Culminating Experience

The culminating experience requirement is met by the satisfactory completion of a thesis, research project, creative work, comprehensive examination, and/or an oral defense of the work.

Preparing the Proposal for Culminating Experience (PCE):

The online submission portal will notify Faculty/staff when you submit your PCE and that you are requesting their signature. You must submit accurate information for prompt review/approval.

Do not use the PCE form for official changes to your committee membership or title changes that do not involve a change in subject matter or research methods. Use the Petition for Committee Change or Title Change for Culminating Experience.

Note: Do not submit your ATC with your PCE. Please follow the separate ATC instructions here.

1. Submit your PCE after completing at least 18 semester units.
   • PCE submission deadlines:
     • April 1 for fall semester enrollment
     • October 1 for spring semester enrollment
2. Consult with your program advisor or Graduate Coordinator to select the appropriate PCE form from the drop-down menu below.
3. Complete the PCE form before starting the submission process. Handwritten materials will not be accepted.
   • Download the appropriate PCE form and save it on your computer.
   • Read the instructions on how to complete the form on the first two pages of the PCE.
   • Fill out your PCE form and save it again.
   • Ensure your PCE form is complete; blank forms or forms with blank sections will be rejected.
4. In the Online PCE Submission portal, complete the required signature Information:
   • Enter your name and email address.
   • Enter the name and SF State email address of your Committee Chair.
   • Enter the name and SF State email address of your Second Reader.
   • Enter the name and SF State email address of your Third Reader (if required by your program).
   • Enter the name and SF State email address of your Department Chair/Graduate Program Coordinator. (Find your Graduate Program Coordinator here).
5. On the signature page, click the paperclip icon to upload your completed PCE form.
   • If you need to upload multiple files, click "Upload File" again to select more.
   • If your research involves human or animal subjects, approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the University Animal Care and Use Committee (UACUC) is required. Visit the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs - Human and Animal Protections website for more information.
6. Review all uploaded documents to ensure everything needed has been attached.
7. Click "FINISH" at the top of the page once you are satisfied that all necessary documents have been attached. You will have the option to download or print a copy of all documents submitted. Otherwise, just click "Close," and you can exit out of the tab.

Selection of Culminating Experience Committee

• The committee must consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of five members.
• The chair and the second member of your committee must hold tenured/tenure-track faculty appointments in your major department.
• In circumstances where special expertise is available in another department, the graduate dean may authorize a designated tenured/tenure-track faculty member from a related department to serve as second reader.
• With special permission, some long-term lecturers with terminal degrees in their field or with special expertise may serve as the second reviewer provided their curriculum vitae is on file in the Division of Graduate Studies.
• The third member of a committee may be a lecturer or from outside the major department or university. Lectures or readers outside the university must have a current curriculum vitae on file in the Division of Graduate Studies.
• To officially change the composition of your committee, you must submit a Petition for GAP Substitution or Committee Revision to culminatingexperience@sfsu.edu.

Registration and Grading for Culminating Experience Courses

• You must have an approved Advancement To Candidacy (ATC) form and Proposal for Culminating Experience on file at the Division of Graduate Studies. The registrar will block admission to a culminating experience class until approval is received.
• You must have a 3.0 GPA in all post-baccalaureate course work completed.
• If you do not complete the course by the end of the semester of registration you will receive a grade of RP (Report in Progress). Do not register for the course again.
• When the project is completed, be sure that your committee chair files a grade change to CR (Credit) with the Registrar's Office.
• A Report of Completion must be filed for internships, field studies, or creative work projects.
• Thesis/Dissertation/Written Creative Works need to be reviewed by Graduate Studies and submitted to the Library. Adhere to Thesis Guidelines for completion.