The GAP lists the specific requirements you must complete before your degree can be awarded. Once the GAP is approved, you are advanced to candidacy. For students admitted conditionally classified, submission of a signed and approved GAP will signify that all conditions have been met. An approved GAP will be valid as long as you maintain continuous enrollment status with the university as defined in the Bulletin.

GAP Procedures: Submit your GAP after completing at least nine semester units and no later than the semester prior to enrolling for the final six units of graduate work. Fill out your GAP online: www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/gap.htm, and print it out. Have your GAP approved by your adviser and the graduate coordinator of your program, and submit it to the GradStop, 2nd Floor of the Administration Building, for approval by the Division of Graduate Studies. If you are making any substitutions for the program requirements stated in the Bulletin, file a “Petition for GAP Substitution or Committee Revision” along with the GAP.

• A minimum of 30 semester units, or more if required by your program.
• No more than 12 semester units of work taken before you obtained classified status in the degree program.
• At least 18 units of course work taken within the department offering the degree program.
• A minimum of one-half of the units at the 700-899 level. Most programs require more units to be taken at that level.
• No lower division course work (100-299).
• A maximum 6 semester units of credit in special study courses (699, 899) or more than 6 semester units of credit in experimental courses (674, 677, 874, 877).
• A maximum of 4 student teaching units, graduate numbered and applicable to the discipline of the major.
• No prerequisite course work.
• A maximum of 6 semester units of any combination of extension work, credit by examination, and/or transfer work, in a 30-unit program (and proportionately more of extension and transfer credit for programs that exceed 30 units).
• Only courses with grades of C or better (grades of C- and lower may not be included).

Time limit to complete requirements for Graduate degrees:

The California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Education, requires that all the requirements for a master's degree be completed within a seven-year period. No more than seven years may elapse between the start of the term of the earliest dated course is actually completed and the application for graduation is filed.

The following chart provides examples of the dates of expiration of the work specified on the GAP according to the seven year limitation.

Click here to see 7 year-time-limit chart below

Units in Residence/Transfer Work

• At least 24 of 30 units must be taken in residence on this campus, or proportionately more for longer programs.
• Work taken in Winter Session may be counted as residence credit.
• Credit by examination or extension work is not considered resident study.
• SFSU will not accept transfer work when the institution offering the course work does not accept it for its own advanced degree program.
• Requests for Transfer Unit Evaluation must be submitted along with the GAP.
• No transfer work over 7 years old may be used on the GAP.
• If enrolled in an exchange program officially sponsored by SFSU, a maximum of 12 units of combined exchange, credit by examination, extension, and transfer work in a 30-unit master's degree (proportionately more extension and transfer credit for programs that exceed 30 units).

Grade Point Average

• A 3.0 GPA is required for course work listed on the GAP and in all post-baccalaureate work taken at SFSU.
• Grades earned by international students in required lower division English proficiency courses are not computed in the grade point average for the master's degree.
• The GAP, including any accepted transfer units, may not have more than 30% of the work with CR grades (e.g., 9 units on a 30-unit program).

English Proficiency

• The GAP must specify how the student has met the two-level written English proficiency requirement in accordance with the regulations of his/her department.

Culminating Experience

• The GAP must specify a final demonstration of competence such as a thesis, a field research project, a comprehensive examination, or an approved culminating experience.

Completion

• You must complete all GAP requirements, and apply to graduate, within a 7 year period from the beginning of the term of the earliest course listed on the GAP.
• If your department requires enrollment the semester of graduation, this requirement must be noted on the GAP.
• You must file an Application for Award of Degree by the published deadline of the semester you plan to graduate.

	Graduate Approved Program Form Download: (Use the dropdown below.) NOTE: To download/view form in (.pdf) format, you will need to have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. For free Download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.