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The Graduate Student Lounge
Looking for a welcoming place to study, recharge, or connect with other graduate students between classes? The Graduate Student Lounge is now open for the 2026–2027 academic year!
The lounge is a dedicated space where graduate students can:
*Study and work on assignments
*Connect and collaborate with fellow graduate students
*Relax and recharge between classes
Location: Library 3520
Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays | 4:00–8:00 p.m.
Stop by, explore the space, and make yourself at home. We hope the Graduate Student Lounge becomes a valuable part of your experience at Sacramento State.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Warmly,
Office of Graduate Studies
Graduate student Lisa Sanchez selected for 2026 CSU Trustees’ Award
September 21, 2026
Sacramento State alum Lisa Sanchez was in the third grade when her parents went to prison.
But the most difficult time in her life gave Sanchez her greatest strength.
“It changed my life and who I was,” she said. “It helped me realize I can be a strong leader and be somebody who is kind to other people. A lot of times, we don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life, or what they’ve gone through.
“... I have a lot of empathy for people and their situations. It’s one of my greatest skills.”
Now studying for her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Sanchez wants to work in higher education and help college students succeed and feel like they belong on campus.
Sanchez was selected for the 2026 Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the highest recognition of student accomplishment within the CSU.
“I need help supporting my college career, but I was not expecting to get anything,” Sanchez said. “I was extremely shocked, but happy shocked.
“My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest when they told me.”
Every year, the CSU recognizes students from each of the system’s 22 campuses, honoring those who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service, and financial need.
“Being able to mentor students and help them find their own sense of belonging and understand themselves and how to navigate college is really important to me … especially first generation students. As a first generation student myself, I’d love to pour back into that community.” -- CSU Trustees' Award winner Lisa Sanchez
Awardees were recognized during a special ceremony at the CSU Board of Trustees Sept. 22 meeting in Long Beach.
“The Hornet community is extremely proud of Lisa, not only for her accomplishments as a scholar and a leader and role model, but for her compassion and dedication to helping other students adjust to college life and achieve success,” said Sacramento State President Luke Wood.
Sanchez grew up in Hollister near Monterey. When her parents were incarcerated, she and her five brothers went to live with their grandparents.
“They’re a second set of parents to me,” she said. “I lived with my grandparents my whole life. We struggled with being low-income as well, so we just ended up living with my grandparents all the way through high school.
“... They really helped me overcome that hiccup in life. It took me a while to be okay with my parents being gone for so long.”
Sanchez, a first generation college student, grew up in a big family with lots of younger cousins she often took care of. It sparked the idea of becoming a teacher.
“I love being around kids and helping them grow and doing fun things with them,” she said.
When she graduated from high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, she chose to go to Sac State, sight unseen. Sanchez lived in student housing, becoming friends with other Hornets while socially distancing through Discord groups.
Sanchez also joined the Sigma Kappa sorority and served as one of the Academic Advising Center’s peer mentors, helping first-year students navigate academic requirements and connect with resources on campus.
“I know how hard it was for me my first year,” Sanchez said. “Being able to mentor students and help them find their own sense of belonging and understand themselves and how to navigate college is really important to me … especially first generation students. As a first generation student myself, I’d love to pour back into that community.”
While she was Sigma Kappa’s vice president of philanthropy, Sanchez raised more than $7,000 in emergency funding for members. Now a Sigma Kappa advisor, she’s active with the sorority’s foundation, which helps fund Alzheimer’s research.
CSU Trustees’ Awards scholars will receive more than $200,000 in scholarships collectively this year.
Sanchez juggled work at Old Navy and Starbucks with being a peer counselor and other campus leadership activities to pay for her own education.
She has been named the Dr. José A. and Catherine Gómez Scholar and says the scholarship means she won’t have to take out any more student loans.
“It’s important for students to know they can achieve what they set their hearts out to achieve,” Sanchez said. “Keep doing what makes you passionate. Don’t just settle for anything. Go for what your heart desires.”
Fall 2026 Office of Graduate Studies Newsletter
Click the link to get the most up-to-date information from the Office of Graduate Studies!
Fall 2026: Culminating Experience Workshop
The Office of Graduate Studies requires all students to attend our mandatory Culminating Experience Format Workshop. The workshop is designed to help students:
- Understand the final steps to degree completion;
- Format their culminating experience (for those who are completing a thesis, project, or dissertation);
- With strategies for studying for the Comprehensive Examination (for those completing a Comprehensive Examination).
Registration Period
- Registration Opens: September 8, 2026 at 9:00 am
- Registration Closes: November 6, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Deadline to Complete the Workshop: November 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm
Culminating Experience Workshop Registration
Workshop Completion
Thesis/Project/Dissertation: In order to satisfy the workshop requirement, students will need to complete all modules and the quiz at the end of the modules. The quiz will test students on material covered in the preceding modules; to pass the quiz, students must receive a minimum of 70% (7 out of 10) on the quiz. Students can take the quiz an unlimited number of times until they reach the minimum requirement.
Comprehensive Exam: In order to satisfy the workshop requirement, students will need to complete all modules and the assessment at the end of the modules. There is no quiz for this workshop. After students have completed their assessment they will see a thank you message displayed, this indicates completion of the workshop.
Fall 2026 Thesis/Project/Dissertation Review & Submission Appointment
Please Note:
- Students must have completed the mandatory format workshop prior to submitting their Culminating Experience.
- Check-Ins are for students who are graduating in the current semester to submit their Culminating Experience.
- No walk-ins will be accepted. An appointment is required.
Disclaimer: Ample appointment slots have been allocated to accommodate all graduating students. However, students are encouraged to sign up for appointments early in the submission cycle. Failure to sign up for an appointment, and/or show up to an appointment may delay a student's degree completion timeline.
Students should be advised that if they cancel an appointment once the submission period begins, OGS cannot guarantee another appointment will be available, and thus, students may have to move their graduation date and submit during the next submission cycle.
How to Make an Appointment:
When you click the link below, you will be redirected to the appointment registration website; follow these instructions to schedule your appointment:
- Click Schedule An Appointment on the right hand side of the screen.
- Type of appointment: select Advising in the drop-down selection.
- Service: scroll to Graduate Studies and select T/P/D Review and Submission
- Pick an available appointment date and time (from the table below) for your review date.
Note: If you are a staff member (current or previous) of the university, you will need to change your view in EAB to "Student" as it will automatically show your "Staff" view.
Special Note for Graduate Students:
- If you are doing a co-authored thesis or project, make only one appointment and in the comment section, please include your partner’s full name and Sac State email.
- After you make your appointment, you will be added to the canvas course Thesis/Project/Dissertation Culminating Experience (Spring).
- After you have been added to the canvas course, you will need to upload the WORD version of your thesis/project/dissertation/doctoral project to the canvas course. AT LEAST 3-5 DAYS BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT.
- Thesis/Project/Dissertation/Doctoral Project appointment instructions and Zoom link will be sent to your Sac State email within 2-3 business days.
Note: If you are an Undergraduate student, please do not schedule Advising Appointments with the Office of Graduate Studies
Thesis / Project / Dissertation Review Appointment and Submission Dates:
Registration opens: November 9, 2026 at 9:00 am
Registration closes: December 2, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Appointment Dates/Times: November 30 - December 3, 2026 from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm; December 4, 2026 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Deadline to submit: December 4, 2026 at 3:00 pm
Spring 2027: Culminating Experience Workshop
Registration Period
- Registration Opens: February 1, 2027 at 9:00 am
- Registration Closes: March 19, 2027 at 4:30 pm
Deadline to Complete the Workshop: April 2, 2027 at 11:59 pm
Spring 2027 Thesis/Project/Dissertation Review & Submission Appointment
Thesis / Project / Dissertation Review Appointment and Submission Dates:
Registration opens: April 5, 2027 at 9:00 am
Registration closes: May 5, 2027 at 4:30 pm
Appointment Dates/Times: April 26 – 29, 2027 & May 3 – 6, 2027 from 9:00am – 6:00pm; April 30, 2027 & May 7, 2027 from 9:00am – 3:00pm
Deadline to submit: May 7, 2027 at 3:00 pm
Fall 2026 Welcome Letter
Welcome, new and returning students, to Sacramento State for the fall 2026 semester. As you embark on this new term, we hope you take the opportunity to build connections with faculty, fellow students, and the Hornet community. Strengthening your network supports your academic, professional, and personal growth.
The Office of Graduate Studies wants you to enjoy this journey and wishes you the best as you transform your life through your dedication to your studies.
Sac State & CSU Grad Slam Competition
Sacramento State is hosting a Grad Slam competition in Spring 2026. Grad Slam is an academic research communication competition that challenges graduate students to present a compelling speech about their research and its significance to non-academic persons in just three minutes using only one presentation image. The goal is to not only support our students but also to raise the profile of graduate education in the CSU system. The winner of the Sac State Grad Slam competition will go on to represent the campus at the CSU Grad Slam competition. Here's a video from 2023’s competition: https://youtu.be/5MYVr1Rg_08?si=mhL6DFv5QYxMjrcQ