Purpose of the Policy   No current university policy exists to guide the development of a combined Bachelor’s to Master’s degree pathway at Cal Poly Humboldt. Coded Memorandum AA 2012-01 specifies the minimum requirements for establishing a “blended degree model”, which at Cal Poly Humboldt shall be referred to as the Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Pathway (CBMP) Policy. The CBMP will support students in the pursuit of advanced degrees in the same or different fields, and will streamline their path toward achieving a Master’s degree in their area of study.

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Pathway Policy

I.  Establishment of a CBMP

Academic units that choose to establish a CBMP must follow the campus ICC curricular approval timeline as for a new degree program beginning with a Curriculog submission. Combined pathways programs must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Curricula for a CBMP must adhere to existing campus curriculum policies for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees

          a. If permissible by the program and approved via existing campus curriculum processes, a student may double-count up to 12 semester units between the undergraduate and graduate degree. Therefore, a minimum of 138 semester units (e.g., BS 120 + MS 30, subtracting 12 units double counted) are required in blended programs with approval for double counting.

         b. As described in the CSU policy, “None of the required graduate courses can be replaced by an undergraduate course, and graduate courses that will also count toward the bachelor's degree must either require mastery of the more rudimentary knowledge taught at the undergraduate level or cover the content of the undergraduate courses that they replace.”

  2. The program must be submitted for approval through the ICC

  3. The Offices of Graduate Studies, Academic Programs, and the Registrar shall develop guidelines and processes for administration of a CBMP, in close consultation and collaboration with the Financial Aid Office and Student Financial Services.

II. Minimum Admissions Requirements to a CBMP

1. Minimum admission requirements must be consistent with existing policy (including policy guiding combined programs, currently found in Coded Memorandum AA 2012-01).
2. The student must successfully have completed a minimum of 60 undergraduate degree applicable units and not more than 90 undergraduate degree applicable units at the time of application.
3. A program may stipulate more rigorous standards for admission than the minimum criteria.

III. Change to Graduate Status in CBMP

  1. The Registrar's Office in consulation with the Office of Graduate Studies shall develop processes for transitioning students from undergraduate to graduate status following all appropriate policies (including policy guiding combined programs, currently found in Coded Memorandum AA 2012-01).

IV. Award of Undergraduate Degree and Graduate Credits