Change of Major and Impact Criteria
Change of Major Policy and Criteria.
The Department of Health Science and Recreation offers a B.S. Recreation degree program along with two optional concentrations in 1) recreation management and 2) therapeutic recreation/recreation therapy. The recreation degree program is “impacted” which means there is a capacity limit in the number of majors that can be admitted to a program.
Current SJSU undergraduate students seeking to change their major to the Recreation degree need to know some things before applying to enter the major:
• The priority for entering the major first goes to new freshman and transfer students who meet the impaction criteria for admission to the major at the start of the fall semester. Once the number of new freshman and transfer students is accommodated, the remainder of available impaction space in the major will be reserved for current SJSU students who desire a change of major. The available space will vary from one semester to the next and also by concentration area (based on current enrollments). We also want a balanced diversity of recreation majors and will seek to keep program numbers balanced.
• Declaring Recreation can be very competitive based upon the amount of available impaction space in the major and which concentration area a student seeks. For example, there are currently many more students enrolled in the Therapeutic Recreation Concentration, than in Recreation Management Concentration. This means currently, the space available for change of majors into the therapeutic recreation/recreation therapy concentration is less and the level competition (SJSU GPA) will be greater for those available slots. The amount of available space (for a coming semester) is determined at the end of each semester based on the number of graduates and the number returning students who pre-register.
• Have a back-up plan! Consider another area in Recreation in case you do not qualify to get into your first choice or another major outside of Recreation if you do not qualify.
The department admits change of major students into the Recreation major twice a year, on June 10 and the January 10. Students may submit applications as follows:
- Spring semester applications accepted between September 1 and January 10.
- Fall semester applications accepted between February 1 and June 10.
Applications received within each submission period will be ranked based upon GPA. Students who have been accepted will be contacted by email regarding their application status within 5 business days (one week) of the two cut off dates (make sure your email address is up to date).
Application Process: Current SJSU students, who desire to apply for a change of major to recreation (or one of the two concentrations), must meet the following minimal qualifications:
Students less than 60 units total (Freshman and Sophomores)
Pass ENGL 1B or the equivalent and establish an SJSU GPA of at least 2.5 (for at least 12 units).
Students with greater than 60 units (Juniors and Seniors)
Pass (ENGL 1B) or the equivalent, pass the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and establish a SJSU GPA of at least 2.5 (for at least 12 units).
Once the criteria above has been attained, the student should formally apply by submit the following to the Health Science and Recreation Department main office (Macquarie Hall 407) or by email to the Director of the Recreation Program (randy.virden@sjsu.edu):
- A completed change of major form (http://www.sjsu.edu/registrar/forms/ ). Make sure you indicate/include whether you are applying for the B.S. recreation degree (general), the B.S. recreation degree (therapeutic recreation concentration), or B.S. recreation degree (recreation management).
- A current (unofficial) copy of your SJ transcript. Also please provide evidence of taking ENGL 1B and passing the SJSU WST.
Students with greater than 90 units will need to secure two additional signatures on the change of major form - - the CASA College Associate Dean's signatures and approval from AARS(Academic Advising and Retention Services) are required.
Decision Process and Communication:
- Applications received within each submission period will be ranked. We will contact you within 5 business days of the cut-off date if you have been accepted.
- Contact will be by email, so be sure you have entered an e-mail you check frequently and is written clearly and correctly on the change of major form.
October 15, 2012
