Special Admission

The Special Admission process is a means by which applicants, who may not meet the California State University Long Beach (CSULB) admission requirements due to a disability, but who are "otherwise qualified," may request special consideration for admission. The BMAC Special Admissions Committee facilitates this process by consulting with Enrollment Services while providing additional information about each applicant's special circumstances. It is the committee's function to evaluate disability documentation using guidelines established by the California State University (CSU) system. All applicants are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

All final special admission decisions are made by Enrollment Services.

A student wishing to be considered for special admission to the university must first apply through the CSULB admission process and in accordance with all deadlines specified by Enrollment Services.

Please note the eligibility criteria for CSULB is subject to a competitive admission standard. For additional information please visit the Enrollment Services website.

 

To be considered for Special Admission, students must first have an application on file with CSULB, then complete a Special Admissions Consideration Form and forward the form to the Bob Murphy Access Center by:

  • February 1st: Fall Semester Applicants
  • September 1st: Spring Semester Applicants

Students who are found eligible to attend CSULB based on CSULB's competitive academic criteria alone will be offered admission first.

Students who are not "otherwise qualified" and do not meet CSULB's competitive academic criteria will not be offered admission and will receive a CSULB denial notice.

Students who meet CSULB competitive academic criteria (i.e., "otherwise qualified") and who have self-identified with a disabling condition by completing a Special Admission Consideration Form and are faced with a disability related academic deficiency will be invited to submit a Special Admissions Application.

Students who complete the initial screening process Step 1 AND who are "otherwise qualified" academically will be invited to submit detailed disability documentation for Special Admission consideration.

Complete the comprehensive Special Admissions Application for students with disabilities which includes a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, current verification of disability, photograph of applicant and unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended to the Bob Murphy Access Center by:

  • March 1st: Fall semester applicants
  • October 20th: Spring semester applicants.

* Completion of this process does not guarantee admission to CSULB.

 

The Special Admission Process

Following the Special Admissions deadline, the Special Admissions committee will meet as a group to review each applicant on a case-by-case basis. Applicants who are "otherwise qualified" based on a review of their documentation will be forwarded to Enrollment Services for Special Admissions consideration. Enrollment Services will then weigh the committee's recommendations as they relate to the total CSULB applicant pool for that term. If Enrollment Services agrees that a Special Admissions applicant is "otherwise qualified" and all competitive admission standards have been met, both the applicant and the Bob Murphy Access Center will be notified regarding Enrollment Services final decision. Enrollment Services will notify each applicant via email regarding their final admission status.

Some applicants may be "conditionally" admitted via an enrollment exception. Enrollment Services will require these candidates to remediate their academic deficiency either prior to or subsequent to enrollment to CSULB. (e.g., students who qualify for Special Admissions whose math deficiency is waived for admission purposes will be required to complete a mathematics course substitution in the area of critical thinking to fulfill their missing General Education Breadth requirement during their first semester of attendance at CSULB).