Undergraduate Programs
Minimum Grade-Point Average
To maintain good academic standing and to be eligible for degree conferral or certificate award, undergraduate students must achieve a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00 “C” or higher for all coursework completed at Golden Gate University. For more information, please refer to the Undergraduate Student Academic Standing Requirements .
General Education at Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University’s General Education program prepares undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills, and judgment required for professional and personal success in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven society and workplace.
A defining feature of General Education at Golden Gate University is a focus on AI literacy in the first semester of study. AI literacy is developed through guided interaction with tools, including prompting, evaluating outputs, and refining results across text, data, and other formats. This approach allows students to build proficiency through practice, feedback, and iteration. In this way, AI supports the development of core competencies in communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning by providing a scaffold for learning. Rather than serving as a prerequisite, these competencies and AI fluency are developed together, reinforcing one another in the core courses and throughout the curriculum.
The study of ethics builds on concepts introduced in the AI core and provides students with philosophical perspectives and principles for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating ethical concerns in professional and personal contexts. Communication skills are further developed through coursework that emphasizes effective written and oral communication, including attention to audience, purpose, and cultural context. Quantitative reasoning and critical thinking are strengthened through studies in critical thinking and statistics, which extend students’ ability to interpret information, create and analyze arguments, and solve problems in data-informed environments. Skills in written communication and information literacy are also developed in greater depth, reinforcing students’ ability to evaluate sources and communicate effectively.
Students also can learn and apply basic theories and concepts in the behavioral and social sciences, including economics, and valuable life skills in personal finance.
General Education at Golden Gate University establishes a solid foundation for further study in the professions and cultivates knowledge and skills supporting success and flourishing in professional and personal life.
Upon completion of the General Education program, students will be able to:
- Write clearly and coherently for professional audiences, including contexts that involve AI-mediated drafting and collaboration.
- Speak clearly and deliver clear, organized presentations appropriate to audience and context.
- Interpret quantitative information, evaluate statistical claims, and use computational tools to analyze problems.
- Analyze arguments, weigh evidence, and evaluate claims - including those produced by AI systems - with appropriate critical awareness and rigor.
- Locate, evaluate, and ethically use information from human and AI sources to support inquiry and decision-making.
- Identify ethical dimensions of professional and personal dilemmas and decisions, including those raised by emerging technologies, and apply principled frameworks to navigate and address them.
- Apply psychological, social, and economic perspectives to analyze and interpret behaviors, ways of thinking and systems.
Academic Residency Requirement
To earn a degree from Golden Gate University, students must complete a minimum number of units in residence at GGU, as outlined below:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) Degrees: Minimum of 30 units must be completed at GGU.
- Associate of Arts (AA) Degree: Minimum of 15 units must be completed at GGU.
These units may be drawn from any part of the degree requirements, unless the degree program specifies that certain courses must be completed at Golden Gate University.
Note: Students who wish to request an exception to this policy must submit a petition to the Dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies. Students should first consult with their academic advisors before submitting a petition.
Graduate Programs
Minimum Grade Point Average
To maintain “good” academic standing and to be eligible for degree conferral or certificate award, graduate students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 in the academic programs in which they are enrolled.
Students who fall below this GPA requirement may be subject to academic probation or dismissal as outlines in the Graduate Student Academic Standing Requirements .
Time Limit for Completion of Master’s Degrees
Students are generally expected to complete all requirements for a master’s degree within six calendar years from the date of admission to the graduate program. An extension of this time may be granted with approval from the appropriate school dean. In such cases, students may be required to fulfill updated degree or program requirements that have been implemented since their original admission.
Graduate Academic Residency Requirement
Graduate degree-seeking students may transfer up to six units of 300-400 level graduate coursework completed at other regionally accredited institutions into GGU, with the approval of their program directors or deans. Transfer allowances may differ if stipulated by corporate or government contracts or agreements. Students who have previously earned master’s degrees at regionally accredited institutions may be eligible to transfer up to 12 graduate-level units to GGU master’s degree programs, with the approval of their program directors or deans. The remaining coursework must be completed at GGU. While it is strongly recommended that the final six units be completed at GGU, those units may be transferred with prior faculty approval of the specific coursework if the twelve-unit transfer limit has not yet been met. Students should note that certain 300-400 level course requirements may not be fulfilled by courses taken at other institutions, as determined by the faculty. See Graduate Transfer Credit for more information.
Students who hold a master’s degrees from GGU may have up to 12 units of coursework waived toward a second or subsequent GGU graduate program, with dean approval. However, such coursework will not be included in the program GPA for the additional degree. See Graduate Student Academic Standing Requirements for more information.
For graduate certificate programs, students must complete all required coursework at GGU. There is no limit to the number of GGU units from a degree program that can be applied toward a certificate, regardless of whether the degree has been conferred.
Exceptions to these policies may be made only on petition to and approval by students’ program directors or deans.
Proficiency Requirements
To support academic success in graduate-level coursework, all graduate students at GGU must demonstrate proficiency in writing and mathematics.
Admitted students are expected to:
- Complete any required proficiency tests or assessments during their first term of enrollment.
- Fulfill all outstanding proficiency requirements within their first nine (9) units of coursework at GGU.
Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement
Graduate students are expected to possess strong writing skills. This requirement can be satisfied by one of the following:
- Students whose first (native) language is not English must satisfy the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirement , or
- Earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher learning, or
- Earned at least the grade of “B” in a graduate-level writing course from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or
- Passed a U.S. nationally recognized professional/career exam that includes a significant written component such as the CPA, CFP, Bar Exam, or Foreign Service Officer exam, or
- Waived by Dean, Department Chair, or Program Director, based on the applicant’s submission of an Enrollment Services Petition form.
Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement
Graduate students must also meet GGU’s mathematics proficiency standard. Newly admitted students are expected to enroll in appropriate coursework to meet this requirement in their first term, and complete the mathematics proficiency requirement within their first nine units of GGU coursework. For more information, see the Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Tests for specific placement options and requirements.
MATH 20 Applied Intermediate Algebra
Applicants to the following programs are required to possess a level of mathematical skill equivalent to GGU’s MATH 20 Applied Intermediate Algebra course:
Students who are unable to demonstrate adequate mathematical proficiency will be required to enroll in and successfully complete appropriate mathematical courses and/or noncredit workshops offered or recommended by Golden Gate University’s Mathematics Department. This requirement is designed to ensure students possess the foundational quantitative skills necessary for success in their academic programs.
To assess minimum required mathematics proficiency, the university uses the following alternative criteria:
- Transfer of MATH 20 (or higher-level mathematics course) from a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of “C-” or better.
- Completion of MATH 20 at GGU with a grade of “C-” or better; note: graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (“B”) to remain in good academic standing.
- Pass GGU’s Math Proficiency Exam with a score of 70 percent or better.
- Pass the College Mathematics CLEP Exam with a score of 50 or better.
- Score at or above the 50th percentile on the Quantitative Section of the GMAT Exam.
- Score at or above the 50th percentile on the Quantitative Section of the GRE Exam.
Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Tests
Students who have not received credit for MATH 20 (or a higher-level mathematics course), either through transfer credit or by successfully completing the course at Golden Gate University, may satisfy this requirement by passing one of the following exams: GGU Math Proficiency Exam or College Mathematics CLEP exam. For additional options and eligibility criteria, refer to the Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement section.
Proficiency Test for MATH 20
This math proficiency test is available exclusively to graduate students and is designed to assess proficiency in algebra at the level required to waive MATH 20 . Students who achieve a passing score may satisfy the MATH 20 requirement without taking the course. The test is administered by GGU Testing Services free of charge and timed for 2.5 hours. For more details and scheduling information, please visit Testing Services and view the “Math Placement & Proficiency Assessment” information.
Graduate Program Foundation Course Waivers
The graduate foundation courses below may be waived based on undergraduate coursework transferred from a regionally accredited institution with a grade of “C-” or better, by passing the applicable CLEP exam with a score of 50 or greater, or by completion of the equivalent GGU undergraduate course with a grade of “C-” or better. The number and type of foundation course waivers granted will vary depending on the student’s academic background and the specific course. An initial waiver evaluation is conducted upon admission, and results are communicated in the acceptance letter. If students believe additional waivers should be granted, they may submit a written petition to the Office of Enrollment Services, accompanied by supporting documentation such as course descriptions, syllabi, and lists of required texts, etc.
Waivable Foundation Courses and Equivalent Undergraduate Coursework
| Graduate Course |
GGU Undergraduate Equivalent |
Waiver Criteria/Notes |
| BUS 240 Data Analysis for Managers |
MATH 40 and MATH 104 |
Minimum of six semester units in statistics and regression, including coverage of: probability theory, estimation, hypothesis testing, multiple regression analysis, and forecasting. |
Note for MS Business Analytics Applicants:
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