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California State University, Long Beach
Policy Statement
XX-XX
DATE
Baccalaureate Degree Unit Limits
This policy statement was recommended by the Academic Senate on [date]
and approved by the President on [date].
The purpose of this policy is to enforce Title 5 baccalaureate degree unit limits and create strategies for
reducing required units for academic programs. create a procedure to meet two sets of requirements:
those articulated in Title 5, Division 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article 6, § 40500-40507 (Undergraduate
Degrees: Required Curriculum) and those described in Title 5, Division 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article
5, § 40405-40405.4 (General Requirements for Graduation: General Education—Breadth Requirements).
Title 5 The Formerrequires that all programs bachelor degrees(with the exception of the Bachelor of
Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Architecture, and the Bachelor of Landscape
Architecture) require a maximum of 120 units. All majors are expected have to ensure that their
requirements meet this maximum unless an exception is approved by the Chancellor. These changes are
intended to create access to the university for prospective freshmen and community college transfer
students while maintaining program accreditation and licensure.
I. MAXIMUM UNITS ALLOWED
For candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree or the Bachelor of Science degree whose catalog rights
commence during or after the 2013-14 2014-15 academic year, 120 units or fewer shall be required,
including at least 40 units in upper-division courses or their equivalent, unless the Chancellor grants an
exception for the particular degree. For candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or Bachelor of
Music degree whose catalog rights commence during or after the 2013-14 2014-15 academic year, no
fewer than 120 units and no more than 132 units, or the limit set in Title 5, , Division 5, Chapter 1,
Subchapter 2, Article 6, § 40506, shall be required, unless the Chancellor grants an exception. For
candidates for the Bachelor of Music degree and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the major shall
consist of a maximum of 70 units with at least one-fourth of these units devoted to theory and content
as distinguished from studio, production, and performance.
II. STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING UNITS
In order to meet this Title 5 requirement, all programs exceeding the maximum unit limits specified
above must first reduce the number of required major courses and units. Should this not be sufficient,
programs should pursue the following strategies to reduce units required:
[Amendment to substitute the paragraph above with the following:]
In order to meet the requirements in Title 5, Division 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article 6, § 4050040507 while also satisfying those in Title 5, Division 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article 5, § 4040540405.4, all programs exceeding the maximum unit limits specified above must first reduce the number
of required major courses and units. By the end of the fall 2013 semester, these programs must present
to their Colleges’ Curriculum committees a comparison between their required major courses and units
and those in three (3) comparable programs at comparable institutions. With this presentation, they
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must either offer a course of action to reduce the number of required major courses and units in their
own program or make an argument for why they cannot reduce that number.
Should this first step not be sufficient, programs shall pursue the following strategies by the beginning
of the spring 2014 semester to reduce units required:
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Consider consistency of requirements with comparable programs at other institutions;
Request approval for lower division majors-only courses to be eligible for certification to
fulfill General Education requirements;
[Replace above with:]
Request certification of lower division majors-only courses as General Education courses;
Request an exception to the maximum number of units in the major that can satisfy General
Education requirements;
Request exemption from campus-specific degree requirements; and
Request approval to adjust category categories and unit requirements for General
Education. However, all programs are required to include a minimum of 39 48 units of
general education including one 3-unit Writing Intensive Capstone.
[Amendment to replace the bulleted section above with:]
Adjustments to requirements may include--but are not limited to--requesting approval for lower division
majors only courses to be eligible for certification to fulfill GE requirements, requesting exceptions to
the maximum number of units in the major that can satisfy GE requirements, and requesting approval to
adjust category and unit requirements for GE. (All programs, however, must include at least 39 units of
general education including one 3 unit Writing Intensive Capstone.) Programs may also request
exemptions from campus specific degree requirements.
Programs which have pursued all the above strategies and for which further reduction would jeopardize
their accreditation or licensure may request that the Provost’s Office petition the Chancellor for an
exception to allow higher units.
[Amendment to replace above paragraph with:]
Programs that have followed all of these steps and still not met the unit limit shall present to the
Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies and Academic Advising a comparison between their
required major courses and units and those in six (6) comparable programs at comparable institutions.
With this presentation, they must make an argument for why they cannot reduce that number.
If programs have pursued all the above strategies and have not been able to meet the unit limits, and/or
if in the process they have demonstrated that their accreditation or licensing is jeopardized by any
further unit reduction, the Provost’s Office shall petition the Chancellor for an exception to allow higher
units.
Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs requiring in excess of 70 units in the major must
use the strategies outlined above to reduce time to degree their unit limit..
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Programs in which students regularly complete significantly more than the required 120 (or 132 for the
Bachelor of Music and the Bachelor of Fine Arts) as indicated by average units to completion from the
last five years (2008-2013), should also use the strategies outlined above to reduce time to degree.
III. APPROVAL PROCESS
Adjustments to General Education requirements to meet the Baccalaureate Degree Unit Limits Policy
must first be approved through the regular department and college curricular approval process and then
be submitted to the General Education Governing Committee (GEGC). Recommendations from GEGC
will be forwarded to the Curriculum and Educational Policy Council. Those adjustments approved by the
Curriculum and Educational Policy Council will be forwarded to the Provost. If required, adjustments
approved by the Provost will be forwarded to the CSU Office of the Chancellor for final approval.
Effective: [date]