SLIS Site Index

Graduation


Completing the Candidacy Approval Form

Candidacy Approval forms are due to Scharlee Phillips in the SLIS office prior to the posted campus deadlines. She will take care of the signatures and forward the form to Graduate Studies & Research. Fax the forms to Scharlee at 1-408-924-2476. E-mail is sphillip@slis.sjsu.edu.

Please keep a copy of this form and a record of when you mailed or faxed it to Scharlee Phillips in the SLIS Office.

The Candidacy Approval Form (officially known as the Departmental Request for Candidacy and Graduate Degree) must be completed before the deadline. Check the graduation application deadlines for specific dates.

The requirements for completing this form are fairly strict. Following the instructions below will help you successfully complete the form and avoid the delays and problems associated with needing to resubmit it.

See a sample completed form [PDF].

Get the form here: slisweb.sjsu.edu/admin/forms/candidacy.pdf [PDF] (clicking on this link will open the form in a new window). You need the latest version of Adobe Acrobatlink goes to non-SJSU web site to complete this online.

Complete the form by using your browser and typing directly into the form you see displayed on your computer. The form must be typed. Please see the following special instructions.

Candidacy Form

1. Click on the text select tool (circled in red above). Note that as you move the mouse throughout much of the page, the cursor is in the shape of a hand. But when you move the cursor over an area where you can type, its shape changes to a vertical line.

2. Click in the area marked "Last Name" and type in your last name. Complete the rest of this section by moving to each field and clicking in the area where you wish to type.

3. Most SLIS students should check "Plan b) Non-Thesis Plan." If you are writing a thesis to satisfy the culminating requirement, then mark the other option. To add a checkmark to a checkbox, click once in the checkbox.

Candidacy Form

4. When listing your courses, follow the format in the example above. Include the classes you have taken and those you plan to take in the future.

Candidacy Form

5. In Part B, list LIBR 289 if you plan to complete the e-Portfolio option to satisfy the University's graduation requirement. Remember to list the units and semester in the columns on the right.

6. Enter the totals for Part A, B, and, if necessary, C and/or D. Then add these and indicate the total number of units. This number must be 42 or 43, depending on when you started the MLIS program (if you began in Fall 2008 or later, then you need 43 units for the MLIS degree). Do not list more than the required 42 or 43 units or your candidacy form will not be accepted. 

7. After proofreading to be sure you have correctly completed all the requested information, print the page. Mail or FAX the page to Scharlee Phillips in the SJSU SLIS Office for the required signature and delivery to the Graduate Studies Department:

FAX: Attn: Scharlee Phillips, SLIS, 1-408-924-2476.

Mail:

San José State University
School of Library and Information Science
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0029

Important note: If you take classes other than the ones listed on this form, you must file a Request for Course Substitution in Master's Degree Program [PDF].