Sacramento State Part-Time Student Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

Sacramento State, like any institution within the California State University (CSU) system, has specific requirements for students, including those attending part-time. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published information, students should be aware that laws, rules, and policies are subject to change, potentially altering the information provided. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements and policies relevant to part-time students at Sacramento State, drawing from official university resources.

Understanding University Policies and Regulations

It’s crucial to recognize that the information presented here is not a contract. The Board of Trustees of the California State University, the Chancellor, and the President of Sacramento State retain the authority to modify or repeal rules and policies applicable to students. The university catalog serves as a guide, but it's not an exhaustive compilation of all regulations.

Academic Integrity

Honesty and integrity are paramount at Sacramento State. The university expects all members of its community - faculty, staff, and students - to uphold these values in all academic endeavors. This includes protecting the integrity of the curriculum and ensuring fair grading practices.

Grading System

Sacramento State employs a plus/minus grading system for letter grades, which directly impacts a student’s academic standing, determined by their Grade Point Average (GPA). GPA is calculated by dividing quality points (total grade points earned) by quality hours (total attempted hours, excluding courses graded "CR" or "NC").

A GPA of 2.0 signifies a "C" average.
A GPA of 3.0 indicates a "B" average.

Certain courses, such as co-curricular activities, fieldwork, and supervised teaching, may be graded as Credit ("CR") or No Credit ("NC"). A "CR" grade equates to "A", "B", or "C" level competence for undergraduate courses and "A" or "B" level competence for graduate courses. Courses graded "CR/NC" generally cannot fulfill major, minor, or general education requirements unless explicitly designated as such in the catalog.

Special Grading Symbols

WU (Withdrawal Unauthorized): Assigned when a student doesn't withdraw and fails to complete sufficient coursework for evaluation, equivalent to an "F" in GPA calculation. A student may submit a petition at any time prior to conferral of degree to have the "WU" grades dropped from their GPA calculation in the first term that a student receives one or more "WU" grades. The "WU" grade remains on the student's transcript.
I (Incomplete Authorized): Given when a portion of required coursework remains incomplete due to justifiable reasons, with a possibility of earning credit. The student must agree with the instructor on how to complete the remaining work and a time limit. When assigning an "I" grade faculty will complete an online contract visible to student indicating assignments needing to be completed to meet the terms of the contract. The time limit may not extend beyond 12 months.
RP (Report in Progress): Used for courses extending beyond one semester, replaced with a final grade within one year (two years for master’s culminating requirements).
RD (Report Delayed): Indicates a grade hasn't been reported due to circumstances beyond the student's control.
AUD (Audit): Indicates enrollment for informational purposes only, without academic credit. Auditors are subject to the same fee structure as credit students and regular class attendance is expected.

Grade Requirements and Course Repetition

A grade of "C-" or better is typically required for prerequisite courses. Departments may specify a higher grade requirement ("C" or better) in the course description.

Undergraduate students may repeat a course for grade forgiveness only once. Grades for a course that has already been forgiven once will be averaged. An additional 12 semester units may be repeated beyond the initial 16 units. Students may repeat courses at Sacramento State or another institution if they earned a grade lower than a C (C-, D+, D, D-, F, WU, NC). If a student has repeated a course in which that student has earned a grade of C or higher, neither the course credit nor grade will be recognized as a valid repeat and will not be forgiven or averaged.

Academic Renewal

Sacramento State may disregard previous unsatisfactory academic coursework from any college, subject to certain conditions. This request is limited to two semesters or three quarters of coursework, removing earned hours, quality hours, and quality points for the entire term(s) under consideration.

Academic Standing: Probation and Disqualification

Students must maintain a 2.0 ("C") average each semester, at Sacramento State, and overall. Students whose cumulative Sacramento State GPA or overall GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students not on probation will be disqualified if the cumulative GPA is 1.00 or less. Academically dismissed students are not eligible for readmission without at least one semester of absence from Sacramento.

Registration and Enrollment

Continuing and newly admitted students are eligible to register for classes online via the Student Center on My Sac State. Registration appointments are assigned based on class level priority. There is a $25 fee for late registration. Failure to pay registration fees or make appropriate arrangements for payments will result in enrollment cancellation. Adds are not approved after week four (the census date) unless students present evidence of University error that prevented their timely registration.

Read also: UW-Madison Tuition Requirements

Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Dropping a course refers to official removal within the first four weeks of the semester. Withdrawal occurs after the census date. Unauthorized Withdrawal may result for failure to drop or withdraw properly from a course. In this case, a grade of "WU" is assigned by the instructor.

Until the end of the second week of instruction of the semester, students are expected to drop courses by using "My Sac State". Drops during the third and fourth weeks of instruction are processed in the academic department offering the course and require instructor and department chair approval. The approved Petition to Add/Drop/Withdrawal form must be submitted to the Registrar's Office (Lassen Hall) after the fourth week.

Withdrawal during the 5th and 6th week of the semester requires the signature of the course instructor and the department chair. Withdrawal during the 7th through the 12th week requires the signature of the course instructor, the department chair, and the college dean. Withdrawal is allowed after the 12th week of instruction only in exceptional cases, such as in cases of accident or serious illness due to circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Students are generally limited to 18 units of "W" grades.

Attendance

Regular attendance is expected, and instructors may establish attendance policies that affect a student's grade. Instructors have the right to administratively remove any student who, during the first two weeks of instruction, fails to attend any two class meetings (for courses that meet two or more times a week), or one class meeting (for courses that meet once a week). It is the responsibility of each student to officially drop any scheduled courses he or she is not attending.

Read also: Westfield State University Legacy

Withdrawal from the University

Students who find it necessary to withdraw completely from Sacramento State are required to follow the university's official withdrawal procedures. Students who receive financial aid funds must consult with the Student Services Center prior to withdrawing from the university regarding required return or repayment of grant or loan assistance received for that academic term or payment period. Sacramento State students withdrawing from all classes in a given semester must receive approval from the Student Services Counselor before leaving the university. Withdrawals from the University during the final three weeks of the semester shall not be permitted except in cases such as accident or serious illness, where the cause of withdrawal is/are clearly beyond the student's control, occurred after the 12th week of the semester, and the assignment of "Incomplete" grades each course is impractical.

Immunization

The CSU recommends that students are current for recommended immunizations.

Course Load

A normal course load is considered to be 15 to 17 units. Students whose University record justifies a course load in excess of 21 units may petition to be allowed to carry extra units.

Enrollment Programs

Fully matriculated students have access to courses at other CSU campuses on a space-available basis. Programs include:

CSU Fully Online Courses.
Visitor Enrollment.
Concurrent Enrollment.

Students may enroll at another institution outside the CSU system while enrolled at Sacramento State without prior approval if the total course load does not exceed 21 units. Concurrent registration, also known as Open University, is enrollment in on-campus courses through the College of Continuing Education.

Leave of Absence

The leave policy allows enrolled Sacramento State undergraduate and second baccalaureate students to maintain enrollment eligibility and rights to specified degree requirement options. Unclassified postbaccalaureate students are allowed to maintain enrollment status while exploring goals away from the University. The policy also allows classified graduates (those enrolled in master’s degree programs) to maintain status in their programs during an absence. Students dismissed due to academic deficiencies or disciplinary action are not eligible for Leaves of Absence.

Sacramento State students who are not enrolled for one semester at Sacramento State are considered as on a leave of absence. Students who return after being absent for one semester do not have to file for readmission or pay the application fee, keep their catalog rights for undergraduate students and maintain classified status for graduate students. Students who do not enroll for two consecutive semesters without filing for a Leave of Absence are not considered as continuing students. Students must reapply for admission and pay the application fee.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to California State University, Sacramento are in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3, of the California Code of Regulations. A student who has been in attendance at Sacramento State in either of the two preceding semesters is considered a continuing student and does not need to reapply or pay the $70 application fee.

Prospective students applying for part-time or full-time undergraduate programs of study must submit a completed undergraduate application. The $70 nonrefundable application fee should be paid online at the time of application via credit card or PayPal and may not be transferred or used to apply to another term.

Impaction

The CSU designates programs as impacted when more applications from regularly eligible applicants are received in the initial filing period than can be accommodated. Applicants must file applications for admission to an impacted program during the initial filing period. All undergraduate programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Public Health and the upper division Graphic Design and Prelicensure Clinical Nursing Program have been officially designated as impacted programs on the Sacramento State campus.

Application Filing Periods

The initial filing periods for applications are the previous October through November for fall semester and the previous August for spring semester. Each non-impacted campus accepts applications until capacities are reached.

Transcripts

Undergraduate students are required to comply with the following transcript requirements as part of the application procedures for admission. One transcript from high school showing final senior grades and date of graduation. All transcripts become the property of the University and will not be released or copied. Failure to disclose enrollment in each college or university attended constitutes grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University for unethical conduct.

Admissions Appeals

Each CSU university must publish appeal procedures for applicants denied admission to the University. Admissions appeal procedures must address the basis for appeals, provide 15 business days for an applicant to submit an appeal, stipulate a maximum of one appeal per academic term, provide specific contact information for the individual or office to which the appeal should be submitted, and indicate a time estimate for when the university expects to respond to an appeal.

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