Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Programs

Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Scholars programs are combined bachelor’s and master’s programs at SJSU. Sometimes they may also satisfy the requirements for a credential. Students in these programs pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. These programs allow students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, 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.

Objectives

The Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education Scholars Programs offer:

1. To provide an accelerated route to a graduate degree and earn an undergraduate and graduate degree in as early as 5 years.

2. In some programs, to allow the double counting of graduate-level courses for the undergraduate degree which effectively decreases the total unit requirements for both degrees (contingent upon the finalization of CSU policy and University approval following review).

3. To provide a seamless process whereby students can progress from undergraduate to graduate status without having to apply through the Admissions Office (thereby eliminating the need to pay the application fee).

4. To provide a meaningful capstone experience that in some cases integrates the senior project with the graduate thesis or project.

Admissions Requirements

Students must adhere to the following minimum admissions requirements:

1. Successfully complete a minimum of 60 undergraduate degree applicable units and not more than 120 undergraduate degree applicable units at the time of admission into the SAGE program;

2. Be enrolled in or have completed the undergraduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (100W/GWAR) prior to admission into the SAGE program; and

3. Satisfied any additional program specific admissions requirements as identified on their pages; and

4. 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 not completed all lower division courses will be removed from the SAGE program and will complete the standalone undergraduate degree. Students may then enter the standalone masters program, but will have to apply to the graduate program separately and are subject to graduate admissions requirements at SJSU. Additionally, any graduate courses used to meet undergraduate degree requirements may not be used in the graduate program.

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 eligible units and transitioning into the graduate career: 

1. 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-eligible 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 either their respective Student Success Center or 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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. 

5. 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

6. Once a student is removed from a SAGE program due to either academic or administrative academic probation, they are ineligible for any SAGE program.

Appeals may be brought to the attention of either College of Graduate Studies Associate Deans (Dr. Amy Leisenring or Dr. Jeff Honda) for review.