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Catalog Rights

Catalog Rights and Continuous Enrollment Policy

The MSJC Catalog year is Fall, Spring, and Summer, and the MSJC Catalog is revised and updated annually. Catalog rights refer to the specific set of requirements, as established in an MSJC catalog for a specific year, which a student must satisfy to qualify for a certificate or degree. Within the MSJC Catalog are policies, procedures, major requirements, and course descriptions - all of which may impact graduation requirements. Students’ individual graduation requirements are not always subject to these annual updates depending on the students’ catalog year.

Students’ catalog rights are established by the first term a student attends MSJC, or if the student had no gaps in attendance within a CCC, CSU, or UC. Students maintain rights to a particular set of graduation requirements, which is referred to as catalog rights, when the student remains continuously enrolled (or ensure no gaps in attendance within a CCC, CSU, UC).

Continuous Enrollment

Continuous enrollment at MSJC is defined as attendance in one semester within a calendar year (January 1- December 31), excluding winter and summer sessions, in the CCC, CSU, UC system.

  • A student who attends multiple institutions (within the CCC, CSU, and UC) and is continuously enrolled, will maintain the initial catalog year from when they first began.
  • Students who have maintained continuous attendance at a CCC, CSU or a UC may elect to qualify for graduation from MSJC under catalog requirements in effect either:
    • At the time they began attending any CCC, CSU, or UC campus;
    • At the time they entered MSJC (with the exception of Dual Enrollment and Concurrent Enrollment); or
    • At the time they graduate MSJC

Maintaining Catalog Rights at MSJC

A student’s catalog rights are maintained provided:

  • The student maintained continuous enrollment in the CCC or CSU (the student did not have more than a one semester break in either Fall or Spring of an academic year). 
  • The student maintains continuous enrollment (enrollment in one course per calendar year) at a CCC, CSU, or UC.
    • In order to maintain catalog rights based on the initial semester of enrollment at MSJC, at least one type of evaluative or non-evaluative symbols must have been posted on the official college transcript. Evaluative symbols included but are not limited to grades of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “F”, “P” or “NP” and may include +/- designations. Non-Evaluative symbols include but are not limited to grades of “I”, “IP”, “RD”, "EW" or “W” and are not used in calculating grade point averages.

NOTE: While the student may graduate based on any one of the catalogs in effect during their continuous enrollment, all of the requirements in that one catalog must be met. In the event that required courses have been discontinued, students may petition for substitution (with the exception of ADTs). Students may not combine requirements from more than one catalog to satisfy the graduation requirements.

CSU Ethnic Studies Catalog Rights

For information on the CSU Ethnic Studies and Catalog Rights requirement please refer to the CSU Ethnic Studies Catalog Rights Chart.

High School Dual Enrollment Students and Concurrent High School Enrollment

  • High school Dual Enrollment Students have no CCC catalog rights because CSU defined dual enrollment as a first-time freshman.
  • High school students are not eligible for catalog rights as undergraduate students, regardless of the number of college credits transferred.

Notes:

  • The above catalog rights and continuous enrollment definitions align with the CCC, Title 5 policies, and the CSU Chancellor's Office policies. This alignment ensures that no student is unfairly penalized in terms of general education certifications, transfer, and admission.
  • Regardless of catalog rights and continuous enrollment, a CSU and UC will honor completion of general education coursework at a CCC provided the course was on the approved GE certification list at the time the course was completed.
  • The University of California (UC) has no systemwide catalog rights policy. UC will continue to accept appropriate CCC certifications of IGETC and Cal-GETC for incoming students for the time being.
  • The California State Universities (CSUs) catalog rights are governed by Title 5, § 40401. Some CSUs may honor CCC catalog rights policies and extend their applicability to all students, in practice.