Incoming Students

Newly admitted IDE students should understand the requirements for attaining a BS degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering.   This may be accomplished by reviewing the course requirements as stated in the IDE “roadmap” for your catalog year (generally, the semester and year admitted).  The roadmap states the Major and General Education courses required to awarded a BS in IDE.  Students should enroll in the appropriate Mathematics class the first semester of enrollment.  The required Mathematics and Physics classes are pre-requisites to many other classes identified in the roadmap and should be completed as soon as possible.  Lower division General Education classes should be completed in the first two years with the completion of English 1A (A2) and Communications 20 (A1) by the end of the second semester.  Students can discuss their selection of courses with an IDE major advisor.

New IDE students are encouraged to plan out their program of study by completing the Major Course Proposal by the end of their first year or sooner.  In addition to the required courses for a BS in IDE, there are many electives (In-Depth, Technical, and Broad or Minor Electives) that need to be identified in the Major Course Proposal that reflect the students engineering career goals.  This is especially important to transfer students that have completed the Major preparatory courses.  Students should fill out the Major Course Proposal Form and discuss it with an IDE major advisor.

Student orientation/advising sessions are held typically during the Summer for Fall admits and in January for Spring admits.  An IDE major advisor will present information on the IDE program and address any questions during orientation.

FAQ for Incoming IDE students 

How many courses or units should I enroll in for my first semester at SJSU?
Taking an average of 15 units each semester (required major and General Education courses) will accumulate to 120 units over the four years which is the minimum to graduate.   Some semesters maybe a little more and others might be a little less.  Financial aid students will require a minimum of 12 units to maintain full-time status. 

 
What courses should I enroll in for the first semester?
Students should enroll in a combination of required IDE major and General Education courses.  Ideally, the first semester Calculus course, Introduction to Engineering (Engr 10), English 1A and Communications 20.  English 1A and Communications 20 should be completed by the end of the first year.  The IDE roadmap for your catalog year should be used as guidance.  There are strategies for completing the lower division General Education requirements and will be presented during orientation and/or meeting with an IDE advisor or an ESSC advisor.

When can/should I register for classes?
Incoming IDE students will be able to see their enrollment appointment date/time in their MySJSU accounts.  First semester students (admitted for Fall) will register for classes in the summer during the orientation program.  Transfer students will be able to register for Fall classes in May and/or June prior to the Fall semester or in Dec/Jan for Spring semester admits.   All engineering students will have a hold placed on their account every semester and will require meeting with their major advisor to have it removed.

Will I always be able to enroll in the classes of my choice? 

There are a number of factors that could affect class enrollment.  Not meeting the course prerequisites, the class if full (no more seats available) are some of the primary reasons. 

Can I change my major after being admitted to IDE?
You can petition for change of major after school starts.  This page has a link to the online Change of Program petition form.  Acceptance does not happen overnight and may take multiple semesters.  Depending on the Major planning to change to, acceptance is generally granted depending on a student’s GPA and their course performance in Calculus I and II, and Physics 50 (Introduction to Physics).  Very few requests are granted for changing into a high-demand program such as Computer Science or Computer Engineering due to impaction.