Graduation

Time to Think About Graduation!

Students should apply for graduation by the priority filing deadline for the term in which they intend to graduate:

Continuing students can log into MyCSUEB and click on “Apply for Graduation” under “Student Record Services”. Undergraduate students need to have completed at least 90 semester units or 84 units and the recommendation of an academic advisor that the student will be able to finish. After filing, students should print the final confirmation page and give a copy to their major and minor departments to initiate a major check. Discontinued students can file for graduation using the Graduation Application - Closed Matriculation form on the University website under Student Records Forms.

Note: Students are advised to review completion of degree requirements with their department before filing for graduation. Degrees are awarded within two months after grades are official for the student’s term of graduation.

Applying for Graduation

Important: Students are advised to review completion of degree requirements with their department before filing for graduation.

Graduation Application Fee

The Graduation Application (filing) Fee will be charged to the student’s account after they file for graduation. The fee is nonrefundable, and can be paid in one of the following ways:

• online at MyCSUEB,
• in person at the Cashier’s Office in the Student Enrollment Information Center (Student Services and Administration Building, 1st Floor) on the Hayward Hills Campus,
• in person in the Academic Services Office at the Concord Center.

The Graduation Application Fee covers the cost of evaluating coursework for graduation, issuing the diploma, and participating in the annual commencement ceremony. Note: the application fee does not include the cap and gown rental/purchase, handled separately by the Bookstore.

Priority Registration

Note: When a student files for graduation, they may obtain a new registration priority.  

To register for classes as a “graduating student”, students must meet the following criteria at the time enrollment appointments are assigned each term:

• Undergraduate Students: Completed 90 semester units and filed for graduation by the priority filing deadline,
• Graduate Students: Considered a “Classified Graduate” who is recommended for Advancement to Candidacy by their advisor and who has made substantial progress towards their degree, or filed for graduation by the priority filing deadline.

Catalog Rights for Graduation

As long as a student maintains continuous enrollment as defined in the next paragraph, the degree requirements will remain those of the catalog in effect at the time they declare their major, minor, or degree. However, students may elect to meet the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of graduation. These principles are called “catalog rights.” 

Matriculated students who have not enrolled in classes at Cal State East Bay for two consecutive semesters (not including summer or winter sessions), and do not enroll in the third consecutive semester lose their continuous enrollment status and their graduation requirements will be governed by the catalog in effect at the time they reenter. If a student is absent due to an approved Planned Educational Leave  or to attend another accredited institution of higher education, they will not lose their catalog rights as long as they are not away from Cal State East Bay for over two years.

Transfer students who attended another CSU campus and/or California Community College have Cal State East Bay catalog rights from the time they began at the other institution if they have continuous enrollment as noted above.

Note: The principle of catalog rights refers to degree requirements, not policies, fees, services, and other matters which, when they change, apply to all students. For that reason, students should check the latest online catalog.

Also Note: Requirements of certain programs (e.g., teacher credential programs) are governed by outside agencies. The requirements of these programs are subject to change based on changes dictated by these outside agencies. 

Undergraduate Students

Students’ catalog rights for their major, minor, or degree are governed by the catalog in effect at the time the student declares their major, minor, or degree. Undergraduates will not lose catalog rights for graduation requirements (including general education) by declaring or changing their major if they maintain continuous enrollment. 

Post-graduate & Graduate Students

Catalog rights for graduate students are governed by the catalog in effect at the time the student was admitted to their program.  As noted earlier, they may select the graduation catalog when they file to graduate. Students should note, however, that there is a requirement that courses in master’s programs expire after five years;  see the Master’s Degree Requirements  section of the Graduate Degree Requirements, Policies, & Other Information chapter.

Conferring Honors at Graduation

Because graduate students constitute a select group whose members do very well in their programs, there are no academic honors conferred at graduation, and no dean’s list recognition as is the case for undergraduates.

Diplomas

After a student has completed all degree requirements and the graduation evaluator has verified their completion, their degree will be conferred and their diploma will be ordered. The final graduation evaluation process typically takes up to two months following the date grades are official for the student’s term of graduation candidacy. The diploma will be mailed to the student’s Home/permanent address of record with the University 6-8 weeks after the degree has been awarded. Students who earned a degree in May 2020 or later have an additional option of ordering an electronic diploma. Diplomas will not be released to students who have a financial hold on their record due to an outstanding debt.

A diploma is an official document containing the embossed seal of Cal State East Bay, the student’s name, the degree conferred and date, major(s) completed in the degree conferred, any concentrations or minors completed, and the signatures of state and University officials. It is not reproducible or available in multiple copies. Students can obtain multiple copies of their record by ordering transcripts which also show degrees, majors and concentrations, as well as other information. If a student needs proof of completion of their degree before receiving their diploma, they may request a verification of graduation or a transcript from the Office of the Registrar.

Students have the option to select a “Degree Name” that will appear on their diploma and in the annual commencement program. Students may select a first and middle degree name; the last name will remain as it appears on the official university record. The “Degree Name” selection is available in MyCSUEB.

Should a student change their legal name, they may request that a new diploma be issued with their new name if:

1. they return the originally issued diploma to the Office of the Registrar,
2. they submit a Personal Data Change form attaching legal documents confirming their legal name change, and
3. the student pays the fee for a new diploma.

After the degree is posted to a student’s permanent record, a student’s diploma and transcript cannot be altered by adding additional majors, minors or concentrations, or by grade changes, grade forgiveness and/or withdrawals. The University protects the integrity of its transcripts and will not rewrite history unless a University error has occurred.

University Writing Requirement (UWR)

In addition to the lower-division General Education requirements for writing, the California State University system requires that all undergraduate students must demonstrate competency in written communication as a requirement for graduation and to receive a baccalaureate degree. This requirement was implemented system-wide in 1977 and updated in 2020. Students must satisfy the University Writing Requirement (UWR) in order to receive a degree from Cal State East Bay unless they are exempt by one of the following criteria:

1.      Previously satisfied the UWR at Cal State East Bay or at another CSU campus, Cal State East Bay will accept official certification of completion if the entire requirement, as specified by that CSU campus, was satisfied and the student was a matriculated student at that campus at the time.  On some CSU campuses, the requirement is called the “Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).”

2.      Graduated from any one of the CSU campuses; unless it is noted on the transcript that the UWR (or GWAR) was not satisfied.

Undergraduate students are required to satisfy the University Writing Requirement in a timely manner, either in their junior or senior year, as defined by the roadmap for their major.  Students who do not enroll in an appropriate course in a timely manner will be placed on administrative academic alert until the requirement is completed. Note: Undergraduate students cannot satisfy this requirement before completing 60 units. Satisfaction of GE Area A2 and the second composition requirement is also required before attempting to satisfy the UWR.

To satisfy the requirement at Cal State East Bay, students must complete one (1) writing intensive (WI) class of 3 units with a C- or better.  (Writing Intensive courses that satisfy UWR and are 4 units are restricted to majors requiring the course.)  Writing Intensive classes are designated with a “W” after the course number, see the list below.

Learning Outcomes for Writing-Intensive (WI) Courses:

The following statement of student learning outcomes must appear in the syllabus of a certified WI course.

This is a writing-intensive (WI) course that meets the University Writing Requirement (UWR). By the end of the course, students will be able to

• Complete a variety of reading and writing tasks that incorporate subject-matter knowledge;
• Adjust their writing for different audiences, showing awareness of expectations for academic writing in general and adhering to discipline-specific conventions when appropriate;
• Demonstrate critical thinking and logical reasoning, including strategies common in a discipline, in the development and organization of ideas in written texts;
• Take into account multiple perspectives and key disciplinary concepts when presenting their ideas in writing;
• Revise their writing in response to feedback in order to improve idea development, clarity, coherence, and correctness.

Courses that satisfy the UWR have a “W” suffix in the course number (e.g., ENGL 300W).  Courses approved to satisfy UWR in this Catalog are:

• ART 420W Writing about World Art  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C)
• ART 423W Writing about Art and Media in Modernity  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C)
• ART 426W Writing about Contemporary Visual Studies  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C)
• ENGL 300W Writing for Inquiry  (Units: 3)
• ENGL 301W Writing for Inquiry (English for Speakers of Other Languages)  (Units: 3)
• ENGL 303W Advanced Expository Writing  (Units: 4)
• ENGL 308W Writing Bad Bodies  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C; Social Justice)
• ENGL 355W Language, Gender, and Social Change  (Units: 4; GE-UD-D; Social Justice)
• ES 300W Writing for Social Justice  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C; Social Justice)
• HDEV 499W Senior Research Seminar  (Units: 4)
• HIST 301W History Writing Workshop  (Units: 4)
• HIST 477W History and Trends in Nursing  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C; Diversity)
• KIN 422W Exercise Nutrition  (Units: 3)
• MKTG 305W Business Communication  (Units: 3; GE-UD-D)
• MLL 326W Sexuality and Feminism in Francophone Literature and Cinema  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C; Social Justice)
• MLL 422W LGBTQ Francophone Cinema  (Units: 3; GE-UD-C; Social Justice)
• PSYC 300W Experimental Psychology  (Units: 4)
• SOC 301W Writing and Analysis in the Social Sciences  (Units: 4; Social Justice)

Other breadth requirements are indicated in parentheses above.  Any course offered that is numbered “396W” will also satisfy the UWR.  That number is for a one-time-only course offering that was created after Catalog deadlines.

IMPORTANT Facts to Remember

Students are advised to review completion of general education requirements and to consult with their major and minor departments before filing for graduation.

Remember:

Students are responsible for filing for graduation by the established priority deadlines. Undergraduate students must have completed 90 semester units in order to apply for graduation.

Students who file for graduation after the priority deadline will not receive priority registration as a graduating senior or graduating graduate, and the final graduation review by the Office of the Registrar may also be delayed. Students are responsible for contacting their academic major and minor departments and informing them of their intent to graduate. Students must allow enough notice so that their department will have sufficient time to generate a major or minor check indicating whether the student has satisfied all academic requirements of the major or minor. The major and minor checks are due to the Office of the Registrar by the following dates:

To register as a graduating senior, students must have filed for graduation by the time registration appointments are assigned and have earned a minimum of 90 semester units. Students who cannot complete all requirements by their anticipated graduation term may postpone their graduation to the next consecutive term with approval from their major department. Students who file for Fall graduation may postpone to Spring. Students who file for Spring graduation may postpone to Summer and/or Fall. Students who file for Summer graduation may postpone to Fall. To postpone their graduation, students must complete a Graduation Postponement form, and may be charged a processing fee of up to one half of the current graduation filing fee (the fee is only applicable to undergraduate students). A graduation evaluator may also postpone a student’s graduation if they determine all degree requirements will not be met. Any student with more than 144 semester units who wishes to postpone their graduation term must also obtain approval from the Dean of Academic Programs and Services and may be placed on an academic contract for the remaining coursework. Students should submit the Graduation Postponement form well in advance of the opening of registration for a given term, and no later than the end of the Add/Drop period of the term originally intended to be the student’s final term. Changes in the information on the diploma (i.e. change of name, address to be sent, deletion of an incomplete minor) must be submitted no later than the end of the Add/Drop period of the intended term of graduation.

Major & Minor Checks

After filing for graduation, students must contact their major department to complete an official “Major Check” showing all completed and remaining requirements for the major. The department must submit the major check to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline listed above.

Students are strongly encouraged to check with their academic department by the deadline to be certain a major check has been filed.

If students are completing a minor and want it recorded, they must request that a “Minor Check” be submitted by the department offering the minor to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline listed above.

Waivers

If a substitution or waiver petition is approved for major, G.E., or other graduation requirements, students must be certain the approved petition reaches the Office of the Registrar at least four weeks before the end of their final term.

Degree Posting

Degrees are conferred three times a year for students who have filed for graduation and completed all degree requirements: August (Summer), December (Fall) and May (Spring). The date on the diploma reflects the semester in which the student completed all degree requirements. The final graduation evaluation process typically takes up to three months following the posting of grades from the student’s last term of attendance. The student’s diploma will be ordered and mailed to their permanent address of record with the university approximately 6-8 weeks after the degree has been awarded.

Commencement

Participation in a Commencement Ceremony is different than graduating and earning a degree. Graduation applicants who are candidates for a degree during the Fall, Spring, or Summer term of the same academic year or school year as of March 1 are eligible to participate and their name will be printed in the official commencement program. There is one University Commencement each year, held in the Spring.

Student’s Historical Record

In order to protect the integrity of its transcripts, the University will not make any changes to student records unless there is documented evidence of University error. Once a degree is posted to a student’s permanent record, the diploma and transcript cannot be altered by adding additional majors, concentrations and/or minors, or by grade changes, withdrawals, and/or grade forgiveness. Transfer coursework submitted after degree posting will not be reflected on a student’s record. Students who believe that they have received a grade in error should promptly ask the instructor to verify and, if appropriate, correct the grade. If an error was made, the instructor of record must indicate specifically the nature of that error on the Change of Grade form and submit the completed form to the Student Records Office. Students who feel they received a grade due to unfairness would also have one semester to pursue their allegation of unfairness through the University’s Grade Appeal process. Students must notify the Office of the Registrar of any errors in their grades no later than the semester subsequent to the semester in which their degree is awarded or upon completion of the Grade Appeal process. The Registrar’s Office may also seek clarification of the error from the Department Chair.

If the instructor is absent from campus during the semester subsequent to the semester in which the student’s degree is awarded, the student shall promptly consult with the Department Chair about the grade in question. If the Department Chair is unable to contact the instructor, the chair will notify the Dean of the College and the University Registrar in writing that an extension of the grade correction deadline, up to one year after the degree has been awarded, has been requested.

For purposes of correcting an error, an instructor may change a grade with approval of his/her Department Chair and College Dean. No grade may be changed once graduation has been recorded unless an error has been made in which case students have one semester after their degree has been awarded to dispute the grade and have it corrected, or if a Grade Appeal petition has resulted in a grade change. The administrative symbol for withdrawal cannot be assigned by a faculty member.

See the Registration chapter for the description of withdrawal policies and procedures.

SSMP & Credential Program Students Filing for Graduation

Undergraduate and Graduate Students

If a student is completing an undergraduate Single Subject Matter Preparation program for entry into a teaching credential program, or they are completing a graduate Single or Multiple Subject Credential program, they should NOT file for graduation.  

The appropriate check-sheet MUST be submitted by the department or program committee offering the program to:

• Credentialing Student Services Center, (Art & Education Building [A&E] 2nd Floor), College of Education and Allied Studies.

Notice To Students RE: Professional Licensure and Certification

Admission into programs leading to licensure and credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or credential. Licensure and credentialing requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU and requirements can change at any time. For example, licensure or credentialing requirements can include evidence of the right to work in the United States (e.g., social security number or taxpayer identification number) or successfully passing a criminal background check. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet licensure or credentialing requirements. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees or any associated costs to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet licensure or credentialing requirements. Information concerning licensure and credentialing requirements are available from the Academic Programs and Services.

The California State University has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional requirements for licensure and certification. Students enrolled in a California State University program who are planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether they will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant to 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v)(C).