Graduation Information

Listed below are instructions on the process of applying for graduation if you are a major in political science. Before you officially apply for graduation online through the MySJSU system, the department likes to review the courses you’ve taken in the major and courses you plan to take in future semesters. This helps ensure that all your major requirements have (or will be) completed and reduces the chances that you get an unwelcome “surprise” notice that you didn’t fulfill the major requirements after your last semester of coursework. 

Before you officially apply, the department should review a completed copy of your Political Science Department’s Major Planner before we give you “ok, file for graduation!” signal. Here’s how you do that. 

To begin, you will need to access your “MyProgress” report and a copy of the Political Science Department’s Political Science Major Planner. Follow these steps. 

Step 1. Download and save (or print) the Political Science Major Planner Form here: 

Major Planner [pdf]

Step 2. Go to MySJSU and open “MyProgress.” Once viewing your “MyProgress” report scroll down to find “POLS Major Requirements.” 

Your goal now is to use the information provided in the POLS Major Requirements section in MyProgress to fill out and complete the Political Science Major Planner.

Step 3. As you will see, the Political Science Major Planner Form divides the political science major into four major sections A (Lower Division Required Courses), B (Upper Division Courses within Each Subfield), C (Upper Division Electives), and D (Additional Major Requirements). While reviewing your major courses in MyProgress write your completed courses, those marked with a green check, in their appropriate box and/or category as presented on the Major Planner Form. 

**We’ve included an example of a completed Major Planner Form below. Please note that your mix of classes/semesters are likely to be different than those listed on this sample form, but this should give you a general understanding of how you can enter your courses and relevant semester/grade information on the form.** 

sample completed form online here [pdf]

If you are currently enrolled in a course that satisfies a degree requirement, it will be marked with a yellow box in MyProgress. Write down any in major course numbers in their appropriate places on the Major Planner form and in it’s accompanying “grade” column write “IP” for “In Progress.”

Any of the major requirements in MyProgress that have a red box next to it means you have one or more courses yet to take in order to satisfy that part of the degree requirement. On your Major Planner write down the course(s) that you plan to take to fulfill the requirement, list the semester that you plan to take it, and then write “PL” for Planned in the accompanying grade column. 

Once you are done entering all your courses—including those completed, in progress, and planned, add up your total units from each section (A,B,C,D) on page 2. Your total units in the major should range from 46-50 units. You’re now all done with the planner. 

Step 4. Next you will submit your Major Form to the department for review. You have two options when submitting. The first is to scan the form (if you happen to have an iPhone the Notes app has a built in scanner that works well) and then send that file to the following email address; [polisci@sjsu.edu]. In your email, please use the subject line “Major Planner: [followed by your first and last name and student ID #]. The second option is to bring a hard copy of your form to the Political Science main office in Clark Hall, 471. 

Step 5. The department chair will review your Major Planner and your MyProgress report. The chair, or designated staff member, will then email you when you have been approved to file for graduation. If at any time you would like to review your courses or planned courses with the department chair or another faculty advisor, you are more than welcome to do so. Please stop by during office hours or make an advising appointment. 

Step 6. Submit your application for graduation through MySJSU. Here [pdf] is a link that describes how to file.