Frequently Asked Questions

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These are some questions that are frequently asked about advising and other related topics on campus. Please choose a topic below.

Adding, Dropping, or Registering for Classes Questions
GE Advising Questions
Major Advising Questions
Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions
New Student Questions
Time off, Holds, Probation, or Disqualification Questions
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  • Are there any resources to help me pay for classes?

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office has great resources for students seeking help to pay for schooling and life expenses while a student.

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  • Can I do a double major?

Students may choose to double major in two departments. Check with each of your major departments to be sure it is allowable, and to seek advising about which courses to take. More information about double majors may be found in the SJSU catalog.

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  • Can I take a class over again if I did poorly the first time?

Students receiving a grade of C-, D+, D, D-, F, IC or WU may repeat a course through Grade Forgiveness (only a certain number of units may be forgiven, and may only be done once per course). This process will replace the previous grade in your GPA calculation, but will still show up on your transcript.

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  • Can I take GE courses at another institution?

You may take Core GE courses at several other higher education institutions by searching for equivalent coursework at the SJSU Articulation GE website. You may count a maximum of 70 units from a community college towards your SJSU degree. For more information, please speak to an advisor at the Academic Advising & Retention Services. You must submit your official transcripts to SJSU after taking your course(s). We recommend not taking more than 12-16 units total if you take courses elsewhere while attending SJSU. Learn more about cross and concurrent enrollment at the Office of the Registrar's Visitor and Concurrent Enrollment webpage.

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  • How can I get a copy of my transcripts?

You may print out a transcript request form at the Office of the Registrar's form webpage. You may mail, fax or drop off your request in person at line R in the Student Services Center.

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  • How can I get help or tutoring for my classes?

Tutoring is available in the Learning Assistance Resource Center for many different courses and subjects each semester. They are located at the Student Services Center. You can also check with your major department to see if there is any other tutoring available. Your instructors' office hours are another place to obtain help with course material.

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  • How can I lift the hold on my account?

Pay careful attention to the message you receive about your hold. The message should indicate which office you must contact in order to lift your hold.

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  • How can I prepare for my advising appointment?

Our Prepare for Advising webpage is devoted to helping students prepare for their advising appointment to get the most out of advising at SJSU.

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  • How do I apply for graduation?

Once you have completed 90 semester units, undergraduates may begin the graduation application process by obtaining a major/minor forms from their department(s). Also download the Graduation Application at the Office of the Registrar's form webpage. These forms must be separately submitted at line “E” in the Student Services Center.

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  • How do I choose a major?

You may obtain help choosing a major from the Career Center in Mod F on campus. Career Consultants are on hand to help you with your career planning and to help you find the best major for your personal situation.

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  • How do I declare or switch my major or minor?

You may download the “Change of Major or Minor” form at the Office of the Registrar's form webpage. You must take this form to your major or minor department to have it approved and signed, and then you must return the form at line R in the Student Services Center.

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  • How do I know which classes, and how many, to take my first semester?

Students work on their first semester schedule during the mandatory Frosh Orientation. It is recommended that frosh take no more than 12-15 units their first semester. Transfer students may attend the highly recommended Transfer Orientation, at which point they will meet with GE and major advisors. If students do not attend the TIP, they must seek advising from their major department directly to see which classes they should take.

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  • How do I transfer classes to SJSU from other accredited institutions?

Students who have taken courses at another accredited institution of higher education should have official transcripts sent from the college or university to SJSU. Check their website to find out how to order official transcripts. Here is the address to have the transcripts sent to:

Office of the Undergraduate Admissions
San Jose State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0016

  • How do I transfer from SJSU to another college or university?

It would be best to ask the other college or university what requirements and admissions processes they have for transfer students. They will probably ask for official transcripts from SJSU.

  • How long does it take for my transferred classes to show up on MySJSU?

Classes transferred to SJSU from another institution may take as long as two semesters to show up in your degree progress report on your MySJSU account. You may obtain an unofficial evaluation from Academic Advising & Retention Services after the add/drop period at the beginning of the semester. Call 408-924-2129 for more information.

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  • How many classes do I have to take to be considered Full Time?

A full time undergraduate student generally takes a minimum of 12 units per semester. This amount may be different for graduate or international students, or students receiving insurance based on enrollment, or Veteran's benefits. Check with the outside source to be sure of their definition of full time.

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  • How many credits do I need to be a Frosh, Sophomore, Junior or Senior?

Frosh - 0 to 29.5 units completed

Sophomore - 30 to 59.5 units completed

Junior - 60 to 89.5 units completed

Senior - 90 or more units completed

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  • How much time do I need to study for my classes?

Depending on the course subject, the general rule of thumb is to study 2x as many hours as there are units, per week for each course. If you take a 3 unit course, you most likely will need to study at least 6 hours per week for that course. If you take 15 units per semester, you would need to study for at least 30 hours per week.

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  • I already have a degree, can I still take classes at SJSU without pursuing a degree?

Open University is a way to attend San José State University if you are not interested in a degree program at thistime, but want to take one or more classes.

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  • I am taking 14 units, but 8 of them are remedial (development) classes, am I still considered "full time"?

Although remedial (or developmental) courses are not counted towards your degree, they are classes counted towards units used to determine full time status for financial aid purposes. For more information about remediation, please visit Susan McClory's website.

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  • I can't login to mySJSU account, or something is not showing up. Who do I contact?

Help with your mySJSU account may be obtained from the CMS Help Desk.

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  • I have the equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from another country. Can I enroll at SJSU as a graduatestudent?

You may direct any questions about transferability of international degrees to the Office of Student Outreach and Recruitment.

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  • I was waitlisted at spot number XX, now it's not on my schedule anymore. What happened?

After the last day of advanced registration, all waitlists are dropped, and you must attend the first day of class to see if the instructor will let you add the course. Make sure you add a back up class that you can definitely register for, in case you cannot add the waitlisted course. See the schedule of classes for more information about waitlisting.

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  • My GPA is showing up incorrectly on mySJSU - how can I fix this?

An Academic Advisor at the Academic Advising & Retention Services can help you figure out what the problem is with your GPA and how to remedy the situation. Visit the Advisor and Counselor Contact Information webpage to find out how to make an appointment.

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  • What classes do I need to take for XX major?

You must meet with your major advisor to determine which classes to take for your major. Either call or go to your department to find who the advisor is for your major.

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  • What do I do if I'm on probation?

You will eventually have a hold on your account if you have been placed on probation. You will need to follow the instructions in the mySJSU message you receive once the hold has been placed. In many cases, you will need to attend an advising appointment or a workshop. We recommend you see an Educational Counselor in Counseling Services to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to become more successful at SJSU.

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  • What do I do if I've been disqualified?

If you have been disqualified, and you would like to return to SJSU, you must reapply for admission in the appropriate application period. Then you must meet with your major advisor to come up with a program of study for the upcoming semester. If you are undeclared, you would need to meet with an academic advisor in the Student Advising Center to create a program of study. More information can be found in the SJSU Catalog.

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  • What do I have to do to take a semester or longer off from SJSU?

If you take only ONE semester off from SJSU, you do not have to do anything to be able to register for classes the next semester. If you take any more than one semester off, you must reapply to SJSU. In certain circumstances you can take a planned leave of absence. For more information, refer to the SJSU catalog, or download the "Leave Request Form" from the Office of the Registrar's form webpage.

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  • What if all the classes I want are closed or waitlisted?

You may put yourself on the waitlist during advanced registration by registering for the class and checking the waitlist checkbox. If someone drops the course, the first person on the waitlist will be enrolled in the course. However, once advanced registration ends, the waitlist will disappear and you will need to attend the first day of class to see if the instructor will let you add the course.

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  • What if I change my mind about the courses I want to take before the semester starts?

You may add and drop courses during advanced registration. A week or so before the semester starts, you will not be able to add anymore courses, and you must attend the first day of classes and obtain add codes from your instructor to enroll in the course. Be mindful of the add and drop deadlines each semester.

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  • What is the max number of units I can take?

Currently during advanced registration, undergraduate students may add up to 15 units and petition for up to 18 units. Graduating seniors may add 18 units and petition for up to 21 units. You can get the most up to date "Excess Units Petition" at the Office of the Registrar's form webpage at the beginning of the semester.

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  • What resources are available to me to help me be a successful student?

There is an abundance of resources to help you be a successful student at SJSU. You may view a listing of many resources on campus on our Student Resource webpage.

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  • When is the last date to add or drop a class?

Generally speaking, the last day to drop a course is the end of the 2nd week of classes. The add deadline is generally the last day of the third week of classes. You may find the official dates at the Academic Calendar webpage. Click on the current academic year.

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  • Where can I find a form or petition for XX?

Most forms and petitions can be found at the following two webpages:

The Office of the Registrar's Form Webpage

Undergraduate Studies' Petition Webpage

To find forms and petitions related to your major, please visit your major advisor and/or your major department website.

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  • Where do I go for pre-professional (pre-med, pre-law, etc.) advising?

A list of pre-professional advisors can be found by navigating to these two links:

Pre-Law Advising

Pre-Med and Other Health Fields Advising

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  • Where do I turn in XX form/petition?

Pay attention to the fine print and/or instructions on each of the forms/petitions. They will tell you where to turn in your documents. Many of the forms will be turned into the Office of the Registrar, but make sure you look on the form itself to find out where to get signatures and where to finally turn it in for processing.

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  • Which advisor do I see for XX?

You may find an explanation of who to see for what at our Advisors & Counselors webpage.

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  • Which/how many GE courses do I still have to take?

Undergraduate students may find their degree progress report in their mySJSU account. This program will list which GE classes you have taken for each requirement. Transfer students and those who have completed GEs at another institution may find that it takes upwards of two semesters for their degree progress report to reflect the courses they have completed for each requirement. An unofficial evaluation of your transcripts may be available through the Academic Advising Retention Services (408-924-2129) while you wait for an official evaluation.

If you have trouble finding where your degree progress report is on your mySJSU account, please refer to the CMS Help Desk's explanation.

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