Admission Requirements for First-Time Freshman
High School Graduates
You will qualify for regular admission as a first-time freshman if you:
- have graduated from high school, have earned a Certificate of General Education Development (GED), or have passed the California High School Proficiency Examination; and
- have a qualifiable eligibility index (see section regarding eligibility index); and
- have completed for admission with grades of “C” or better in each of the courses in the comprehensive pattern of college-preparatory subjects, described below and approved and listed on the UC/CSU “a-g” list.
- Two years of social science, including 1 year of U.S. history, or U.S. history and government
- Four years of English
- Three years of math (algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra)
- Two years of laboratory science (l biological and 1 physical, both must have laboratory instruction)
- Two years in the same foreign language (subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence)
- One year of visual and performing arts: art, dance, drama/theater, or music (in the same discipline)
- One year of electives: selected from English, advanced mathematics, social science, history, laboratory science, foreign language, visual and performing arts or other courses approved and included on the UC/CSU “a-g” list
- Subject matter requirements must be met with a “C” or better and may not be completed during the summer term immediately preceding fall admission.
Subject Requirements
The California State University requires that first-time freshman applicants complete, with a C or better, a comprehensive pattern of college preparatory study totaling 15 units. A “unit” is one year of study in high school. Please refer to the CSU Mentor website at csumentor.edu for further information on subject unit requirements.
Foreign Language Subject Requirement: The foreign language subject requirement may be satisfied by applicants who demonstrate competence in a language other than English equivalent to or higher than expected of students who complete two years of foreign language study. Consult with your school counselor or any CSU campus admission or relations with schools office for further information. Please consult with any CSU admissions office for further information about alternative ways to satisfy the subject requirements.
Substitutions for Disabled Students
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to complete college preparatory course requirements. If a qualified applicant is judged unable to fulfill a specific course requirement because of a disability, alternative college preparatory courses may be substituted for specific subject requirements. Substitutions may be authorized on an individual basis after review and recommendation by an academic adviser or guidance counselor in consultation with the director of CSUF’s Disabled Student Services. Failure to complete courses required for admission may limit your later enrollment in certain majors, particularly those involving mathematics. For further information and substitution forms, please contact the director of CSUF’s Disabled Student Services.
Provisional Admission
Cal State Fullerton may provisionally admit first-time freshman applicants based on their academic preparation through the junior year of high school and planned for the senior year as reported on their CSUMentor application. The campus will monitor the final two years of study to ensure that admitted students complete their secondary school studies satisfactorily, including the required college preparatory subjects, and graduate from high school. Students are required to submit an official transcript after graduation to certify that all coursework has been satisfactorily completed. Official high school transcripts must be received prior to the deadline set by the University. In no case may documentation of high school graduation be received any later than the census date for a student’s first term of CSU enrollment. A campus may rescind admission decisions, cancel financial aid awards, withdraw housing contracts and cancel any University registration for students who are found not to be eligible after the final transcript has been evaluated.
High School Students
Students still enrolled in high school will be considered for enrollment in certain special programs if recommended by the principal and the appropriate campus department chair and if preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. Such admission is only for a given program and does not constitute the right to continued enrollment.
Adult Reentry Students
As an alternative to regular admission criteria, an applicant who is twenty-five years of age or older may be considered for admission as an adult student if he or she meets all of the following conditions:
- possesses a high school diploma (or has established equivalence through either the General Educational Development or California High School Proficiency Examinations),
- has not been enrolled in college as a full-time student for more than one term during the past five years and
- if there has been any college attendance in the last five years, has earned a C average or better in all college work attempted.
Consideration will be based upon a judgment as to whether the applicant is as likely to succeed as a regularly admitted freshman or transfer student and will include an assessment of basic skills in the English language and mathematical computation.
Interested adults, who have been denied admission, should complete an official appeal available at fullerton.edu/admissions/ProspectiveStudent/appeals.asp, explain in full their personal circumstances, and document any extenuating circumstances that warrant special consideration.
The Adult Reentry Center at 657-278-3889 is aware of the unique needs experienced by reentry students and functions to offer support and services to foster and enhance students’ growth and success.
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 is accepted for transfer to campuses of the CSU; however, authority for decisions regarding the transfer of undergraduate credits is delegated to each CSU campus.
The CSU General Education-Breadth (GE-Breadth) program allows California Community College (CCC) transfer students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for any CSU campus prior to transfer. Up to 39 of the 48 GE-Breadth units required can be transferred from and certified by a California community college. “Certification” is the official notification from a California community college that a transfer student has completed courses fulfilling lower-division general education requirements. The CSU GE-Breadth certification course list for particular community colleges can be accessed at assist.org.
CSU campuses may enter course-to-course or program-toprogram 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.org. 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.
Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Transfer Students
Applicants who have completed fewer than 60 transferable semester college units (fewer than 90 quarter units) are considered lower-division transfer students. 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.
Please note that former CSU students who are seeking readmission after academic disqualification must meet the GPA standards in place for their major at the time of reapplication.
Lower-Division Transfer Admission Requirements (completed less than 60 transferable college units)
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.
- Will meet the freshman admission requirements (grade point average and subject requirements) in effect for the term to which they are applying (see “Freshman Requirements” section; or
- 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.
Note: Due to enrollment constraints, the campus may choose not to consider any applicants for admission as lower-division transfers. Please refer to the application filing status area at csumentor.edu for current filing information.
Cal State Fullerton does not accept applications for lowerdivision transfers.
Upper-Division And Transfer Admission Requirements (completed 60 or more transferable college units)
Generally, applicants will qualify for admission as an upperdivision transfer student if they meet all of the following requirements:
- they have a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) or higher in all transferable units attempted; and
- they are in good standing at the last college or university attended; and 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. 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.
Provisional Admission
Cal State Fullerton may provisionally admit upper-division applicants based on their academics at other colleges or universities as reported on their CSUMentor application. The campus will monitor the final year of study to ensure that admitted students complete their studies satisfactorily, including any required general education coursework. Official transcripts must be received prior to the deadline set by the University. In no case may documentation of final college/university grades be received any later than the census date for a student’s first term of CSU enrollment. A campus may rescind admission decisions, cancel financial aid awards, withdraw housing contracts and cancel any University registration for students who are found not to be eligible after the final transcript(s) has been evaluated.
Intrasystem and Intersystem Enrollment Programs
Students enrolled at any CSU campus will have access to courses at other CSU campuses on a space available basis unless those campuses or programs are impacted or admission to the desired program or admission categories is closed. This access is offered without students being required to be admitted formally to the host campus and sometimes without paying additional fees. Although courses taken on any CSU campus will transfer to the students’ home CSU campus as at least elective credit, students should consult their home campus academic advisers to determine how such courses may apply to their specific degree programs before enrolling at the host campus.
There are two programs for enrollment within the CSU and one for enrollment between CSU and the University of California or California community colleges. Additional information about these programs is available from the Office of Admissions and Records.
CSU Concurrent Enrollment
Matriculated students in good standing may enroll on a space available basis at both their home CSU campus and a host CSU campus during the same term. Credit earned at the host campus is automatically reported to the home campus to be included on the student’s transcript at the home campus.
CSU Visitor Enrollment
Matriculated students in good standing enrolled at one CSU campus may enroll on a space available basis at another CSU campus for one term. Credit earned at the host campus is reported automatically to the home campus to be included on the student’s transcript at the home campus.
Intersystem Cross Enrollment
Matriculated CSU, UC or community college students may enroll for one course per term at another CSU, UC or community college and request that a transcript of records be sent to the home campus.
Admission Requirements for International Students
The University is pleased to accept applications from international students. The CSU must assess the academic preparation of foreign students. For this purpose, “foreign students” include those who hold U.S. visas as students, exchange visitors, or in other nonimmigrant classifications.
The CSU uses separate requirements and application filing dates in the admission of foreign students. Verification of English proficiency (see the section on the TOEFL Requirement for undergraduate applicants), financial resources, and academic performance are all important considerations for admission. Academic records from foreign institutions must be on file at least by the dates listed below, and, if not in English, must be accompanied by certified English translations. Freshman applicants applying directly from overseas should have outstanding academic qualifications and meet TOEFL or IELTS score requirements.
Applicants who are graduates of foreign secondary schools must have preparation equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. The University will carefully review the previous record of all such applicants and only those with promise of academic success equivalent to that of eligible California high school graduates will be admitted. Upper-division transfers, who have completed a two-year program in an accredited institution of higher education, with a good academic record and satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS scores, will be admitted.
Postbaccalaureate applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, with a strong academic record, and satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS scores from an accredited institution may be considered for admission as graduate students.
The University has established deadlines to insure the timely processing of all applications and to enable admitted applicants to make arrangements to reach the U.S. and the campus prior to orientation and registration. Early application is strongly advised due to strong demand for programs. Newly admitted students are required to take an English Placement Examination prior to enrollment in classes (mid-August for fall semester and mid-January for spring semester).
Applications may be submitted according to the following schedule:
For Fall Semester
Apply beginning October 1 of the preceding year. Application must be completed with supporting documents by March 15. Completion dates may be changed at any time due to enrollment constraints.
For Spring Semester
Apply beginning August 1 of preceding year. Application must be completed with supporting documents by October 15. Completion dates may be changed at any time due to enrollment constraints. All international student applicants must declare a major field of study when the application is filed.
TOEFL Requirement
All applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is other than English are required to present scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) before they can be admitted to the University unless they have attended for at least three years, full-time, an educational institution at the secondary level or above where English is the principal language of instruction. Undergraduate applicants must achieve a score of 500 on the paper-based TOEFL exam or 61 on the Internet TOEFL; graduate applicants or second B.A. degree applicants a score of 550 on the paper-based exam or 80 on the Internet TOEFL; graduate music applicants 560 or 83, respectively; MBA applicants 570 or 88, respectively; and graduate TESOL applicants a score of 573 or 89, respectively. Adequate performance on the TOEFL is mandatory for admission. We accept test results from the IELTS exam. The minimum score for undergraduate applicants is 5.5; most graduate applicant programs have minimum requirements ranging between 6.5 and 7.0.
As circumstances warrant, minimum requirements for TOEFL scores may be changed. Current information is available at csumentor.edu.
Applicants should obtain the TOEFL Bulletin of Information and registration forms well in advance. Copies of this bulletin and registration forms are often available at American embassies and consulates, offices of the United States Information Service, United States educational commissions and foundations abroad, bi-national centers, and several private organizations. Those who cannot obtain locally a TOEFL Bulletin of Information should write to: Test of English as a Foreign Language, Educational Testing Services, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 08541-6151, or go to ETS.org.
Sponsorship
International student applicants must include a statement of financial support accompanied by a bank statement from their sponsor. Students sponsored by an international organization or home government agency must include a letter of scholarship support specifying this University and the students proposed degree and program of study.
Transcripts
Transcripts of all educational documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by translation into English certified by independent agencies. All academic records must be received directly from the issuing institutions and become official records of the University.
Student Visas
International student applicants who are admitted by the University will be issued form I-20 which is used to obtain an F-1 student visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. Students transferring from a U.S. institution will use form I-20 to apply for transfer authorization through the Department of Homeland Security. Arrival, orientation and registration information from International Programs (UH-244) will accompany the admission materials mailed to new students.
Insurance Requirement
Effective August 1, 1995, as a condition of receiving an I-20 or DS-2019 form, all F-1 and J-1 visa applicants must agree to obtain and maintain health insurance as a condition of registration and continued enrollment in the California State University. Such insurance must be in amounts as specified by the Department of State and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The campus president or designee shall determine which insurance policies meet these criteria. Further information may be obtained from International Programs (UH-244).
Intensive Academic English Program
The American Language Program (ALP) of University Extended Education offers an intensive academic English program for international students who want to improve their English language skills, increase their TOEFL and IELTS scores, and prepare for study at a U.S. college or university.
The ALP application is available: online at alp.fullerton.edu, by calling 657-278-8293 or emailing alp@fullerton.edu. Upon completing the ALP application, students are required to print, sign, and mail the application package to ALP. Be sure to include:
- Completed application form (original, with signature)
- Signature of the financial sponsor
- Bank document or scholarship verification of support funds
- Application processing fee of $100 in the form of a cashier’s check or money order payable to Cal State Fullerton
- Copy of passport information page
- Transcript of grades from the last school attended
International students who have a strong academic background may apply for conditional admission to Cal State Fullerton. Students applying to both ALP and conditional admission to Cal State Fullerton should send all application documents to ALP. Conditional admission requires an additional month to process, as well as an additional fee. See alp.fullerton.edu/condadmit for more information.
Admission Requirements for Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Students
See admission information in the “Graduate Regulations ” section of this catalog.
Appeal of Admission Decision
Section 89030.7 of the California Education Code requires that the California State University establishes specific requirements for appeal procedures for a denial of admission. Each CSU campus must publish appeal procedures for applicants denied admission to the University. The procedure is limited to addressing campus decisions to deny an applicant admission to the University.
Admissions appeal procedures must address the basis for appeals, provide 15 business days for an applicant to submit an appeal, stipulate a maximum of one appeal per academic term, provide specific contact information for the individual or office to which the appeal should be submitted, and indicate a time estimate for when the campus expects to respond to an appeal. The appeal procedures must be included in all denial of admission notifications to students, and must also be published on the campus website.
Visit fullerton.edu/admissions/ProspectiveStudent/appeals.asp for CSUF’s appeal form and procedures. Students receive decisions within three to four weeks of appeal submission.
Reservation
The University reserves the right to select its students and deny admission to the University or any of its programs as the University, in its sole discretion, determines appropriate based on an applicant’s suitability and the best interests of the University.
Cancellation of Admission
A student admitted to the University for a given semester but who does not register in the specified semester will have the admission canceled. The student must file a new application form when again seeking admission and must follow the complete application procedure and meet the current admission requirements.
Readmission of Former Students
A student previously enrolled in the University, planning to return after an absence of more than one semester, must file a new application for admission and meet academic standards for the term applied. Unless a leave of absence was granted, catalog requirements at the time of readmission will apply. See “Stop-Out Policy” in the University Regulations section of this catalog for further information on applications for readmission.
Former Students in Good Standing
A student who left the University in good standing will be readmitted provided any academic work attempted elsewhere since the last attendance does not change his or her scholastic status.
Additionally, students may be required, prior to readmission, to have fulfilled the basic subjects of General Education. Transcripts of the record of any work attempted in the interim are required.
Former Students Who Were on Probation
Student on probation at the close of the last enrollment will be readmitted on probation provided they are otherwise eligible, they must furnish transcripts of any college work taken during the absence.
Former Students Who Were Disqualified
The readmission of a previously disqualified student is by special action only. Consideration for readmission is primarily based on evidence that the student has significantly raised the CSUF grade point average through grades in CSUF’s University Extended Education program. Any work since disqualification at other accredited institutions affects the cumulative grade point average but not the CSUF grade point average.
Please note that former CSU students who are seeking readmission after academic disqualification must meet the GPA standards in place for their major at the time of reapplication.
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