Admission Prerequisite Classes

If you were admitted conditionally classified, you may have been assigned prerequisite classes to complete as part of your admission. These classes must be completed before you start your fourth graduate class.

Preqrequisite classes can be completed in one of two ways:

  1. Take the assigned class or its equivalent
  2. Take a subject test to demonstrate that your have the knowledge required for the class

Classes similar to prerequisite classes taken prior to being admitted to the MS Software Engineering program cannot be used to waive a prerequisite class. You must take the subject test for the class to obtain a waiver.

Beginning with students admitted for the Spring 2015 semester, Professional Certifications (such as Java Certified Programmer) are not accepted to waive an admission prerequisite class.

If you decide to take a prerequisite class, it is recommended that you take the class at SJSU by taking an equivalent CMPE 180x class (see chart here). You can also take lower-division undergraduate prerequisite classes (those numbered under 100) at a community college by taking the class(es) that are equivalent as outlined in the SJSU articulation agreements with community colleges. You must achieve a Credit (CR) grade in a CMPE 180x class or a 'B' grade or better in any other class to meet the prerequisite condition.

You can take a subject test to obtain a waiver for a prerequisite class. You do not have to take subject tests in your first semester.

After the Spring 2016 semester the practice described below is discontinued. You must take CMPE 180-38 to meet the database admission prerequisite.

If you have been assigned CMPE 138 Database Systems as a prerequisite class, you can take the graduate class, CMPE 226 Database Systems, to meet the prerequisite requirement (subject to availability). In this scenario, you can not use CMPE 226 to meet MS Software Engineering degree credit and you can not put the class on your Candidacy form. The class can be used as one of the graduate classes required for a CPT internship. Note that unlike CMPE 180-38 that is a Credit/No Credit class, CMPE 226 is a graded class and will count in your GPA.