CSUN Computer Science - Graduate Programs - FAQ

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is a statement of purpose required for application?
2. What federal financial aid restriction exists for paying for prerequisites courses?
3. What is Program Prerequisites Pending (PPP) status?
4. How can I enroll in prerequisite courses as a graduate student?
5. Can I repeat courses to improve my GPA?
6. Can I transfer graduate courses?
7. Can I enroll in A/R 601?
8. How long can I take to complete the graduate work?
9. Do I have to take a class every semester?
10. For how many years are GRE scores active?
11. What do I do if I am disqualified?

1. Is a statement of purpose required for application?

   A statement of purpose is not required as part of the graduate application. If submitted, however, it will be considered. All application materials should be sent to the CSUN Office of Admissions.

2. What federal financial aid restriction exists for paying for prerequisites courses?

   Federal financial aid can cover up to 125% of the units required for a degree program. In the case of our 30 unit MS in Computer Science and MS in Software Engineering degree programs, federal financial aid is permitted for up to 37 units.

3. What is Program Prerequisites Pending (PPP) status?

   A student accepted by the Computer Science Department with Program Prerequisites Pending (PPP) status must satisfy prerequisites before enrolling COMP 696C and COMP 698C.

4. How can I enroll in prerequisite courses as a graduate student?

   As a graduate student, enrollment in prerequisite courses is restricted. Therefore, to enroll in 100-, 200-, or 300-level courses contact the Department office for a permission number. For enrollment in 400-, 500-, and 600- level courses that may be full, contact the course instructor and/or the Computer Science Department.

5. Can I repeat courses to improve my GPA?

   With prior permission of the Department you may, for the purpose of improving your grade, repeat up to 6 units of credit in a program of study in which a grade of B- or below, or a grade of U, was achieved. (Graduate Studies has also been allowing undergraduate prerequisites to be repeated, but repeating a prerequisite class counts towards the 6 unit limit.) In such cases, only the most recent grade will count. A specific course can be repeated only once. Note, if you are in good academic standing, you will not be given permission to repeat a course with a passing grade. You must submit the Course Repeat Form for Graduate Students before you repeat the course.

6. Can I transfer graduate courses?

   Subject to Department and University approvals and the regulations described in the CSUN catalog, you can transfer up to 9 units of graduate work. This includes classes taken through "open university."  A major criterion for approval is that the course you wish to transfer was available for graduate credit at the university where the course was taken.

7. Can I enroll in A/R 601?

   To be granted permission to enroll in A/R 601 (formerly XEDU 980), your committee chair must provide written approval for you to take A/R 601 in place of taking COMP 696C again. Additionally, a draft of the thesis must have been submitted for formatting review in a previous semester. If more than small changes are necessary to the thesis draft or if prior permission to enroll in A/R 601 has already been granted in a previous semester, then the A/R 601 enrollment will be denied.

8. How long can I take to complete the graduate work?

   The basic limitation is that any units earned more than 7 years before the date you plan to graduate will not count. The 7 year period starts at the time of receiving the grade and continues until the filing for graduation. It also applies to transferred graduate level courses (CSUN or transferred), but not to any prerequisite classes.

   When working on your thesis you may receive an RP grade. You have at most two years to remove any RP grades, which effectively gives you a maximum of two and a half years to complete your thesis.

9. Do I have to take a class every semester?

   No. You can be on academic leave for two semesters without any formality. However, if you do not register for a class for three consecutive semesters you will be dropped from the University mailing list and the Masters program. You will then have to reapply for admission to the University and the Masters program through the CSUN Admissions & Records Office. Your admission to the University will be determined by the rules and regulations that are in force at the time of this reapplication. Note that you will have to retake all expired graduate classes over the seven year limitation.

10. For how many years are GRE scores active?

    The University policy is that GRE scores are active for 5 years. Older scores can not be used for MS applications.

11. What do I do if I am disqualified?

    You can contact the Department for advisement.