Publishing Master’s Projects at CSULB

Select Master’s Programs at CSULB provide students with the option of completing a Project as their culminating activity. Per California Code of Regulations Title 5, the master’s degree project is defined as a “significant undertaking appropriate to the fine and applied arts or to professional fields. It evidences originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. It is described and summarized in a written abstract that includes the project's significance, objective, methodology, and a conclusion or recommendation.” Thus, the work completed in a Project provides creative and innovative productions, adds to the literature, and/or informs policy and practice.

To showcase Master’s Projects and increase their visibility and accessibility, Projects may be published in CSULB’s ScholarWorks repository, where they will be publicly available to readers online. “ScholarWorks is a shared institutional repository that collects, preserves, and provides access to scholarship by research communities at The California State University. Collections include CSU faculty publications, student dissertations and theses, datasets, and teaching materials.” Some Master’s programs may require students to publish their Projects in ScholarWorks.

To publish in ScholarWorks, students must:

  1. Inform their project director and graduate advisor of their intent to submit;
  2. Receive final approval for their project;
  3. Complete the Master’s Project Report Submission Form;
  4. Sign the Master’s Project Agreement Form for ScholarWorks; and
  5.  Submit a digital copy of the approved project to the graduate advisor or other individual who the program designated to upload the project to ScholarWorks.

The academic unit must maintain the signed Master’s Project Agreement Form for ScholarWorks for each author.

Please note: Submitting the project to ScholarWorks for publication does not qualify as clearance to award the degree. For CSULB to award the degree for a particular semester, the program/graduate advisor must notify Enrollment Services via the ARS that the project (culminating activity) was successfully completed prior to the end of that semester. Students shall check the requirements and internal deadlines** set in their program and follow all the appropriate guidelines therein to ensure conditions for the degree are met.

 *Each creator/author must complete and sign a separate Master’s Project Agreement Form for ScholarWorks for the work to be published. The academic unit must maintain the signed Master’s Project Agreement Form for ScholarWorks for each author.

**The Office of Graduate Studies, the Thesis & Dissertation Office, and the University Library do not have designated deadlines for publishing projects in ScholarWorks.