Master's Degree Program Life Cycle

Your career as a graduate student at SJSU begins once you are admitted to a program. All interested prospective students should access the Graduate Admissions and Programs Evaluation site to learn more about the application process.

Graduate students are admitted as either fully classified or conditionally classified graduate students.  Fully classified students meet all university and program requirements for admissions. SJSU requires that all students be fully classified before they are eligible to apply for candidacy and graduate. Conditionally classified graduate students do not meet all admission requirements, and students are provisionally admitted on the condition that they fulfill all the requirements as stated on their admission letter. Conditionally classified students should work closely with their graduate advisor to ensure that they meet their conditions promptly. Once conditions have been fulfilled, the graduate advisor shall file a Change in Classification form which can be found on the GAPE forms website.

Graduate students are in programs which fulfill at least 30 units specific to their degree requirements. All programs have at least a couple of core courses which are defined as those courses that are required of all students in a given program to provide a broad and consistent foundation and generally must be completed before they can move on to the next level in their program as they may serve as prerequisites for other core courses or electives. 

Elective courses are typically taken once the core program component has been completed and are chosen by the student with graduate advisor or program approval. Courses may be taken from either additional program offerings or across a variety of other curricula. Elective courses tend to be more specialized, thus by taking a number of content related courses, students may move into concentrations or specializations within a program. Elective courses usually have fewer students than the required courses, and can be lectures, studios, workshops, laboratories, seminars, directed studies, internship, or practica in format.

Pursuant to Chancellor's Office Executive Order 1064 and San José State University Senate Policy S16-14, all SJSU and outside partnerships require an approved Student Placement Agreement (SPA). Such agreements are effective for five years, ensure student safety, and provide measurable learning outcomes for each partnership. SPAs include clinical SPA agreements and Practicum Agreements (PAs). Non-clinical SPAs include Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Student Teaching Agreement (STA), Teaching Education Internship (TEI), University-Organization Agreement (UOA), and University-Organizational Agreement-Research (UOAR). In simple terms, any graduate program requiring that students earn credit at off campus sites, must have one of the above SPAs in place in order to ensure compliance and insurance coverage. In most cases, your program may already have a SPA in place. Students may access more information in detail by contacting their departments and reviewing information found on this link regarding Internships for Academic credit.

Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate advisor. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form after satisfying the following:

• achieved classified status

• completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher

• fulfilled the GWAR requirement

• achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and,

• graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion.

Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Check here for advancement to candidacy submission deadlines.

Students are required to complete a culminating experience for their program. For a master’s degree three possible tracks are defined in California Code of Regulations (§ 40510):

A thesis is the written product of a systematic study of a significant problem. It identifies the problem, states the major assumptions, explains the significance of the undertaking, sets forth the sources for and methods of gathering information, analyzes the data, and offers a conclusion or recommendation. The finished product evidences originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization and format, and thorough documentation. Normally, an oral defense of the thesis is required.

A project is a significant undertaking appropriate to the fine and applied arts or to professional fields. It evidences originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. It is described and summarized in a written abstract that includes the project's significance, objectives, methodology and a conclusion or recommendation. An oral defense of the project may be required.

A comprehensive examination is an assessment of the student's ability to integrate the knowledge of the area, show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. The results of the examination evidence independent thinking, appropriate organization, critical analysis and accuracy of documentation.

Students should check with their program and graduate advisor to determine which culminating experience is appropriate for their requirements. Neither a thesis or project can count more than six thesis or project-based units towards their degree. Note that the thesis is highly structured and requires specific submission dates, guidelines, and committee membership. These aspects are overseen by the College of Graduate Studies which has detailed information regarding thesis processes, guidelines, and support that can be accessed here. Additionally, students who complete a thesis may submit their work through their respective college during the early spring semester for consideration for the  Outstanding Thesis Award. Requirements for thesis committee structure and publication are in policy S14-10. Projects and comprehensive exam formats generally follow program and department specific requirements and deadlines so students should check with their respective programs for more information. Any form of student research should be discussed with their advisor to ensure that all university research protocols (see below) are followed.

Graduate research encompasses many fields which may require adherence to university policy and government regulations. While you should always work with your advisor to determine research protocol compliance, students should be aware of the following research protocols and visit the information links for each before initiating any research.

• Use of Human Subjects: The Institutional Research Board (IRB) consists of a university committee charged with reviewing University research proposals submitted by students, staff, and faculty that involve the use of human subjects (including using private records, interviews, surveys, etc.). The committee ensures that all proposed human study research complies with university policy, state, and federal regulations to ensure the safety of research participants and ethical, responsible conduct of investigators.

• Use of Animal Subjects: The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is charged with reviewing and approving animal care and use protocols and ensures human and animal welfare associated with animal research and care. Students conducting research on animals should work with the IACUC to determine if a research protocol submission is required.

• Use of Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents or Toxins: The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is charged with the review of research activities performed by faculty, staff, and students involving hazardous biological agents, materials derived from both human and nonhuman primate, recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules or toxins. Students performing research using any of these agents should check with their advisor to determine if the submission of a Biological Use Authorization application is required.

Graduate students often complete all their coursework and are left only with the requirement that they complete their culminating experience. Once a student has completed their coursework and received a RP (report in progress) for their culminating thesis or project course (typically a 298 or 299 numbered course), students must maintain continuous enrollment for each subsequent semester until they complete their culminating experience and graduate at the end of the semester. Policy S17-5 describes the requirement for continuous enrollment. While in this status, students may not stop out for a semester or take a leave of absence other than military leave or for serious medical issues.

Continuous enrollment is maintained by registering for a 1-unit UNVS 1290R or departmental 1290R course which costs $303. While enrollment for this course is done through MySJSU just as any other course, notification to enroll is delayed which allows students to enroll in regular courses if needed or required by their department to complete their program. Students who have an RP grade in their culminating course, a graduation date in the current or future semester, and no enrollment in any other courses will receive an enrollment appointment via email to register for the course. Students should register for the course as soon as they receive an appointment. Those students taking a culminating exam to graduate or do not have an RP status and must contact their advisor and the College of Graduate Studies to obtain an appointment.

It is important to note that students must ensure that their semester to graduate is for the current semester or beyond if they are to receive a 1290R appointment. Those students who do not register for 1290R from past semesters must retroactively add the course via petition found on the  GAPE website. Graduation will be delayed until continuous enrollment has been confirmed. Please review the catalog and information found on the College of Graduate studies website link for more details on continuous enrollment.

While degrees are posted in the fall, spring, and summer semesters, commencement ceremonies are only held in the spring (May) and fall (December) semesters. The fall ceremony is for the preceding summer and current fall graduates while the spring ceremony is for current spring and upcoming summer graduates who complete graduation requirements. Visit the SJSU commencement web page for more information.

Students are eligible to apply for graduation as early as two weeks following advancement to candidacy approval but should ensure to have a graduation date for their intended graduation semester. Degrees are posted following the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Note that GAPE adheres to semester deadline dates so graduation applications must be submitted before the deadline. Students with their degree placed on hold should work with their GAPE evaluator to ensure that they have met all their graduation requirements (satisfactory grades, completed culminating experience, etc) and are encouraged to attend a graduation workshop.  Students who do not meet requirements for the current semester will have to request a graduation date change for the following semester.