Freshman and Transfer Requirements
See admission information in the Undergraduate Students section of this catalog.
Substitutions for Students With Disabilities
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 Disability Support Services. Failure to complete courses required for admission may limit a student’s later enrollment in certain majors, particularly those involving mathematics. For further information and substitution forms, contact the director of CSUF’s Disability Support Services.
High School Students
High school students may be considered for enrollment in certain special programs if recommended by the principal and the appropriate university department chair and if preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. Such admission is only for a given specific program and does not constitute a right to continued enrollment.
Adult Students
As an alternative to regular admission criteria, an applicant who is 25 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.
- If there has been any college attendance in the last five years, has earned a 2.0 GPA 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 admissions.fullerton.edu/prospectivestudent/appeals.php, 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 offers support and services to foster and enhance students’ growth and success.
Intrasystem and Intersystem Enrollment Programs
Fully matriculated students enrolled at any CSU have access to courses at other CSUs on a space available basis unless those universities/programs are impacted. This access is offered without students being required to be admitted formally to the host university and in most cases without paying additional fees. Students should consult their home university academic advisers to determine how such courses may apply to their specific degree programs before enrolling at the host university.
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 the Registrar.
CSU Fully Online Courses – Matriculated students in good standing may request enrollment in one course per term, offered by a CSU host university. Enrollment requests will be granted based on available space, as well as completion of any stated prerequisites. Credit earned at the host university is electronically reported to the student’s home university to be included on the student’s transcript at the home university.
CSU Visitor Enrollment – Matriculated students in good standing enrolled at one CSU may enroll at another CSU for one term. Credit earned at the host university is reported at the student’s request to the home university to be included on the student’s transcript at the home university.
Intersystem Cross Enrollment – Matriculated CSU, UC or community college students may enroll on a “space available” basis for one course per term at another CSU, UC or community college and request that a transcript of record be sent to the home university.
These programs do not apply apply to students seeking degrees concurrently at two different California State University (CSU) campuses or with a UC or CCC. Financial aid and scholarships are tied to enrollment status at a single institution. Students cannot receive financial aid at two universities at the same time. The CSU system does not have a policy that explicitly addresses seeking degrees concurrently at more than one CSU campus. However, the general practice is that students are expected to be enrolled at a single CSU campus at a time, unless through CSU Concurrent Enrollment or a pre-approved agreement between the two CSU campuses.
Admission Requirements for International (Foreign) 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. temporary 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 English Language Requirement for undergraduate applicants), financial resources and academic performance are each important considerations for admission. Academic records from foreign institutions must be on file at least by the dates listed below for the first term and, if not in English, must be accompanied by certified English translations.
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 English language proficiency test scores, will be admitted.
Post-baccalaureate 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 Oct. 1 of the preceding year. Application must be completed with supporting documents by March. Completion dates may be changed at any time due to enrollment constraints.
For Spring Semester
Apply beginning Aug. 1 of the preceding year. Application must be completed with supporting documents by October. 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.
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 student’s 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 will be mailed to new students.
Insurance Requirement
In order to meet health insurance requirements for international students, California State University Fullerton requires all enrolled F-1/J-1 international students to purchase the CSUF International Student Health Plan administered by Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk. No alternate health insurance plans are accepted. Certain government-sponsored international students may be exempt from this requirement, depending on documentation submitted to CSUF.
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 CSU establishes specific requirements for appeal procedures for a denial of admission. Each CSU must publish appeal procedures for applicants denied admission to the university. The procedure is limited to addressing university decisions to deny an applicant admission to the university.
Admission 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 university 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 university website.
Visit https://admissions.fullerton.edu/appeals/ for CSUF’s appeal form and procedures. Students receive decisions within 30 days 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 two semesters, must file a new application for admission and meet academic standards for the term applied. Please visit Bring Back Titans for more information on how to return. 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 Notice
Students on notice at the close of the last enrollment will be readmitted on notice provided they are otherwise eligible. They must furnish transcripts of any college work taken during the absence. Any work since academic notice at other accredited institutions affects the cumulative GPA but not the CSUF GPA.
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 total GPA through grades in either CSUF’s Open University program, or at the community college. Any work since disqualification at other accredited institutions affects the cumulative GPA but not the CSUF GPA.
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.
High School Completion Verification
The Office Admissions reserves the right to evaluate the validity of a student’s high school completion if the institution or the U.S. Secretary of Education has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education. CSUF applicants will be notified by the Office of Admissions via email on the procedures required to validate their high school completion status.
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