Graduate Admission

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 Classification

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. For more information regarding confirming residency status, and clearing provisional admissions, please refer to GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide.

Core and Elective Coursework

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 track 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. More information regarding academic planning including validating eligible transfer units and the registration process can be found by reviewing GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide.

Advancing to Candidacy

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. For more details regarding advancement to candidacy including criteria for candidacy advancement, submission processes, and candidacy policies and procedures please refer to GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide.

Culminating Experiences

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 are followed. Specially, research involving human subjects, animals and/or hazardous biological agents requires special oversight and should involve the Office of Research to ensure research compliance. For more information in identifying your culminating experience plan and finding culminating experience deadlines, please refer to GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide.

Commencement Ceremony

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. To learn more about the commencement process you may refer to both GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide and the Commencement website for more information.

Graduation

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. Specific information regarding the graduation application, understanding graduation requirements, and degree postponement can be found by referring to GAPE’s Graduate Student Guide.