Application Process

• Video about our department, our MS programs and the program requirements
• Video about the research activities of some of our faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CSUN

• Current Graduate Coordinator for MS Chemistry and MS Biochemistry programs: Dr. Karin Crowhurst (karin.crowhurst<at>csun.edu or 818-677-4288).

Application Deadlines:

• Domestic: July 1 for Fall admission, and November 1 for Spring admission
• International: May 31 for Fall admission, and October 31 for Spring admission

• NOTE: in addition to the minimum CSUN requirements, the following are required for applying to the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department:
  • Minimum recommended GPA from previous postsecondary programs is 3.0. You must have earned a bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry or a closely related subject, or have taken numerous upper-division chemistry and/or biochemistry courses (plus calculus) in preparation for this program.
  • If your cumulative postsecondary GPA is lower than 3.0, you are required to take the general GRE and submit your scores as part of your application. Please have scores sent to school code 4707.

To apply to the MS Chemistry or MS Biochemistry program:

• University application: CSUN has an on-line application (CalState Apply), through which you will need to submit your transcripts, GRE scores (if submitting) and TOEFL/IELTS score (if necessary).
• In addition to the university application, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry requires the following for a complete application package:
  1. A personal statement (maximum 2 double-spaced pages, 1" margins) must be submitted directly to the Graduate Coordinator. Please DO NOT upload to CalState Apply, as the department will never receive it. Note that "double-spaced" means that the document has an empty line of space between each line of writing.
     Contents should include (but are not restricted to):
     • a narrative about your motivation to join the Master’s program
     • a description of previous research projects you have done (if any)
     • what you’d like to do after obtaining the degree
     • an explanation of gaps in your academic record (if you have any).
     Contents must include:
     • what subdiscipline you are interested in pursuing
     • the names of a couple of faculty in our department with whom you might want to do research (and why).
  2. At least one letter of recommendation (cannot be a form letter) that addresses your specific skills, especially those that are relevant to research. Please have the referree send their letter directly to the Graduate Coordinator via email (from the referee's institutional or company email address). The letter must be provided on letterhead (from the institution or company at which the referee is employed) and include the referee's signature. At the same time that you submit your personal statement, please let the Graduate Coordinator know the name(s) of people providing letters so that the committee will know what to expect to receive before evaluating your completed application.


• We currently do rolling admissions. You are therefore encouraged to submit your application early (because we may fill up our available slots before the final admissions deadline).
• Application deadline for domestic students: July 1 for Fall admission, November 1 for Spring admission.
• Application deadline for international students: May 31 for Fall admission, October 31 for Spring admission.


• Please note that submission of all required materials does not guarantee admission to the MS Chemistry or Biochemistry program; admission decisions are dependent on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) the grades received in relevant courses, the quality of the materials submitted, and the number of available spaces in a given program at the time we receive the application.
• You can enroll in classes once Admissions and Records has received the application and you have been assigned a File Number. The official notice of acceptance often comes after the assignment of the File Number so that you can register for classes even though you might not have received an official notice of acceptance. If not, you can enroll in chemistry or biochemistry classes via Tseng College Open University if you wish.


• Current Graduate Coordinator for MS Chemistry and MS Biochemistry programs: Dr. Karin Crowhurst (karin.crowhurst<at>csun.edu or 818-677-4288).