Admissions

Each non-impacted campus accepts applications until capacities are reached. Many campuses limit undergraduate admissions in an enrollment category because of overall enrollment limits. If applying after the initial filing period, consult the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment for application information. Similar information is available at CSU Apply Filing Status and Admissions & Student Recruitment.

FRESHMAN APPLICANTS

Generally, first time freshmen applicants will qualify for regular admission if they meet the following requirements:

1. Have graduated from high school, have earned a Certificate of General Education Development (GED), or have passed the California High School Proficiency Examination;
2. Have a qualifying minimum eligibility index (see Catalog); and
3. Have completed with grades of 'C' or better each of the courses in the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory subject requirements also known as the 'a-g' pattern (see 'Subject Requirements' below).

Subject Requirements

The CSU requires first-time freshmen applicants complete, with grades of 'C' (2.0) or better, a comprehensive pattern of college preparatory study totaling 15 units. A 'unit' is equal to one year of study in high school.

• 2 years of social science, including 1 year of U.S. history, or U.S. history and government.
• 4 years of English (completed where English is the primary language of instruction).
• 3 years of mathematics (algebra, geometry, and intermediate algebra).
• 2 years of laboratory science (1 biological and 1 physical, both must include laboratory instruction).
• 2 years in the same foreign language (subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence).
• 1 year of a year-long course in visual and performing arts or other courses approved and included on the UC/CSU 'a-g' list.
• 1 year of electives chosen from the subject areas listed above or approved college preparatory elective courses, included on the UC/CSU 'a-g' list.

High School Graduation Equivalency

Students who are not high school graduates may satisfy the high school graduation requirement by submitting the California Certificate of Proficiency or the General Education Development (GED) certificate or equivalent certificates awarded by other states.

1. California High School Proficiency Test. A 'pass' on the California High School Proficiency Examination is considered equivalent to graduation from high school.
2. Tests of General Educational Development (GED). An applicant submitting scores on the GED has established high school graduation equivalence if the average score for the five tests is 45 or better and each score is at least 40.

Meeting Admission Requirements. Applicants presenting the high school proficiency test or the GED will be expected to meet the fifteen-unit college preparatory subject requirements and have a qualifying eligibility index. Grades in courses completed after grade nine are used to calculate the grade point average for the eligibility index.

TRANSFER APPLICANTS

Transfer Policies of CSU Campuses

Most commonly, college level credits earned from an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education are accepted for transfer to campuses of the CSU; however, authority for decisions regarding the transfer of undergraduate credits is delegated to each CSU campus.

California Community Colleges and other authorized certifying institutions can certify up to 39 semester (58.5 quarter) units of General Education-Breadth (GE-Breadth) or 37 semester (55.5 quarter) units of Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) for transfer students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for any CSU campus prior to transfer.

'Certification' is the official notification from a California Community College or authorized institution that a transfer student has completed courses fulfilling lower-division general education requirements. The CSU GE-Breadth and Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) certification course lists for particular community colleges can be accessed on ASSIST .

CSU campuses may enter course-to-course or program-to-program articulation agreements with other CSU campuses and any or all of the California community colleges, and other institutions. Established CSU and CCC articulations may be found on ASSIST . Students may be permitted to transfer no more than 70 semester (105 quarter) units to a CSU campus from an institution which does not offer bachelor’s degrees or their equivalents, e.g., community colleges. Given the university’s 30-semester (45-quarter) unit residency requirement, no more than a total of 90-semester (135-quarter) units may be transferred into the university from all sources.

Transfer Requirements

Applicants who have completed fewer than 60 transferable semester college units (fewer than 90 quarter units) are considered lower-division transfer students and are not eligible for admission to CSUSB. Applicants who have completed 60 or more transferable semester college units (90 or more quarter units) are considered upper-division transfer students. Applicants who complete college units during high school or through the summer immediately following high school graduation are considered first-time freshmen and must meet the CSU minimum eligibility requirements for admission. Transferable courses are those designated for baccalaureate credit by the college or university offering the courses and accepted as such by the campus to which the applicant seeks admission.

Lower Division Transfer Requirements

Generally, applicants will qualify for admission as a lower-division transfer student if they have a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C or better) in all transferable units attempted. Due to increased enrollment demands, many CSU campuses do not admit lower-division transfer applicants. As an impacted campus, CSUSB does not admit lower-division transfer applicants.

1. Will meet the freshman admission requirements (grade point average and subject requirements) in effect for the term to which they are applying; or
2. Were eligible as a freshman at the time of high school graduation except for missing college preparatory subject requirements, have been in continuous attendance in an accredited college since high school graduation, and have made up the missing subject requirements with a 2.0 or better GPA.

Applicants who graduated from high school prior to 1988 should contact the admission office to inquire about alternative admission programs.

Making Up Missing College Preparatory Subject Requirements

Lower-division applicants who did not complete subject requirements while in high school may make up missing subjects in any of the following ways:

1. Complete appropriate courses with a C or better in adult school or high school summer sessions.
2. Complete appropriate college courses with a C or better. One college course of at least three semester or four quarter units will be considered equivalent to one year of high school study.
3. Earn acceptable scores on specified examinations, e.g., SAT subject tests.

Please consult with the CSU campus admission office, to which you are applying for further information about alternative ways to satisfy the subject requirements. Due to increased enrollment demands, many CSU campuses do not admit lower-division transfer applicants. As an impacted campus, CSUSB does not admit lower-division transfer applicants.

Upper Division Transfer Requirements

Generally, applicants will qualify for admission as an upper-division transfer student if they meet all of the following requirements:

1. They have a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) or higher in all transferable units attempted; and
2. They are in good standing at the last college or university attended; and
3. They have completed at least 60 transferable semester (90 quarter) units of college coursework with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher and a grade of C or higher in each course used to meet the CSU general education requirements in written communication, oral communication, critical thinking and quantitative reasoning, e.g. mathematics.
   1. The 60 semester (90 quarter) units must include at least 30 semester (45 quarter) units of courses, which meet the CSU general education requirements including all of the general education requirements in communication in the English language (both oral and written) and critical thinking and the requirement in mathematics/quantitative reasoning (usually 3 semester units) OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements in English communication and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning.

Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) established by the Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act (SB 1440).

The Associate in Arts (AA-T) and the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degrees offered at the California Community College (CCC) are designed to provide clear pathways to corresponding CSU degree majors for CCC transfer applicants earning these degrees.

California Community College students who earn a transfer associate (AA-T or AS-T) degree are guaranteed admission with junior standing to a CSU and given priority admission over other transfer applicants when applying on time, to a local CSU campus, or non-impacted CSU program. AA-T or AS-T admission applicants are given priority consideration to an impacted campus/program or to campuses/programs that have been deemed similar to the degree completed at the community college. Students who have completed an AA-T/AS-T in a program deemed similar to a CSU major are able to complete remaining requirements for graduation within 60 semester (90 quarter) units.