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, depending on your program.

• Submit your PCE after completing at least 18 semester units.
• PCE submission deadlines:
• 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.
• Do not submit your ATC with your PCE. Please follow the separate ATC instructions here.
• See below for information on Selection of Culminating Experience Committee and Registration and Grading for Culminating Experience Courses
• April 1 for fall semester enrollment
• October 1 for spring semester enrollment

Preparing the Proposal for Culminating Experience (PCE)

1. Consult with your program advisor or Graduate Coordinator to select the appropriate Proposal for Culminating Experience (PCE) form from the menu below:

• 890: Culminating Experience Seminar (MBA only)    
• 890: Culminating Experience Seminar (MSA only)    
• 890: Culminating Experience Seminar    
• 892: Supervised Field Internship    
• 893: Written Creative Work    
• 894: Creative Work Project    
• 895: Field Study or Applied Research    
• 896 EXM Option: Written or Oral Examinations    
• 898: Thesis    
• 998: Dissertation

2. Complete the PCE form, then save it on your computer. Handwritten materials will not be accepted.
   
   • Open the form in Chrome
   • Carefully read the instructions on the first two pages of the PCE form before completing it.
   • Complete the form online, then select Print (change the printer to Save as PDF), and then save the file to your computer.

How to Submit Your PCE

1. Navigate to the Online PCE Submission portal, complete the required Information:

• On the signature page, click the paperclip icon to upload your completed PCE form.
• 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.
• Review all uploaded documents to ensure everything needed has been attached.

3. Complete all required fields and select Submit.
4. Enter the name and email address for each committee member and Graduate Coordinator. Select Submit again.
5. You will receive an email from Adobe Sign asking you to confirm your email address.
6. Click the confirmation link.

Once confirmed, the form will be routed automatically for review and signatures. After final approval, you will receive a copy of the completed form by email—please save it for your records.

If you have questions, contact your program advisor or Graduate Coordinator for guidance.

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.