College of Education: Guidance for Newly Admitted Undergraduates

Congratulations, Future Educator! Welcome to the Liberal Studies Major, within the College of Education at CSULB. You are entering one of the most diverse and beautiful campuses, and we are excited to help you make CSULB your new home! This website and information below is for newly-admitted Fall 2023 Liberal Studies Students at CSULB. 

Newly admitted students are required to complete three steps to ensure successful Enrollment into CSULB. Please follow the steps outlined below. 

  • Step 1: Accept CSULB admissions by May 1, 2023
  • Step 2: Attend Orientation with SOAR office
  • Step 3: Attend advising and registration session with Academic Advisors

Be sure to check your BeachMail and personal email accounts on a regular basis for directions and announcements throughout the Summer.

 

First-Time/First-Year Students (Freshmen)

Information for incoming first-time/first-year students for the Liberal Studies Program.

 

In addition to submitting your documents to verify the admission decision,newly admitted first-time/first-year students (freshmen) are required to accept the admission offer to CSULB and pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit by May 1, 2023. Visit your MyCSULB Student Portal to get started.

For details regarding the Enrollment Deposit and/or Accepting Admissions, refer to the University's Freshman Application Process Website.

  • Questions about Admissions? You can "Join the Queue" with Beach Central or by calling 562-985-5471.
  • Questions about Financial Aid or Tuition? You can "Join the Queue" with Beach Central or by calling 562-985-5471.
  • Questions about Housing? University Housing Contact Information and Instructions are listed on the University Housing Website.

SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) is a comprehensive orientation program designed to support newly admitted undergraduate students as you transition – both academically and socially – to California State University, Long Beach. 

Summer 2024 information coming Spring 2024. 

 

Advising & Registration is where you will meet your academic advisors, learn more about the Liberal Studies major, including the various credentialing options, and register for Fall 2024 courses.

  • One week prior to your Advising and Registration Date, Liberal Studies Advisors will send you an email with recommended Fall 2023 courses from the email account: CED-LibSt@csulb.edu.  We highly recommend to add CED-LibSt@csulb.edu to your email contacts so that these email messages don't accidently go to Spam. 
  • You will review the documents received, and will begin loading your MyCSULB Shopping Cart based on advisor’s recommendations and attached resources.
  • For step-by-step instructions on how to search for classes and/or add classes to your shopping cart, refer to the Using Academics website. 
  • Academic Advisors will be reviewing students' shopping carts for tentative schedules / class selection regularly. Advisors will reach out to students in advance to provide feedback and suggestions, to assist in making sure you are enrolling for correct classes when the time comes. This step is important for preparing your scheduling in advance, so that you may register in a timely manner on your assigned date after Orientation. 

 

 

 

 

Transfer Students

Information for incoming Transfer students for the Liberal Studies Program.

 

In addition to submitting your documents to verify the admission decision,newly admitted first-time/first-year students (freshmen) are required to accept the admission offer to CSULB and pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit by May 1, 2023. Visit your MyCSULB Student Portal to get started.

For details regarding the Enrollment Deposit and/or Accepting Admissions, refer to the University's Freshman Application Process Website.

  • Questions about Admissions? You can "Join the Queue" with Beach Central or by calling 562-985-5471.
  • Questions about Financial Aid or Tuition? You can "Join the Queue" with Beach Central or by calling 562-985-5471.
  • Questions about Housing? University Housing Contact Information and Instructions are listed on the University Housing Website.

SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) is a comprehensive orientation program designed to support newly admitted undergraduate students as you transition – both academically and socially – to California State University, Long Beach.

Spring 2024 Information coming Mid-November.

Step 3: Participate Advising and Registration with Liberal Studies.

Transfer student registration will take place either Online or In-Person. You can choose the modality that works best for you. Online, advisors and peer mentors will be available to meet with you on zoom. 

You will receive an email a week ahead of your advising and registration date with the zoom link or room number for you to report to. 

Items Needed for your On-Campus Registration include:

  • Purchase a Daily Parking Permit for your registration date.  If you are parking on campus, use the Parkmobile App or a parking pay station located within each parking area to purchase a virtual permit.  Please park in the Pyramid Parking Structure (see map for location). Learn more about Visitor and Student Parking by visiting the Parking and Transportation website.
  • Bring a form of identification such as a driver's license, school identification card, or passport.

 

Advisor Contact Information & Next Steps

Information on how to reach a Liberal Studies Academic Advisor and Next Steps after Orientation & Advising/Registration.

 

If students have questions about their recommended courses, transfer credit or evaluation, and/or general requirements, students may contact the Liberal Studies Advising Team in the College of Education. We will not be conducting any graduation planning or extensive advising this winter with our newest students, as that is saved for the first-semester (all transfers attend mandatory advising in the first term). We will be answering quick questions and focusing on first-semester scheduling, to ensure that all students are able to enroll in the best possible schedule for Spring 2023. Save your in-depth questions for first semester advising during Spring 2023.

Email Assistance

Students can email the Liberal Studies Academic Advisors directly at CED-LibSt@csulb.edu.  All Liberal Studies Academic Advisors have access to this account; students are not assigned to a specific advisor and anyone can reach out as needed. Please allow for 1-3 business days for response.

Assistance Before/After your Assigned Advising & Registration Date

Brief, drop-in assistance with Liberal Studies Advisors is available Monday-Friday via in-person, phone or Zoom . Before joining a Zoom session, make sure you have access to a computer or your phone with an enabled microphone. If you do not have an enabled microphone, then be prepared to type/chat accordingly with the Advisor.  Students are assisted on a first-come, first-serve basis. This Zoom Channel is open to all students, current and prospective.

Drop-in hours are published weekly (on Mondays) on the Liberal Studies Homepage.
 

Assistance on your Assigned Advising & Registration Date

On-Campus Advising & Registration Assistance

For students who select an on-campus modality for their advising and registration date, you will be walked over to an on-campus computer lab by a Liberal Studies Advisor, to enroll for your first-semester classes. Liberal Studies Advisors and Student Mentors will be available to assist you and ensure you register successfully for first-semester classes prior to leaving for the day. More instructions and details will be sent to those who select this modality. 

Virtual/Online Advising & Registration Assistance

For students who select the online modality for their advising and registration date, you will be emailed a link in advance to a designated Zoom Channel by a Liberal Studies Advisor. It is not required to attend the Zoom Channel unless a student has questions and/or wants one-on-one assistance with registration for Fall 2022. Liberal Studies Advisors and Student Mentors will be available to assist you and ensure you register successfully for first-semester classes prior to end of the day. More instructions and details will be sent to those who select this modality. 

Congrats on completing your on-campus orientation and enrolling into your first-semester classes at CSULB! The first day of Spring 2023 classes is Thursday, January 19, 2023.

All first-semester students (both First-Time/First-Year and Transfer students) in the Liberal Studies program are going to be invited to attend 'Mandatory Advising' in Spring 2023. You will receive an invitation by email at the beginning of the Fall semester and will select a date/time (of your choosing) to receive advising in February/March. We understand that students have many questions about the program, aside from first-semester scheduling. We plan to cover a great amount of material during first-semester advising, to set a foundation for being in our program.  Once a newly admitted student attends their required advising in their first semester, they are welcome to schedule further one-on-one appointments and/or meet with advisors as needed up until graduation. Until then, we recommend to enjoy the remainder of your time before school starts, keep an eye on email communications and upcoming opportunities, and we'll be communicating with you again soon. 

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to the Liberal Studies Advising Team, anytime.

 

If you are considering a change of major at CSULB, refer to the directions below to get started on this request.

Change of Major Into Liberal Studies / the College of Education

If you are considering changing your major to Liberal Studies within the College of Education:

  • First-Year/First-Time Students (Freshmen): Advisors will begin responding to major change requests from incoming Freshmen after Monday, May 15th.
  • Transfer Students: With CSULB's Timely Graduation Policy and the criteria that you were admitted with for the University, a change of major request is not guaranteed. Advisors will begin responding to major change requests from incoming Transfers after we have assisted all admitted Liberal Studies Transfers. An advisor will review your transferred credits and determine eligibility to declare, and will confirm by email in January for approval or denial.

If you are interested in declaring into the Liberal Studies undergraduate major, submit a request below. 

 

Change of Major Form

 

Change of Major Out Of Liberal Studies / the College of Education

If you are considering changing your major out of the College of Education, refer to your desired College/Major on the Advising & Registration Website. Each college/program has specific directions on their respective websites on how to request a major change with their College. 

Are you unsure of what to do and want to speak with someone first? Talk to us. (refer above to "Advisor Contact Information & Next Steps").