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Evaluations Office - Graduation

PHOTO OF EVALUATIONS STAFF

 

 

 

The Degree Evaluations Office reviews the courses you have completed and determines the official status of your progress toward graduation.

 



Contact Information
Drop-In Hours Tuesday/Wednesday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Contact Information-Phone (916) 278-3901
Location Lassen Hall Room 2000


Bachelor's Degree Requirements

All baccalaureate degrees at Sacramento State require completion of the requirements listed below. Degree requirements fall into three categories: general education requirements, major/minor requirements; and other all-University requirements. Click Here to download a copy (pdf) of the Bachelor's Graduation Requirements Checklist

Total Units

A minimum of 120 units are required, depending on the major selected. No more than 70 units taken at a community college or other two-year college may be applied to this total, excluding military credit and credit by examination which are not included in this limit. Quarter units may be converted to semester units by multiplying by two thirds.

Upper Division Units

Completion of at least 40 of the total units must be upper division; Sacramento State upper division courses are numbered 100-199. (Major requirements must include a minimum of 24 upper division units for a Bachelor of Arts degree/36 upper division for a Bachelor of Science degree; therefore, at least 24/36 of 40 will automatically be completed upon completion of the major. The remainder may be in any other upper division category; i.e., minor, General Education or electives.)

Major

Completion of a specific number and pattern of courses in one or more academic departments is defined as a major and is required for graduation. Major requirements vary from a minimum of 33 (including 24 upper division) units to a maximum of 110 units. Four of the Sacramento State majors require a minor.

female graduate photo

General Education/Graduation Requirements

All students under the 1992-present and subsequent University Catalogs must complete 51 units of General Education requirements, including the additional graduation requirements noted below. General Education program requirements can be found in the Sacramento State catalog CLICK HERE for the University Catalog (online version).  Approved General Education courses are listed in the each year Class Schedule.

History and Government
Demonstrated competency in U.S. History, U.S. Constitution, and California State and local government are required for graduation. These requirements may be satisfied through appropriate courses or through examinations given each semester by the History and Government departments.
English Composition
Two semesters of college-level English Composition courses, English 1A and 20 (or their equivalents) with a grade of C- or higher, are required for graduation. Students wishing to satisfy English 1A at Sacramento State must first take the English Placement Test unless exempt. (Refer to the Sacramento State catalog.)
The New Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)
All students must meet the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) which is completed by passing a Writing Intensive course.  The GWAR is a two-step process.  To meet the first step, students must complete and receive a GWAR Placement.  The second step requires all students to complete and pass a Writing Intensive course.
Students who successfully passed the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE) May 2009 or earlier have met the GWAR Placement.  However, students must still complete the upper division Writing Intensive course to satisfy the GWAR graduation requirement.

For additional information about the GWAR, please CLICK HERE to visit the website.
Foreign Language Proficiency
Demonstrated foreign language proficiency at a level comparable to an intermediate college level course, with a grade of C- or higher, is required for graduation. Courses and proficiency tests designed to meet this requirement are offered by the Department of Foreign Languages each semester (Refer to the Sacramento State catalog).
* These requirements are derived from Title V, chapter 5 of the California Administrative Code, action of The California State University Trustees or Sacramento State faculty. As such, they are similar, but not necessarily identical, to the graduation requirements of other state-supported colleges and universities in California.


Residence Units

At least 30 of the total units must be taken on the Sacramento State campus excluding Extension and credit by exam units. At least 24 of these units must be upper division, including at least 12 upper division units in the major (except for Business Administration, English and Psychology which require 15 units). Click Here for More Information on Resididency.


Grade Point Average

An overall grade point average of 2.0 is required for the following areas:

  • total courses attempted
  • Sacramento State course attempted
  • upper division courses applied to the major
  • all minor courses
  • courses used to complete General Education requirements.
    Refer to the Sacramento State catalog for GPA calculation. Departments may impose additional grade point requirements and/or GPA requirements (e.g., a department may require a C- or better in every course which is applied to the major).

Catalog Rights

Undergraduate students maintaining 'attendance' in any combination of California community colleges and campuses of the California State University receive 'catalog rights' in the election of regulation determining graduation requirements. Students may elect the requirements in effect at (1) the year they began their study at a California community college or CSU campus, (2) the year they entered the CSU campus from which they will graduate, or (3) the year they graduate from the CSU.
Beginning Spring 1985, "attendance" has been defined as attendance in at least one semester or two quarters in each calendar year.
Once catalog rights are established, absence related to an approved educational leave or for attendance at another accredited* institution is not to be considered an interruption, providing the above attendance criteria is met and the absence does not exceed two years.
While catalog rights hold degree requirements, they do not shield students from changes in prerequisites required in a given course. Prerequisite requirements which students must follow are those stated in course descriptions in the current catalog. The only exceptions to this are in cases in which the addition of course prerequisites also increases the number of units required in the major and minor. In these cases, students are encouraged to meet current course prerequisites, but are not required to do so.
* Regional Accrediting Association: the Associations of Colleges and Schools of the Middle States, North Central, Northwest, Southern and Western region.

Spring 2013 Graduation Workshops


Session Calendar Dates
Time
 Location
Workshop 1 February 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 2 February 28, 2013 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 3 March 6, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 4 March 7, 2013 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 5 March 13, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 6 March 14, 2013 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 7 March 20, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 8 March 21, 2013 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 9 March 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Mendocino 2007

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Workshop 10 March 28, 2013 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mendocino 2007

 

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Applying to Graduate

cap and diplomaGraduation Date Filing Deadlines

FALL

   February 1
 
SPRING/SUMMER
   October 1

 

Graduation Application Fee is $63.50.


Note: You must open the graduation application in the latest version of Acrobat Reader in order to fill it out.

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Graduation Application Forms

Online Graduation Application

The online graduation application is only available to a select group of majors for students who are eligible to apply for graduation. CLICK HERE for more information.

Other Forms and Links

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Graduating Senior Information

Attention Graduating Seniors

As a candidate for graduation this semester, the Degree Evaluations Office would like to remind you to review your requirements prior to graduation. The following information will assist you:

  • Make sure you are enrolled in all remaining requirements; please review your Graduation Evaluation and the online degree progress report (available online at My Sac State).
  • Changes to your major or minor must be submitted to the Degree Evaluations Office; substitutions may be filed by using the Major/Minor Course Substitution and Waivers Form and must be approved by the major or minor Department
  • If you are repeating a course for grade improvement, file a Repeat Grade Replacement Petition
  • Courses completed using the CR/NC grading option cannot be used to meet General Education, major or minor requirements
  • A maximum of 9 units from your major department may be applied to General Education requirements
  • General Education courses must be selected from the approved General Education listing in the current Registration and Advising Handbook.
  • If you are using high school coursework to fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement, please send your official high school transcripts to the Degree Evaluations Office
  • Please count your units; a minimum of 120 semester units with 40 upper division is required for the Bachelor's degree
  • The official date of graduation is the last day of the semester (see Calendar of Dates and Deadlines in the current Registration and Advising Handbook)
  • For information regarding the commencement ceremony contact the University Ceremonies and Visitor Relations (http://www.csus.edu/commence/)
  • Your Diploma will be mailed; please verify and update your current mailing address and telephone number by accessing My Sac State
  • Allow two weeks after grades are due before we begin final review of your file for degree conferral
  • Allow at least 3 to 4 months after the end of the semester for your diploma to be mailed
  • If you are taking classes at other institutions, please forward your final transcript to us as soon as possible
  • To avoid a potential delay in degree conferral, all incomplete grades must be completed prior to the first day of the next term including summer.
  • Congratulations!

Major/Minor Requirements

If you have received your degree evaluation and now wish to make changes to previously approved courses, you may need to file a Major/Minor Course Substitution and Waiver Form. The form is needed for major/minor courses that are required, however, it may not be necessary for major/minor electives. Contact Degree Evaluations or your major department to determine if the form is needed.

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