This Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) program provides a pathway for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development with a focus working in community organizations that serve the needs of diverse children, youth, and families. Undergraduates enrolled in the program begin their graduate studies while completing undergraduate requirements. Students who complete this program will have developed a deep understanding of child and adolescent development, the contexts that shape their development, advocacy and collaborative leadership, and how to apply these skills to work in community organizations serving diverse children, youth, and families.

Total SAGE Program Units (BA + MA) 141

For more information, contact the Child & Adolescent Development Department at childdev@sjsu.edu.

Admissions Requirements for BA + MA SAGE Program

Most frosh and transfer students will become eligible to apply for the SAGE Scholars program in the Fall semester of Year 3 and enter the pathway during their Spring semester of Year 3. Applications will be processed by the Department of Child and Adolescent Development  and without an application fee. Students will not need to apply formally for graduate admission if accepted into this program. To be eligible: 

1. Students must have successfully completed a minimum of 60 undergraduate degree applicable units and not more than 120 undergraduate degree applicable units at the time of program entry;
2. Students must have successfully completed all lower division GE requirements;
3. Students must be enrolled in or have completed the undergraduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CHAD 100W ) with a C or better prior to admission into the program;
4. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in major coursework at time of admission.

Prior to applying to the program, prospective SAGE candidates will meet with the ChAD SAGE program coordinator/advisor who must sign the SAGE Application Form and the Course of Study Plan. The form and plan should be included in the student application to the department.

After completing those steps, students will submit a Departmental Application. With the exception of the letters of recommendation (see below), all SAGE MA application documents should be collated into a single pdf and sent to the Department of Child and Adolescent Development (childdev@sjsu.edu). This application includes the following components:

1. Departmental application form;
2. A 1-2 page Statement of Purpose that explains their passion and career interests in community organizations, how this program will help them meet their career goals, and their commitment to complete the requirements for the SAGE program (one to two pages in length, double spaced, 10-12 font type); A second statement describing the importance of leadership in the applicant’s future work with children, adolescents, and/or families.
3. An essay on various topic areas in child and adolescent development.
4. Transcripts for any coursework completed at other colleges or universities not showing in the students’ MySJSU account;
5. Two letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s qualifications and potential for success in the SAGE program (all letters must be written within the past 2 years and must include the date the letter was written, the signature of the recommender, and contact information of the recommender).

Applications will be processed by the Department of Child and Adolescent Development and not through CalState Apply. They are processed without an application fee.

Graduate Standing Requirements for BA + MA SAGE Program

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

• Meeting every semester with a ChAD Program Coordinator to plan and track coursework and graduate status. Once the BA is conferred, students meet every semester with their graduate advisor to plan a formal course of study and to release their advising holds.
• Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• To convert to graduate status, students must have completed all lower division requirements.
• The proposed graduate program must be approved by the graduate coordinator before the student may be considered a candidate for the MA degree.
• Students are converted to graduate status when they have completed 120 SAGE program-applicable units. The following University Requirement is satisfied with required courses in the major:  GE Areas 2 and 4. Alternate courses that may satisfy these requirements are not counted in the calculation of the 120 SAGE program-applicable units unless they are listed in the University Electives section of the major.

SAGE students must meet the same undergraduate graduation requirements as all Child and Adolescent Development majors, including University and GE requirements, to be conferred the BA. As graduate students, SAGE students must meet all current graduate program requirements. 

Admissions Requirements for MA Standalone Program

Candidates apply separately to the university to obtain approval for university-level admission and to the department to obtain admission to the ChAD master’s program. Candidates must meet all the university admission requirements. Note that applicants must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better in the last 60 semester units of undergraduate work.

In addition to meeting university requirements, the minimum requirement for admission to the ChAD MA program is:

• A baccalaureate degree awarded by an accredited institution.
• A completed department application.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• A statement describing the area of child and adolescent development that the applicant is interested in.
• A statement describing the importance of leadership in the applicant’s future work with children, adolescents, and/or families.
• An essay on various topic areas in child and adolescent development.

Preference is given to candidates with a background in ChAD or a related field (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Education, Social Work, Nursing). Applicants can be admitted either in a conditional or classified status.

Applicants from countries in which the official language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage at GAPE.

Requirements for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy

Students must meet the university requirements for candidacy. General university requirements for advancement to graduate candidacy for the MA degree are detailed in the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations Graduate Student Guide section. Candidacy includes the successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

During the fall semester of their second year, the ChAD MA candidate will need to submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form [pdf]. This form must be signed by the ChAD graduate program coordinator and submitted to GAPE by the appropriate deadline. Check the deadline for submitting the Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form [pdf]. Any changes made in the program degree academic plan as listed on the candidacy form need to be requested using the Request for Course Substitution form. This form must be signed by the ChAD graduate program coordinator prior to submission to GAPE.

Requirements for Graduation

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations Graduation Student Guide section.

MA - Child and Adolescent Development Graduation Requirements

Students are expected to complete all required core courses and three ChAD MA electives. In some circumstances, students may petition for individual approval from the ChAD MA program coordinator to take an elective outside of the ChAD program. In order to meet degree requirements, candidates for the MA in ChAD must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all courses with no single course grade below a B-. Students who earn less than a B- in any required course (CHAD 260A , CHAD 260B , CHAD 262 , CHAD 264 , CHAD 266 , and CHAD 272  or CHAD 274 ) must retake the course and earn a grade of B- or better. For electives in which the earned grade was less than a B-, students have the option to retake the same course or to select a different elective.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). This requirement is satisfied by passing CHAD 260A .