Advancing to Candidacy

When students are first admitted to the program, they are not yet candidates for the master's degree. Advancing to candidacy is the process through which students create a contract with the program and the university regarding the planned course of study and become degree candidates. Students are advised to advance to candidacy as soon as they are eligible to do so, and must advance one semester prior to applying to complete the exit requirement.

For advancement to candidacy, students must:

  1. Fulfill the campus Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).
  2. Complete at least 6 units of the program, including SCAE 550 and 3 additional units.
  3. Consult with the advisor regarding academic, professional and personal goals (as part of SCAE 550 and SCAE 551).
  4. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all course work.
  5. Resolve all incomplete grades.
  6. Submit to the Graduate Studies Office an Advancement to Candidacy form signed by the program advisor.

Please note that students must be enrolled during the semester in which they apply for advancement to candidacy. The Graduate Studies website provides more detailed information on applying for Advancement to Candidacy.