Dec 11, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Programs


Objectives | Admission and Transition  | Academic Standing | ApplicationSpartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Handbook | Student Contacts 

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 Programs objectives are as follows:

  1. To provide an accelerated route to a graduate degree, with simultaneous awarding of both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).

  4. 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:

  1. 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 eligible units are not equivalent to degree applicable units. To determine the difference between the two designations, advisors should run a MyProgress ‘what if’ report.

  2. Students must be enrolled in or have completed the undergraduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (WID/100W/GWAR) prior to admission into the SAGE program.

  3. As a scholar’s program, students must have a minimum 2.5 SJSU cumulative GPA at the time of admission into the SAGE program.

Transitioning into the graduate career (Step 2) requirements:

  1. 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.

  2. Undergraduate students must have a minimum 3.0 SJSU cumulative GPA following the completion of 120 SAGE program eligible 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 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 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.

  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.

Application

Step 1A Department Evaluation and Admission to the SAGE Program

Student submits department specific application to the SAGE program with the advisor. Contact the department for details, including application deadlines.

Advisor Responsibilities: Complete the SAGE Program Worksheet (formerly Career Academic Planner) from the beginning of the student’s academic career (including degree applicable transfer units). The student must be advised using the SAGE Scholars Program Student Worksheet which should be reviewed and updated each semester. Students should consider applying for their undergraduate degree upon completion of 85 units. Advisors should review the SAGE Advisor Information and SAGE Scholars Process.

Step 1B Transition into SAGE Program

The SAGE advisor will submit the SAGE Transition form with the student. This form is to be submitted twice in two different steps during the student’s participation in the SAGE program. The form is to be submitted twice during the student’s participation in the SAGE program.

Step 2 Transition into Graduate Classified Standing & Advance to Candidacy

During the semester in which a student expects to complete at least 120-degree applicable units, the advisor and student submit the SAGE Transition form and attach the student’s SAGE Program Worksheet.

Advisor Responsibilities: During the semester in which a student expects to complete at least 120-degree applicable units, SAGE Scholars must complete Step 2. The graduate advisor will prepare the SAGE Program Worksheet to upload when filling out the Step 2 SAGE Transition form. Advisors should review the SAGE Advisor Information and SAGE Scholars Process.

Deadlines

Fall Semester Start (completing 120-degree applicable units in prior Spring semester)
Opens February 1
Closes March 1

Fall Semester Start (completing 120-degree applicable units in prior Summer semester)
Opens June 1
Closes July 1

Spring Semester Start (completing 120-degree applicable units in prior Fall semester)
Opens September 1
Closes October 1

Summer Semester Start (completing 120-degree applicable units in prior Spring semester)
Opens February 1
Closes March 1