Psychology Department
GS 700/Continuous Enrollment
When to be enrolled in GS 700:
(You must have completed all of your program coursework and registered for all of your thesis units in previous semesters to be eligible to enroll in GS 700. If not, an Educational Leave may be appropriate to avoid breaking continuous enrollment.)
1) You need to be enrolled in GS 700 every fall and spring semester (summer and winter not included)
once you have completed all of your courses (do not register for GS 700
until you have taken all of your program coursework, including thesis).
Enrollment in GS 700 allows you to access the
library, computer labs, IRB and other campus facilities, to conduct orals, even
to talk to and meet with your thesis committee members and other professors.
Enrollment during the previous spring semester allows you access to these
services during the summer. See below discussion
regarding breaking continuous enrollment.
2) You need to be enrolled the semester you graduate (this could be a fall, winter,
spring or summer semester). This would be the only condition where you would need to be enrolled in either Summer or Winter (and of course
supersedes condition #1).
What is GS 700? How do I register?
GS 700 is a one unit, non-credit "course" that allows you to continue working on your thesis if not completed by the time you finish your other program coursework. You cannot enroll in GS 700 if you have not completed your coursework and registered for all of your required thesis units (you may, however, take a one or two semester leave of absence instead).
To register for GS 700, you need to obtain a special enrollment permission slip from your department's Graduate Advisor and enroll through the University College and Extension Services (UCES) office, located in the Foundation building (562-985-5561). Contact the UCES office regarding registration procedures if you are unable to register in person. (If it is an inconvenience for you to pick up the slip, please contact your Graduate Advisor and ask that the slip be sent to UCES via campus mail - after a few days, call in to UCES and give your credit card number to register.)
Please note: GS 700 is an oddity. It does not keep you matriculated. This means that after you begin to register for GS 700, if you wish to take additional courses through regular registration (which is state supported and depending upon the number of units registered for during a particular semester may cost less), you would have to reapply to the university (including the application fee). If you have completed your MA/MS program coursework, and wish to take additional courses as a matriculated student after a short break, you should apply for a Leave of Absence rather than signing up for GS 700. The university policy on Leave of Absences is one or two consecutive semesters; however, it is possible through a petitioning process to do up to a limit of two Leaves of Absence or four semesters total Leave of Absence (it is not clear if the latter needs to be consecutive -- please check with the Enrollment Services Office for clarification). A Leave of Absence may be desirable if a student has finished all MA/MS program coursework but not the thesis, and wants to take a break before finishing up coursework for a teaching credential or certificate program, or even taking courses in addition to the 30/36-units required for the Master's degree. Once you begin registering for GS 700, you are no longer eligible for a Leave of Absence.
Once you are no longer a matriculated student, the only course which will retain your program coursework until you are cleared for graduation for your Master's is GS 700. Any other courses taken through UCES do not count for continuous enrollment as does GS 700. If you wish to take additional courses through UCES's Open Enrollment (as a non-matriculated student), the above conditions (#1-2) regarding when you must be enrolled in GS 700 still apply. Therefore, to avoid breaking "continuous enrollment" (see below), you must still be enrolled in GS 700 in addition to any other courses taken through UCES.
The registration time period for GS 700 is much greater than any other course; however, the deadline cannot be exceeded. During fall and spring semesters, the deadline has been the last day of instruction (note: this is prior to finals week); summer and winter have used the second to the last day of that term for the deadline. It is suggested that you check with either UCES or your Graduate Advisor as to a particular semester's deadline.
Please note: your "grad date" must not have passed in order to be able to register for GS 700. You must update it with the Enrollment Services Office (in Brotman Hall), which requires a fee of $10. Your grad date is based upon when you will be submitting your thesis - please estimate it as closely as possible, so that you do not have to continuously change the date (and continue to pay $10 each time).
What is "Breaking Continuous Enrollment"?
If you do not keep current with the University through GS 700 or "regular" enrollment (as a matriculated student) every fall and spring semester, or take a Leave of Absence before you begin GS 700, you break what is termed "continuous enrollment." If you do, you will lose your program rights (your program coursework established through the Advancement to Candidacy procedure). If this happens, you would have to reapply to the University as well as submit an appeal to your committee (MA-R, MAIO or MSHF) for reinstatement into the Psychology Department and your Master's program. Please don't let this happen. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact your Graduate Advisor.
Updated 4/22/08