Change of Major

Thank you for your interest in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) program.

Due to high demand and limited instructional resources, the ME Department is currently reviewing major change requests only from students who meet all of the criteria listed below. At this time, we are not accepting applications outside these requirements.

Eligibility for review requires all of the following:

  • A minimum grade of B in MATH 30, MATH 31, and PHYS 50, preferably completed at SJSU.
  • No more than two course repeats or eight repeated units in these courses.
  • A minimum institutional SJSU GPA of 3.5, with at least one semester that includes more than two technical courses.
     

Please note that the ME Department does not provide curriculum advising to non-ME students. This policy helps prevent delays in a student’s current major and avoids misunderstandings regarding guaranteed acceptance. Students are welcome to independently review the ME curriculum if they are considering taking related courses.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee approval for a major change. All eligible applicants are ranked, and admission depends on available space and academic performance. In the previous review cycle, decisions were based on the following factors:

  • Number of repeats in the foundational math/science courses: Due to high demand, we were not able to grant a major switch for those who repeated foundational math/science courses.
  • Performance in SJSU math and science courses, where only students earning at least A- grades were approved in the previous cycle.
  • Demonstrated success in semesters with more than two SJSU technical courses. Applicants without this evidence were not approved.
  • Number of technical units completed at SJSU.
  • Overall SJSU GPA. FYI, the minimum GPA of students who were approved for the major switch into ME was 3.78 in the previous cycle.
  • Total units completed.
     

Requests from students with more than 90 units will be declined by the University, unless the change of major will significantly reduce time for graduation.

If you meet the eligibility for review criteria, please submit your application once your grade for the current semester is in. You must use your SJSU email to fill out the application. Your application will not be reviewed before 12/31 for Spring semester or 5/31 for Fall semester. If you are accepted for a major switch into ME, an email will be sent to you a week before each semester starts. If you do not receive a notice by then, your application has not been approved. Due to high volume, the department will not respond to individual emails.