Directions for Course Currency
The university sets time limits on students to earn the degree, credential, and/or certificate to
ensure that students have reasonably current knowledge in those courses that comprise the
graduate program for which a graduate degree, credential, and/or certificate is awarded.
When coursework taken at California State University, Sacramento has expired currency for
inclusion in a graduate, credential, or certificate program, the academic unit may allow the
student to validate that coursework by examination, subject to the following:
Student must be fully classified in a graduate program OR accepted as a credential or
certificate student
Student must be in good standing in order to be eligible.
The following restrictions apply to the extension of course currency validation:
Not more than 6 hours of the total credits in a master’s program may be validated. Not
more than 9 of the total credit units in a doctoral program may be validated.
Only courses with a fixed content are eligible for validation (Independent study, research,
field study, special topics courses, and workshops are ineligible.)
Only those courses currently being taught by the department (offered in the course
schedule in the last 4 years or 8 semesters) are eligible for validation. Courses taken at
another university are not eligible for validation.
To receive credit for currency, the student’s course grade shall be equivalent to at least a
“B” (3.0).
Currency is extended for only one term. If the degree is not completed in the one term,
then the course must be repeated for validation.
The only option available to students for an unsuccessful validation is to repeat the course.
Procedures
Once the time limit for currency has elapsed for a course, the student should immediately contact
his/her graduate committee chair or the department graduate, credential, or certificate advisor.
Student Instructions: