Transfer Application and Admission

Admission Eligibility

Admission to all majors at CSULB is competitive as CSULB continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces. All transfer students must declare a major when submitting their application. Transfer applicants must meet minimum CSU Upper Division Transfer eligibility requirements to be considered. Admission determination is then based on major specific criteria including lower division major preparation, General Education Courses, and minimum GPA.

What are the minimum CSU Upper Division transfer eligibility requirements?

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. To be considered for transfer admission to CSULB you must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Have a minimum, overall college GPA of 2.00 or higher in all transferable college course work attempted.
• 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 Spring term for Fall entrance or the prior Summer 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.
• 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.

NOTE: CSULB is closed to Lower Division Transfer Applications with the exception of a limited number of highly-qualified Nursing students.

What are Major Specific Requirements?

In order to support the academic success of CSULB students, academic programs have determined the academic coursework and preparation that best predict completion of the major and timely graduation.  These requirements include general education courses, coursework critical to success in the major and minimum GPA criteria. Review Major Specific Requirements for Transfer for the detailed criteria for each major.

How will students be considered for admission?

• Except for “Highly Impacted” majors, CSU eligible applicants who are considered ‘local’ based on their high school of graduation or their military veteran status will be offered admission if they meet the major specific minimum cumulative GPA and required lower division preparation.
• Other CSU eligible applicants who have met the major specific minimum cumulative GPA and the minimum required lower division preparation will be admitted on a space available basis based on their cumulative GPA  and the additional preparation courses completed if specified in the criteria.
• If space is available after all students meeting the minimum major GPA and preparation have been accommodated, then CSU eligible students without the minimum major preparation will be considered.
• Students admitted to the major who have not completed the additional recommended transfer requirements or the additional CSULB requirements must complete them in their first year at CSULB

BE AWARE: For Fall term admission, coursework and unit minimums must be completed no later than the prior Spring term. For Spring term admission, coursework and unit minimums must be completed no later than the prior Summer term.

Transfer AA/AS degree recipients: The Transfer AA/AS degree curriculum is used in lieu of the specific course requirements listed, as well as any additional recommended preparation. Under current CSU guidelines, the cumulative GPA will be increased by 0.1 and this ‘calculated GPA’ will be applied to the major specific minimum GPA and to any GPA used in the ranking of applicants. See Transfer AA/AS degree for additional requirements.

What are highly impacted majors and how does this affect admission decisions?

While admission to all of our majors is competitive, some majors are extremely space-constrained and have a higher impaction level than other majors. All applicants to these “highly impacted” majors will be ranked based on completion of the major specific requirements, additional preparation coursework completed, and supplemental criteria listed. There is no local preference given for applicants to highly impacted majors. Review Major Specific Requirements for Transfer for the detailed criteria for each major. If a major is highly impacted it will be noted next to the name of the major and additional supplemental criteria and requirements are indicated in the major specific details.

Application Process

1. Explore and choose a major to declare on the application
2. Apply on line by the deadline
3. Complete the Supplemental Application for Transfer Applicants
4. Submit Official transcripts if offered admission

1. Explore and choose a major to declare on the application

CSULB requires applicants to declare a major on the application for admission consideration. Applicants must thoroughly educate themselves on their intended major’s requirements for admission and degree completion prior to submitting an application for admission. Applicants will only be considered for the primary major listed on the application. Changes of major cannot be requested once the application has been submitted. And, once a student has enrolled at CSULB changes of major are limited based on both the admission requirements of the major and CSULB’s Timely Graduation policy.

2. Apply on line by the deadline

Applicants must apply during the CSU initial filing period (October 1 – November 30 for Fall admission; August 1-31 for Spring admission). Refer to Current Application Deadlines to see if CSULB is open to applications for a specific term and the deadline to apply. To apply to CSULB, visit CSUMentor. Once submitted, we will send you a notification by email to acknowledge receipt of your application.

3. Complete the Supplemental Application for Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants will be required to complete a supplemental application including their progress in completing major specific course requirements. Remember that all major specific course requirements must be completed with a C or better.

• For Fall admission: The supplemental application will be completed in January so that Fall grades and Spring enrollment can be included. Courses must be completed by the prior spring to be considered for Fall admission. The Supplemental Application submission period for Fall is January 3rd through February 3rd.
• For Spring admission: The supplemental application will be completed in September so that Summer grades can be included. Courses must be completed by the prior summer to be considered for Spring admission.

For additional information about the Supplemental Application and to access it during the filing period, visit Applicant Self Service.

Highly Impacted majors may require an audition or additional information which must be submitted directly to the department. Please check the major specific criteria for details.

Additional information may also be requested of some applicants at this stage in the process. Please do not submit transcripts or other documents unless requested.

4. Submit Official transcripts if offered admission

CSULB makes transfer admission decisions based on self-reported information. Admitted students will be required to submit official transcripts in order to verify eligibility. Admission decisions may be withdrawn for students who misreported or are not on track for meeting the terms of the admission offer.

• For Fall admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in April.
• For Spring admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in October.

Additional documents may also be required:

• Students who are eligible to receive credit based on Advanced Placement, CLEP or International Baccalaureate assessments will need to have official test scores sent to CSULB. Be aware that credit granted by another institution does not ‘transfer’ to CSULB for test credit.
• For purposes of determining California residency, some students may be required to submit additional documents. For additional information regarding the establishment of California residency for educational purposes, visit the Residency information page.
• Veterans of the United States armed forces should submit discharge papers (Form DD 214). This should include 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.

Admission Notifications

CSULB uses email as the official means of communication. Applicants are required to maintain a current email address on file with the university and to check their email regularly. You may check the status of your admissions application at any time by visiting applicant self-service.

Offers of admission are normally made in March for Fall admission and in October for Spring admission. All offers of admission will be provisional and subject to verification based on official transcripts. Admission offers may be withdrawn if the GPA, completed courses, or course grades are lower than what is reported or if you miss any admission deadlines. Please make sure to report accurate information!

Do I need to respond to an acceptance notification?

Absolutely! In addition to submitting documents to verify the admission decision, 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.

• For Fall admission: Inform us of your intent to enroll by June 1st.
• For Spring admission Inform us of your intent to enroll by December 1st.

What if I am not offered admission to CSULB?

In addition to applying to CSULB, we hope you have considered applying to one or two other colleges so that you will have alternatives in the event that you are not admitted to CSULB. If you are interested in pursuing another CSU as your backup, it may be in your best interest to file a separate application with that campus during the initial filing period, as many campuses have early filing deadlines.

Can I appeal my admission decision?

Denials of admission are made only after an extensive review of academic qualifications and weighing those qualifications against the competitive nature of our applicant pool; therefore these decisions are rarely overturned and are considered only for extraordinary reasons beyond the control of the applicant.

Appeals must be submitted in writing within 15 days of the date on the denial notification and must include a basis for the appeal, and supporting documentation. We will notify you by email within 4 to 6 weeks, of our response to your appeal request. Only one appeal may be submitted for an academic term so the packet must be clear and compelling when submitted. More Information on the Appeal Process.

Next Steps

Here are some important items to consider if you are offered admission and decide to attend CSULB:

Financial Aid: Check out Financial Aid to explore the programs that can assist in making CSULB affordable. Be sure to review the application procedures and priority deadlines.

Admitted Student Information: If you have already been offered admission, you should refer to the Information for Newly Admitted Transfers.

Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration: 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.

Campus Housing: If you are interested in Campus Housing please visit Housing and Residential Life.