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Admissions Requirements

General Admission Requirements

  • Completion of a four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or equivalent.
  • Be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended.
  • A grade point average of at least 2.5 on the last degree completed by the candidate or have attained a grade point average of at least 2.5 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted.
  • Satisfactorily meet the professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards for graduate study, including qualifying examinations, i.e. GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.*

*Please note that each program has its own requirements, consult with the department for guidelines, requirements and deadlines. Information about statement of purposes/personal statements, letters of recommendation, and test scores can be found on the department website.

Application Requirements

A complete application is composed of the following elements:

  • Submitted University application with $70* fee for admissions through Cal State Apply.  *Fee increase as of Fall 2020 application. See if you qualify for an application fee waiver.                           
  • Official copies of all college transcripts and test scores. Order them from all institutions that you have attended and have one copy sent directly to CSUSM at transcripts@csusm.edu. Alternatively, hard copies may be sent to:

Office of Admissions & Student Outreach
California State University San Marcos 
333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road 
San Marcos, CA 92096-0001 
ATTN: Graduate Admissions

Unofficial Transcripts are submitted on Cal State Apply during the application process. 

GRE School Code: 4155

*Please note that each program has its own requirements, consult with the department for guidelines, requirements and deadlines. Information about statement of purposes/personal statements, letters of recommendation, and test scores can be found on the department website.

Application Dates

Graduate Application Dates
Admissions Term Application Open Deadline to Apply Programs
Spring August 1 October 31 Select programs only. 
Summer October 1 May  30  Select programs only. 
Fall October 1 Varies Please check your program's website.