The Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Scholars Program  with a Packaging, BS  and a  Nutritional Science, MS  with an objective in packaging is a combined bachelor’s and master’s program. Our program is designed to meet the needs of the student who is working towards a baccalaureate degree and seeks advanced preparation in packaging. The program is intended to prepare candidates to assume leadership roles in their profession and industry and to provide the opportunity to acquire a foundation for doctoral study in packaging or related fields. 

The Packaging SAGE Program enables qualified students in the Bachelor of Science in Packaging program to simultaneously complete the requirements for both the baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Students can progress from undergraduate to graduate status seamlessly, with a simplified application process and no application fee, and complete both degrees in a year’s less time as compared to completing them separately. This will provide significant cost savings to the student. 

Total SAGE Program Units (BS + MS) 144

For more information, contact the SAGE Scholars Program Coordinator​: Dr. Xi Feng.

Admissions Requirements

1. Be enrolled in or have completed the undergraduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (100W/GWAR ) prior to admission into the SAGE Scholars program;
2. Successfully completed a minimum of 60 Packaging, BS applicable units and not more than 120 undergraduate degree applicable units at the time of admission in the program;
3.  Completed PKG 141A  and NUFS 100W  with grades of “B” or better;
4. Minimum 3.0 cumulative SJSU GPA at time of admission; 

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 these students will not gain the accelerated graduate-level benefit offered through the SAGE blended program option.

Graduate Standing Requirements

Requirements for program continuation and advancement to candidacy in the graduate program, include:

• Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students in the first four years of the program who do not maintain these standards will be withdrawn from the SAGE Scholars program and returned to the non-SAGE BS in Packaging program. 
• Students are converted to graduate status when they have completed 120 SAGE program-applicable units. The following University Requirements are satisfied with required courses in the major: GE Area 5A and 2, and GE UD Area 2/5. Alternate courses that may satisfy these requirements are not counted in the calculation of the 120 SAGE program-applicable units. 
• A grade of “B” or better is required in the three courses PKG 121 - Solidworks For Packaging , PKG 158 - Protective Package Design and Testing , and PKG 160 - Hazardous Materials Packaging  to be double counted. Students who receive a passing grade (e.g., C- or higher) in PKG 121, PKG 158, and PKG 160, but don’t earn a B minimum to satisfy the graduate coursework requirement will be required to take graduate electives. 
• Students may opt out of the SAGE program and apply for the standalone master’s degree program at any point like other non-SAGE applicants, in case they decide to complete a thesis or change the packaging objective.
• Completed all lower-division work (including lower-division general education courses and American Institutions courses).