Frequently Asked Questions

Our Step-by-Step Graduation Process: 

Graduate Application Flow (GAPE) Flowchart [pdf]

Application Process 

• Which program do I select on CalState Apply?

  • Your intended degree followed by "(Special Session)." 

• How do I apply for the Special Session program on CalState Apply? 

  • Step 1: Apply via CalState Apply

    1. Starting June 1, you can apply for the Spring semester and starting October 1, you can apply for the Fall semester via Cal State Apply 
    2. Find the and select the program *"Intended Degree (Special Session)" searching  
    3. Prequalification does not guarantee admission to San José State University. Candidates must formally apply and submit all required documents/test scores by the university's specified deadlines. Applying for admission to an off-campus cohort at San José State University is not a guarantee that the program will occur; cohorts must meet minimum enrollment levels in order to take place. Please be aware that in the event a cohort does not launch due to low enrollment, any and all associated application fees cannot be refunded. 

    Step 2: Gather Requiered Documents 

    a. Baccalaureate Degree: An applicant must have a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a closely related field. The university does not accept 3-year degrees.

    b. Resume: Working experience in related industry will be taken into positive consideration.

    c. Transcripts: Original transcripts pertaining to all degrees listed on your application are required to be considered for admission. A GPA at least 3.0 out of 4.0 (or international equivalent ratio). Conditional admissions may be granted for applicants with an exceptional employment background and a GPA that’s less than 3.0, but greater than 2.5.

    d. Foreign academic coursework: SJSU requires that all applicants with degrees obtained outside of the United States provide a WES (World Education Services) evaluation. Basic, document-by-document evaluation is sufficient. Transcripts/Mark Sheets must be sent directly to WES for evaluation. SJSU must receive the academic record and the evaluation directly from WES. Please visit WES  and start your evaluation process now.

    While SJSU will not accept evaluations from institutions other than WES normally, due to the current global health pandemic, Graduate Admissions also approved the use of Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI) or International Education Evaluations, LLC (IEE) for an evaluation of international coursework for Spring 2023 applicants.

    e. English Proficiency Test Scores: If you have earned your current degrees in a country which does not primarily speak English, there are multiple options for establishing English Language Proficiency. Please find full details on English Language Proficiency tests and waivers is found here.

    f. GRE is not required.

    g. Reference letters are not required.

    Step 3: Send Requiered Documents

    a. Cost: Current program cost is approximately $2,700; Starting Fall 2024, the cost will be $2781/course per course. With that course cost as basis, the total program cost depends on program length, misc fees and other variables.

    b. The To Do List will be shown on your my.sjsu.edu account.

    c. Please make arrangements to send any admissions documents to San José State University Graduate Admissions and Programs Evaluation (GAPE) after you apply online. The Engineering Extension office will not be able to accept any application documents.

    The correct address is:
    SJSU Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations
    Student Services Center
    San José State University
    One Washington Square
    San José, CA 95192-0017

    d. Admission Priority: The program admits the most qualified applicants to fill its available space. In other words, an applicant that meets all admission requirements might be denied due to insufficient space.

• Is a statement of purpose required? Should I send it directly to the College of Engineering?

  • For both Software Engineering degrees as well as Smart Sustainable Energy Systems, the Statement of Purpose should ONLY state which off-campus degree program you are applying for (ex: Cloud, Data Science, SSES, etc.) These programs do not use a Statement of Purpose for admissions decisions, but since there are multiple specializations we need your choice by Statement or by email.

    For corporate programs, speak to your program specialist.

    For AI, simply summarize your background in the following areas. Lengthy or essay-format response are not desired; bullet points are fine.

    ● Programming, including any practical experience as well as coursework
    ● Calculus
    ● Linear algebra
    ● Statistics

    Once you set up your MySJSU account, there will be a designated area in the portal to upload your SOP or you can email it to the designated Program Specialist.

• Are GREs required and considered? and Are Letters of Reccomendation requiered? 

  • We do not require the GRE's in our admissions process. Including a GRE score will not harm your application. You may report GRE scores on your application and they may be used as a reference.

    No, Letters of reccomendations are not requererd. 

• Does the Engineering Extended Studies department admit students in Spring semester?

  • Only rarely do our programs begin in Spring semester. The majority of our cohorts begin in Fall, so are only open for Fall applications. Check each program’s individual page for admission timelines.

• My application status on MySJSU says "referred". What does that mean?

  • The "referred" status means that the University has completed the initial review to determine if you meet the minimum CSU Eligibility requirements and has then forwarded your application to your program’s department for the department admission review process. After a thorough evaluation of each completed application, the Program Admission Committee submits the admission recommendation to the University. The University then makes the final admission decision and notifies the applicant. Please wait for the notification by the University regarding the admission decision. The program is not authorized to provide evaluation results to the applicants. Meanwhile, you can view your application status via MySJSU. 

• My application says I’m missing documents. Can I send pending documents in the form of softcopy by scanning and emailing them to the College of Engineering?

  • No. All documents must be submitted as directed on the MySJSU portal and/or directly to Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations (GAPE). Documents sent directly to the College of Engineering will not be accommodated. Items such as the residency questionnaire, a copy of Green Card or Visa, Declaration of Finance, or a copy of your current passport may be scanned and converted into PDF format.  Please note, transcripts and mark sheets will not be accepted if sent via email. If Residency/Visa Documents are required for your application as listed on your MySJSU to-do list, upload a copy of the CA Residency Questionnaire [pdf] including supporting materials in the correct pdf format [pdf] or the current visa in the correct pdf format to the SJSU Admissions Document Upload. Residency documents must be received by the posted document deadline.

     

    Domestic Steps to Application  

• Transcripts: What do I need to know about them?

  • FOR APPLICANTS WITH FOREIGN DEGREES: SJSU requires that all applicants with foreign coursework provide a WES (World Education Services) evaluation. To keep costs at a minimum, SJSU accepts the document-by-document evaluation (Basic or ICAP). SJSU prefers and requests the document-by-document evaluation, however if SJSU receives a course-by-course evaluation, we will accept this format as well. Mark sheets/transcripts must be sent directly to WES for evaluation. SJSU must receive the academic record and the evaluation directly from WES. A complete WES evaluation is preferred. DO NOT send foreign transcripts to SJSU as they will not be considered for your application. After you submit your documents to WES, please DO NOT send a copy of your documents to the College of Engineering nor the University as we will receive the completed evaluation directly from WES.

    Note: Through SJSU's relationship with access WES, SJSU will receive a copy of the original documents from WES when applicants select the document-by-document OR course-by-course evaluation service.

    View detailed, illustrated instructions [pdf] on how to send documents through WES.

    SJSU will not accept evaluations from institutions other than WES*. Please visit WES for more information.

    If you are currently in an undergraduate program outside the U.S., you will be required to send your transcripts for semesters 1-7 to WES by the document deadline for your program. The completed WES evaluation with the eighth semester and degree confirmation will be required at a later date, should you be admitted into SJSU.

    FOR APPLICANTS WITH U.S. TRANSCRIPTS: Please include your assigned nine-digit SJSU ID on the requested transcripts. All transcripts must be sealed and unopened to be accepted as official documents. COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS OR OPENED TRANSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Once submitted to SJSU, documents become the property of the university and cannot be released.

    Official electronic transcripts (E-Transcripts) are preferred and can be sent to etranscript@sjsu.edu. If sending HARD COPY, please note, San Jose State University must
    receive official, sealed transcripts from ALL post-secondary educational institutions attended.

    Send transcripts to:
    San José State University, Graduate Admissions
    One Washington Square
    San José, CA 95192-0017
    *You must use the entire postal code when sending documents to ensure they reach the correct department. 

    *Temporary Exception: Due to the current global health pandemic, Graduate Admissions also approved the use of Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) for an evaluation of international coursework for Spring 2023
    applicants.

• What if the institution of higher education that I attended only issues summary transcripts (mark sheets), but SJSU requires term-by-term transcripts. What should I do? 

  • Since GAPE requires that all international applicants provide a WES (World Education Services) evaluation for any educational work taken outside of the U.S. & Canada, WES will submit the evaluation to SJSU in a format that is accepted by the university. Mark sheets/transcripts/degree certificates must be sent directly to WES for evaluation. SJSU must receive the academic record and the evaluation directly from WES.

• How do I submit additional items assigned on my checklist? 

  • By checking your application status, you may see additional items for request. These include items such as the residency questionnaire, a copy of Green Card or Visa, Declaration of Finance, or a copy of your current passport. Please note, transcripts and mark sheets will not be accepted if sent via email. If Residency/Visa Documents are required for your application as listed on your MySJSU to-do list, upload a copy of the CA Residency Questionnaire [pdf] including supporting materials in the correct pdf format [pdf] or the current visa in the correct pdf format to the SJSU Admissions Document Upload. Residency documents must be received by the posted document deadline. Domestic steps to application.

     

• The institution of higher education that I attended only issues summary transcripts (mark sheets), but SJSU requires term-by-term transcripts. What should I do?

  • Since GAPE [pdf] requires that all international applicants provide a WES (World Education Services) evaluation for any educational work taken outside of the U.S. & Canada, WES will submit the evaluation to SJSU in a format that is accepted by the university. Mark sheets/transcripts/degree certificates must be sent directly to WES for evaluation. SJSU must receive the academic record and the evaluation directly from WES.

• I got a degree or took a test, but I have no way to prove this. What should I do?

  • SJSU must verify all claims you make on your application before admitting. You cannot be admitted if you claim a degree, etc., which you cannot properly demonstrate.

• Do I need to be prequalified before I can apply for the program?

  • No, but we strongly suggest you submit a pre-qualification form. It is a short, cost-free way to learn whether you are a strong candidate.

• I missed the application (or document) deadline for the upcoming cohort. Is there a way for me to take classes now and apply for the next admission term later?

  • You may be able to take classes as Open University (OU) if you satisfy the course prerequisites. At most, nine units of OU courses can be transferred to this program if you are admitted in the future. However, taking and passing OU classes will not guarantee your admission to the program. You must contact the designated Program Specialist for the degree program in which you are interested and inquire about taking OU classes.

• I was admitted for Fall semester, but am unable to attend. Can I defer my admission?

  • No. Enrollment in the semester that a student is admitted to is required for an applicant to be considered a matriculated student. Applicants may not defer admission to a later semester and will have to re-apply to the University.

• For Academic History, do I need to enter every single course I have completed? 

  • No. We will have this information available in your official transcript.

• For Academic References, what should I include?

  • We do not require any references. Leave this blank.

• I have questions about SJSU’s graduate requirements

  • Try SJSU Graduate Admissions page

• Where do I apply for programs? and How much does it cost to apply? 

  • **(All official documents must be recieved by Graduate Admissions by the deadline)

    Payment of the CSU Application Fee of $70 will be accepted by electronic check, PayPal, credit or debit card. The payment must be made in order to submit your Cal State Apply  university application. 

International Student Applicants

• I'm not sure of the conversion of my international bachelor's degree program percentage to GPA. What do I put in the GPA field on the Cal State Apply application?

  • When completing the Cal State Apply application, if you are unsure how to calculate GPA conversion to the 4.0 scale system used in the U.S., enter the place holder of "3.0" until GAPE receives the hard copies of your transcript and can make the evaluation. See the above questions regarding document submission for international/non-U.S. resident applicants.

• How do I make the determination to apply for domestic or international application status when my bachelor's degree is from another country?

  • For information about this, go to the Graduate Admissions Page: Want to Apply.

• Does my bachelor's degree from a non-US institution qualify me for a graduate program at SJSU? 

  • A student's bachelor's degree must be from an accredited four-year institution, and/or a program that is confirmed to be the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.

    If your degree is from a three year program, an approved/accredited post-baccalaureate program in the same field must have been completed. Applicants from India are strongly urged to read the FAQs posted on the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations’ website.

    If you have specific questions about your degree, contact the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations department.

• English Language Proficency test: Where can I find more details on? 

  • An English Language Proficiency Exam [TOEFL (iBT), Academic IELTS, IELTS Indicator, Academic PTE] is required for all graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants

    • Who come from a country where English is not the primary language
      AND
    • Who do not possess a baccalaureate degree from a post-secondary institution where English is the principal language of instruction.

    SJSU interprets “where English is the principal language of instruction” to mean that the higher education institution is located in a country in which English is the official language (the daily medium of communication of the majority of residents) and that the students receive academic instruction in all subjects (except foreign language courses) at all levels of education in English.
    
    

    Minimum proficiency score	Internet	Paper
    TOEFL (iBT, iBT Home & Paper Edition)*	80	N/A
    IELTS (Academic, Online Academic)	6.5	6.5
    PTE Academic	53	N/A
    Duolingo English Test	120	N/A

    ^{*TOEFL Essentials Scores are not accepted at this time. SJSU Graduate Admissions Office will accept MyBest TOEFL (iBT, iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition) Scores.}

    Some programs will require a higher ELP score than the university minimum. For a complete list, see below.

• I have an F-1 visa. Is this program open to me?

  • Please consider our full-time Data Science & Cloud & Mobile Computing & Enterprise Technologies programs. SJSU is grateful to welcome international students into our full-time programs. 

Transferral

• Can I transfer credits from other institutions or programs?

  • You can only transfer the exact courses required by the program. If you have questions about course substitutions, you should contact the Academic Program Coordinator for the program ASAP to discuss the petition process for a course exemption. Students can transfer up to 9 units only.

• I was recently admitted to an on-campus program or my application was withdrawn. Can I transfer my application to an off-campus program? 

  • Please contact the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations office. Applications are only transferable to off-campus programs during the same admission term for which you originally applied.

• I was admitted to an off-campus program, and I am thinking about transferring to an on-campus program at SJSU. Can I transfer the courses I have taken so far to the on-campus program?

  • If you want to apply to an on-campus program you must do so via Cal State Apply in a subsequent application cycle. If you are accepted to an on-campus program after taking courses for your off-campus program, the on-campus program will determine if your units earned off-campus are transferable.

    You should contact both your off-campus and on-campus graduate advisers before making a decision to apply to an on-campus program. 

Further Questions

Feel free to contact Engineering Extended Studies (engineering-extended@sjsu.edu) or your program’s particular specialist with any questions or concerns regarding the admissions process or curriculum.

We thank you for your interest in our programs.

Engineering Extended Studies