programs apply procedures

Overview

Application Procedures

MLIS, MARA, MSIDT & MS Informatics

IMPORTANT: Before completing the Cal State Apply application, visit the State Authorization for Distance Education page to search for applicant eligibility information for residents of the state where you reside.

Please be sure to complete all 3 steps.

  1. Complete the university’s Cal State Apply application. Note: Non-US citizens do not use the “International Admissions Application;” they use the Special Session ”Graduate Admissions Application” within Cal State Apply. Before completing the Cal State Apply application, read the following – and then apply for Fall 2026 using this link.

    A GRE, work experience, academic references, academic honors, and a statement of purpose are not necessary. In the boxes provided on the form, leave these boxes blank. 

    • For assistance with the Cal State Apply application, an online tutorial is available.
       
    • Apply to “San José State University Graduate.”
       
    • For MLIS:
      On the Cal State Apply screen “Select the Program,” Regular Session applicants, please choose: Source > Campus “Library and Information Science MLIS” and Special Session applicants please choose: Source > Extended Education “Library and Information Science MLIS (Special Session)” 
       
    • For Mara: 
      On the Cal State Apply screen “Select the Program,” choose: Source > Extended Education “Masters in Archives and Records Administration MARA (Special Session)”
       
    • For Informatics: 
      On the Cal State Apply screen “Select the Program,” choose: Source > Extended Education “Masters in Science in Informatics (Special Session)”
       
    • For MSIDT: 
      On the Cal State Apply screen “Select the Program,” choose: Source > Extended Education “Masters in Science in Instructional Design and Technology (Special Session)”
       
    • When you click the “Submit” button, the application is electronically submitted to the SJSU Office of Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluation (GAPE). Be sure to print out the “Confirmation” web page for future reference.
  2. Pay the CSU application fee of $70. Payment of the CSU application fee will be accepted by credit card or PayPal only. The payment must be made in order to submit your Cal State Apply university application.
     
  3. Do not send transcripts before you submit your application. If your degree is from the United States or Canada, send official transcripts for your degree(s) and for all work from previous and current colleges or universities. If you attended SJSU, you do not send your SJSU transcript.

    There are two options for sending transcripts: (1) by mail, (2) electronically

    (1) By mail. Send officially sealed transcripts to:

    Graduate Admissions & Evaluations
    San José State University
    One Washington Square
    San José, CA 95192-0017
    (Use of any other zip code will cause misdirection and/or loss of transcripts)

    2) Electronically, send directly by the Institution’s Registrar to the email: etranscript@sjsu.edu

    If your school of record has partnered with any of the following vendors, the institution should send the transcripts to SJSU Admissions directly. If the vendor needs an email address, use: etranscript@sjsu.edu 

    Credentials, Inc. or E-scripsafe 
    XAP
    SPEEDE
    WES
    JST
    Parchment
    National Student Clearinghouse
    CAS Liaison

    SJSU alumni who apply to an iSchool graduate or certificate program: If you earned your master’s degree at SJSU and your SJSU graduate degree is older than one year, you will be required to send another set of undergraduate transcripts to the Graduate Admissions office by the provisional deadline for applicant documents. Contact the Graduate Admissions office at grad-admissions@sjsu.edu for the provisional document deadline for the semester you are applying.

    If you attended a university outside the United States or Canada, you must submit your transcripts to WES. The Graduate Admissions office requires that all international applicants (except Canada) provide a WES evaluation of their transcripts, according to the SJSU GAPE office specifications. Do not send your transcripts to the address above. The university also accepts ACEI or ECE.

    There are two options for sending transcripts: (1) by mail, (2) electronically

English Language Proficiency / International Documents 

English Language Proficiency / International Documents: GAPE now accepts the online IELTS Indicator – same test and scores, just taken online from home. Due to the current global health pandemic, GAPE also approved the use of Academic Credentials Institute Inc. (ACEI) and International Education Evaluations, LLC (IEE) for an evaluation of international coursework. Look for the School of Information scores, under University Required English Language Proficiency (ELP) Exams

Please read the financial aid information page and then visit SJSU’s Seven Steps to Financial Aid to learn about the FAFSA application process and timelines. In order for financial aid to be available in your first semester, you must complete your financial aid application 3-4 months before the semester begins.

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