STUDENT HANDBOOK 2007-2008

Student Responsibilities

1. ADDING/DROPPING A COURSE

Students are responsible for any course changes after the start of the semester. The deadlines for adding and dropping courses change each semester but are published in the schedule of classes and the PPA Newsletter. Forms are available from the PPA office and are approved by the PPA Director provided the student has informed the involved faculty members of their actions. Please remember, not attending a class without filing out the form can result in an "F" or a "U" on your records, as well as academic disqualification.

See Add Permit (Appendix G).
See Add/Drop Permit (Appendix H).

2. ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY

Initiation of advancement to candidacy is the responsibility of the student. Each student who plans to become a candidate for a Master's degree is required to:

1. Be admitted to classified graduate standing in the graduate degree curriculum for which candidacy is sought.
2. Complete at least 40 percent of the graduate degree course work and meet any special departmental requirements in the field in which they propose to take the degree.
3. File an application for advancement to candidacy for the master's degree at the Graduate Center not later than five weeks prior to the opening of the final semester of the program (applications are available through the PPA Office or at the Graduate Center).

The following defines eligibility for advancement to candidacy.

1. Required scholarship in undergraduate and graduate work taken prior to advancement as follows.
1. Satisfactory undergraduate preparations for admission to classified graduate standing in the graduate degree program.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on at least 40 percent of the graduate work (subject to further restrictions imposed by the specific program).
2. Evidence of a plan of graduate study acceptable to the institution and the faculty concerned.
3. Demonstration of writing proficiency (passing the WPE or completing and filing a petition for exception).

See Advancement to Candidacy Form (Appendix I).
See WPE Waiver Request (Appendix J).

3. ADVISING AND REGISTRATION

Each semester, continuing students will receive an "Invitation to Register" through CASPER, the CSUS Telephone Registration System. Students who did not register the previous semester will need to notify Admissions and Records of their plans to enroll in order to receive an Invitation to Register. All students are expected to meet with their advisor at least once a semester and prior to registration for classes. The PPA Office will provide information on the dates and times that each advisor are available for registration advising.

4. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE

The forms necessary to apply for graduation with a Master's degree and to file a project or thesis are available in the Graduate Studies Center. The forms require approval signatures and a diploma fee paid at the Cashier's Office before the forms be returned to the Graduate Center. Forms must be completed and filed no later than November 1 for fall, March 1 for spring or summer graduation if you want your name to appear in the Commencement program in the spring.

See Graduation Application (Appendix K).

5. CLASSIFICATION STATUS

Students admitted to the program with conditions placed on their admissions must verify that they have met these qualifications before they can advance to candidacy or graduate. Conditionally classified students are required to provide proof (official GRE scores or transcripts or written confirmation of alternative arrangements if made through the Program Director or Faculty) to the PPA Office before they can become fully classified and thus eligible to receive their degrees. Once the office has received evidence that the conditions are met, we notify the Graduate Studies Center in writing and place a copy of the correspondence in your student file. Documents should not be sent directly to the Graduate Studies Center.

6. CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT

Continuous Enrollment (PPA 599) is required for students who have taken PPA 500 two semesters in a row but still need to complete the project or thesis.

1. Eligibility is based upon the following.
1. The student has advanced to candidacy.
2. The student has enrolled in the total required number of 500 units
3. The student has not enrolled in 599 more than two times of the three allowed.
4. The student has completed all course work and does not intend to enroll in any additional courses.
2. To register for Continuous Enrollment, the students must go to the Graduate Center to obtain a registration packet. Packets completed and returned to the Graduate Center prior to the deadline for that semester avoid the late fee.
7. MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Students enrolled in graduate degree programs as conditionally classified or classified shall be subject to academic probation if they fail to maintain a cumulative and semester grade point average of at least 3.0 in all units attempted subsequent to admission to the program (see MPPA grading policy for additional requirements).

Graduate students shall be subject to disqualification if, while on probation, they fail to earn sufficient grade points to be removed from probationary status. Disqualification may be either from further registration in a particular program or from further enrollment at the campus.

Students may also be subject to administrative or academic probation for the following reasons.

1. Withdrawal from all or a substantial portion of their courses in two successive terms or in any three terms.
2. Repeated failure to progress toward a degree or other program objective.
3. Failure to comply, after due notice, with an academic requirement or regulation.

Students will receive written notification of administrative-academic actions with an explanation of the basis for the action and the appeal processes available to them.

8. REGISTRATION FOR INTERNSHIP (295), SPECIAL PROBLEMS (299), AND MASTER'S PROJECT/ THESIS (500A AND PPA 500B)

Students are not permitted to register for the above listed courses through CASPER until they have met with an advisor or the PPA Department Chair and a "permit" has been entered onto their records in the CASPER System.

See Internship Proposal (Appendix D).
See Internship Waiver Form (Appendix E).
See Special Problems Petition (Appendix F).

9. REPEATING A COURSE

Students are required to complete all core PPA courses with a minimum grade of B. Students who do not meet this requirement may repeat a course once in order to continue in the program. To do so, the student must obtain prior approval from either his/her advisor or the PPA Chairperson and file a repeat petition with the Registrar's Office. Please note: All petitions must be approved at all required levels before the end of the third week of the semester in which the student enrolls for the second attempts. If the student misses the deadline, the grade from the first attempt is included in the student's GPA (rather than subtracted from the GPA, as are approved repeats).

See Repeat Petition (Appendix A).