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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.

Apply Now!

Fall Admissions: Applications are open October 1. Deadlines vary -  Please check your program's website. 

Spring Admissions: Applications are open August 1-October 31. Select programs only. 

Summer Admissions: Available for MBA only. Please check their webpage. 

Download the CSU Application Guide

Need additional help with your application?

Come to a Cal State Apply workshop for graduate school applications! 

Programs and Advisors
Contact the Graduate Coordinator for further question about the program you are interested in. 

Graduate School Checklist

Use the "Pathway to Graduate School Worksheet" to know what steps to take when considering graudate school and when you sould take action.