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Regulatory Affairs at SDSU
What types of RA educational options are offered by San Diego State University?
We offer an MS in Regulatory Affairs degree, an Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs, and the opportunity to enroll in individual RA courses. The MS in RA degree is a 40-unit program, which takes approximately 21-24 months to complete. The 12-unit RA certificate can be completed within 9-12 months. Most of the individual courses are 10 weeks long.
Is the MS in RA degree a new program at San Diego State University?
The MS in RA degree program started Fall 1999. In May 2001, the program graduated its 1st class.
Do other schools offer similar programs?
For a complete listing of Colleges and Universities that offer degrees and courses in Regulatory Affairs, please visit the RAPS website at http://www.raps.org/careers/grad.cfm.
Is the Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs offered by San Diego State University the same as the Regulatory Affairs Certification offered by RAPS?
The Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs offered by SDSU is NOT the same as, or related to, the Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) offered by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS). The Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs involves the completion of certificate courses. Other courses may not be substituted. You must earn a “B” or better to pass the course and qualify for the Advanced Certificate. For information about the RAC exam, please visit the RAPS website at http://www.raps.org/knowledgecenter/rac/.
How do I contact the Regulatory Affairs program office?
- San Diego State University
Regulatory Affairs
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4610
Phone: 619-594-6030
Fax: 619-594-6132
Mail Code: 4610
Web site: www.cbbd.sdsu.edu
Email: cbbd@sciences.sdsu.edu
Rashmi C. Praba, MPA
Administrative Support Coordinator, Regulatory Affairs
Obtaining an Advanced Certificate
How do I start the Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs?
There is no application process to pursue the Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs. Students (other than those accepted to the Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs degree program) may earn the Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs by successfully completing the certificate courses. Other courses may not be substituted. You must earn a "B" or better in all Advanced Certificate courses. You can register for these courses by calling the SDSU College of Extended Studies (CES) at 619-594-5152 or by visiting http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/regulatoryaffairs.html and clicking on "register for classes." Once you complete the four courses, download the Certificate of Completion form (available in Word format) and fax it to the MS in Regulatory Affairs office at 619-594-6132. You will receive the certificate within 2-3 weeks. Additionally, you can provide the name and address of your supervisor, and we will notify her/him of your achievement.
Will the four Advanced Certificate in Regulatory Affairs courses or courses taken individually be applied toward the MS in RA degree program if I decide to apply?
All of these courses will be applied, up to a limit of 12 units, to the full degree program.
Applying for the Degree Program
How do I apply for the MS in Regulatory Affairs degree program?
You can find detailed application procedures and application forms on this website.
Do I need to have an undergraduate degree in a field of science or engineering to apply to the MS in RA degree program?
You must have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in order to apply to the Master's program. We strongly believe that a background in life sciences, physical sciences, or engineering is necessary for students to successfully complete the MS in RA degree program. Priority will be given to applicants with this educational background.
Am I required to take the GRE to apply for admission to the MS in RA degree program?
The GRE will be waived if the applicant already holds an advanced degree (such as an MBA, MS, MA, Ph.D., JD, etc.) from an institution that is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools. The GRE score requirement will not be waived for any other reason. Other standardized test scores such as the LSAT or MCAT will not be accepted in lieu of the GRE score.
What is the minimum undergraduate GPA and GRE score required for admission to the MS in RA degree program?
SDSU requires domestic
graduate applicants to have a minimum 2.85 undergraduate GPA and
international applicants are required to have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate
GPA.
The minimum required GRE score for the MS in RA program is a combined score of 900 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE. Obviously, priority will be given to applicants with scores higher than these minimums.
Can I complete the MS in RA degree program if I am living outside of San Diego?
We have most of our courses available as online, Internet-based, distance-learning presentations. The MS in RA degree requires 3 business courses, which are not online. The 3 required business courses are offered in the traditional "face-to-face" in-class format and meet once or twice a week in the evenings.
Students not living in
the San Diego area have another option since BA 651- Organizational
Behavior and BA 662- Operations Management are not online. If you can find similar graduate business
courses at your local (fully accredited through the American Council
of Graduate Schools) college or university and you provide us with
a syllabus prior to the start of the course you may be able to take
that course in lieu of the SDSU BA 651 and BA 662 business
courses. This arrangement is also conditional upon receiving approval
from the SDSU Graduate Office.
A number of students have pursued the MS in RA degree from out of state. These students are from states including Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Maryland, Delaware, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Missouri, Georgia, Kansas, and New Jersey. We also have students who are in California but do not live in San Diego . So if you are wondering whether you will be able to complete the entire MS in RA from outside of San Diego ... the answer is yes!
Registering & Paying for a Course
How can I find out when Regulatory Affairs courses will be offered?
You can find the RA schedule of classes on this website.
Are there prerequisites for the RA courses?
Yes, Regulatory Affairs courses do have prerequisites. Prerequisites are used as a guideline for students so they know what kind of background (education or experience) they should have before taking one of the RA courses. If there is any question, please contact us.
How do I register for RA courses?
Please contact the College of Extended Studies at 619-594-5152 or visit http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/regulatoryaffairs.html and click on "register for classes."
What is the deadline for registering in an RA course?
Please register for RA courses at least one-two weeks before the course starts to ensure you receive course materials before the course begins.
How much does the RA program cost?
Payment for this Regulatory Affairs degree program and individual Regulatory Affairs courses is on a course-by-course basis. As of January 1, 2007, the fee is $517/unit. The program receives no public monies or grants in financial support of its operation. All costs are based upon projections of anticipated expenses and are, therefore, subject to annual increases.
Does San Diego State University offer financial aid?
Financial aid is available to students in the MS in RA degree program. For more information about financial aid please visit http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/fao/index.html.
Taking a Course
I have registered in an RA course- what now? How do I start the course?
The first day of the course you will receive an email with the course website address, a username and a password. You will also receive an introduction message and instructions on starting the course.
Do I have to purchase books and course materials separately?
Your fee will include
course materials for most RA courses; however, there are some courses
where students are required to purchase the textbook on their own.
These courses are RA 602- Introduction to Food and Drug Law and
RA 779- International Medical Regulations. Students must also purchase
required books for the business courses. These courses are BA 651-
Organizational Behavior and BA 662- Operations Management.
How does an online course work?
These 10-week courses are structured
on a weekly basis, so you do not have to be online on any particular
day/time to participate in the course. There are weekly assignments,
including web exercises and threaded discussion boards based on
the weekly readings. Threaded discussion boards work like this:
On Monday the instructor will post a comment or question. You can
log in and post a comment to what the instructor said or you may
see your classmate's response and wish to respond to that student's
response. You are required to post 3 comments each week. You can
access weekly lectures online. You will also receive audio CDs,
which contain the lecture so you can listen to the lecture on a
CD player away from your computer. You can also access the lecture
transcript online if you would rather read the lecture than hear
it.
I have taken graduate level courses in the past. Will these units transfer towards the MS in RA degree?
You must receive approval from the Director of the Regulatory Affairs program prior to taking a course at another college or university in order for units to transfer. Therefore, units taken in the past will not be transferable.
What are the business course descriptions?
BA 651- Organizational Behavior
Prerequisite: Classified Graduate Standing
Human Behavior at individual, interpersonal and group levels including effect on the structure of the organization on behavior.
BA 662- Operations Management
Prerequisite: Classified Graduate Standing
Decision making techniques for operations management in service, production, government and non-profit organizations. Quantitative techniques for establishing the management decision criteria, constraints and alternatives.
Dropping a Course
What is the refund policy if I drop a course?
The College of Extended Studies has a strict refund policy. Before registering for any RA courses please make yourself familiar with the policy.
How do I withdraw from a course? Will I receive a refund?
You may withdraw from a course by completing an official transaction form at the College of Extended Studies. Non-attendance or notifying the instructor does not constitute officially dropping or withdrawing from a course. Credit courses must be dropped in person. Students who stop attending credit courses without officially dropping will receive a grade of U or No Credit in the class. Refunds are not automatic. NO refunds are due unless the course is officially dropped within stated guidelines in the refund schedule. All refunds are done by check and students can expect to receive refund checks approximately 4-6 weeks from the date the request is received. Refunds may be applied against other amounts due the University.
If I qualify for a refund, how much will I receive?
Certificate, Extension, and Special Sessions Courses
- Withdrawal in person or postmarked at least one working day before the first day of class – total fee minus $5 if class fee is less than $50 or $17 if class fee is $50 or more. All credit refunds are subject to a $17 administrative charge.
- Refund requests on or after the first day of class must be made in writing. Unless otherwise stated, in courses of five or more meetings, 65% of the fee will be refunded until 25% of the course time has elapsed, after which time there is no refund. For courses of four or less class meetings, no refund.
- Refund on the trip portion of travel study courses will be determined by the director of extension. Refunds for credit portion are as listed above.
- Decision on withdrawals and refunds will be based on the date when written withdrawal notice is received by the College of Extended Studies. Drops done by mail are effective as of the postmark date.
Can I add a class, drop a class, or get a refund after the deadline date?
Adds/drops/refunds requested after deadline dates may be done by petition only. Obtain a “Petition for Special Consideration” from the Extended Studies registration office. Petitions will only be considered for serious and compelling reasons beyond the student’s control.
Petitions will not be accepted one year after the semester in question has passed.
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