Online Application Submission

Completed applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Fall 2026

Application period opens: October 1, 2025

• Cal State Apply University Application due date: December 1, 2025
• MyCED Application due date: December 12, 2025

Applications are not accepted after the deadline.

NOTE: Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Use Cal State Apply to apply and be sure to complete all components of the application by the published deadline.

The Cal State Apply dashboard is divided into four sections:

• Personal Information: contact information, biographic information and financial information, etc.
• Academic History: colleges attended, GPAs, etc.; do not hand-enter transcript information
• Supporting Information: enter “I am not adding any experiences”
• Program Materials: enter "I am not adding any program materials" (these will be submitted on MyCED)

Please refer the tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for tips on filling out these sections of Cal State Apply. Please also refer below for detailed information for what documents to submit for the program materials.

Lastly, there is a non-refundable $70 application fee. Your application will not be processed until this fee has been paid. Please note that the CSU system does not offer a fee waiver for graduate level applications.

Important: you may only apply to one graduate program per CSU.  If you are unsure about which program is best for you, contact the Graduate Studies Office.

For technical assistance with Cal State Apply, please contact the Cal State Apply Help Desk: (857) 304-2087, via email, or visit the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center. Cal State Apply Application Support is available Monday – Friday, 6:00AM – 5:00PM PT.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

After you complete and submit the CSULB Cal State Apply application, please upload supplementary program application materials via MyCED by the MyCED program application deadline:

• Statement of purpose (prompt provided below)
• Résumé
• NOTE: The GRE is not required for admission

Please refer the MyCED tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for general tips on filling out the MyCED application.

Please email ced-gradstudies@csulb.edu if you need technical support navigating MyCED. 

Statement of Purpose Prompt

Submit a 3- to 4-page double-spaced, 12-point font statement of purpose. This is a presentation of you as a prospective school psychologist thus, a clear and germane writing sample is essential.

In your statement, include two numbered headings corresponding to the two numbered questions below. Please carefully read and address all items below.

1. There are many professions that support children within school settings. Why are you choosing school psychology as a career? Please also answer the following subquestions in your response.

• What are your career objectives?
• Why are you applying to our program?

2. What is your personal understanding of diversity, equity, or social justice as it relates to education or the role of a school psychologist in advancing equity in schools? Please also answer the following subquestion in your response.

• How did you come to this understanding? (Note, we do not expect applicants to share personal information or traumas in their response in order to be evaluated favorably in the admissions process.)

Need help with writing your Statement of Purpose? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website. 

Résumé

Please upload the most recent copy of your résumé.

Be sure that this resumé includes any relevant work experience in public schools or related settings. For each experience, please be sure the following are clear to the reviewer: 

• Position title (for example: teacher, classroom aide, intern, volunteer, etc.)
• Employer (for example: name of school, school district, community agency, etc.)
• Dates of experience in that position (e.g., month started to month ended)
• Brief descriptions of your job responsibilities and/or accomplishments 

Need help with updating your résumé? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website. 

Note about the Basic Skills Requirement: As of July 2024, applicants to the School Psychology program have met the Basic Skills Requirement if they have earned or will earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. For more information on the Basic Skills Requirement and options for meeting the requirement, please visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) website. 

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Be prepared to enter the names and e-mail addresses for two recommenders. Recommendations due by December 12, 2025. You may complete and submit your MyCED application before your recommenders submit their letters.

Who to ask
Recommendations should be from a supervisor in a professional setting or a university faculty member. We encourage you to seek the strongest possible letters. Therefore, we suggest speaking with your recommenders before completing this section.

Once you have entered and saved information for a recommender, an email request from MyCED will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.

Your recommenders will be instructed to respond to the following statement:
Thank you for providing a recommendation for an applicant. If possible, please consider the following areas of interest in your letter: 

• Academic abilities & accomplishments
• Personal qualities & maturity
• Ability to work with diverse groups of people & social skills (e.g., communication, cooperation, responsibility, empathy)
• Obstacles overcome
• Any additional topics that you believe are relevant to the applicant’s preparation and suitability for this graduate program