Student Advising

Login to your Navigate account using your SDSUid and password.

Once you are signed in, you will click on the blue Get Assistance button.

It will then prompt you to select what type of appointment you would like to schedule, you will select 'Advising'. It will ask you to choose a specific service category and you will select 'Academic Advising'. Finally, it will ask you to choose a service for your appointment. You can select from the following options: Major Advising, Major/Minor Exploration/Change, Minor Advising

lt will then ask you to select a location. You may select between "PSFA: Criminal Justice" and "PSFA: Public Administration".

Lastly, it will ask who you would like to meet with. It will default to "Any Staff" as you will automatically see availability for any School of Public Affairs adviser who can provide the service you selected.

Login to your Navigate account using your SDSUid and password.

Once you are signed in, you will click on the blue Get Assistance button.

It will then prompt you to select what type of appointment you would like to schedule, you will select 'Advising'. It will ask you to choose a specific service category and you will select 'Academic Advising'. Finally, it will ask you to choose a service for your appointment. You can select from the following options: Major Advising, Major/Minor Exploration/Change, Minor Advising

lt will then ask you to select a location. You may select between "PSFA: Criminal Justice" and "PSFA: Public Administration".

Lastly, it will ask who you would like to meet with. It will default to "Any Staff" as you will automatically see availability for any School of Public Affairs adviser who can provide the service you selected.

Students may schedule a major advising appointment by login in to their Navigate account at sdsu.campus.eab.com. Students can find a guide on how to schedule an appointment at https://spa.sdsu.edu/documents/SchedulingGuide_2021_210412.pdf

To discuss non-major graduation requirements students must meet with an adviser at the Academic Advising Center. For more information go to https://advising.sdsu.edu/

SPA advisers meet with students by appointment only. Students may schedule an advising appointment by login in to their Navigate account at sdsu.campus.eab.com. Students can find a guide on how to schedule an appointment at https://spa.sdsu.edu/documents/SchedulingGuide_2021_210412.pdf

Please see Preparation for the Major. To officially request to change the major, please schedule a "Major/Minor Exploration/Change" advising appointment via Navigate.

Please see Preparation for the Major. To officially request to change the major, please schedule a "Major/Minor Exploration/Change" advising appointment via Navigate.

No, students must be in CJ/PA major status to begin to enroll in upper division CJ or PA courses.

The student must first email the course instructor to request their permission to enroll in the course. Once they receive written authorization, they must forward that email to naleyva@sdsu.edu. The final approval is up to the discretion of the School. If approved, the academic advisor will process an override memorandum and submit it to the Office of the Registrar. Please note that non-majors should still meet each course’s course pre-requisites.

San Diego State University follows a dual advising model. This means that students will be meeting with their major adviser for major-related matters and with the Academic Advising Center advisers for general education-related matters. Students must first schedule an appointment with their major adviser to ensure they are on-track to complete their major requirements. The adviser will provide them with a major advising guide. If the student has a second major or minor they will need to speak with the programs’ respective adviser. Then, they should contact the Academic Advising Center to inquire about general education or other university requirements for graduation.

Understanding SDSU’s Dual Advising Model Flowchart

Archived and planned course schedules are available online in Class Schedule. Please note that course schedules are subject to change.

No, specific electives have been identified for each major. Criminal Justice majors must complete four electives (12 units). Two courses (6 units) must be CJ specific courses (within the CJ department). The other two may be picked from the list of electives in the Criminal Justice Advising Guide. 

Public Administration electives must complete five electives (15 units). Three courses must be PA specific courses (within the PA department). The other two may be picked from the list of electives in the Public Administration Guide.

Openings in the SPA peer advising team will be posted in the CJ and PA Canvas homerooms. Candidates must commit to serving as a peer adviser for at least two semesters. Please note that credit earned for peer advising may not satisfy your CJ practicum requirement.

Yes, all students in our majors must complete the preparation for the major courses. If these courses were not completed at the community college and students were still admitted, the preparation for the major courses will have to be completed during their first semester at SDSU. Completing these courses at their community college prior to enrolling at SDSU is strongly advised. Prospective students can use the Transfer Admission Planner to find transfer courses to meet SDSU preparation for the major.

IS3D majors can email their IS3D forms for signature to naleyva@sdsu.edu.

Internships are facilitated for undergraduate students in the School of Public Affairs through the internship/practicum courses (CJ 498 and PA 498). Students can take these courses one or more times during a student’s senior year and after they’ve completed a majority of their major core requirements. The course can be used to satisfy the practicum requirement and also as an elective. Please look out for announcements via Blackboard from the School’s internship/careers coordinator about the mandatory orientations and interviews.

The School of Public Affairs partners with 70-80 public and nonprofit agencies and the PA/CJ 498 course instructor provides with very personalized placement services according to each student’s career goals and professional development objectives. Students cannot use a current job or internship for the fieldwork requirement in the internship courses.

Students are required to complete 192 service hours at their assigned agencies during business hours. About 95% of students enrolled in the internship courses also have a job. To meet the course requirements, students need to make themselves available for the equivalent of two days a week (12-15 hours) during business hours, to complete the service requirement as well as monthly class meetings.

The School of Public Affairs has a dedicated careers coordinator - Professor Patricia Frosio - for students pursuing careers in public service. She offers a wide variety of services including individual career counseling, resume/application reviews, recruitment events with employers and facilitation of information interviews with the School’s alumni network. To contact her send an email to pfrosio@sdsu.edu.

All PSFA students, including CJ and PA majors, may also contact Eunice Flores, PSFA Career Development and Program Coordinator, to get careers advising and more. Her email address is eunice.flores@sdsu.edu

To access these documents log in to Navigate, click on the "Reports" tab, and select the report for the respective advising session. The documents will be attached to the report.

Please contact the respective department's undergraduate adviser. There is no need to contact the CJ or PA adviser.

Appointments with the SPA Advising Team will be conducted virtually (Zoom) until further notice. Students will receive the Zoom link in their confirmation email.