Master’s Degree Requirements

A student wishing to earn a master’s degree must complete the five requirements listed below:

• Fulfill the University Writing Skills Requirement;
• Be Advanced to Candidacy;
• Complete at least 30 semester units applicable to the degree.  Please see specific program requirements in this catalog for the total number of units required for each master’s degree program.
  • All units must be earned within the five calendar years immediately preceding the receipt of the degree. Outdated units may be accepted for one additional year with the approval of the major department and Graduate Studies. If not completed in the sixth year, currency in the subject matter of the outdated courses must be demonstrated. Courses older than seven years are only applied to the degree in exceptional circumstances.
  • A minimum of seventy (70) percent of the total units required by the degree program must be completed in residence while enrolled as an admitted graduate student at Cal State East Bay. For example, for a 30-unit master’s program, 21 units in residence are required. (Note: The number of transferable units for each degree program will be rounded to the nearest whole number of units.) Units taken while at other schools, while an undergraduate with permission to take graduate courses, while pursuing an additional baccalaureate degree in “Unclassified Post-Baccalaureate” status, while enrolled in another graduate degree program, or while enrolled in Continuing Education courses (including Open University courses) do not count as resident units. Courses offered in special session, e.g., summer, are considered resident units. Some graduate programs may require more than 70 percent of the required degree units in residence, so check the program’s section of this catalog for these requirements.
  • At least 1/2 (50%) of the units in the program must be in stand-alone 600-level courses.  Up to 50% of the units may be in upper-division undergraduate courses and/or dual-listed undergraduate/graduate courses.
  • No lower division units can be counted.
  • No more than 6 units of university thesis, departmental thesis or project work can be counted.
  • No more than 8 units of independent study can be counted.
  • No units counted towards the total graduate program units may be taken on a “CR/NC” basis unless they are in courses that are offered exclusively on that basis (primarily restricted to fieldwork and internship courses).  This does not apply to courses taken to satisfy prerequisite or proficiency requirements or the University Writing Skills Requirement).
• Complete a program of study approved by the department, which must include a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination; and
• Earn a 3.0 grade point average in all units counted towards the degree, with a minimum course grade of “C” in every course. Any course that counts toward the degree requirements with a grade of “C-” or below will have to be repeated.

Please Note: individual master’s degree program requirements may be more stringent, including minimum grade requirements, than the University requirements listed above.  Please check each program’s section of this catalog for specific program requirements.