General Policies
Changes to student programs are governed by the academic policies of the programs involved. These policies are detailed in the CGU Bulletin.
- Program changes are made through a Degree Change Request form which can be found on the Forms webpage.
- Program changes are effective at the beginning of the semester following the date the Registrar’s Office receives the Degree/Certificate Program Change Request form (i.e. forms received in the Registrar’s Office on or after the first day of the term, will be effective the first day of the following term).
- Students are responsible for determining and finalizing departmental financial arrangements prior to submitting a request for a program change.
- International students must consult the International Student and Scholar Services Office regarding any program changes.
- Students who graduate from one program and are admitted into a new degree program are generally expected to begin the new program in the next semester. Enrollment in a new program may be deferred, but for no more than one year.
Coursework for Multiple CGU Degrees
Students may only share units between two degrees. If a student completes two degrees and units are shared, they may not transfer or count any of the units from either of those degrees towards any subsequent CGU degree.
Application of Units and Credits
For dual degrees, the number of units that may be accepted as transfer credit are limited as follows:
- No more than 12 units for dual degrees that consist of a Masters/Doctoral combination.
- No units for dual degrees that consist of two Masters degrees.
Double Counting
Students in an approved dual degree may double count the number of units upon approval of the academic department(s) and the Registrar’s Office. No more than 35% of the units from one program may be counted toward the required units of the second program.
Students who are not in a dual degree program may count units from one CGU degree to another as long as the coursework is applicable to the degree program receiving credit.
Previous CGU coursework credit that is applied toward a student’s new program must be documented using the Apply CGU Coursework to an Additional CGU Degree form (available on the Forms webpage) This form is completed jointly by the student and the student’s advisor and must be approved by the department.
Limitations
- Doctoral Degrees
- If a student counts units from a completed CGU master’s degree in the exact same field, all master’s units may count towards the doctoral degree upon approval.
- If a student counts units from a completed CGU master’s degree in a different field, a maximum of 24 related units may count towards the doctoral degree upon approval.
- If a student did not or will not complete the master’s degree and moves into a doctoral degree in the same field, all related units, upon approval, may count up to the maximum allowed in the doctoral program.
- Master’s Degrees
- If a student transfers units from a completed CGU master’s degree to a new master’s degree, the number of units that may count are based on the number of units required to complete the new master’s degree:
- No more than 15 units may be transferred into master’s requiring 60 units
- No more than 10 into those requiring 48 units
- No more than 6 into those requiring fewer than 48 units
Common Terminology
Transferring – The acceptance and application of units or coursework from one institution to another. Students request transfer credit for coursework completed at another accredited graduate institution.
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Time Limits
You are expected to complete degree requirements and graduate within the following time-frames. Time is counted beginning with your first semester of enrollment.
Master’s degree: 5 years, 6 years for MBA, 6 years for EMBA
Doctoral degree: 7 years, 6-1/2 years if 12 units of credit is transferred, 6 years if 24 units of credit transferred
Limits on Extensions
CGU limits on extensions of time may be reduced by the faculty of individual departments and programs. For a student’s first request, extensions are generally granted for a period of one year for masters students and two years for doctoral students. If approved, subsequent requests are extended for a maximum period of one year each time.
Students who have received three or more extensions: New requests for extending your time to degree are subject to additional evaluation by your department. This additional review is required to ensure the applicability of completed coursework for your new expected graduation term. If necessary, you may be required to complete additional coursework.
Leave of Absence
Time to degree is automatically extended during an approved leave of absence (except for a Research Leave of Absence).
International students: International students on an F1 or J1 visa must adhere to strict time to degree requirements established by the US immigration regulations and enforced through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). These periods are generally shorter than those provided by CGU guidelines. To request an extension of time, an international student must first request a Program Extension through SEVIS. International students are encouraged to consult the Office of International Students & Scholars Services for assistance.
Instructions
A service indicator (hold) will be placed on your record indicating the semester in which you will be out of time for completing your degree. This information is available to you in the Tasks section of your PeopleSoft record. The indicator is listed as OUT and means that you are out of time at the beginning of semester listed. You may not enroll in courses, may experience interruptions in library and student services, and will be subject to late registration fees if you do not register by the registration deadline. To avoid interruptions in library and student services as well as late registration fees, start this process early.
In collaboration with your academic advisor or department representative, complete an Extension of Time for Degree Request form. A plan of study/research must be attached to the request, demonstrating how degree requirements will be fulfilled within the additional time requested. Your plan of study may be in narrative or calendar format.
- Start by projecting your new graduation date.
- Provide a timeline of how and when you will accomplish the necessary steps to achieve your goal.
- Use the Degree Completion Checklist as a guide for mapping out your degree requirements and deadlines.
- Consult your program’s guidelines for degree completion to ensure that all your requirements–tools, qualifying exams, proposal defense, advancement to candidacy–will be satisfied.
Approved requests should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
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Coursework approved for transfer credit is documented on your transcript with a notation indicating the source of the transfer credit and the number of units for which you are credited. Individual courses and grades received are not recorded on your CGU transcript. Further, grades received for non-CGU or non-Claremont Colleges courses are not factored into your CGU record.
Requirements for Accepting Transfer Credit
Source: Only graduate-level coursework from regionally accredited institutions may be accepted as transfer credit. Courses taken toward a student’s undergraduate degree from outside The Claremont Colleges are not acceptable for transfer credit to CGU. Courses offered by the Claremont Colleges or Claremont School of Theology (CST) are accepted only when enrollment is completed through CGU, or when a student is part of a university-approved accelerated Master’s program such as the BA/MA accelerated degree program with the Claremont Colleges.
Documentation: An official transcript from the institution where the coursework was completed must be submitted to CGU.
Accounting: Units at CGU are based upon semester units, requiring a conversion if the units earned are quarter units. One quarter unit equals .667 semester units. Fractions are dismissed, since CGU uses only whole units.
- 36 quarter units convert to 24 semester units
- 6 quarter units convert to 4 semester units
- 3 quarter units convert to 2 semester units
Transfer units from another institution using semester hours cannot be changed i.e. 3 units changed to 4.
Achievement: Students must achieve a grade of B or better in any coursework accepted as transfer credit. Classes taken on a pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, or credit/no credit basis require official documentation from the institution indicating that the grade is equivalent to a B or better.
Completion Dates: Transfer credit may be granted for coursework completed before an individual becomes a student at CGU as well as for coursework taken while the individual is a CGU student.
- Applicants: Transfer credit for coursework completed before an individual becomes a student at CGU is submitted and evaluated as part of the individual application process. Departments must complete the Transfer Credit Request Form (found on the Forms webpage), specifically identifying the courses for which transfer credit is to be granted.
- Current Students: CGU students should obtain approval from the academic department prior to enrolling in courses outside of CGU. Upon completion of the course, a transcript is submitted to the academic department for review. Departments complete the Transfer Credit Request Form (found on the Forms webpage), attach the official transcript, and submit the package to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
Age of Courses: Individual programs reserve the right to deny transfer credit for any and all coursework that may be considered old, dated, or no longer relevant to the discipline.
Important Note: Claremont Graduate University (CGU) reserves the right to require review by a foreign credentials evaluator of any coursework for which transfer credit is requested. Reasons for requiring an external evaluation include the absence of an official transcript that certifies regional accreditation or affiliation with a regionally accredited institution; the absence of credit hour standards at which the coursework was completed that would assist in calculating and substantiating the amount of transfer credit requested. In the event an external evaluation is required, CGU’s preferred provider is World Education Services (www.wes.org).
Limits on Transfer Credit
Masters Degrees: The number of units accepted for transfer credit are limited, based upon the units required for the particular degree program.
- 15 units, if 60 or more units are required for the degree
- 10 units, if 48 to 59 units are required for the degree
- 6 units, if less than 48 units are required for the degree
Doctoral Degrees: For doctoral degrees, no more than 24 units may be accepted as transfer credit. In addition, other stipulations apply.
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- Units that are transferred into a CGU program must be relevant to the student’s program of study at CGU. This determination is made by the student’s academic program.
- In some cases, transfer credit may be assigned based upon the general content of a program completed outside CGU. This determination is made by the student’s academic program.
- Coursework that was applied toward completion of a bachelor’s degree may not be accepted for transfer credit.
- The amount of transfer credit accepted for doctoral students may impact the student’s residency requirement and time to degree.
Amount of Transfer Credit:
- 13 units or more
- Residency Requirement: 24 units within 2 years
- Maximum Time to Degree: 6 years
- 12 units or less
- Residency Requirement: Two full semesters in 2 years, or 36 units in 2-1/2 years
- Maximum Time to Degree: 6-1/2 years
Dual Degrees: Limitations on transfer credit for dual degree programs are as follows.
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- No more than 12 units may be transferred into a dual degree program that consists of a Masters and a Doctoral combination.
- No units may be transferred into a dual degree program that consists of two Masters degrees.