The Interdisciplinary Studies master’s program for either an MA or MS provides an alternative for individuals whose desired plan of study does not fit into the degree offerings of any single existing graduate degree program on campus.

More information about the program can be found on the College of Graduate Studies  website at www.sjsu.edu/cgs.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . They must also satisfy programmatic requirements, including a minimum 3.25 GPA in the last 60 semester units of post-secondary academic work. Candidates apply separately to the university to obtain approval for university-level admission and to the College of Graduate Studies for admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies program.

The student must then complete, sign, and route the DocuSign PowerForm:  Information and Application for Interdisciplinary Studies Majors. In brief, the application includes the signature of a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from San Jose State who agrees to chair the master’s committee of the student. Approval of the proposed curriculum, periodic advice, and supervision of the student’s research and culminating experience are required of the faculty mentor. A summary of the proposed research and reasons for the appropriateness of the Interdisciplinary Studies program are also needed in advance of a positive admissions decision.

Finally, all coursework listed in the program of study must receive documented permission from the department(s) offering the courses to enroll. Once the application is completed,  the application is routed to the applicant’s advisor and the College of Graduate Studies Graduate Program Coordinator (Dr. Ted Butryn) who will make the final admissions decision. A copy will be sent to the Associate Dean (AD) of Graduate Studies. Please be sure to use proper email addresses for both your proposed program advisor and Dr. Butryn so that the form is reviewed and approved. 

Applicants from countries in which the official language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage at GAPE.

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the Interdisciplinary Studies master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Course Requirements

The program consists of an individualized program of 30 units in classes taken from at least two different departments; a minimum of half of the units must be in graduate-level classes. Prerequisite classes must be taken in excess of the 30 unit total. The program may be Plan A (thesis), Plan B (project, but under highly restricted circumstances), or Plan C (creative project). All courses must be approved by the AD of Graduate Studies. The culminating experience must be approved by the student’s master’s program advisor. 

Program departments are required to certify when Plan A, Plan B or Plan C has been completed satisfactorily via the Verification of Culminating Experience form.