Undergraduate students maintaining 'attendance' in any combination of California community colleges and campuses of the California State University receive 'catalog rights' in the election of regulation determining graduation requirements. Students may elect the requirements in effect at (1) the year they began their study at a California community college or CSU campus, (2) the year they entered the CSU campus from which they will graduate, or (3) the year they graduate from the CSU.

Beginning Spring 1985, "attendance" has been defined as attendance in at least one semester or two quarters in each calendar year.

Once catalog rights are established, absence related to an approved educational leave or for attendance at another accredited* institution is not to be considered an interruption, providing the above attendance criteria is met and the absence does not exceed two years.

While catalog rights hold degree requirements, they do not shield students from changes in prerequisites required in a given course. Prerequisite requirements which students must follow are those stated in course descriptions in the current catalog. The only exceptions to this are in cases in which the addition of course prerequisites also increases the number of units required in the major and minor. In these cases, students are encouraged to meet current course prerequisites, but are not required to do so.