Open Classes Admissions Requirements

Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in the Open Classes program:

• A 4 year bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited institution in any discipline with a GPA of at least 3.0 at the bachelor’s degree institution or in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units, or a master’s degree from any regionally accredited institution in any discipline with an overall GPA of 3.0. Note that the institution must university must state that it is regionally accredited by one of the accrediting bodies listed: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
• A general understanding of computers and technology. See Technology Literacy Requirements.
• Access to a computer with Internet connection and appropriate software. See Home Computing Requirements. Two Factor Authentication: As of May 2021, students taking iSchool Open Classes will be required to have a smartphone that supports the free DUO Mobile App for two factor authentication login to the one.SJSU portal.
• Before completing the Open Classes request form, visit the State Authorization for Distance Education page to confirm that residents from your US state are eligible to
  attend our online programs. 
  ​

We expect that all applicants seeking admission understand and comply with the stated technology literacy and home computing environment requirements. However, to ensure this, our school offers an optional self-paced, not-for-credit technology preparation course for free that students can complete before the start of their first semester.

Students in the Open Classes program will be held to the same high standards as students in the MLIS, MARA, and Post-Master’s Certificate programs. For students who are not SJSU alumni, and/or have not been admitted to one of our programs for a future term, a scanned copy of the bachelor’s transcript showing the degree conferred will be required when requesting a class.

Please note the following important information:

• Students who have applied and were admitted to the MLIS, MARA, Teacher Librarian or Post-Master’s Certificate programs may get an early start by taking a course through the Open Classes program and then transferring completed units to the graduate program. 
• Students who were admitted to one of the programs but chose to postpone enrollment are eligible to take courses in the Open Classes program. If they decide to re-apply for admission, they could then use Open Classes to meet graduation requirements for their program.
• Students who have applied and were denied admission to any of our programs, or those who have been disqualified from SJSU are not eligible to take courses through the Open Classes program.
• Current students enrolled in the MLIS, MARA, Teacher Librarian or Post-Master’s Certificate programs are not eligible to take courses through the Open Classes program.
• Students whose bachelor’s degree was earned outside U.S. / U.S. Territories / Canada must be able to submit a copy of a WES ICAP or Basic evaluation of their transcripts. The university also accepts ACEI or ECE.
• International applicants whose degree is from outside: U.S. / U.S. Territories / Canada – excluding Quebec, and other countries listed on this page under English Language Proficiency Exam Waivers, must provide a copy of a TOEFL score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), or 100 (Internet-based); or an IELTS score of 8.
• See more information on the Open Classes FAQs page.