Advising

Appointments

Start with a CoSS SSC Academic Advisor for questions about academic planning, major or minor requirements, General Education, SJSU Studies, registration, degree progress, graduation planning, and university policies.

Schedule an appointment through Spartan Connect by selecting the blue appointment button at the top right. CoSS SSC advising appointments are available in person and virtually. For additional information or help scheduling, visit the CoSS SSC Academic Advising website, email socsci-success@sjsu.edu, or call 408-924-5363. 

If a CoSS SSC Academic Advisor determines that your question requires department-specific review or approval, they will refer you to a COMM Faculty Mentor. Students seeking to change or add a Communication Studies major or minor may contact a COMM Faculty Mentor directly after reviewing the requirements below.

Scheduling Help Tool [pdf] [pdf]

Student Self-Service Appointment Scheduling Guide

No-Show Policy for Scheduled Appointments

For Fall 2026, Felipe Gómez, Marie Haverfield, and Carol-Lynn Perez serve as the department’s COMM Faculty Mentors. Use these links when a CoSS SSC Academic Advisor refers you to the department or when you need assistance with a department-specific matter such as adding a Communication Studies major or minor.

Felipe Gómez 

• Drop-In: Wednesdays 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm at HGH 207
• Appointments: Thursdays 1 pm to 3:30 pm
  • Spartan Connect Personal Appointment Link: https://sjsu.campus.eab.com/pal/ovaDdG7Vyl  

Marie Haverfield - Appointment only

• Tuesdays 11 am to 12:30 pm
• Thursdays 11 am to 1:30 pm

Carol-Lynn Perez

• Drop-In: Wednesdays 4 pm to 4:45 pm on Zoom 
• Appointments: Wednesdays  4:45 pm to 5:30 pm
  • Spartan Connect Appointment Link

Fall 2026 dates

1. Review our B.A. in Comm Studies, Minor in Comm Studies, and Minor in Comm in the Digital Age which summarizes each program requirements.
2. Read COMM course descriptions and review the COMM major and minor requirements by catalog year in the SJSU academic catalog.
3. Scroll through this COMM Advising page for important information on completing your degree.

To change your major to Communication Studies, follow these steps:

1. First, maintain an overall/SJSU GPA of 2.0 or higher.
2. Next, complete 6-8 units of COMM classes with a 2.0 GPA or higher. 
3. If you are a lower-division student, [you have fewer than 60 UE (units earned)], then complete 6-8 units of lower-division COMM courses, which are numbered 1-99 (i.e., COMM 10, COMM 20, COMM 74, etc.). Be sure to earn a 2.0 or higher in these classes while maintaining 2.0 GPAs.
4. If you are an upper-division student, [you have 60 or more UE (units earned)], then complete 6-8 units of upper-division COMM courses, which are numbered 100-199 (i.e., COMM 100W, COMM 174, COMM 157SL, etc.). Be sure to earn a 2.0 or higher in these classes while maintaining 2.0 GPAs.
5. Are you not sure how many UEs you have? Log into MySJSU and view your unofficial transcript for this information.
6. Finally, after completing the steps above, email or meet with a COMM Faculty Mentor using the contact information on this page. The Faculty Mentor will verify that you have met the requirements and complete the department portion of your change-of-major request.

Future Transfer? You can learn more about applying to SJSU from our Transfer Admissions or meet with a Pre-Admissions Counselor.

Already Accepted? Congratulations! You can learn about the COMM major and what to enroll in for your first semester by reviewing our COMM Transfer Day Orientation slides.

Please visit Student Experience for Transfers (SET) for more information about your transfer orientation. We also recommend you review the following tutorials and resources:

Registration Basics Page

MyProgress

Transfer Credits

Application and Platforms for SJSU Students

All COMM majors must complete the 2-unit Applied Activity requirement. This requirement is completed over two semesters (1-unit per semester) except for COMM 157SL or Study Aboard to Berlin.

Each Applied Activity is coordinated by a different department program and faculty member, and each one has its own application process. Please review our Applied Activity page for a list of our program options and how to apply.

You may not self-enroll in COMM 198 courses. You will need to apply to a program. You will receive a permission number to enroll in COMM 198 once admitted to a program.

All COMM majors and minors should use the following tools to regularly track their progress. 

Available online 24/7, these are the same tools that CoSS SSC Academic Advisors and COMM Faculty Mentors may review with you during advising or mentoring conversations.

MyProgress

MyProgress is a powerful online advising tool that allows you to check your progress toward all of your degree requirements, including GE, SJSU Studies, GPA, major, minor, and much more. If you would like more information on how to use MyProgress, you can visit the MyProgress for Students page. 

MyPlanner

MyPlanner is an interactive online tool that undergraduate students can use to map their entire academic path to graduation. For detailed information on how to use this resource, visit the MyPlanner page.

MyPlanner has some limitations; for example, it does not consider that some courses can be substituted or double-counted, so be sure to validate your changes on MyPlanner with an advisor. 

MyRoadMap

MyRoadMap is a helpful tool for planning out what classes to take and when. It shows you a generalized 2-year (for transfer students) or 4-year (for frosh) plan toward your degree, with all the required courses for your major as well as their sequence. For detailed information on how to use this resource, visit the MyRoadMaps page.

All COMM majors can apply for graduation through MySJSU once you become eligible.

Please review your MyProgress for your graduation eligibility and the Office of the Registrar's Application Central page for an application tutorial and to learn more.

You may learn more about the graduation ceremony from the SJSU Commencement page.

Need to change your graduation date? No problem - it's quick and easy!

Please follow these steps to change your graduation date:

1. Complete the CoSS Grad Date Change Form.
2. Type in your name and email address.
3. Enter the name and email address of a COMM Faculty Mentor, who can provide the required department advisor review or signature, and the name and email address of your Graduation Evaluator.
4. Click the Begin Signing button at the bottom of the form.
5. Once you have completed and signed the form, it will be routed to the other signees for review and processing.
6. For more details, look over SJSU Graduation Date Changes page.

The CoSS Student Success Center is the first point of contact for disqualified or returning Communication Studies students. Begin by reviewing the CoSS SSC Disqualification and Reinstatement information and completing any required intake steps. The Student Success Center will direct you to any additional university or department resources needed for your situation.