Returning Undergraduate Students
We are excited for you to continue your journey as a Matador. The steps to your return to CSUN will depend on your previous student status and/or your length of time away from CSUN. If you are not sure about your student status, please refer to the Returning Admissions page.
Welcome Back!
If you are returning to CSUN, you don’t need to reapply on Cal State Apply or pay the $70 application fee! Just fill out our Welcome Back Form and we'll get back to you with an admissions decision.
Domestic students who left CSUN in all categories of academic standing — in good standing, on academic notice or in disqualified status — may use the Welcome Back Form.
When you return, your major will be the one you were pursuing when you last attended CSUN. If you'd like to change your major, we encourage you to consult with an academic advisor as soon as possible.
Welcome Back Form Availability
- For fall 2024: The Welcome Back Form deadline has passed.
- For spring 2025: The Welcome Back Form will be available Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024.
- For fall 2025: The Welcome Back Form will be available Oct. 1, 2024, to July 15, 2025.
Please note:
- If you have already earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, please do not use the Welcome Back Form.
- If you are an international student, please visit Returning International Students for readmission instructions.
Not sure if you need to request readmission to CSUN? Contact Records and Registration at registrar@csun.edu or call (818) 677-3700 during our business hours.
Please review the Steps to Return for your student group below.
Students Returning in Good Standing
If you left CSUN in good academic standing or on academic notice and you have been away for at least three consecutive semesters, take the steps below to return.
Steps to Return
Welcome Back Form Open Window
You must submit the Welcome Back Form during its available dates for the semester you intend to return. Please check back here on the start dates listed below for a link to the Welcome Back Form:
- To return in fall 2024: The Welcome Back Form deadline has passed.
- To return in spring 2025: Submit our Welcome Back Form between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, 2024.
- To return in fall 2025: Submit the Welcome Back Form between Oct. 1, 2024, and July 15, 2025.
When you return, your major will be the one you were pursuing when you last attended CSUN. If you’d like to change your major, we encourage you to consult with an academic advisor.
Once you've submitted the Welcome Back Form, we’ll be in touch with any required next steps or documents. For example, we'll ask for official transcripts for any course work you’ve completed since you last attended CSUN.
After you submit the Welcome Back Form and we've activated you in the system, you will receive an email from our office with the information you'll need to create or update your CSUN user ID and password. You may need to wait for our email to access your CSUN Gmail, but you don't need to wait to access the CSUN Portal.
Log in to the CSUN Portal. If you’ve forgotten your CSUN user ID or password, try the options at CSUN Account Information.
Check your application status in your CSUN Portal Checklist. For a refresher, visit the Checklist How-to Guide.
Send your official transcripts for any course work you’ve completed since your last CSUN attendance. Please note:
- If you are returning in good academic standing or on academic notice and have not taken courses elsewhere since your last attendance at CSUN, no transcripts are required.
- If you did take courses, send us your official transcripts for any college or university classes you have completed since you last attended CSUN.
- We will also ask you to send preliminary transcripts for any course work now in progress.
- As soon as your in-progress course work is complete and grades are posted, send your final transcripts.
All course work must be completed by:
- The end of the spring term before the fall semester in which you intend to enroll.
- The end of the fall term before the spring semester in which you intend to enroll.
For information on how to submit transcripts, see the Transcript Submission Information section below.
Previously Disqualified Students
Good news! Effective spring 2025 and after, it’s easier for previously disqualified students to return to CSUN by using the Welcome Back Form.
At CSUN, we offer you a path to return after previous disqualification. Being disqualified means you must wait at least one semester before enrolling in CSUN courses through the regular process.
To be considered for readmission as an undergraduate or second bachelor's student, you must show improvements that prove your academic growth, which will continue when returning to CSUN. These include:
- Successfully completing courses in your degree program at another institution or through Tseng College at CSUN.
- Earning grades at another institution that show your ability to return to good academic standing in a reasonable timeframe if readmitted to CSUN.
We highly encourage you to meet with a friendly CSUN academic advisor in the college of your major to review your situation and readmission requirements.
For SPRING 2025 Readmission
You must complete the following two basic subject courses that are required for CSU general education with a grade of C- or better:
- Written Communication
- Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
We strongly recommend that you also complete the remaining basic subject CSU general education courses with a C- or better before returning to CSUN:
- Critical Thinking*
- Oral Communication (Speech)
*Students re-applying as engineering or computer science majors do not have to complete a critical thinking course prior to readmission.
For FALL 2024 Readmission
You must complete each of the four basic subject courses required for CSU general education with a grade of C- or better. The courses are:
- Written Composition
- Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
- Critical Thinking*
- Oral Communication (Speech)
*Students re-applying as engineering or computer science majors do not have to complete a critical thinking course prior to readmission.
Steps to Return (Previously Disqualified)
You must submit the Welcome Back Form (link forthcoming) during its available dates listed in the table below for the semester you intend to return. You'll also need to wait at least one semester after being disqualified before requesting readmission to CSUN.
Please review the timeline for fall or spring readmission in the table below.
- If disqualified at the end of a fall or spring term, the earliest you can return to CSUN is the next like term.
- You don’t need to reapply on Cal State Apply or pay the $70 application fee.
- The Previously Disqualified Questionnaire is no longer required.
Once you submit the Welcome Back Form, our Office of Admissions will be in touch with instructions for your required next steps and documents, so be sure to check your email regularly!
| When Disqualified: | Earliest You Can Return: | Welcome Back Form Available Window: |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to fall or spring 2023 | Spring 2025 | Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Spring 2025 | Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | Fall 2025 | Oct. 1, 2024, to July 15, 2025 |
We strongly encourage you to speak with a CSUN academic advisor in the college of your major to review your situation and readmission requirements. A trained professional can help you assess your unique circumstances and the requirements for your major.
When you return, your major will be the one you were pursuing when you last attended CSUN. If you’d like to change your major, consult with an academic advisor as soon as possible .
If you are pursuing an Associate Degree for Transfer from a California community college, make sure your major matches one that CSUN has approved. Visit Matching CSUN and ADT Majors.
After you submit the Welcome Back Form and we've activated you in the system, you will receive an email from our office with the information you'll need to create or update your CSUN user ID and password. You may need to wait for our email to access your CSUN Gmail, but you don't need to wait to access the CSUN Portal.
Log in to the CSUN Portal. If you’ve forgotten your CSUN user ID or password, try the options at CSUN Account Information.
Check your application status in your CSUN Portal Checklist. For a refresher, visit the Checklist How-to Guide.
Send us your official transcripts, including the following:
- Official transcripts for any college or university courses you have completed since you last attended CSUN.
- Preliminary transcripts for any course work now in progress.
- Final transcripts as soon as your in-progress course work is completed and grades are posted.
Please note: No transcripts are required if you have only taken courses in CSUN’s Tseng College since being disqualified.
All course work must be completed by:
- The end of the spring term before the fall semester in which you intend to enroll.
- The end of the fall term before the spring semester in which you intend to enroll.
For information on how to submit transcripts, see the Transcript Submission Information section below.
Transcript Submission Information
How to Submit Transcripts
- Paper transcripts must be received in sealed, unopened envelopes. Ask your previous school(s) to send your official transcripts to:
California State University, Northridge
Office of the Registrar
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8207
- For electronic transcripts, choose "CSU Northridge" as the recipient.
- If you have any California community college transcripts, please review eTranscript California and have the transcripts sent through this system.
- You may also hand deliver transcripts in sealed, unopened envelopes to the Office of Admissions, Bayramian Hall (BH) Room 160 during our business hours.
- If you were previously disqualified and have only taken courses in CSUN’s Tseng College since your disqualification, no transcripts are required.
- Please do not send duplicate paper and electronic transcripts.
Transcript Deadlines
Official transcripts must be received electronically, postmarked to the Office of the Registrar, or hand delivered to Records and Registration, no later than the following due dates:
| Transcript Type | Spring Admission | Fall Admission |
|---|---|---|
| Official preliminary, work-in-progress transcripts are due if you are returning in good standing: |
Oct. 1 | Feb. 15 |
| Official transcripts for completed and in-progress course work if you were previously disqualified: |
Oct. 1 | April 1 |
| Official final transcripts for all returning students, all course work, are due: |
Jan. 15 | July 15 |
All course work must be completed by:
- The end of the spring term before the fall semester in which you intend to enroll.
- The end of the fall term before the spring semester in which you intend to enroll.