MLIS Application Process
We offer access to the MLIS degree via regular session and special session.
Regular session is state-supported and state-subsidized and is for students who live within the catchment area of San José (zip codes: 936xx - 96xxx). The cap on the number accepted is related to the amount of money received from the State.
Special session is totally funded from student fees and is for students who live outside the catchment area of San José (i.e., Southern California and the rest of the United States and the world.)
Special session fees are highly competitive, currently $474 per unit (the MLIS degree is 43 units) but subject to review and change. Special session students are not eligible for any kind of state financial aid, but may be eligible for federal funding aid and/or scholarships. For financial aid questions, please contact Carol Garcia (e-mail: Carol.Garcia@sjsu.edu, Phone: 408-924-6081). For scholarship information, see: slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/scholarships/scholarabout.htm.
Both regular session and special session classes have the same instructors, the same assignments, the same content, the same timelines, and are delivered totally online. SLIS no longer offers any face-to-face classes.
If you are a CSU employee and eligible for a fee waiver, you must contact Graduate Admissions and Evaluations (GAPE) before you apply. In the email, include the name of the CSU where you work. You will be instructed how to apply as a regular session student even if you live outside the San José catchment area. Contact GAPE.
Application deadlines
See Application Deadlines for more information about our application period dates.
Application Procedures
IMPORTANT: The notice of admission from the School of Library and Information Science will only come via email. Make sure you set your spam filter to accept all correspondences from the .sjsu.edu domain.
Please be sure to complete all 3 steps.
You will need to complete the university's graduate application. Before completing the online CSU Graduate Application, read the following – and then apply on www.csumentor.edu/.
For assistance with CSU Mentor an online tutorial is available. Non–US citizens will find additional application instructions at: slisweb.sjsu.edu/admissions/nonusapp.htm.
- Apply to "San José State University Graduate."
- The Major/Program objective is "Library & Information Science (either 'MLIS Special Session' or 'MLIS Regular Session' -- see note above)." The degree objective is "Other Masters."
- 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 the "Statement of Purpose" box, only type in the words "not applicable".
- The application is electronically submitted to the SJSU Office of Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluation (GAPE).
Pay the CSU Graduate Application fee of $55. We strongly encourage payment by credit or debit card. Credit card payments may be made when completing the CSU Mentor online application. If paying by check, mail the check to:
Attn: Jessica
San José State University
Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluation
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0017 (Use of any other zip code will cause misdirection and/or loss of transcripts)
Obtain one sealed transcript for your Bachelor's degree and for each school you attended after you received your Bachelor's degree. Send transcripts to:
Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluation
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)If you attended SJSU: DO NOT send SJSU transcript.
Evaluating Your Application
After Graduate Admissions and Evaluations has received all of your required documents, they will evaluate your application. This may take from 6 to 8 weeks. If there are any problems, they will send you a message on your Student Center web page at MySJSU.
Tracking Your Application
When you submit your CSU Mentor application online, you will receive instructions on how to retrieve your SJSU ID and password and activate your student self-service MySJSU account. Soon afterwards, you will receive a User ID and password in an e-mail. When you receive this information, you will be able to log on to MySJSU (my.sjsu.edu/) and check the status of your application online. Your application status is located at the bottom of your Student Center web page.
Notification of Admission
If you are offered admission to the University, you will receive two notices of admission; first an email and a letter from Graduate Admissions & Evaluations and then an email from our School of Library and Information Science. The School of Library and Information Science email, signed by our Director Sandra Hirsh, will give academic advisor contact data and other pertinent information which you will need before you begin your first semester. IMPORTANT: The notice of admission from the School of Library and Information Science will only come via e–mail. Make sure you set your spam filter beforehand to accept all correspondences from the .sjsu.edu domain.
Deferred Enrollment
New Students Cannot Defer Enrollment. Applicants admitted into SLIS cannot defer class enrollment. Graduate Admissions & Evaluations requires new students to register for at least one credit unit for the semester indicated on the application. Students cannot take classes in any semester before the semester they have been accepted into. New students who do not enroll but wish to return for a later semester must reapply.
Reapplying for Admission
If you are reapplying for admission, please submit:
A CSU Graduate Application (online)
A check for $55.00 made out to SJSU. Send to:
Attn: Jessica
San José State University
Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluation
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0017 (Use of any other zip code will cause misdirection and/or loss of transcripts)
Transcripts. Transcripts are held for one year. If you are still within this one-year period but you have taken more classes since you sent in your original transcripts, you need to send in transcripts that show the new classes. If you have not applied for one or more years, you need to send in all your transcripts again.
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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