Change of Major: Written Policy

Full text of the College of Engineering Change of Major Policy

(Effective Fall 2017)

The COE’s Change of Major policy and application process provides prospective students with manageable steps for completing preparation courses in a timely manner.

Due to impaction constraints, every prospective lower division student is required to submit a Change of Major application for departmental review. Admittance cannot be guaranteed and will depend on the applicant’s overall academic progress and performance in key Engineering courses.

Academic Guidelines

To be considered for a Change of Major, prospective students must meet the following criteria at the time of application.

  • The applicant must be in good academic standing by maintaining a SJSU GPA of 2.0 or better.
  • The applicant’s cumulative/overall GPA must meet the major’s current impaction GPA.
  • The applicant should earn a “C” or better in all foundational coursework (see COE CoM application guidelines for course requirements for each COE major).
  • Departments will consider coursework completed outside of SJSU. However, repeated coursework will be accepted at the discretion of the Major’s Department. Repetition is not advisable and multiple course repeats will significantly delay graduation.
  • Upper division students (those with over 90 SJSU units accumulated) should consult with the major advisor directly for guidance on eligibility.
    • A department may consider other coursework in their review of upper division students. These courses must be completed with a “C” or better.
  • In accordance with the University’s Presidential Directive 2009-05 [pdf] (PDF), applicants who have earned 90 units or more may not change their major except by special permission from the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering. Any request that significantly extends a student’s time at SJSU, will be denied.

Review Process

  1. Applicants must complete or have all course requirements in progress at the time of application. Students with course requirements in progress will be reviewed once their grades have been posted.
  2. Applications will be submitted online through the ESSC’s website and will then be distributed for departmental review.
  3. Review of applications will occur after the application deadline. No late applications will be reviewed.

Review Timeline