Q. Can I defer my admission to a future
term?
A. You must enroll in the semester you were admitted or
reapply. SJSU does not offer deferred admission.
Q. Is there a minimum number of credits required
to be taken to stay matriculated per semester?
A. For the University there is no minimum–and you can sit out
for one semester with no paperwork–as long as you return the
semester after. But if you are using financial aid you need to
maintain 4 units a semester.
Q. Can a prospective MLIS or MARA student take MS
Informatics classes in iSchool Open Classes and apply these
courses toward a future MLIS or MARA degree?
A. Students requesting INFM courses through Open Classes need
to meet the INFM required competency in either: 1) HTML5 and
CSS, 2) a programming language, or 3) in information systems,
before requesting classes. A maximum total of 9 units taken in
Open Classes can transfer into an MLIS including: MLIS and MARA
electives, SJSU World Languages Classes, Units from outside
institutions. Only 6 of these units can be INFM
classes.
Can a prospective MS Informatics student take INFM
courses in Open Classes and apply these courses toward a future
MS Informatics degree?
A. No. Because of the cohort nature of the MS Informatics
degree, prospective MS Informatics students can only take INFM
courses once they are matriculating into the degree
program.
Q. Can matriculating MLIS students take INFM courses
and apply these units toward the MLIS?
A. Special Session MLIS students may only take 6 units of INFM
courses as electives and must meet the INFM required
competency with a strong technical competency, in either: 1)
HTML5 and CSS, 2) a programming language, or 3) in information
systems, before enrolling in these classes. A maximum total of
9 units can transfer into an MLIS including: MARA
electives, SJSU World Languages Classes, Transfer Units from
outside institutions and only 6 of these units can
be INFM classes. INFM units are $592 per unit, rather than
$541 per unit for special session MLIS courses. In
addition INFM courses are run on different time frames than
MLIS courses.
Q. I live within the U.S. on a visa that is not
permanent residency. Can I enroll in the MS in Informatics
program?
A. While our online programs are open to international students
living outside of the United States, we are only permitted to
admit international students who currently live within the
United States that hold either U.S. citizenship or Permanent
Residency (Green Card). Unfortunately, we are unable to admit
international students living in the United States on other
types of visas. Please see this link for further information:
https://ischool.sjsu.edu/informatics-international-applicants
Q. How are the MLIS and MS in Informatics degree
programs different?
A. The MLIS and Informatics degree programs are quite
different. The MLIS provides a comprehensive overview to
developing skills and knowledge valuable for becoming an
information professional, and then students can choose to
select a career pathway in an area that aligns closely with
their career goals. For some students, working in a
professional library setting is one of these outcomes, and the
MLIS degree specifically has ALA accreditation.
The MS in Informatics program is designed for students who are
specifically interested in working with directly and to
navigate data environments, preparing students for a career in
Informatics or working with groups that have big data focus
areas. Furthermore, it’s designed to be an accelerated program,
where students can finish the program in as quick as 12 to 18
months. It’s also 30 credits, which is less than the MLIS.
While the foundation courses have wide application and the
program is intended to have relevance to any data-driven work
setting, students may select one of two career pathways
that relate most closely to their interests: health or
cybersecurity and privacy, or mix-and-match between the two to
pursue a generalized approach to the MS in Informatics
degree.
Q. Am I required to choose a specific Career
Pathway?
A. Courses in each career pathway (health, cybersecurity &
privacy) will only be offered once a year, and are intended for
students to take these courses together in order to complete
the three-course career pathway requirement of the MS in
Informatics degree. However, students are not required to take
these three courses exclusively from one career
pathway. For example, students can take one course from
each career pathway area or mix and match if so desired.
All MS in Informatics graduates will receive
a diploma. A career pathway is not listed on the
diploma.
Q. When will Career Pathway courses be offered so I can
plan my course schedule and degree completion?
A. Each career pathway course is currently offered once during
the academic calendar year, and students should complete their
career pathway courses when first offered to prevent
having to wait a year for their course selections to be offered
again. Career pathway frequencies may be expanded based on
meeting student needs. Please see the Informatics Career
Pathway Rotations: https://ischool.sjsu.edu/informatics-course-rotations
Students may use the iSchool Unit Planning
Tool to create a customized plan to complete the degree
program.
Q. Is the MS in Informatics program at SJSU iSchool a
clinical informatics degree?
A. While we do offer a health career pathway that is
designed for a broad exposure to the health sector, our program
is not a specific clinical or nursing informatics degree.
Our program has a broader application throughout general
required coursework which can be applied to any sector, as
compared to dedicated clinical/nursing informatics degrees
offered elsewhere.
Q. Is MS in Informatics at SJSU iSchool a STEM
designated degree program?
A. While we cover many STEM concepts, it is not a specifically
recognized STEM program.
