FAQ

As soon as possible but after you have submitted your Cal State Apply application is best. It allows them to be quickly paired with your application so we can evaluate them. The sooner you get them to us, the sooner we get them to the department for their review. 

All transcripts must be sent to the Office of the Registrar directly. 

When ordering your school's electronic transcripts, choose "CSU Northridge" as the recipient. If this option is not available, use registrar@csun.edu as the recipient email address. 

If that is not an option, paper transcripts must be received in sealed, unopened envelopes. Ask your previous school to send your official transcripts directly to us at the following address:

California State University, Northridge

Office of the Registrar

18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330-8207

Letters of Recommendation, Statement of Purpose, or any other supporting documents should go directly to the program you are applying to.  You should check their website or contact the Graduate Coordinator directly for instructions on how to submit these materials.  

Once we forward your application and transcripts to the department for their review, it is up to the program to return the paperwork with a decision. You should contact the department directly to ask about their timeline in making decisions.

You must include any colleges and/or universities you have attended. This includes any transfer work, course work that was not completed, coursework done in addition to a degree, or any in-progress coursework.  

The primary form of communication is via your CSUN email account. This is why it is important to activate your account as soon as possible. While some communications may be forwarded or sent to your personal email account, we recommend that you log into your CSUN account regularly to check for any new communications.  

Within 2 to 3 business days of submitting your application on Cal State Apply, you should receive an email with instructions on how to set up both your CSUN email account and your CSUN Portal. Be sure to look for this email and set up both; this is how we will communicate with you throughout your review. You can find additional instructions on our IT Help Center’s email website at or you can call them at 818-677-1400

There are a few reasons this may be happening. It might be that a transcript you had sent did not arrive and we need to track it down. Or that we have discovered transfer work from a school that you had not listed and need to see that transcript as well. Regardless, don’t ignore those emails. The best thing you can do is log into your CSUN portal and check your incomplete tasks or reach out to us via email (admissions.graduate@csun.edu) or phone (818-677-5800) and we’ll see what is going on. 

If all your transcripts have been received and you are still getting these emails, it is most likely because you have in-progress coursework or your grades are in but your degree is not yet awarded. In those cases, it is a reminder to get us the final transcripts once all grades are in AND your degree is posted (this can be up to 6 weeks after the end of term, be sure to check before sending a final copy). If you have any questions at all about your transcripts, please reach out!

That is absolutely fine, please send us your in-progress transcript(s) and we will evaluate what you have completed up to that point. It is more advantageous for you to get us your transcripts quickly as we do not forward your application to the department until all transcripts are received. You will need to provide an additional, final transcript at the end of the term. 

Unfortunately, no. You may only apply to one program per campus, per term. This includes programs offered through the Tseng College. You will have to select one program to proceed with the application process. Applicants with interest in more than one program are encouraged to reach out to all potential programs to discuss their options and application requirements in order to make an informed decision. 

• International Applicants are handled by the team in our Office of International Admissions. They are dedicated to assisting you throughout the entire application process. You can email them at intladm@csun.edu or call them at 818-677-3760

If you are a domestic applicant but you have completed college or university coursework at an accredited educational institution outside the United States, its territories or protectorates, your application will also go through the Office of International Admissions. This is because the transcript and/or the degree is international and needs to be evaluated by that team. Domestic students with international transcripts are sometimes referred to as having "mixed records."