Election of Regulations for Degree Requirements (Catalog Rights)
Undergraduate students acquire "catalog rights" with respect to the requirements for a degree program by maintaining "attendance" continuously. This means that, if continuous attendance is maintained and the degree objective is not changed, students may choose to graduate under the requirements for the degree in effect 1) at the time they began the study in a California community college or another campus of The California State University, 2) at the time they entered CSULB, or 3) at the time of graduation from CSULB. Substitutions for discontinued courses may be authorized or required by the Dean of the College. Students who change their major, including changing from "undeclared" status to a defined degree objective or from one option to another option under the same degree, are governed by the degree major requirements in effect at the time of the change or declaration of major. Students who change majors are advised that some courses counted for General Education or double counted for General Education and a major may become unacceptable for General Education in connection with a new major. These students should check with the University Center for Undergraduate Advising or their major advisor.
The term "attendance" means, literally, attendance in a course for at least one semester (or quarter) unit credit in at least one semester (or two quarters) in a calendar year, culminating in a record of enrollment on the student's official transcript. For the purpose of establishing catalog rights, the course must be at the baccalaureate or graduate level in a California Community College, a California State University, or a University of California campus. Enrollment resulting in a withdrawal (the grading symbols W, WE or WU) does not count as attendance in a course, therefore does not preserve "catalog rights."
Once "catalog rights" are established, absence related to an approved medical, military or academic leave or for attendance at another accredited institution of higher education will not be considered an interruption of attendance, provided that the absence does not exceed two years (see Educational Leave).
Failure to remain in continuous attendance will mean that the student must meet the regulations current at the time of resuming the degree program or those applicable at the time of graduation. In addition, for graduate students, a failure to maintain continuous attendance means the automatic revocation of "candidacy" for the degree (advancement to candidacy) and of "catalog rights."
