CULMINATING EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
Near the close of a candidate's period of study for the degree, he/she is required to give
a final demonstration of competence in scholarly and professional attributes. The
character of the final work as exemplified by the range and quality of research, the
unique correlation of available materials, the evidence of mastery of the knowledge in
the field, the practical solution of a problem, or a creative achievement, must testify to
the distinction of the student. The experience should be valuable to the student, and it
also must be in keeping with the standards of the university. The quality of work
accomplished, including the quality of writing completed, is of major importance in
judging the acceptability of the culminating experience. In sum, this final culminating
experience should provide visible evidence of the scholastic excellence achieved by the
student which, in turn, reflects on the quality of graduate study in the major department.
In accordance with Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, this culminating
experience can be met by the satisfactory completion of a thesis, special project,
comprehensive examination, or, in some cases, a combination of more than one of
these. An oral defense of the work completed for the culminating experience is normally
required.
Students must file a Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement form which has
been approved by appropriate program faculty. This form must be submitted
subsequent to or simultaneous with the Graduate Approved Program (GAP) form.
Students are not permitted to enroll in a culminating experience course until both of
these forms have been approved by the Graduate Division.
Thesis (course 898)
A thesis is the written product of the systematic study of a significant problem. It clearly
identifies the problem, states the major assumptions, explains the significance of the
undertaking, sets forth the methods of gathering information, analyzes the data, and
offers a conclusion and/or recommendation. The finished product must evidence
originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization and format,
clarity of purpose, and accurate and thorough documentation. An abstract is required
to be filed as a part of the completed work. Normally an oral defense of the thesis will be
required.
Special Project (course 892, 893, 894, or 895)
There are several types of special projects as follows:
Supervised Field Internship (course 892)
A supervised field internship (alternatively referred to as Site Administration or Supervised
Field Experience) involves the placement of the student in a work experience situation for
the purpose of testing the application of the knowledge and skills learned. Normally, it is
expected that the student will establish, with counsel from the faculty supervisor, specific
written goals and/or problems to be addressed during the field internship. A written
report or evaluation of the experience covering significance, objectives, methodology,
and a conclusion or recommendations, is required, and should be kept on permanent
file within the department or college. Also, an oral defense of the report may be required
by the department. When the work is completed, the student's committee chair is
responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing
in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form.
This completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the Graduate
Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the University
Calendar.
Written Creative Work (course 893)
A written creative work is a creative achievement in writing, usually a short story, a novel,
a series of poems, play, etc. It is expected to be a demonstration of the student's
achieved unique style of writing. At the present time, only students in the graduate
program offered by the Department of Creative Writing may use this alternative to meet
the Culminating Experience Requirement. The guidelines for the preparation of the final
work for submission to the Graduate Division are virtually identical to those for the thesis.
Instead of an abstract as required for a thesis, an annotation page must be completed
and filed as a part of the final work. The annotation is expected to be descriptive of the
content or theme.
Creative Work Project (course 894)
A creative work project is a significant undertaking generally appropriate to the fine and
applied arts. It is more than the presentation of a mere outline, plan, depiction,
description, or documentation, although it may include these elements. It must evidence
originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a
rationale. It usually takes the form of a work such as a musical composition, a series or
group of paintings, a performance, a film or other endeavor. It must be described in a
written document that summarizes the project's significance, objectives, creative
methodology employed, and a conclusion or recommendation. An oral defense of the
project may be required. The written document is expected to be kept on permanent
file within the major department. When the work is completed the student's committee
chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by
signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement
form. This completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the
Graduate Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the
University Calendar.
Field Study or Applied Research Project (course 895)
A field study or applied research project serves as a culminating experience for
professional fields. It may take a variety of forms consistent with the expectations of the
specific college or department. It should incorporate the application of knowledge and
techniques acquired in the student's graduate program of study, and as such, should
testify to the attainments of the student as a potential master's degree recipient.
Each field study or applied research project must be described and summarized in a
written component which will include, at a minimum, the project's significance,
objectives, methodology, and a conclusion or recommendations. It is expected that
these written reports will be filed and made available as permanent reference
documents either in the departmental or college offices. An oral defense of the project
may be required. When completed, the student's committee chair is responsible for
seeing to it that all committee members indicate their approval by signing in the
affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form. This
completed form together with a written abstract must then be filed in the Graduate
Division by the student's committee chair by the deadline date as stated in the University
Calendar.
Comprehensive Examination
A comprehensive examination, written and/or oral, that has been prepared and
administered by the major department, should demonstrate the student's ability to
integrate the knowledge of the discipline, evidence critical and independent thinking,
and in general show mastery of the subject matter. The results of the examination must
evidence independent thinking, appropriate organization, critical analyses, and, as may
be appropriate, accuracy of documentation. An acceptable record of the essence of
the examination questions and responses must be maintained by the major department.
The student's graduate committee is expected to sign and file with the Graduate Division
a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form for all passes and
failures of comprehensive examinations.
The following procedures apply to the administration of the master's comprehensive
examination:
- The candidate discusses with the graduate major adviser the purpose, scope, and
characteristics of the examination, and the scheduling and other arrangements for the
examination.
- The graduate major adviser schedules the examination and secures the participation of
a minimum of two members of the eligible faculty from the major department.
- The major department notifies the candidate of the results of the examination passed or
failed, within a reasonable period of time, typically no longer than two weeks. The results
of the examination (pass or fail) must be reported to the Graduate Division on a Report of
Completion of Culminating Experience Requirement form by the deadline date
indicated in the University Calendar.
- A candidate who fails a comprehensive examination will be provided an opportunity to
take it at least one more time. The conditions for repeating an examination (e.g., number
of times, elapse of time required) are stated in the departmental description of the
graduate program.
Joint/Group Culminating Experience Projects and Theses
It is the normal expectation that a graduate student would individually complete the
required culminating experience for the master's degree; however, it is recognized that
there may be circumstances that warrant joint/group projects or theses. In such
instances, an attachment signed by each student and by the culminating experience
committee chair must be appended to the Proposal for Culminating Experience
Requirement form to be filed in the Graduate Division that identifies the name(s) of other
author(s) and describes the project or thesis responsibilities for each individual. The
division of responsibilities specified must be reviewed, endorsed, and subsequently
evaluated by the students' culminating experience committee members.
COMPOSITION OF STUDENT'S CULMINATING EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
Every student completing a master's degree at this university must complete a final
culminating experience as outlined. Regardless of the culminating experience being
completed, a student's culminating experience committee must be established to
evaluate whether the student has satisfactorily completed this final requirement for the
degree. The committee should be constituted in accordance with the following
guidelines:
- The committee must consist of a minimum of two, and a maximum of five, members of
the faculty eligible to work in the graduate program of the university. (See "Faculty for
Graduate Programs.")
- In order to assure the maximum probability that a student's committee will be available
until the final culminating experience is completed, it is expected that the chair and the
second member of the committee will be selected from those individuals holding regular
faculty appointments in the candidate's major department. In circumstances where
special expertise is available in another department, the department chair may
authorize that the second committee member be a designated regular full-time faculty
member from a related department. Such authorization can be made by the chair
indicating such approval on the Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement form,
or by forwarding a memo to the dean of the Graduate Division.
- Other members of a committee (third, fourth, etc.) may be from outside the major
department or university and must be approved in a manner acceptable to the parent
department, but within other guidelines stated herein. In appropriate circumstances a
lecturer may volunteer his/her services as a member of a student's committee; but this
should be done with some caution because of the non-permanent character of
employment and the related need for protection of the student.
- The committee members (except for eligible retired faculty of San Francisco State
University and any one individual permitted to serve from outside the university) must be
currently employed members of the faculty of this university at the time certification is
made that the student's culminating experience requirement has been satisfactorily
completed.
- In order for a student to officially change the composition of his/her committee, the
Revision of Culminating Experience Committee form must be completed and filed in the
Graduate Division.
- Any needed exceptions beyond those already provided for must be mutually agreed
upon by the major department and the dean of the Graduate Division.
REGISTRATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES FOR CULMINATING EXPERIENCE COURSES
A student must be in good standing, to include having at least a 3.0 GPA (B) in all
post-baccalaureate course work taken at San Francisco State University, in order to be eligible
to register for a culminating experience requirement course.
Courses 892 and 895
All students expecting to complete a Supervised Field Internship Field Study or Applied
Research Project must register for the appropriate 892/895 numbered course in
accordance with the guidelines of the department/college offering the course. Prior to
registering through the Touch-Tone registration process for the culminating experience
course, the student must have received approval of the Graduate Approved Program
(GAP) and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement form by the Graduate
Division.
A student who does not complete an 892 or 895 course by the end of the academic
semester or summer session of registration will be issued a grade of SP (Satisfactory
Progress) or, if warranted, an NC (No Credit). When the project is completed, a grade
change (normally a CR [Credit]) will be submitted to the Registrar's Office.
Courses 893, 894, and 898
All students expecting to complete a thesis, written creative work, or creative work
project must register for the required 893, 894, or 898 course. This registration, through the
Touch Tone Registration process, requires that the student be classified and have on file
in the Graduate Division both an approved Graduate Approved Program (GAP) and
Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement form.
A student who registers for the 893, 894, or 898 course, but does not complete it by the
end of the first semester or summer session of registration, will be issued a grade of SP
(Satisfactory Progress) or an NC (No Credit) grade if progress has been unsatisfactory.
For thesis or written creative works, all members of the student's graduate committee
must sign the Certificate of Approval page which appears in the final copy presented by
the student to the Graduate Division. When the thesis or written creative work has been
approved by the candidate's graduate committee and accepted by the Graduate
Division within the time period permitted, a grade of CR (Credit) will be recorded for
those units of course 893 or 898 which the student has registered.
For creative work projects, the student is required to file the completed project in the
department in accordance with the instructions of the major adviser. The student's
committee chair is responsible for seeing to it that all committee members indicate their
approval by signing in the affirmative a Report of Completion of Culminating Experience
Requirement form.
SUPERVISION, REVIEW, AND SUBMISSION OF THESES AND WRITTEN CREATIVE WORKS
After a critical reading of the manuscript by the chair and other committee members,
the chair will return the drafts to the student with suggestions for amendment and/or
correction. Subsequently, the chair will indicate when the final manuscript can be
prepared. It is important that the student submit the final manuscript to the committee
chair for approval at least two weeks in advance of the official filing date with the
Graduate Division.
The student and the chair will examine the final work for accuracy and correct form.
When fully satisfied with the final prepared manuscript, all the committee members
should sign the Certification of Approval page.
Students must observe specific regulations in the preparation and submission of the
thesis/written creative work. Detailed instructions are contained in the publication,
Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of Theses/Written Creative Works, which can
be purchased for a nominal fee at the Rapid Copy Center of the Library.
Dates for Filing
The thesis/written creative work must be filed in the Graduate Division by the posted and
published deadlines which are announced in the University Calendar found in various
campus publications including this Bulletin.
Review of Theses/Written Creative Works
Theses or written creative works received in the Graduate Division by the published
deadline will be reviewed for the purpose of determining whether or not they conform to
the requirements set forth in the Guidelines mentioned above. Should corrections be
necessary, the student and the committee chair will be notified. It is then the student's
responsibility to resubmit the corrected copy in an acceptable form by the subsequent
deadline.
Number of Copies
Only the original, or an acceptable high quality copy of the original, of the final written
work, appropriately approved by the sponsoring faculty members with original
signatures, is required to be filed in the Library. The student should consult the graduate
major adviser to find out whether additional bound copies are required by the
department or college. The student may also wish to submit a copy which can be bound
for personal retention.
Binding Fee
In order to graduate, students completing a master's thesis/written creative work must
submit this work to the Rapid Copy Center of the Library for binding. Students must pay
$25.00 to cover the costs of preparing two microfiche copies and binding the copy
required for the Library. For each additional copy, the student must pay $15.00 to cover
the binding costs. A receipt, upon payment, from the Rapid Copy Center is sent to the
graduation evaluator to indicate that this process has been completed.
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 to include the filing and
awarding of the degree. This means that no more than seven years may elapse between
the start of the term of the earliest dated course included on the Graduate Approved
Program and the date the last course on the program is actually completed and the
application for graduation is filed.
With outdated requirements (generally courses) the candidate has the following options:
- Request through the use of the Petition for GAP Substitution or Exception form to
substitute other appropriate courses (either those already completed or those yet to be
completed) for the ones that are outdated. Transfer credit that exceeds seven years
may not be used to meet degree requirements.
- In unusual situations, when circumstances which can be documented were clearly
beyond the control of the candidate, s/he may file a formal request with the dean of the
Graduate Division for a time extension of up to one year beyond the seven year time
period to complete the requirements for the degree. Anytime an extension is granted,
the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, requires that the candidate pass a validating
examination in the relevant course or subject field that is outdated. The determination of
the nature of the examination and its administration are the responsibility of the major
department. Upon satisfactory completion of this requirement, the major department
reports the results to the Graduate Division using the Report of Completion of Specified
Graduate Program Requirements form.
- Further extensions beyond that noted may be considered only under very extenuating
circumstances. Consideration requires a petition endorsed by the major department,
directed to the dean of the Graduate Division. Such approvals may require additional
course work to be completed.
The following chart provides examples of the dates of expiration of the work specified on
the GAP according to the seven-year limitations:
First requirements on GAP begun: Time limit GAP will expire:
Fall 1987 August 1994
Spring 1988 January 1995
Summer 1988 June 1995
Fall 1988 August 1995
Spring 1989 January 1996
Summer 1989 June 1996
Fall 1989 August 1996
Spring 1990 January 1997
Summer 1990 June 1997
Fall 1990 August 1997
Spring 1991 January 1998
Summer 1991 June 1998
Fall 1991 August 1998
Spring 1992 January 1999
Summer 1992 June 1999
Fall 1992 August 1999
Spring 1993 January 2000
Summer 1993 June 2000
Fall 1993 August 2000
Spring 1994 January 2001
Summer 1994 June 2001
Fall 1994 August 2001
Spring 1995 January 2002
Summer 1995 June 2002
Fall 1995 August 2002
Spring 1996 January 2003
Summer 1996 June 2003
Candidates for degrees must file an application for graduation in accordance with the
University Calendar, typically before the end of the third week of instruction of the term in
which they expect to complete graduation requirements. The Application for
Graduation, which is available at the Graduate Division, requires master's candidates to
pay the graduation fee in the Cashier's Office and then file the form in the Graduate
Division.
Applications for degrees to be awarded at the end of a summer session should be
completed, fee paid at the Cashier's Office, and form filed in the Graduate Division after
the end of the second week of instruction of the regular summer session.
Applications will not be approved for a specified term unless all requirements have been
met as of the deadline date for filing, with the exception of courses and culminating
experience requirements. If a candidate does not complete the requirements as
planned in a particular semester, s/he must refile the Application for Graduation to be
considered in a subsequent semester.