Sophomore Advising

GE Advisors are available to assist you with GE Planning/Scheduling, American Institutions, PE, transfer credit, unit counts, academic notice, and university policies & procedures.

APPOINTMENTS: In-Person & Virtual

Appointments can be scheduled via Spartan Connect. Please see our main Advising page for additional information.

Sophomore Checklist:

• Complete lower-division GEs (A-F)
• Earn 60 units by the end of Spring 2025
• Complete the Upper-Division Writing Directed Self Placement (UDW DSP) to be able to enroll in your 100W (Area Z) class
• Meet with the Career Center to explore careers and identify how to earn more professional (work) experience
• Meet with Department Advisor to create/update your academic plan
• Start exploring a Minor (if applicable)

Sophomore Advising Team:

Gabriela Quintero-Urquia

Senior Student Academic Success Specialist

Email: gabriela.quintero@sjsu.edu

Loralei Zimbauer

Senior Student Academic Success Specialist

Email: loralei.zimbauer@sjsu.edu

FAQ

• When is the first day of class for Fall 2025?

  • Wednesday, August 20, 2025

    To reference all the important registration deadlines, please visit the Registrar’s Fall 2025 Important Dates.

• When is the last day to drop/add classes via MySJSU for Fall 2025?

  • Tuesday, September 16, 2025

    To reference all the important registration deadlines, please visit the Registrar’s Fall 2025 Important Dates.

• How do I add a minor?

  • Step 1: Identify which minor you would like to declare. You can check a list of available minors in the SJSU's Catalog.

    Step 2: Make sure to meet with an assigned CoSS SSC Advisor to identify how the units will affect your degree progress. 

    Step 3: Meet with an advisor within the department that offers the minor to discuss the requirements and any additional steps you need to take to formally declare.

• How do I know my class standing?

  • Freshmen - 1-29 earned units 

    Sophomore - 30-59 earned units 

    Junior - 60-89 earned units 

    Senior - 90+ earned units 

• What does “full-time” mean?

  • An undergraduate student who enrolls in 12 or more units is classified as full-time for the purposes of financial aid.

    An average unit load of at least 30 units per academic year (15 units per semester without summer or winter coursework) is required to complete an undergraduate degree in four years.

• What is the difference between lower and upper division courses?

  • Lower-division courses: #1-99. Ex) AFAM 22, ECON 1B

    Upper-division courses: #100-199. Ex) AFAM 152, ECON 100W

• How do I enroll in SJSU Studies and my 100W class?

  • In order to enroll in SJSU Studies (upper-division GE, SJSU R, S, V and Z) you will need to

    1. Complete core GEs
    2. Complete the Upper-Division Writing Directed Self Placement (UDW DSP)
    3. Upper-division standing (have earned at least 60 units)
• I failed a course, what options do I have?

  • Students should schedule an appointment with an CoSS SSC Advisor to determine what options would be best considering their specific circumstances. Some things to consider:

    1. Determine what is the minimum grade needed to pass the course. Some courses can be passed with a "D-" or better, while other courses need a "C" or better to receive credit for the degree requirement.
    2. Determine how the course will affect your GPA. In order to be in Good Academic Standing, you want to earn at least an SJSU cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Use a GPA Calculator.  
    3. If a student has experienced serious and compelling circumstances that impacted their ability to pass a course, consider submitting a retroactive drop/withdrawal petition. For this option, you must meet with your Advisor first.
    4. Students can consider repeating the course(s). If a student is repeating a course for the first time, enrollment begins July 30th at 9 am PST. Please review the repeat and grade forgiveness policy.
• I am on Academic Notice and I failed more than one class, what are my next steps?

  • You will be notified of your academic standing (either continued academic notice, or disqualification).

• I am trying to re-enroll in a class that I failed before, and MySJSU says I need a permission number, what do I do?

  • Students attempting to retake a class for the first time will be able to enroll starting July 30, 2025 at 9 am PST. 

    • Repeat and grade forgiveness policy
• What are university electives? Is there a list where I can pick from?

  • University electives are any units that students must complete if their General Education (GE), university, and major/minor requirements do not add up to the required 120 units needed to earn a bachelors degree. University electives can be any lower or upper-division course of your choice. As long as you meet the prerequisites for the class, you can count it as a university elective course.

    There is no specific list of what counts as a university elective as they are different for each student. We recommend you meet with an CoSS SSC advisor and Major Advisor to determine your estimated university elective units.

    Ex: Communications, BA degree

    GEs + university requirements = 47 units

    Major requirements = 42 units

    Total = 89 units

    120 units - 89 units = 31 university elective units

    Ex: Communications, BA degree with Public Relations minor

    GEs + university requirements = 47 units

    Major requirements = 42 units

    Minor requirements = 18 units

    Total = 107 units

    120 units - 107 units = 13 university elective units