Transfers
Important Note: Competitive Admission remains in effect for Fall 2010 transfer applicants.
Who is a Transfer applicant?
You are considered a transfer applicant if you have completed coursework at a college or university since leaving high school, but you have not yet completed a Bachelor's degree.
How do I qualify for admission as a lower-division transfer applicant?
You are considered a lower-division transfer student if you will have completed less than 60 transferable semester units or 90 transferable quarter units by the end of the prior Summer term for Fall entrance or the prior Fall term for Spring entrance.
Applications to Fall 2010 from lower-division transfers remains closed for all but two areas. The University will consider lower-division applications from a limited number of highly-qualified Nursing and Engineering students.
How do I qualify for admission as an upper-division transfer applicant?
You are considered an upper-division transfer student if you will have completed 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 transferable quarter units by the end of the prior Summer term for Fall entrance or the prior Fall term for Spring entrance.
Be aware that some admission requirements must be met earlier. See the General Education requirements below.
For Spring 2010
Due to the California budget crises, the California State University is facing an unprecedented reduction in its 2009-2010 support budget. In order to assure both quality and access the CSU system must bring enrollment in line with available limited resources by implementing extraordinary enrollment control policies. As a result, all CSU campuses have been directed that they may not accept any admission applications for the Spring 2010 term for any enrollment category.
Competitive admission for Fall 2010 Transfers
CSULB continues to be a high-demand campus and expects to receive more applications than can be accommodated. To maintain the quality of CSULB's academic programs and services, supplemental admissions criteria will be applied to transfer applicants. All transfer applicants must apply during the initial filing period (October 1 – November 30). All transfer applicants must apply to a specific major. To be considered in the competitive round of admission consideration, transfer applicants must have successfully completed all minimum CSU admission criteria, including:
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Apply to a specific major. If applying to an impacted major, you are encouraged to designate an alternate major for consideration in case you are not admitted to the impacted major. If you list an alternate major, you must be willing to pursue that major if you are not admitted to your first-choice major. [Note: If applying to a business major, the alternate major must be in another area since the entire College of Business is impacted.]
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Have a minimum, overall college GPA of 2.00 or higher in all transferable college course work attempted. Non-residents must have a minimum GPA of 2.40.
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Be in good standing at the last college or university attended in a regular session.
Complete 60 transferable semester units or 90 transferable quarter units by the end of the prior Summer term for Fall entrance or the prior Fall term for Spring entrance.
Complete a minimum of 30 semester units or 45 quarter units in courses approved to meet CSU General Education (GE) requirements.
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Complete with a grade of 'C' or better by the end of the prior Spring term for Fall admission or by the end of the prior Summer term for Spring admission the CSU GE requirements in Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning.
Applicants to impacted majors who meet these criteria must also meet the supplemental criteria published.
Applicants to non-impacted majors who meet the minimum CSU criteria as outlined above will be considered in the competitive round. Admission offers will be based on the applicants' overall transfer grade point average and space availability. Applicants to non-impacted majors who are transferring directly from Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College Golden West College, or Coastline College, and have completed at least 30 units from these schools will be held to the minimum CSU criteria listed above.
NOTICE
Due to the California budget crises, enrollment will continue to be severely restricted for Fall 2010. As a result, CSULB does not encourage applicants with a transfer GPA less than 2.5 to apply unless they are applying to non-impacted programs and are from one of our local designated community colleges (Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College, Golden West College and Coastline Community College). For more information on Fall 2009 admission results, see Transfer GPA Information.
CSULB strongly recommends completion of General Education Certification for all majors except Liberal Studies, Engineering and certain academic programs in the Natural Sciences.
How do I apply to CSULB?
You should apply online to CSULB by visiting CSUMentor . If you don't have access to the Internet, you may obtain an admissions application from a CSU Campus.
When is the application deadline?
| Term | Initial Filing Period | Lower Division Deadline | Upper Division Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2010 | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Fall 2010 | October 1-November 30, 2009 |
|
November 30, 2009 |
How will I know that you received my application?
We will send you an email or letter confirming receipt of your application. During peak periods of application processing, it may take four to six weeks for confirmation notices to be mailed.
You may also call our automated phone system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (562) 985-2500 to find out the current status of your application. Have your 9-digit student identification number handy when accessing this system.
What transcripts or other documents are required of transfer applicants?
For purposes of determining California residency, students may be required to submit additional documents. These documents may include a Residency Questionnaire, photocopies of Immigration documents, proof of California residency, etc. For additional information regarding the establishment of California residency for educational purposes, visit the Residency information page or visit CSUMentor.
When and where should I send my transcripts and other documents?
Once we have initially reviewed your application, we will send you a letter requesting any additional information required. You can check the status of your application at any time by calling our automated system at (562) 985-2500.
You must respond to all requests for information in a timely manner and by the deadlines contained in the notices. Failure to do so will remove you from consideration for admission.
Please do not send transcripts unless we request it.
You must respond to all requests for information in a timely manner and by the deadlines contained in the notices. Failure to do so will remove you from consideration for admission. All transcripts and other requested documents should be sent to CSULB. Send all documents to:
Veterans and active-duty military personnel
If you are a veteran of the United States armed forces, be sure to submit, as part of your application, your discharge paper, Form DD 214, which includes descriptions of the types of training you received while in the service. Such training, in some cases, may count as credit transferable to CSULB. Veterans and active-duty military personnel also must be sure to include any military transcripts (e.g., AARTS and SMART) displaying additional course work that may be transferable to CSULB.
What are the deadlines for completing admission requirements?
Upper division transfer applicants must complete course requirements by the end of term indicated in the following table:
| Requirement | Fall Admission | Spring Admission |
|---|---|---|
| GE English | Prior Spring term | Prior Summer term |
| GE Critical Thinking | Prior Spring term | Prior Summer term |
| GE Oral Communication | Prior Spring term | Prior Summer term |
| GE Math | Prior Spring term | Prior Summer term |
| 60 transferable units | Prior Summer term | Prior Fall term |
| Required pre-requisite courses for Impacted Majors | Prior Summer term | Prior Fall term |
Offers of admission based on coursework planned or in-progress will be conditional on the successful completion of these requirements by the terms indicated above. Failure to successfully complete these requirements will result in the withdrawal of the admission offer. Proof of enrollment of required courses may also be required prior to registration.
When will I be notified of my admission status?
You will receive written notification of your admission status after we have received all necessary documents. Often we can respond in two to four weeks. However, it may take six to eight weeks for an admission decision to take place during peak periods of application processing. Those peak periods are: March, April and May for Fall applications, and September and October for Spring applications. Remember, you can check your admission status at any time by calling our automated system at (562) 985-2500.
Do I need to respond to an acceptance letter?
Absolutely!
Newly admitted transfer students are required to accept their admission offer and pay a non-refundable $150 enrollment deposit in order to reserve a spot in the class. The enrollment deposit may be waived for students receiving state or federal need-based grants or full financial assistance. The deposit will offset a portion of the student's State University Fee.
Please make sure to check the following term deadlines for accepting your admission and paying the enrollment deposit.
- Fall 2010 Incoming Transfer: Inform us of your intent to enroll by June 1st.
What's the next step?
To help ensure a smooth transition to CSULB, new freshmen and transfer students are required to participate in the University’s Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) program.
Placement Tests
If you do not qualify for an exemption, you will be required to take the English and Mathematics placement tests no later than June 19, 2010. If required, we encourage you to take them as soon as possible after being offered admission so results will be available for advisement at your SOAR session. If the test results demonstrate that you are not ready for baccalaureate classes in English and Math, you will be required to take the pre-baccalaureate courses in your first semester. For more information, including examination dates and qualified exemptions, please visit the Testing and Evaluation Services web site.
Campus Housing and Financial Aid
Visit Housing and Residential Life to learn about all our various campus options. Also check out Financial Aid to explore the various programs that can assist in making CSULB affordable. Be sure to review the application procedures and priority deadlines for both of these programs.