Students must complete requirements for the degree within 7 calendar years from the date they were admitted to a program, unless a lesser time is specified by the department or program committee.

Courses that were completed more than 7 years prior to the date on which all requirements for the degree are completed cannot be counted to meet unit requirements unless the student can show current knowledge in the content of the outdated courses by written examination for each course in question. A maximum of 9 units taken in residency at CSUN may be validated in this manner. The graduate coordinator in the student’s program must certify this competency by way of a memorandum to the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies. Outdated courses taken at another institution may not be validated.