As a graduate student, you have access to a wealth of campus resources and centers that can improve your SJSU experience, support your well-being, and guide you along your academic and professional journeys. Please see the Domestic and International Steps to Enrollment pages on the Graduate Admissions website for a checklist of tasks to ensure a successful start to your educational career at SJSU. For example, you will want to obtain a Tower Card from the Bursar’s office, either in person, or online, as soon as possible, as this serves as your student identification card.

Most SJSU graduate students make frequent use of the MLK Library, Writing Center, Career Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Health Center, and other units. Services from these centers are available to you at no cost throughout your SJSU career. Graduate students may take advantage of Transportation Solutions, an office that can provide you cost-saving transportation resources to lessen the financial cost of your commute and provide connections to the rest of the Bay Area. The SJSU CARES office is also available to support and provide referrals around basic needs including food, housing, and emergency assistance. International graduate students may access International Scholar and Support Services (ISSS) for support regarding immigration, visas, employment and more.

Alongside your graduate advisor and/or program coordinator, the College of Graduate Studies (CGS) is your central source of support at SJSU. We oversee your graduate program curriculum, coordinate orientation and graduate student programming, develop resources and advocate for your success. We also provide guidance for thesis and dissertation submission and review.

The Dean’s Office, led by Dean Marc d’Alarcao, includes several support staff members as well as our Associate Dean of Inclusive Student Success, Dr. Amy Leisenring, who works to ensure that programs and policies are equitable and inclusive of all students. Our Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, Dr. Jeffrey Honda, works closely with graduate programs to maintain policies, support curriculum, and review student petitions.

You will also become familiar with Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations (GAPE), an important office within CGS that processes your graduate application and provides resources to facilitate your advancement to candidacy and graduation. Click here to hear from GAPE Director, Tricia Ryan, as she explains the role of GAPE in greater detail.

Our teams are here to serve you. You can contact the CGS Dean’s Office at at graduate-studies@sjsu.edu and the GAPE Office at graduate@sjsu.edu.