COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

GRADUATE AND POSTBACCALAUREATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

This document provides information on policies and procedures for graduate and postbaccalaureate students in the College of Arts and Letters. Students are advised to consult the University Catalog and their major department for additional policies and procedures. The departments offering graduate degree programs and postbaccalaureate certificate programs in the College of Arts and Letters include:

Art

Communication Studies

English

Modern Languages and Literatures

Music

Philosophy

Theater Arts and Dance

 

This Handbook details policies and procedures for graduate and postbaccalaureate students in the College of Arts and Letters. It contains information on University policy, as well as policies and regulations that are unique to the College. Students should also consult their own department handbooks and the current University Catalog, for additional information on selected items. Students must be familiar with the regulations and policies governing their degree programs. Ignorance of policy is not an acceptable reason for failing to complete a requirement.

 

Administration - College of Arts and Letters

 

For administrative purposes, the Associate Dean is designated by the Dean as the Graduate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. In general, all questions and issues regarding graduate policy should be directed to the Associate Dean.

 

 

Graduate Policies and Procedures

Graduate Files

The official files for graduate students are maintained in the office of the Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Letters. 

Degree Offerings

Degrees, options, and certificates offered by departments in the College of Arts and Letters may be found in the printed version or the online version of the University Catalog.

Admission

As outlined in the University Catalog, students wishing to pursue a graduate degree or certificate in the College of Arts and Letters must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, and a 2.5 grade point average (4.0) system in the last 90 quarter units (60 semester hours), in order to qualify for regular admission to Cal State Los Angeles. Acceptance to the University is required for admission to departmental graduate programs.

 In addition to these requirements, students applying to the programs listed below must meet the following criteria.  In some cases, separate departmental applications are also needed. Students are advised to contact the departments directly for these applications.

 

All departments in the College of Arts and Letters require students seeking degrees in their disciplines to have a bachelor's degree in that discipline, or to complete or have completed suitable prerequisite courses as determined by the department. Students should consult an advisor in the department and the University Catalog for more detailed information on these additional requirements, as well as information on deadlines for applications.

 

Admission by Special Action

Under unusual circumstances, applicants who do not meet the regular requirements for admission may petition for admission by special action. This category includes applicants who lack the required minimum grade point average, graduates of unaccredited institutions, students who have been graded in nontraditional ways, and graduates of specialized or professional schools. All applicants for special admission must secure the approval of the graduate advisor and the chair in the department where they are seeking admission. In consultation with the graduate advisor, and with the approval of the college graduate dean, applicants select a minimum of 14 units of 400-level courses, which must be completed, with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Up to 13 of these units may be included in the student’s program of study. If so, this must be indicated on the Graduate Admission by Special Action form. To be considered for admission by special action, the complete form must be submitted to the Office of the Associate Dean no later than the 8^th week of the quarter prior to the quarter the student plans to attend.

Individuals wishing more information regarding admission by special action, including exceptions to the information given above, should consult page 70 of the 2003-2005 University Catalog.

Diagnostic Examinations

The following departments in the College of Arts and Letters have diagnostic examinations, which are given upon entrance into the program. These examinations are designed to determine if any remediation may be necessary prior to taking graduate-level courses.  Students should consult the department for information on the specific knowledge areas covered in the examination, and information on when these examinations are offered:

 

 

Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

All CSU students must demonstrate competence in writing skills as a requirement for graduation. All Cal State L.A. postbaccalaureate and graduate students who entered the university in the summer 1984 or later, and who are pursuing a graduate degree or a credential, are required to satisfy this requirement in one of the following ways:

1. Pass the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) required for the Cal State L.A. baccalaureate. Postbaccalaureate students who select this option must register for the WPE (listed as UNIV 400 in the Schedule of Classes) no later than the add deadline for the first quarter they are enrolled in a graduate or credential program. Failure to register for the WPE will void enrollment for that quarter; or
2. Postbaccalaureate students who hold an earned doctorate or master's degree from an accredited college or university where the primary language of instruction is English may substitute such a degree for passing the WPE; or
3. Postbaccalaureate students who have passed a writing proficiency examination or a graduation writing assessment examination in English at any accredited college or university where the primary language of instruction is English may petition to substitute such a result for passing the WPE at Cal State L.A. Students who received an undergraduate degree from a CSU campus should submit a copy of the document indicating completion of the requirement directly to the Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
4. Postbaccalaureate students in the College of Arts and Letters who achieve a score of 41 or better on the writing portion of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) may request a waiver through their departments. Students should submit the original CBEST score report to the department for verification. The department will then send a copy of the score report to the Office of the Associate Dean for final approval.

Students who receive a No Credit (NC) grade on the WPE must meet with a WPE consultant in the University Writing Center to discuss deficiencies identified by the exam and receive recommendations of activities to correct these deficiencies. Based on the recommendations from the WPE consultant, students may retake the WPE or enroll in UNIV 401, the upper division writing proficiency course.

Postbaccalaureate students enrolled in credential programs through the Charter College of Education may satisfy the GWAR with a score of 41 or better on the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Students in these schools must submit the original CBEST score reports to their graduate dean’s office for processing.

 

Classification

All students are admitted to the College of Arts and Letters as conditionally classified (G1) students and are granted classified standing upon completion of the following requirements:

1. Satisfaction of the minimum grade point average required for classified standing to the specific program, with no Incompletes or RD (Report Delayed) grades.
2. Certification by the department that all departmental requirements for admission have been met. Please note the requirements listed above for individual departments.
3. Filing of a program with the college graduate dean. The program must be approved by the major advisor and the department chair. This program must be filed within the first quarter of attendance.
4. Completion of any additional department requirements. 
5.     Please consult page 137-138 of the 2003-2005 University Catalog for more specific information regarding classified standing.

Advancement to Candidacy

    Advancement to Candidacy is required as a prerequisite to completion of the Comprehensive Examination or the Thesis/ Project.  It is a vital part of assessing students’ progress and is not automatic.  Following are the steps to be advanced to candidacy:

1. Satisfaction of Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (WPE)
2. Classified graduate standing.
3. Completion of a minimum of 16 quarter units of the master’s degree program with an overall B (3.0) GPA or higher with no Incompletes or RD (Report Delayed) grades; and
4. Must be enrolled in the quarter student applies to advance.

Requirements for the Individual Program of Study

All programs of study for degrees and certificates must be approved by the student’s major advisor and department chair. Graduate degree programs must have a minimum of 45 units. At least 23 of those units must be at the 500 level. For programs with more than 45 units, at least half must be at the 500 level. This program must be filed within the first quarter of attendance.

Failure to file a program within a specified time period may jeopardize the approval of program changes and other petitions, and may delay graduation. In addition, no more than 13 quarter units of acceptable course work, including transfer units, which is taken before approval of the program by the department and college may be used on the student’s program. Courses taken in excess of 13 units without an approved program will not be counted on the graduate degree program.

 

Course Substitutions

With the approval of the major advisor, the department chair, and the associate dean, a student may substitute courses on the program of study. In such a case, the student must file an Application for Course Substitution (GS-5). This must be filed no later than the quarter in which the substitute course is being taken. Substitutions submitted after the substitution has been completed will not be approved unless compelling reasons are presented. Students are advised that it is their responsibility to ensure that the course substitutions are filed in a timely manner.

Time Limitation for Graduation

The time limit for completion of the graduate degree is seven years from the quarter the student first takes a course on their program of study. This does not include remedial courses, or other courses that are not part of the student’s official program of study. Students who exceed the seven-year time limit may petition to validate any courses that have expired. The College of Arts and Letters will permit students to validate up to one-third of the units on their programs. 

Course Validations

Following are the procedures and regulations for the College of Arts and Letters regarding course validations. Please note that this is a multi-step process and all steps must be completed before the validation is complete:

1. All courses which are more than seven years old must be validated.
2. Students may validate no more than one-third of their program. In a typical 45 unit program this means no more than 15 units. At the discretion of the school graduate dean, this may be increased to 16 units for students with 4-unit courses.  However, the spirit of this policy is to hold the number of validations to a minimum. Thus, the more typical pattern would be to allow three 4-unit courses to be validated.
3. Independent Study (499, 598) courses are typically not validated. If the original instructor is available and willing to support validation, an exception may be considered.

The process for validation is as follows:

1. The Petition for Permission to Validate Expired Courses must be completed and approved by the department graduate advisor, the department chair, the chair of the college Graduate Council and the Associate Dean. In the process of completing the form, the student makes arrangements with the individual instructors to validate the relevant courses, and states in the petition how the course is to be validated. Individual instructors will determine if the exact means of validation are oral or written examinations, or if some other method will be used.
2. As validations are completed, the student secures faculty signatures on the Verification of Course Validation form. This document, along with evidence of successful validation, is then reviewed by the Associate Dean and returned to the student’s official and departmental files.  

When considering a petition to validate courses, the Graduate Dean and the School Graduate Council also consider the likelihood that the student will be able to complete the program without having additional courses expire. It is the responsibility of the individual student to ensure that the degree is completed in a timely manner.

Grade Point Average Requirements

Graduate students must maintain a B (3.0) average in order to remain in good standing and for graduation. A grade of C is allowable in the student’s course of study, but the overall GPA in the program must remain at or above 3.0. Grades of C- or lower are not acceptable. Courses in which a grade of C- or below is received must be retaken. Grades of I (Incomplete) must be corrected within one year or they will be counted as F's. Grades of U (Unauthorized Withdrawal) are counted as F's for the purpose of grade point calculation.

 

Probation and Disqualification

Graduate students who fail to make normal progress toward their degree objective, or who fall below the minimum grade point average are subject to University regulations governing Probation and Disqualification. Students should consult pp. 97-98 of the 2003 -2005 University Catalog for detailed information on these procedures, as well as information on their rights and responsibilities. The basis for scholastic probation and disqualification in the College of Arts and Letters is as follows:

1. Students whose GPA for courses in their master's program falls below 3.0 will immediately be placed on scholastic probation. This will be for a maximum of two quarters or completion of 16 units, whichever comes later. Failure to correct the deficiencies during the time allotted will result in disqualification from the program. Once disqualified, students may not return to the program from which they were disqualified.
2. Students whose GPA in all courses taken after becoming classified or conditionally classified falls below 3.0 may be subject to probation and disqualification, using the same timelines as given above. The recommendation to be placed on probation in this circumstance may be initiated by the department or the Associate Dean.
3. Students who fall more than 9 grade points below 3.0 are subject to immediate disqualification, in accordance with University policy.

It is most important for graduate students to understand that any WU received in a course (Unauthorized Withdrawal) is counted immediately as an F for the purposes of grade point calculation. The same is true for a grade of I (Incomplete) that is past the one year limit.

Incomplete grades become equivalent to an F after one year if they are not corrected, or if the student has not been approved for an extension through the Petition for Extension of Incomplete Grade. Extensions of Incompletes must be approved by the instructor involved, the department chair and the graduate dean. An Unauthorized Withdrawal or an Incomplete which is past the limit will drop three grade points per unit of enrollment. This means that for a typical four-unit class, the student will immediately lose 12 grade points. In some cases, that may cause the GPA to drop below 3.0, which will result in probation and, potentially, disqualification.

Independent Study Course Limitations (499, 598)

Typically, a maximum of 8 units can be applied toward a master’s program. In special circumstances, (e.g., when a course needed for graduation is not offered in a timely fashion) students may petition to override the 8-unit limit., pending the approval of the graduate advisor, the department chair and the college Associate Dean. In no case may a student apply more than 12 units of 499 or 598 to the master’s program.   Note:  Some departments do not allow 499 units on graduate programs.

Thesis/Comprehensive Exam Requirements

Normally, either the comprehensive exam or the thesis is required as the culminating project in the master’s degree program. The following table notes the requirements for the departments in the College of Arts and Letters:

 

In order to be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, the student must meet the following requirements:

1. Advanced to Candidacy (GS-10)

2. No Incompletes

3. Fulfill all department requirements for the written or oral comprehensive examinations (596)

Students should expect to take their comprehensive examinations during the quarter in which they complete all course work on their programs, or shortly thereafter.

In order to be eligible to complete the Thesis, the student must meet the following requirements:

1. Advanced to Candidacy (GS-10)

2. No Incompletes

3. Completion of a Request for Thesis or Project Committee (GS-12) form by the major department

Depending upon the department and degree program, three to nine units of 599 (Thesis or Project) are allowed for credit on the degree program. Students who have enrolled in all allowable 599 units listed on their program and have not completed their theses or projects must register for UNIV 900 until the theses or projects are completed. It is therefore advisable for the student, in consultation with the advisor, to plan the quarters needed for completion of the document, and distribute the 599 units accordingly. Students must file their theses or projects in the JFK Library by their submission deadline. At present, that deadline is Thursday of the week following final examinations in any quarter.

Additional Requirements for the Thesis/Project

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the thesis or project conforms to the requirements set forth by the University and the Library. Students are advised to consult with the University Thesis Coordinator (in Library North) early in their thesis preparation to determine what those requirements may be for the particular project chosen. Students should also consult the Thesis Guidelines document, which is available in the University Bookstore. This document outlines all the formatting guidelines for the thesis or project. On-line guidance is available at http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/thesbk.htm .

Once the thesis or project is completed and the student has filed the signed thesis or project approval page with the department and college’s offices, the student must take the following steps:

1. Submit two copies of the thesis or project to the University Thesis Coordinator, including two thesis or project approval pages with original signatures. The Thesis Coordinator will immediately issue a white card authorizing the student to pay the current binding fee.
2. The student pays the binding fee at the Cashier's Office and the Cashier stamps the authorization card.
3. The student submits the stamped authorization card to Administration 146. This is then forwarded to the Graduation Office. The student should receive a date stamped photocopy of the authorization card at this time.

After this is completed, the University Thesis Coordinator will submit a thesis approval card and memo to the Graduation Office so that the student's graduation may by processed.

Substitutions for Thesis/Comprehensive Examinations

A student who has failed any part of the Comprehensive Examination (596) may not subsequently substitute the Thesis/Project (599) for the examination. However, a student who has enrolled for the Thesis/Project may substitute the Comprehensive Examination, provided there are serious and compelling reasons for the substitution and the student has secured advisor and department approval. The Application for Course Substitution (GS-5) must be accompanied by a separate memo from the advisor and endorsed by the department chair. 

Transfer Courses

Students transferring from another graduate program must meet all regular admissions requirements or qualify for special action admission as noted. Students are permitted to transfer a maximum of 13 quarter units or the equivalent to their new programs pending approval by the graduate advisor and the department chair. Transfer courses are not automatically approved for inclusion in the degree program. The Request for Records form (GS-1A) must be completed and submitted to the Registrar for verification. An official transcript must be on file with the Registrar as well.

No master’s degree credit is allowed for directed teaching, 700- or 800-level courses, courses numbered below 400, and courses taken at another accredited institution that would not be accepted toward a master’s degree at that institution. Nine quarter units of 500-level or other graduate courses taken through extension are eligible for master’s degree credit.

Postbaccalaureate Certificates

Postbaccalaureate certificates are designed to augment College curricula by providing specialized instruction within a field.  Normally, courses in certificate programs will be upper division or graduate level, except for prerequisites.  Students must complete a minimum of 75% of the total coursework required for the certificate at Cal Sate L.A.  A maximum of 25% of the total units required by the certificate can be devoted to internships or independent studies.  A grade point average of B (3.0) is required of all postbaccalaureate credit certificate students. 

Certificate course requirements are listed in the University Catalog under listings for the departments that offer them.   Students in postbaccalaureate certificates will have program forms similar to those required for degree programs.  They will adhere to the graduation procedures outlined below.  A Certificate of Completion is awarded after the student successfully meets all requirements for the relevant program.

Preparation for Graduation

Students in graduate degree and certificate programs should consult the quarterly Schedule of Classes for information on deadlines to apply for graduation. The process to apply is outlined in the Schedule of Classes. Students should be aware that failure to meet the deadline for a particular quarter will delay their graduation by at least one quarter. Note the following steps:

1. Students are required to file an application by the deadline established by the Graduation Office and announced in the Schedule of Classes.

2. The student secures a Graduation Application Form, which is available in Administration 146.

3. Permission to apply for graduation must be granted by the candidate’s major department before submitting the completed application and required fee to the Cashiers’ Office for fee payment. See your advisor to make sure you are on track toward the degree.

4. After payment of fees, the student gets the proper stamp from major department, then submits the application to the Associate Dean’s Office.

5. The College office forwards application with program to the Graduation Office.

6. The student will receive a "Graduation Check" from the Graduation Office that will indicate if the applicant is indeed ready to graduate.