No. If you're confused about these two programs, please get some information from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (408-924-3240).
The graduate coordinator processes your admission when your materials arrive from Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations.
Please be vigilant about reviewing your application status in CSUMentor and contact the graduate coordinator immediately with any questions. If admitted to the M.A. program, you will receive notification via CSUMentor as well as by letter. Usually this occurs in early/mid April.
It depends. If your bachelor's work included at least one course in (1) the process of communication, (2) rhetoric (classical or modern), and (3) communication research methods (or statistics or other such courses), you may not need to take any additional undergraduate courses. The letter of notification of your admission will spell out what course(s) you need to take.
Yes. The graduate coordinator will help you identify the course(s) you need to take to be fully prepared for graduate seminars. You may be conditionally admitted in such a situation until you fulfill the requirement.
We evaluate GRE scores as one part of a larger application. We read each application as a whole and look for signs that an applicant will do well in a graduate-level program of study. Your GRE score is one indicator of future academic success. We follow the standard practice of reading GRE scores in combination. For example, if you do especially well in one area of the exam, we would not be alarmed by a low score in another area. More important than your score is your official percentile ranking. This percentage tells us how well you did in comparison to other test-takers.
The best source of accurate and up-to-date information on the GRE can be found at the official GRE website.
The GRE is designed to measure verbal, quantitative, and writing and argumentation skills. The GRE general test does not test specific knowledge in any subject. The Verbal and Quantitative sections of the exam consist of multiple-choice questions. In it’s current form, the Verbal section tests reading comprehension and analogical reasoning skills. In it’s current form, the Quantitative section tests basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis. In these sections, each question is worth the same number of points, no matter how hard or easy it is. You have approximately one minute or less to answer each question. When in doubt, guess. Do not leave a question unanswered.
The Analytic Writing section consists of two questions: an analysis of issue and an analysis of argument. In it’s current form, the Analytic section tests critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically the test taker's ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively.The official GRE website features the pool of current questions.
The Verbal and Quantitative sections are scored on a scale of 200-800. Your raw score (number of correct answers) is converted to a number on that scale. If you answer all the questions incorrectly, you still score 200. An 800 score can be achieved even if you incorrectly answer one or two questions. The Analytical section is scored on a scale of 0-6.
In addition to your scores, you will also receive a percentile ranking that indicates the percent of total examinees scoring below you. More important than your score is your official percentile rank. This percentage tells us how well you did in comparison to other test-takers.
We do not recommend that you take a GRE prep-class. To prepare for the exam, we recommend that you purchase a practice book and work your way through practice exams. Taking practice exams will give you a feel for the unique structure of the GRE and prepare you to think under the extreme time constraints imposed by the exam. Browse through reviews on any bookseller’s website to find a good test-prep book.
Yes. We have a teaching associate program and teaching associates are selected competitively. Contact Dr. Fassett, Deanna.Fassett@sjsu.edu, for more information. The application deadline is in March.
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