies (1-3; max total 12)
Topics related to the nature of graduate education, to the purpose and
background of research and scholarly activity in the graduate enterprise,
including participation in aspects of ongoing research conducted by faculty.
Return to main Graduate Studies page
Visit the Graduate Studies
Web Site for more information.
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