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Seven-Year Time Limit on Courses in Graduate Degree Programs
Section 40510(b)(2), California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Education, requires that courses in completed master's degree programs be no older than seven years at the time of the degree award. The seven-year period is counted from the end of the semester in which the course was completed. Thus no more than seven years may elapse between the time the first course in a graduate program is completed and the time the last item in the program is completed, the latter indicating fulfillment of all degree requirements. With an outdated course, the candidate has the following options:
- request through the department graduate advisor that the office of Graduate Studies & Research substitute another course, one already completed or to be completed, for the outdated course. Should courses be repeated, the new grades will be factored into the GPA for graduation, and all grade requirements, such as the 3.0 minimum GPA, will still be in effect.
- repeat the outdated course with a passing grade but without credit.
- revalidate the outdated SJSU course by examination. No more than 30% of a master's degree program may be considered for revalidation. Permission to revalidate from Graduate Studies & Research or from Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations is not required; examination can proceed and the results communicated to the program evaluator at GAPE by the form entitled Procedure for Revalidation of Courses that Have Exceeded the Seven-year Limit available at www.sjsu.edu/gape/forms. Course work completed at other institutions is not eligible for revalidation, but transfer courses taken at SJSU may be revalidated.
Veterans who are candidates for graduate degrees and who have had their graduate programs interrupted by military service may petition through the Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies & Research to extend the time limit imposed by the above regulations by the amount of time spent in military service.
University-authorized leaves of absence interrupt the seven-year period and therefore extend the period beyond seven years.
Page last generated: 05/09/2012 15:25:51
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