Changing Planned Courses

If you take classes other than the ones listed on your approved candidacy form (change in catalog number or unit value), you must file a Course Substitution Form. If you are only changing the semester that you take the course, not the actual course, it is not necessary to submit the form. Students may not drop a class from their Candidacy that has already been graded. Please note the following sample scenarios:

• I included INFO 220 on my candidacy but ended up taking INFO 281 the same semester. Yes! Submit a course substitution.
• I included INFO 244 on my candidacy for Spring 2021 but ended up taking it in Fall 2021. No. You do not need a course substitution if only the term has changed.
• I included MARA 284 for 3 units on my candidacy but ended up taking it for 2 units. Yes! Submit a course substitution if the unit value has changed. Don’t forget to add another class for the remaining unit.
• I included INFO 246 (Topic: Information Visualization) but ended up taking INFO 246 (Topic: Information Architecture). No. You do not need a course substitution for topic changes if there is no change in the catalog number or unit value of the class.
• I included INFO 248 on my candidacy but did not pass the class. I ended up taking INFO 282 the following semester. Yes! Submit a course substitution, but instead of dropping INFO 248, you would just add INFO 282 since you cannot drop a class that has already been graded.

Note: Please WAIT to submit the form until you have actually enrolled in the substitution course. GAPE will reject your form unless you have actually enrolled in the class in MySJSU (Being on a wait list does not constitute enrollment status).

How to Complete and Submit:

1. Open the Request for Course Substitution For the Graduate Degree form
2. Enter your personal information
   (For “Major” enter the Degree Program you are in (INFM, MARA, MLIS)
   
3. Select “Elective” for the question “Are you requesting the substitution of an elective course or a core course?” (iSchool does not allow substitution of core courses)
   
4. Enter the course(s) to be dropped from your candidacy (section numbers do not need to included). If you are dropping more than one class, click the “Add” button found on the right side of the gold banner.
   
5. Select “Yes” for “Are the courses to be ADDED taken at SJSU?” and enter the course(s) to be added to your candidacy (section numbers do not need to be included). If you are adding more than one class, click the “Add” button found on the right of the gold banner.
   
6. Leave the Comments blank and do not attach your candidacy petition unless directed to do so by GAPE.
   
7. Enter Graduate Advisor Information. For all School of Information degree programs, the Graduate Advisor is Dr. Linda Main (linda.main@sjsu.edu).
   
8. Click “Submit”
    

For questions, contact the Student Services Team.