I want to apply...

An international Master's applicant is a student who wishes to study at our university on an F-1 (student) visa, who has received a post-secondary degree from a regionally accredited college or university within the United States or outside the Unites States that meets our accreditation standards.

How to Apply

Graduate programs may require additional documents for the application process. You must visit the respective graduate program website and follow the instructions carefully for any program-specific admission requirements and deadlines. Application deadlines vary.

APPLICATION FEE WAIVED FOR 2023!

University Application:
- - TWO OPTIONS:
    - - OPTION ONE: Apply online at www.calstate.edu/apply-
        
        Email iapply@csusm.edu to request a fee waiver code or if you need assistance. Resource for the online application: Application Guide for online application

Or, you can apply with:

- - - - OPTION TWO: Use the paper application – Application fee automatically waived.

2. All official post-secondary academic records including certificates, mark sheets, examination grades, degrees or diplomas in the original language of issue through the postal mail in a school-sealed envelope. Copies will be accepted for the admission decision.

3. Official English translations of all academic records including certificates, degrees or diplomas

4. Affidavit of Financial Support including bank statements or scholarship letter

5. Official passing TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or Cambridge English score report - once you apply, you will be given online access to a student portal where you can check if you are required to submit a test score. If you do not have a passing test score, guaranteed conditional admission through our English language program may be available.

6. Copy of your Passport

EXPEDITE PROCESSING: Send your unofficial transcripts and copies of documents for an admission decision by: Uploading Your Documents Online. Be sure to change the file name to: your full name and email address.

Minimum University Admission Requirements

NOTE: This information below is the minimum university requirements. Applicants must meet the specific admissions criteria for the program of their choice. Please visit the links above for detailed admission criteria for each master's program at CSUSM.

Equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree from an institution that meets our accreditation standards
Overall 2.5 GPA or higher in the overall degree or last 60 units attempted
Satisfy English Language Proficiency Requirement:

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Choose ONE from the following:
- TOEFL score of 80 iBT
- IELTS overall band score of 6.0, writing score no lower than 6.0 and no section score below 5.5
- Cambridge English C1 Advanced (CAE), C2 Proficiency (CPE)–certificate awarded with a Cambridge English score of 180 or higher.
- Duolingo score of 110
- Pearsons (PTE) score of 65
- iTEP Academic Plus - Please contact International Admissions at iapply@csusm.edu for details
- Bachelor's or master's degree from a U.S. university
- Bachelor’s degree from a post-secondary institution where English is the principal language of instruction (confirm with International Admission Office to see if your school is eligible)

Graduate programs may have higher than minimum GPA requirements and additional admission criteria. IMPORTANT NOTICE: GRE may be optional for the 2023 application filing period. See more information below

If you do not meet the English language proficiency for graduate admission you may apply for conditional admission for select graduate programs through our American Language & Culture Institute. To be eligible for ALCI conditional admission, you must meet the undergraduate English language proficiency requirement. Please contact the International Admission Office for more details at iapply@csusm.edu.

Visit your master's degree program website for admission criteria, application instructions, and deadlines

GRADUATE PROGRAMS:

Summer 2023: MBA only - AACSB accredited

Summer application filing period:

LEARN MORE (We offer two MBA programs):

Fully Employed MBA (FEMBA) (October 1 to March 1, 2023)

Specialized MBA (SMBA) (APPLY NOW to March 1, 2023)

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GMAT waiver petition available

In light of the continued COVID-19 situation, the MBA admissions committee has extended the GMAT waiver for qualified applicants until August 2023:

Applicants who have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 units of their undergraduate program may petition to waive the GMAT. Admission conditions may be applied to the applicants whose petition is approved.

- GMAT waiver petition form

If you hold a master or doctorate degree in a quantitative field, you may petition to waive the GMAT requirement by contacting the MBA office at (760) 750-4267 or mba@csusm.edu.

*SMBA Foundation courses (summer) may be waived if you are a holder of a business bachelor's degree. Your entry date will be Fall 2023 if the foundation courses are waived. Application deadline is MAY 15, 2023.

FALL 2023:

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Fall term starts on August 28, 2023. GRE may be waived or optional for some graduate programs. Some programs will allow students to boost their application by submitting a GRE to replace a low GPA.

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Master in Biological Sciences
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to March 1, 2023)

Master in Biological Sciences
- Bachelor’s degree in biological science or related science
- 3.0 in last 35 semester units of math and science
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Resume
- GRE - not required/optional
- Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Julie Jameson
  
  Email: jjameson@csusm.edu
Master in Biotechnology
(October 1, 2022 to May 11, 2023-until cohort is full)

Master in Biotechnology (EL)
- Bachelor's degree with a major in a bioscience or chemistry or related area
- 3.0 in the last 35 semester units of science and math
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Resume
Applicants should have courses or experience in:

•Molecular Cell Biology or Molecular/Cellular Biotechnology

•Microbiology or Biology of Microorganisms

•Statistics

•Chemistry or Biochemistry

GRE: not required/optional
Master in Chemistry
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to June 1, 2023)

Master in Chemistry
- Bachelor's degree with a major in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, or related field
- Overall GPA of 2.8
- The applicant must have completed the following prerequisite courses (or their equivalent): one year of Calculus, CHEM 202L, CHEM 275, CHEM 401. Chemistry and biochemistry options must visit website for additional course
- 3 letters of recommendation
- GRE: not required/optional
- Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Sajith Jayasinghe
  
  Email: sjayasin@csusm.edu
Master in Computer Science
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to June 1, 2023)

Master in Computer Science
- GPA of 75% or higher
Courses needed to make up undergraduate deficiencies:
- CS 311 Data Structures -- You must have passed this class before starting the Master's degree.
- CS 331 Computer Architecture (after CS 231)
- CS 351 Programming Languages
- CS 433 Operating Systems
- CS 370 Software Engineering
- MATH 270 Discrete Mathematics
If you have 3 prerequisite courses or less you can be admitted as conditionally classified.
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Resume recommended/no work experience required
GRE: not required/optional
Master in Cybersecurity
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to June 1, 2023- online only) THIS PROGRAM IS 100% ONLINE. We do not issue an I20 for this program.

Master in Cybersecurity (EL)
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent education background
- 2.5 GPA in last 60 units
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Resume
- GRE: not required
Master in History
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to March 15, 2023)

Master in History
- Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree from anaccredited university in history or an allied fieldwith at least four upper-division courses in history
- GPA 3.0 overall minimum
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- A writing sample (academic writing sample)
- Statement of research intent (750 word)
- GRE: not required
Master in Kinesiology
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to February 15, 2023)

Master in Kinesiology
- Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science or related field
- 3.0 GPA
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- GRE: not required
Master in Literature & Writing Studies
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to March 1, 2023)

Master in Literature & Writing Studies
- Bachelor’s degree in English, literature and writing, comparative literature, rhetoric, linguistics, or similar program
- 3.0 in last 60 semester units
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- A writing sample (an analytical essay of no less than 5 pages on a literary topic)
- GRE: not required

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Master in Mathematics
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to June 1, 2023)

Master in Mathematics
- Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics or related field (such as computer science) which includes the equivalent of the following four key courses with a grade of B or higher:
  - MATH 374 - Linear AlgebraMATH 430
  - Foundations of AnalysisMATH 470
  - Introduction to Abstract Algebra
and an additional senior-level proof-based mathematics course
- 2.5 GPA in the last sixty (60) units
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- GRE: not required/optional
Specialized MBA
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to May 15, 2023)

Specialized MBA (EL)
- Have completed a 4-year college course of study from a regionally accredited institution or from an international institution that meets CSUSM accreditation standards in Business Administration
- 3.0 or better in last 60 semester units
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume
- GMAT:
  In light of the continued COVID-19 situation, the MBA admissions committee has extended the GMAT waiver for qualified applicants until August 2023:
  
  Applicants who have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 units of their undergraduate program may petition to waive the GMAT. Admission conditions may be applied to the applicants whose petition is approved.
  
  - GMAT waiver petition form
  
  If you hold a master or doctorate degree in a quantitative field, you may petition to waive the GMAT requirement by contacting the MBA office at (760) 750-4267 or mba@csusm.edu.
Master in Psychological Science
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to February 1, 2023)

Master in Psychological Science
- Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or related field with four upper division Psychology classes and one statistics class.
- 3.0 GPA in last 60 units
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume - optional
- GRE - not required/optional
Master in Public Health
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to May 15, 2023-until cohort is full)

Master in Public Health (EL)
- GRE waived
- 2.5 GPA last 60 units
- Statistics course required
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Resume
- Statement of purpose
Master in Sociological Practice
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to March 1, 2023)

Master in Sociological Practice
- Bachelor’s degree in Sociology or a related undergraduate degree in one of the social sciences or in an interdisciplinary field from a four-year university
- Minimum 3.0 overall GPA
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample: Your writing sample should be scholarly (and include in-text citations and references) and demonstrate your promise as a graduate student in Sociological Practice
- In addition to the letters, we ask you to answer two questions related to your interest and fit for our graduate program:
  1. The MASP program at CSUSM is very committed to issues of racial and social justice and takes a critical approach to studying social issues and problems. Please discuss your awareness of and experiences with these issues.
  2. As a program with a public sociology orientation, MASP values praxis (experience) as a tool to not just study, but to also solve social programs. Describe any relevant current or previous experiences with community groups, agencies, organizations, grassroots efforts, activism, employment, internships, service learning, and/or volunteering.
  3. You will answer these questions in Cal State Apply supplemental online application
- GRE: Not required/optional
Master in Social Work
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to January 28, 2023)

Master in Social Work (EL)
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Must also have completed an undergraduate statistics course with a grade of 'C' or better
- GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Resume, verifying internship, paid/unpaid experience in social work/human services positions preferably demonstrating 500 or more total hours of service
- GRE: not required
Master in Spanish
Apply: (October 1, 2022 to May 15, 2023)

Master in Spanish
- Bachelor's degree in Spanish from an accredited university or a Bachelor's degree in a closely related field with a minimum of 21 upper-division courses in Spanish (equivalent to our 400-level courses) with a grade of B or higher
- 3.0 in last 60 semester units
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- One formal academic writing sample (in Spanish)
- GRE: Consult department

Application Questions

Please contact Colleen Manthey, Assistant Director ~ International Admissions, at iapply@csusm.edu.

*Appeal process for special consideration due to extenuating circumstances/demonstrable hardship may be considered, submit appeal to: iapply@csusm.edu.