Domestic Applicants: For the purpose of admission, domestic applicants are all U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and all visa holders that are not applying for or currently hold an F-1 or J-1 visa (example: H1b, H4, refugee etc.).

International Applicants: Please visit our International Applicants page to get information on application procedures tailored specifically for our international applicants.

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Apply to SJSU

• Investigate: Investigate your intended graduate program to find out if they require a separate department application, letters of recommendation, graduate tests, or have specific department procedures. All supplemental department materials should be sent directly to your intended department.
• Deadlines: Look at our latest deadlines to know when you have to submit your online application or documents that our office requires.
• Apply Online:Apply online to San Jose State University. This step must be done regardless of what extra steps you have to do with your specific graduate program. Our online application is done through CSU Mentor and you will need to create a username and password to fill out an application.
• $55.00 Application Processing Fee: A credit card option is available when applying online, or you may send us a money order or cashier's check drawn on US dollars from a US bank. Cash is not accepted. The fee is non-refundable, even if you withdraw the application or if the application is denied. The fee can not be used for any semester other than the one indicated on the submitted application. 

Submit Documents or Test Scores to SJSU

• Use theDocument Submission Identification Form to submit your documents to our office.
• U.S. Institution Transcripts: All transcripts must be sealed and unopened in order to be accepted as official documents. COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS OR OPENED TRANSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Documents submitted become the property of the University and cannot be released to the student. Individuals currently enrolled in courses at the time of their application for admission are required to submit the most current "Work In Progress" transcript from the institution. Students will still need to turn in final transcripts once they graduate from the previous institution. Submission of San Jose State University transcripts is not required.
• International School Work and Degrees: If you have done post-secondary school work in an institution that is outside of U.S., visit our International Document Requirements page and find the country where the institution you attended is located. The list will detail the exact documents we require and how to submit them to our office by country. Student must follow instructions listed for the particular country, otherwise the documents will be considered unofficial. Please note: Records submitted in support of the application become the property of the university and will not be returned to the applicant/student.
• An English-language proficiency exam is required for all students who graduated from a higher education institution in a country in which the primary language is not English. The exams accepted by this university include the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and the Pearson Test of English (PTE).  The university minimum entrance score for the TOEFL is 550 (paper based; note that this form is not accepted by some individual departments within the university), 213 (computer based), or 80 (internet based). The minimum score required on the IELTS is 7.0 and the PTE 68.  Note that some programs require higher test scores than the university, as indicated on departmental websites and on the Graduate Program Test Requirements page. All test scores must be less than two years old. Test scores must be sent directly from the testing office to San Jose State (SJSU institution code is 4687). Our International Document Requirementspage for your country will also indicate if an exam is required, as indicated by the phrase, “English-Language Proficiency Exam Requirement: Yes.”

  The English-language proficiency exam requirement is waived only if the student has

  • Received a Bachelor's or Master's degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
  • Completed 3 years full-time school in a U.S. institution.
• California Residency: All students intending to pay resident tuition must provide documentation of physical presence and intent to remain in California at least one full year prior to the Residence Determination Date for the applied term. Please visit our Residency page for more details.

Tracking Your Application

• Application Status: Soon after submitting your application online, you will receive a UserID and password e-mail. When you receive this information, you will be able to check the status of your application online using the MySJSU website.
• Completing Your Application: Your application will not be considered complete or evaluated until we have ALL your official transcripts and documents. You will be able to see what specific documents we require (except for documents required by your department) after we have processed/verified your application on your To Do list on the MySJSU website. Please note: Records submitted in support of the application become the property of the university and will not be returned to the applicant/student.
• Evaluating Your Application: After we have completed your application, it will be evaluated to see if it meets our minimum University requirements for admission. The minimum GPA for admission to the University is a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units (roughly two years). Professional development courses and courses taken in non-accredited institutions are not counted in this calculation. However, many of our graduate programs have higher GPA standards. Your intended department will be the one that makes the final admission decision if you meet our University minimum requirements. The entire application process takes 4-6 weeks after we have received all of your required documents.

Admission to SJSU

• Registration: If you are offered admission to the University you will receive an official letter of admission. You will be able to use the same MySJSU website to see when you receive your registration appointment date for course registration. Course registration and paying of student account bills are all done online. Contact your department to find out if they have any special orientation or to set up a meeting with your assigned program advisor at the start of the semester.

Good Luck!