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Bachelor Degree Requirements & The Graduation Filing Process

What are the requirements for the Bachelor's degree?

You must satisfy the following requirements in order to be awarded a Bachelor's degree from CSULB.

  • Earn the number of units required for your degree
    For details regarding your particular major, refer to your Academic Requirements Report or to the University Catalog for the academic year in which you were admitted to your degree program.

  • Earn a Minimum of 30 Units in Residence
    You must earn a minimum of 30 units at CSULB, including at least 24 upper-division and at least 12 major units.  A maximum of 24 units of special session or open university credit earned prior to your admission term or while in a non-degree status may be counted toward your degree.

  • Earn a Minimum of 40 Upper-Division Units
    You must earn a minimum of 40 units in courses numbered 300-499. You must take all upper division courses in your major within a 10-year period. If you took upper division units more than 10 years before completing your program, you may not apply those units to your program unless your major department revalidates them.

  • Activity Units
    Activity courses provide practice in such areas as music, dance, physical education and Sports, Athletics, and Recreation (SAR).   Except as required by a student's major, students may apply to the degree no more than eight units each of activity course credit in music, dance, or physical education and no more than four units of activity course credit in SAR, up to a total of no more than 20 units in all areas.

  • Complete the General Education (GE) Pattern
    You are required to complete a specific pattern of approved GE courses. Refer to your Academic Requirements Report or the University Catalog for the academic year in which you were admitted to CSULB.   You can also contact the University Center for Undergraduate Advising at (562) 985-4837 for further information.

  • Satisfy Major Requirements
    Specific course and unit requirements must be earned for your particular major. Refer to your Academic Requirements Report or the University Catalog for requirements specific to your degree program and catalog year.   All upper-division courses required for your major must be completed within 10 years preceding the award of your bachelor's degree.   If courses were taken more than 10 years prior, they must be retaken or revalidated by the department.

  • Maintain Minimum 2.00 GPA
    A minimum 2.00 GPA is required in each of the following:

    • All college courses
    • All college courses attempted at CSULB
    • All courses in your major
    • All upper-division courses in your major attempted at CSULB

    The results of all four GPA calculations can be found on your Academic Requirements Report.

  • Satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)
    Continuing students must attempt the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) by the time they complete 60 units of credit (i.e., their junior year). Upper-division transfer students must attempt the WPE early in their first term in residency at CSULB unless they have demonstrated competence at another CSU campus. All students must attempt the WPE prior to filing a Request to Graduate. To graduate, students must pass the WPE or equivalent. See the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement for additional information.

  • Receive Formal Faculty Approval from your major department.
    This does not require any action on the part of the student.

You can keep track of your progress toward earning your Bachelor's degree by checking your Academic Requirements Report in the Student Center on MyCSULB, which will also give you a detailed summary of your degree requirements—both completed and still unmet.   You will also see an ALERT notation indicating your Timely Graduation status.  See Tracking Progress to your Degree for more information on how to use this valuable tool.

How do I file for graduation?

  1. Meet the following requirements before filing for graduation.

    Required to File for Graduation Contact for Information
    Attempt the WPE. Office of Testing and Evaluation Services, Brotman Hall (BH) 216, (562) 985-4006
    Maintain good academic standing. Student Academic Records
    No financial obligation to CSULB. Student Account Services, BH 170A, (562) 985-8280
    Approved major recorded with Enrollment Services ("pre" majors cannot file for graduation).   Check your unofficial transcript or Academic Requirements Report to ensure your record is correct. Department Advisor
    Earn at least 90 units, which may include classes you are currently attempting. Department Advisor

  2. Meet with the undergraduate advisor in your major department to plan how you will complete your remaining major requirements for graduation. Identify the appropriate graduation term in compliance with CSULB’s Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students policy.

  3. Submit a Request to Graduate form to the Office of Enrollment Services (BH 101). At this time you will need to pay $45 for your Diploma and Commencement fees.

Note: Students with a Timely Graduation status (Senior, Senior Plus or Super Senior) may require additional documentation. See Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students for additional information.

When do I file for graduation?

  1. Most students file for graduation once they complete 90 units. In compliance with CSULB’s Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students policy, all undergraduate students must submit a Request to Graduate form when 100% of the unit requirements for the degree have been completed.
Graduation Term Request to Graduate Filing Deadlines
Fall Preceding March 1
Winter Preceding March 1
Spring Preceding October 15
Summer Preceding October 15

What if I miss the filing deadlines for graduation?

If you file later than the filing dates listed above, you must submit an additional $10 missed deadline fee to the Office of Enrollment Services (BH101). Follow the instructions on the Request to Graduate form.

What happens after I file my Request to Graduate?

  1. A degree audit is performed by Enrollment Services to determine if you have any outstanding requirements, such as required courses, transcripts for transfer work, course substitutions, grade changes, petitions, etc.   An email will be sent to you when this audit is complete. Missing documents will also appear on your To Do list on MyCSULB.  When you receive this email, be sure to check your Academic Requirements Report on MyCSULB to verify the updates and review any remaining requirements.

    2. Every effort is made to update your degree audit before you register for your final term provided that you submit your Request to Graduate form before the appropriate deadline. We recommend that you stay in contact with your department advisor to review your progress.

    Help us help you!

    Keep your mailing address and e-mail address up-to-date so that important notices reach you. You can update both of these address types through MyCSULB.

  2. The final review of your record begins about three weeks after your final term. Be sure to submit any documents still needed to complete your degree. All documents that affect your degree, such as petitions, transcripts for transfer work, substitutions, grade changes, and waivers must be on file by the last day of your declared graduation term.

    If you plan to attend another school while attending CSULB, you should submit a Request for Evaluation of Coursework from Another Institution form prior to enrolling. Enrollment Services will review the form and notify you as to how those units earned at another school will be used in your CSULB degree program.

    Your official transcript with final grades for coursework completed at another school must be on file in Enrollment Services within 30 days following completion of the course(s).

  3. After the final review, you will be notified via email indicating:

    • Successful completion of all requirements.
    • Graduation denied because you have not met one or more of your degree requirements.

  4. Once your degree has been cleared, your diploma will be ordered.  You will receive email notification when it is ready to be picked up or, upon request,  your diploma will automatically be mailed to you

  5. Degree verification for employment purposes can be obtained through the National Student Clearinghouse at (703) 742-4200. Information will not be released for students with a financial obligation or FERPA restriction. Be sure to release all FERPA restrictions on MyCSULB and pay your financial obligations. Your degree will be reflected on your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts can be viewed, and official transcripts can be ordered on MyCSULB.

If you determine that you cannot complete all degree requirements by your requested graduation term, you should complete a Request to Change Graduation Date form. If you have a Timely Graduation Status (Senior, Senior Plus or Super Senior) this process may include a Timely Graduation Appeal. Please see Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students for additional information.

Note: If you have outstanding requirements, you may attend your commencement ceremony; however, attending the ceremony does not constitute graduation. Visit the commencement website for more information.

What does my “Graduation Status” mean?

Term Definition
Not Applied You have not yet submitted a Request to Graduate, or your submitted Request has not yet been recorded.
Applied for Graduation Your Request to Graduate has been recorded but not yet reviewed.
Denied You have been denied graduation for that term.
Request Reviewed Your Request to Graduate was reviewed by Enrollment Services.
Additional Info Requested Enrollment Services is unable to process your Request to Graduate because information is missing.
Degree Awarded Your degree has been conferred.

Under what circumstances would my degree be denied?

We will not be able to award you a degree if you fail to complete any one of the following:

  • Fail to file a Request to Graduate form.

  • Fail to meet all degree requirements by your declared graduation term.

  • Fail to maintain a 2.0 in all four GPA categories

  • Fail to have all necessary documents on file in Enrollment Services by the appropriate deadline.

  • Fail to complete any Incomplete (I) grades by the last day of your graduation term. You cannot make up an Incomplete grade after graduation.

Contact your Academic Advisor or Enrollment Services for additional information.

How do I postpone my graduation term?

Once you have filed a Request to Graduate form, you may request to change your graduation date by submitting a Request to Change Graduation Date form; however, if you have a Timely Graduation status (Senior, Senior Plus or Super Senior) you must adhere to CSULB’s Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students policy. See Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students for additional information.

I once attended CSULB and then stopped before completing all of my degree requirements. How can I complete my bachelor's degree now?

If you have stopped attending CSULB for one or more academic year(s) and have not taken an Educational Leave, you will need to follow the instructions to reactivate your graduation and reestablish your degree requirements. You may also need to reapply for admission.

See your department (major) advisor to discuss any outstanding degree requirements or changes in degree requirements that you may now need to satisfy and to complete your Request to Reactivate Graduation form to Enrollment Services – BH 101. Please note: if you have remaining requirements to complete, you will also need to apply for readmission.

Please be aware of the following:

  • If you have not been enrolled in the past year and did not take an Educational Leave, you will be required to follow new catalog requirements for your major.
  • All upper-division coursework required for the major must be completed within a 10-year period preceding the award of the bachelor’s degree.  Consult with your department advisor regarding possible revalidation of courses in question.
  • You may have additional General Education requirements to complete, depending on when you last enrolled.  For more information about General Education requirements, please contact the University Center for Undergraduate Advising – Horn Center 103, (562) 985-4837.
  • If you were disqualified from the University, you must be reinstated before taking any other action. See Student Academic Records for more information about the reinstatement process. You must submit transcripts for all course work taken elsewhere since your last CSULB enrollment. 
  • Observe the filing deadlines regarding the submittal of your Request to Reactivate Graduation form to Enrollment Services.
  • If you have outstanding course work to complete, you must determine whether to enroll during a regular term at CSULB or at another institution.