Admission

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

GLOBAL EDUCATION

Admission

Each graduate degree program has its own admissions requirements. Please refer to the information below to determine the requirements for the program you wish to apply. CSU San Marcos has the following general admissions requirements for all graduate programs.

Academic Records

All graduate applicants must have earned an acceptable four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelors degree. Applicants must be in good standing at the last university they attended and have attained the equivalent of at least a 2.5 grade point average (4.0=A) in the last 60 semester units they attempted. Submit Official Sealed Transcripts.

TOEFL/IELTS Requirement

All applicants must have a TOEFL score of 80 iBT or above (213 on the computer-based examination, 550 paper-based), or an IELTS score of 6.0, unless they possess a bachelors degree from a post-secondary institution where English was the principal language of instruction. Conditional admission is available to students who do not meet this requirement.

GRE/GMAT Scores

All graduate programs require an official report of either the GRE or GMAT (for the MBA) scores. No minimum GRE score is required, but these scores are an important element of admissions decisions. The MBA program requires a minimum GMAT score of 500.

Financial Resources

All international applicants are required to submit a financial affidavit that certifies they have the financial resources to provide for all expenses as indicated under Estimated Expenses. This form is part of the application for admission.

Letters of Recommendation

Some graduate departments require 2-3 letters of recommendation. These letters should come from current or former professors who can provide information about your academic ability and potential. Please do not send character references or letters from persons who do not have direct knowledge of your academic performance.

Personal Statement

Some graduate programs generally require a personal statement that outlines your academic objectives and professional goals.

Graduate Program Requirements

	Biological Sciences	Computer Science
TOEFL	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT
GPA	2.5 in last 60 semester units. 2.75 in all science and math classes	2.5 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in all computer science classes.
GRE/GMAT	Subject Test in Biology or in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology. General Test not required.	General Test Required; Computer Science Subject Test recommended, but not required.
Degree/Courses	Bachelor’s degree in biological science or related science from a four-year university.	Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. Computer Science degree not required, but students may have to take undergraduate computer science classes to satisfy admission graduate requirements
Recommendations	2 letters from persons who are familiar with applicant’s academic performance.	3 letters of recommendation
Personal Statement	Yes; part of Biology Department application form	No
Other Requirements	No	No
Notes
Admission and Deadlines	Deadline for Fall admission is March 15. No spring admission.	Fall and Spring admission Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15

	Education	History
TOEFL	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT
GPA	2.5 in last 60 semester units.	3.0 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in undergraduate major
GRE/GMAT	Not Required	General Test Required. Minimum verbal score of 500.
Degree/Courses	Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. Teaching certificate or credential.	Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university.
Recommendations	2 letters of recommendation	3 letters of recommendation
Personal Statement	Statement of purpose	750 word statement of research interests.
Other Requirements	Teaching experience preferred.	One academic writing sample, preferably from previous college work.
Notes	Transcript must be evaluated by professional evaluation service
Admission and Deadlines	Fall and Spring admission Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15	Fall and Spring admission Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15

	Literature and Writing	Mathematics
TOEFL	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT
GPA	2.5 in last 60 semester units.	2.5 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in last 30 units of major
GRE/GMAT	General Test Required. Minimum verbal score of 500 and analytical writing score of 2.	Not required
Degree/Courses	Bachelor’s degree in English, Literature, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, or similar program from a four-year university. At least 5 advanced undergraduate courses in literature or writing.	Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics or related field from a four-year university.
Recommendations	3 letters of recommendation	2 letters assessing on the applicant’s mathematical ability.
Personal Statement	750-1000 word "Statement of Purpose" addressing career goals and educational background	Part of "Request for Entry" letter.
Other Requirements	Sample analytical essay of no less than 5 pages on a literary topic.	A "Request for Entry" letter that includes a description of the applicant’s academic preparation and career goals.
Notes		This department does not use an application form. Applicants should send a Request for Entry letter.
Admission and Deadlines	Fall and Spring admission Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15.	Fall and Spring admission; Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15

	Psychology	Sociological Practice
TOEFL	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT
GPA	3.0 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in advanced undergraduate psychology classes	3.0 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in advanced undergraduate sociology classes.
GRE/GMAT	General Test required with a combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000. Psychology Subject Test recommended with a score above 50^th percentile.	General Test optional
Degree/Courses	Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from a four-year university. Or a Bachelor’s degree in another field with four advanced Psychology classes and one statistics class.	Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from a four-year university.
Recommendations	3 letters of recommendation	3 letters of evaluation
Personal Statement	No	Statement explaining career goals and describing academic preparation.
Other Requirements	Computing skills. Some research experience preferred.	Computing skills. One formal writing sample from a previous class.
Notes
Admission and Deadlines	No spring admission. Deadline for fall admission is March 15.	No spring admission. Deadline for fall admission is March 15.

	Spanish	MBA
TOEFL	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT	80 iBT; 213 CBT; 550 PBT
GPA	2.5 in last 60 semester units. 3.0 in Spanish classes	2.5 in last 60 semester units
GRE/GMAT	General Test Required with a combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000.	GMAT Required.
Degree/Courses	Bachelor’s degree in Spanish or related field from a four-year university.	Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university.
Recommendations	2 letters of recommendation	3 letters of recommendation
Personal Statement	1-2 page statement of purpose describing educational experience and career goals	Two essays. One discussing career achievements and the other on expectations from MBA program
Other Requirements	Writing sample of at least 7 pages in Spanish dealing with an aspect of Hispanic literature or culture. A speech sample (recording) of at least 5 minutes with applicant speaking Spanish on a topic of their choice.	Work experience preferred.
Notes		This program is currently closed to international students because it is part-time.
Admission and Deadlines	Fall and Spring admission Fall Deadline: November 15 Spring Deadline: March 15	No applications will be accepted.

The Office of Global Education
Craven Hall 3200
California State University San Marcos
333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road
San Marcos, California, 92096-0001
Tel: +1 760.750.4090
Fax: +1 760.750.3284
Contact Us

This page was last updated 07/16/2008