Refer to the Financial Aid Resource Page as you prepare your budget .
Ensure you have funds available for textbooks, tuition and technology.
Get familiar with the iSchool website .
In particular, bookmark Student Resources ,
which has links to information you will need the entire time you are a student here.
Update your home computing environment
to meet iSchool standards . Make sure you meet the iSchool's Technology Literacy Requirements .
You must have a smartphone that supports the free DUO Mobile App for two-factor authentication to login to the one.SJSU portal.
2. Registration and Enrollment
Log in to MySJSU through one.SJSU regularly .
Check it for messages from the university and from your instructors, especially in the week before classes begin.
Login to your new @sjsu.edu email as soon as it's created
(about six weeks before classes start), and check it regularly. It's set as your preferred email automatically,
but you can set it to forward to your personal inbox.
Read about INFO 203 and plan to start it early, if you can .
You must take this required 1 unit class in your first semester, and it opens and ends earlier in
the semester than other classes.
Plan now to Map Your Degree Progress
by using the Unit Planning Tool .
This helps the iSchool anticipate enrollment demand, and helps you create a focused plan to stay on track .
Read about Registration and Enrollment .
Register for INFO 203 and some combination of the core classes, INFO 200, 202 or 204 .
IMPORTANT :
Refer to iSchool class schedules rather than MySJSU . There are details in our schedules not found in MySJSU. Take note of the course topic (and dates) of variable unit classes in the "Note" field of the schedule.Our courses require substantial time and effort, and dropping after the deadline can be problematic and expensive . The workload is normally three hours per unit per week , but some may require more time. Most students take 1-3 courses per semester, balancing those responsibilities with work, family, and other duties.
You MUST be active in your course sites within the first day of instruction , or have contacted the instructor in the first 48 hours. Otherwise you risk being dropped from the class. This is SJSU policy .
Pay your Special Session tuition fees using any option in Methods of Payment .
Check MySJSU for the fees & deadlines. Tuition payment deadlines may be as short as a few days after you register for a class. Go to MySJSU >> Student Center >> Finances. SJSU does NOT send bills or reminders. Make sure to pay on time . If you miss your payment, you may be dropped from your classes.The drop deadline has nothing to do with refunds . If you drop your classes after the refund deadline, or during the prorated refund period, you would still owe tuition for the classes you were enrolled in . For refund policy, (including prorated fees owed based on the date dropped), see the iSchool Refund Policy .Need to Add a Class? If Advance Registration has closed, you must wait until the first day of instruction to add.
NOTE: Instructors are not involved in registration and they can not override the waitlist . If the class is full, add yourself to the waitlist which is a fair automated process. If someone drops, the next person on the list gets added. We also do not waive prerequisites (which should not be confused with a co-requisite).
3. Prepare for Learning
Your Canvas account is activated by the university after registering for classes, and before the start of INFO 203 . Canvas is our online learning management system.
Read the Getting Started with Canvas Guide .
You will also be automatically enrolled in the iSchool Advising and Administration Canvas site. This is your "home room" for administrative processes, help forums, resources and more. Get familiar with that site and with navigating in Canvas.
Complete the required Title IX Training/Sexual Violence Prevention online course . ALL incoming undergraduate and graduate students must complete this CSU and federally mandated 60 minute course .
Check your MySJSU account for the instructions & deadline . You MUST complete the course in a timely fashion or the University will place a hold on your future semester registrations.This course is not administered by the School of Information. Direct any questions regarding your completion status to: titleixeducation@sjsu.edu or 408-924-6202. For more information, see Sexual Assault Prevention Online Training Programs .
Read your course syllabus Syllabi are posted no less than two weeks before the first day of class . You may be able to access some syllabi earlier to find out how the course will be run, what the assignments are, etc. If your class isn't linked yet, check again later or look for your instructor's course in a previous semester .
Obtain your class textbooks about six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester .
MLIS program courses begin with "INFO".
If you need disability accommodations, register now with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) . Do this as soon as possible so that the AEC can communicate with your instructor(s) at the start of the semester. For more information, see iSchool Accessibility Policy .
Attend New Student Orientation . Meet iSchool Director Anthony Chow, and other faculty and students. Orientations are held on Zoom. Details are sent out to all new students.
4. Semester Begins
IMPORTANT! , or have contacted the instructor in the first 48 hours. Otherwise you risk being dropped from the class. This is SJSU policy .
Start INFO 203 early if you canIt opens on January 5th and must be completed by February 17th, 2026 .
INFO 203 normally takes about four weeks to complete, and if you start early you can finish it before your other classes begin.
All incoming students must successfully complete the course by the February 17th deadline , or an administrative hold will prevent you from continuing in your second semester.
Obtain this semester's Restricted Materials login from your advisor or instructor . This login is updated each semester, and it protects various databases and iSchool resources.
OPTIONAL: Obtain a Student ID Card (Tower Card) . This must be renewed each semester, but you can use it to obtain student discounts.
5. Ongoing Options for Staying Informed, Connected, & Career Ready
Keep up with iSchool news and events from our web pages:
Connect with the iSchool and others via social media . The platforms below are not comprehensive, but they are a few ways you can find news, expand your social network, and for alumni to stay in touch.
Consider joining one of the iSchool Student Groups . Getting involved can help you build professional connections and develop leadership skills.
Bookmark and begin reading the iSchool Career Development webpages . Refer to these early and often while you are a student. You'll find a wealth of information about emerging trends, and how to develop effective job search strategies.
