Apply to the Master of Urban Planning Program

1. Hold a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from an officially accredited university or college.
   • Applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds will be accepted, but those with bachelor’s degrees in the social sciences, engineering, design and architecture are often best prepared for graduate study in planning.
2. Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater for courses taken in the bachelor’s degree.
   • Postgraduate coursework is included in the calculation only if it is standard academic offerings at the upper level (third year/junior level or above).
   • Nonstandard credit offerings (professional training, CEU courses, nondegree or other professional credit) are not included in the calculation. Students may also qualify for admission if their GPA in the last 60 semester credit hours of the bachelor’s degree exceeds 3.25. Students with an overall GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered for admission to the program if they have a GPA of over 2.5 and pass one section of the GRE exam (verbal, quantitative, or analytical) with a score at the 50th percentile or higher.
   • Applicants who do not meet the GPA or GRE requirements specified above may be considered for admission if they can demonstrate other personal or professional experience that provides strong evidence of a commitment to planning (e.g., planning employment, service on a planning commission, etc.)
3. Be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended. See the CSUN Admission to the University for Graduate Programs Policies and Procedures page for more information.

STEP 1: Submit a formal application to the program at CSUN through Cal State Apply

IMPORTANT: Once your Cal State Apply application is complete, you will be sent an email with instructions on how to set up your CSUN Portal and email accounts. All correspondence from the Urban Studies and Planning Department will be sent to your CSUN email account.

• For help setting up your accounts, please contact CSUN IT at 818-677-1400.

STEP 2: Submit OFFICIAL transcripts to CSUN-Admissions and Records. 

• The fastest way to send your official transcript is electronically to the following email address registrar@csun.edu or by selecting “CSU Northridge” or “CSU Northridge (undergraduate)” from your institution's transcript system.

OR You may submit OFFICIAL transcripts by mail in unopened and sealed envelopes, sent directly from each educational institution attended to: 

• Domestic Applicants: California State University, Northridge Office of the Registrar 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8207
• International Applicants: California State University, Northridge Attention: International Admissions 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8207 U.S.A.
• You may also hand deliver transcripts in sealed, unopened envelopes to the Office of the Registrar, at the Records and Registration window of the Student Services Center, Bayramian Hall lobby (BH 100) during office hours.

STEP 3: Submit supporting documents to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning by the deadline via email to: mup@csun.edu.

Supporting documents: 

1. A current resume.
2. A Statement of Purpose, between 500 and 1,000 words, explaining the reasons why the candidate is seeking the Master of Urban Planning degree and how it will contribute to their personal and/or professional growth and success.
3. Unofficial transcripts (UNOFFICIAL transcripts should be sent to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning directly).
4. Two letters of recommendation, preferably one from a professional reference and the other from an academic reference.
   • These letters must be submitted by the recommending parties directly to the department email address at mup@csun.edu by the deadline.

International applicants must complete additional requirements, such as English language tests and other statements, in order to be reviewed for admission. For complete details, please review the International Admissions Criteria and contact an International Admissions Advisor.