programs Admissions Requirements

Graduate Programs

MLIS, MARA, MS in Informatics, MSIDT, Digital Assets Certificate & Post-Master’s Certificate

Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in an iSchool graduate program:

• For all programs (except MS in Informatics) A bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited institution in any discipline with an overall  GPA of at least 3.0 in the bachelor’s degree or in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units. Note that the institution must state that it is regionally accredited by one of the accrediting bodies listed below***
   
• For MS in Informatics: A bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited*** institution in any discipline with an overall GPA of at least 2.8 in the bachelor’s degree or in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units. Admission is exclusively based on meeting the 2.8 minimum GPA requirement. However, Informatics students are required to demonstrate technical readiness in their courses by having completed prior technical coursework and/or work experience in 1) HTML5 and CSS, 2) a programming language, or 3) in information systems. Program readiness is self-assessed by the applicant and prospective students should review online course descriptions and syllabi in preparation before applying to the MS in Informatics program.
   
• If the institution did not issue grades / GPA, choose “I don’t have a GPA to add” in Cal State Apply. Narrative evaluations (minimum 5 – 6) need to be sent with your official transcripts.
   
• GPA can be raised by taking classes at any regionally accredited institution. The classes must be used in a degree program at that institution. They cannot be professional or personal development classes.
   
• 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.

International applicants must have a TOEFL score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), or 100 (Internet-based); or an IELTS score of 8.

***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).

Note: We do not require a GMAT or GRE test, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, or a resume. Therefore, please do not include any of these in your application.

In addition to the same requirements mentioned above, applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score on one of the tests, as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement web page at GAPE. For further detailed information, please read Step 5 on the GAPE Steps to Admission website. Look for the School of Information scores, under University Required English Language Proficiency (ELP) Exams

Important Note for International Applicants: If you are taking the degree online from your own country – or any country outside the United States – there is no need to obtain a Visa. You apply as a Special Session student and complete the program online from outside the United States.

Due to the restrictions placed on online classes by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the iSchool graduate programs cannot enroll international students who are in the United States and want to take classes while in the United States. The iSchool graduate programs are only available in an online format.

Technology Competency

We expect all applicants seeking admission to understand and comply with the stated technology literacy and home computing environment requirements.

However, to ensure this, our school requires all students demonstrate this critical technical competency in the first four weeks of their first semester by successfully completing a new technology workshop. 

Note: MLIS & MSIDT students are required pass a CR/NC 1-unit technology prep course to satisfy this requirement (INFO 203 & IDT 200).

Digital Assets Certificate Note

IMPORTANT: Current MLIS and MARA students who are enrolled in the iSchool’s master’s degree programs do not apply for admission to the certificate program. They can complete both the master’s degree and certificate programs concurrently.

Undergraduate Programs

BS-ISDA Freshman

Freshmen who meet the CSU eligibility requirements are eligible to apply to the BSISDA program.

Applications to SJSU and the 4-year BSISDA program are handled through the Cal State Apply system. You can find out more about admission to SJSU on the Freshman Steps to Admission page in the SJSU Student Affairs office.

Pre-admissions questions and counseling are available from the SJSU Student Outreach and Recruitment (SOAR) office.

Freshmen who meet the CSU eligibility requirements are eligible to apply to the BSISDA program.

Applications for admission are currently only accepted for a start in fall semester. Admissions for fall 2026 are now closed. Fall 2027 dates are TBD.

Applications to SJSU and the 4-year BSISDA program are handled through the Cal State Apply system. You can find out more about admission to SJSU on the Freshman Steps to Admission page in the SJSU Student Affairs office.

Pre-admissions questions and counseling are available from the SJSU Student Outreach and Recruitment (SOAR) office.

BS-ISDA Transfers

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements of the CSU system, transfer students who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in the degree completion BS in Information Science and Data Analytics program:

• Completion of at least 60 transferable semester units or 90 quarter units
• Grade point average of 2.0 or higher
• Completion of all Four Basic Skills with a C- or higher in each course.
  • (A1) Oral Communication/Speech
  • (A2) Written English Composition
  • (A3) Critical Thinking/Logic
  • (B4) Math/Quantitative Reasoning (above the level of intermediate algebra)

The following prerequisite skills can be completed after admission, but this will extend your graduation beyond two years. To graduate in exactly two years, complete them before admission. These prerequisites can be obtained at a community college or through our program.

• Query Languages
  • ISDA 20A – Query Languages or an equivalent course in SQL
• Programming
  • ISDA 20B – Python Programming or an equivalent course
• Web Development
  • ISDA 20C – Web Development or an equivalent course that covers HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript
• Computer Operating Systems (including Linux)
  • ISDA 20D – Computer Operating Systems or an equivalent course