Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Scholars Programs

Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Scholars programs are combined bachelor’s and master’s programs at SJSU. Programs may also satisfy requirements for a teaching credential. SAGE programs allow students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year and in some cases, may count courses for both undergraduate and graduate credit (up to 12 units) thus reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree. For a list of approved programs, view the Majors and Programs or MyRoadmaps Catalog - SAGE pages .

Why apply to the SAGE Scholars program? View the SAGE Scholars Program flyer for more information and view current SAGE programs .

Objectives

The Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education Scholars Program’s objectives are as follows:

To provide an accelerated route to a graduate degree, with simultaneous awarding of both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and in some cases a credential.
In most cases, to allow for the possibility of students’ earning graduate credit for several of their senior electives, effectively decreasing the summed unit requirements for both degrees.
To provide a seamless process whereby students can progress from undergraduate to graduate status without having to apply through the CSU application, Cal State Apply (thereby eliminating the need to pay the CSU application fee).
To provide a meaningful capstone experience that, in some cases, integrates the senior project with the graduate thesis or project.

SAGE Admission and Graduate Career Transition

All SAGE programs must adhere to the following CSU and SJSU policy admission requirements:

SAGE admission (Step 1) requirements:

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 60 undergraduate SAGE program applicable units but not more than 120 undergraduate program applicable units at the time of admission into the SAGE program. Note that SAGE program applicable units are not equivalent to university total units. To determine the difference between the two designations, advisors should run a MyProgress ‘what if’ report.
Students must be enrolled in or have completed the undergraduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (WID/100W/GWAR) prior to admission into the SAGE program.
As a scholar’s program, students must have a minimum 2.5 SJSU cumulative GPA at the time of admission into the SAGE program.

Important note: Students who have reached up to their first semester as classified seniors will remain eligible for entry into the SAGE program. Second semester, senior-level students enrolled in the term they expect to graduate from their baccalaureate degree are not eligible to enter into the SAGE program as awarding of the baccalaureate degree is imminent. Thus, these students will not gain the accelerated graduate-level benefit offered through the SAGE blended program option, and it is suggested that they apply to the appropriate stand-alone Master’s degree program.

Transitioning into the graduate career (Step 2) requirements:

SAGE students in the undergraduate career must have completed all lower division courses (designated as 0-99, including lower division general education courses and American Institutions courses) BEFORE transitioning into the SAGE graduate degree objective status. Students who have completed 120 degree-eligible units but have not completed all lower-division courses will be removed from the SAGE program and will complete the standalone undergraduate degree.
Undergraduate students must have a minimum 3.0 SJSU cumulative GPA following the completion of 120 SAGE program-applicable units.

Note that these represent minimum SAGE requirements. A program may stipulate more rigorous standards for admission and/or graduate career transition than the above criteria.

Maintaining Academic Standing in SAGE Programs

SAGE scholars are required to maintain good academic standing per University Policy S16-16. Additionally, SAGE scholars are expected to meet with their SAGE advisor each semester to review their academic progress and standing. As an accelerated program, SAGE Scholars must meet a high standard in order to make timely progress towards their degrees. Thus, SAGE Scholars must maintain good academic standing the semester prior to completing 120 SAGE program applicable units and transitioning into the graduate career:

If a SAGE Scholar is not in good standing (i.e., are on either Academic or Administrative Probation) the semester prior to completing 120 SAGE program-applicable units, and the bachelor’s degree has not been issued, the SAGE Scholar will be removed from the SAGE program and returned to their stand-alone undergraduate degree program. To achieve this, the SAGE advisor must submit an Advisor Request form requesting that the student’s status be converted to undergraduate status and should contact their respective Student Success Center and the Office of the Registrar to assist in the process. Students may apply to the program’s graduate degree upon completion of the undergraduate degree.
SAGE Scholars in undergraduate status who are placed on Academic Probation for failing to maintain a 2.0 GPA are notified via the Registrar’s Office, and probation is noted on the transcript. These students will be removed from the SAGE program and returned to undergraduate-only status.
Those students in SAGE programs requiring maintenance of a higher GPA at the undergraduate level and who fail to meet that standard will be removed from the SAGE program and returned to undergraduate-only status.
If a SAGE Scholar is placed on probation while in graduate status for not meeting the graduate minimum GPA of 3.0 or other standards, then the SAGE Scholar must clear probationary status under the same policies that apply to the department’s graduate program.
If a SAGE Scholar has already converted to graduate status and leaves the program in good standing, the following will apply per F19-1, section IV:
1. Credit earned for graduate coursework and used to complete the Bachelor’s degree may not be used to satisfy unit requirements of the Master’s degree;
2. Credit earned for graduate coursework, counting toward the Master’s degree, shall be available for application to an SJSU graduate program upon subsequent approval by the program and subject to University Policy S17-7, graduate course revalidation
Once a student is removed from a SAGE program due to either academic notice or administrative academic probation, they are ineligible for any SAGE program.

In general, to exit the SAGE program at any time, students should contact their advisor and/or their College Success Center. Appeals may be brought to the attention of either College of Graduate Studies Associate Deans (Dr. Amy Leisenring or Dr. Jeff Honda) for review.

Application

Step 1 SAGE Application

The SAGE Application Form is initiated by the program’s College Success Centers, and SAGE admission decisions are determined by the SAGE Coordinator.

Preliminary Advising, Department Evaluation, and Admission Process

Prospective SAGE Scholar

A prospective SAGE Scholar should contact their College Success Centers for program details, including application deadlines. Additionally, prospective SAGE Scholars are responsible for providing any program-specific application materials to their interested SAGE program.

College Success Centers (Academic Advisor)

Success Centers Academic Advisors are responsible for reviewing the university’s SAGE minimum eligibility requirements and will initiate the SAGE Application form for students who meet eligibility requirements.
For SAGE programs with an embedded teaching credential, the SAGE Application form is initiated by the Teacher Pathway Liaison.

SAGE Program Coordinator (Faculty Coordinator)

Coordinators are responsible to review any department-required admission materials and indicate the final admission decisions on the initiated SAGE Application form.

Step 2 Graduate Transition

The Step 2 Graduate Transition is monitored on the student’s MyProgress report. If criteria for graduate standing status is met, the Office of Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations (GAPE) will formally transition the SAGE Scholar from undergraduate status to graduate status in the semester following the completion of 120 SAGE applicable units.

Graduate Standing Eligibility and Advising

SAGE Scholar

The SAGE Scholar is responsible for meeting with a Success Center Academic Advisor, at minimum, once a semester. SAGE Coordinators may also be available for program support, when needed. SAGE Scholars are responsible for monitoring their program progress within their MyProgress Report and to alert their Success Center Advisor of any discrepancies.

College Success Centers and SAGE Program Coordinator

Success Centers Advisors and SAGE Program Coordinators will help prepare SAGE Scholars for a successful start into their graduate career.

Timelines for Graduate Standing Transition

Graduate-level enrollment appointments will be assigned during the SAGE Scholar’s final undergraduate semester. The final undergraduate semester is determined by the completion of 120 SAGE-applicable units (not the bachelor’s graduation term). SAGE Scholars, as continuing students, will be able to view their assigned appointments in their MySJSU. *Note: SAGE advising is required before registration for each term.

Spring Graduate Transition: View assigned graduate appointment in October
Summer Graduate Transition: View assigned graduate appointment in April
Fall Graduate Transition: (1) View assigned graduate appointment in April, if Spring is the final undergraduate semester (2) View assigned graduate appointment in July, if Summer is the final undergraduate semester