A collaborative degree is one that partners a CSU graduate program with a similar graduate program at an international university in order to allow students to transfer credits between the two programs and earn a degree at CSU. Both CSU and international students must earn a minimum of 60% of the degree credits at CSU and the remaining credits at the international university in either a master’s or PhD degree.
The coursework for the degree program offered at the collaborating university must meet CSU standards. The courses accepted for transfer from the collaborating university to the CSU program must be equivalent in credit and content. These courses must be listed, evaluated and approved by the CSU department offering the degree; these courses must provide similar content and student learning outcomes and be reflected in the course syllabi as such. The coursework/syllabi that will be transferred from the collaborating university must be translated into English by the collaborating university for evaluation purposes.
International universities, colleges, or degree granting institutions must be invited to participate in a Collaborative Degree Program by a CSU program department. Such institutions must be accredited by a major regional accrediting agency in order to be eligible to participate in a Collaborative Degree Program. An Academic Collaboration Agreement must be signed between CSU and the international partner university with details of the Collaborative Degree Program, including admission and degree requirements, number of students eligible to participate, insurance, travel, enrollment, and other administrative issues. Collaborative degree students must meet all Graduate School admission and degree requirements. (See the Graduate School website for more details.) Academic Collaboration Agreements are facilitated through the Office of International Programs and must be reviewed and approved by the following individuals from CSU: Dean, Department Head, and Program Director of the program wishing to create a Collaborative Degree Program; Legal Counsel; International Programs; Provost; Graduate School; individuals from the international university that have the authority to sign in support of the Academic Collaboration Agreement. When a student is completing a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation an additional agreement, the Co-Directed Graduate Study Agreement (aka "Cotutelle"), must also be completed and signed by the relevant parties that specifies the co‐direction of the work and other pedagogical and publication‐related issues. When students meet the requirements for the Collaborative Degree Program, CSU independently confers the degree. The collaborating university may also independently confer a degree. A review process to monitor the quality and outcomes of the Collaborative Degree Program will be established by the department. Data will be reported to the College Dean and Graduate School or as stipulated in the review process.