Notice
Cal State LA has received reports of fraudulent programs claiming to offer admission to Cal State LA through false documents (that may appear to be from Cal State LA), and referencing fictitious majors that are not offered at Cal State LA (such as Dermatology) or falsely advertising partnerships between Cal State LA and other non-CSU universities (such as “California Bay University”).
Please be vigilant, especially when asked to share personal and financial information. Cal State LA will never ask you via email or social media for social security numbers, credit card numbers, or banking details.
Any Cal State LA tuition and fee payments are paid through Transact (our epayment platform), by mail with a check or money order, or in-person at One-Stop Financial Services, Student Services Bldg. Room # 2380.
Immediately report suspected phishing to the ITS Help Desk: [email protected] | 323‑343‑6170.
You are considered an international transfer applicant if you:
- Require an 'F visa' (or I-20) to study at Cal State LA; and
- Attempted college coursework after high school graduation, but have not completed a Bachelor's degree.
- If you already have a bachelor's degree, please see the Graduate Admission webpage.
Admissions Information
International transfer admission is offered for Fall term only.
Fall 2027 Admissions
- Cal State Apply application opens for preview on August 1
- International Transfer Application Filing Period is Oct. 1 - Nov. 30, 2026
- Admission requirements must be completed by end of Spring 2027
- For a term's specific deadlines, visit Admissions Deadlines.
You are a transfer applicant if you have completed college coursework after graduating from high school and plan to transfer from a California Community College or another college or university.
What type of transfer student are you?
- Lower-division transfer: Fewer than 60 transferable semester units
- Upper-division transfer: 60 or more transferable semester units
Cal State LA admits both lower-division and upper-division transfer students. Review the requirements that apply to you:
| Requirement Category | Lower Division Transfer | Upper Division Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Units | Completed fewer than 60 transferable semester units (or 90 quarter units) by the time you begin classes at Cal State LA | Completed at least 60 transferable semester units (or 90 quarter units) |
| High School |
| N/A |
| College General Education | Complete with C- or better:
|
|
| College GPA | 2.0+ GPA in all transferable college coursework | 2.0+ GPA in all transferable college coursework |
| Good Standing | Must be in good standing at last college/university attended | Must be in good standing at last college/university attended |
| English Language Proficiency | If applicable, meet English Language Proficiency requirement | If applicable, meet English Language Proficiency requirement |
*Critical Thinking is waived for most Engineering and Computer Science majors.
Important Notes:
- All requirements must be completed by the end of:
- Spring for Fall admission
- Summer for Spring admission
- For recommended major prep courses, see Recommended Major Preparation for Admission page.
- Meeting minimum CSU transfer requirements does not guarantee admission to all majors. The following competitive or specialized have additional Major-Specific Criteria for admission:
- Fire Protection Administration
- Music (BM)
- Nursing
- Urban Learning – Teacher Prep
Admission decisions are based on the information you provide in your application, so make sure your coursework, grades, and test scores are accurate and complete.
Apply to Cal State LA
- Before you apply, review degree and admission requirements for your intended major. You must declare a major when applying — no changes can be made after submitting.
- To view available programs for an admission term, see Cal State Apply Dates & Deadlines
- Apply online at Cal State Apply before the term's application deadline.
- To view a term's admission deadlines, see Deadlines page.
- Need help? Visit our Application Tips page.
Important: If you’ve attended a U.S. college, you’ll need to enter your full transfer coursework into the application. Select majors will be asked about progress toward major-specific criteria for admissions. Inaccurate or incomplete information may affect your admission decision.
After applying, you’ll get an acknowledgement email from [email protected]. If you don’t receive it within two weeks of submission, please follow up with us.
Ready to Apply? Start Your Application (opens in a new window)
Transcripts & Documents
Please do not send your transcripts until we ask for them. Any documents sent early or without a request will not be reviewed.
Additional Documents
International Transfer applicants with Foreign Coursework
- International students not attending U.S. schools will be required to submit official academic records (with the institution's grading scale) to be considered for admission. For a timely decision, please send your official college/university transcript(s) as soon as the requested term’s grade are posted, or within 2 weeks of submitting your application, whichever is later. For Fall 2026 admission eligibility review, transcripts must include grades through the Fall 2025 term. For Spring admission, transcripts must include grades through the preceding summer term.
- Submit official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or DuoLingo English Test (effective Spring 2022) test scores for the English Language Proficiency requirement if your college coursework was not taken at an institution where English is the only language of instruction.
Cal State LA may make transfer admission decisions for students attending U.S. schools based on self-reported information from the application. Please do not submit transcripts or other documents unless requested.
Students offered admission based on self-reported information will be required to submit official transcripts in order to verify eligibility. Admission decisions are conditional and may be withdrawn for students who misreported, missed the document deadline, or are not on track to meet the terms of the admission offer. Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts within 30 days of the admission offer.
Additional documents may be required in certain circumstances:
- ADT Students: Must verify you're on track to complete your CCC Associate Degree for Transfer by Spring (for Fall admission) or Summer (for Spring admission).
- AP/CLEP/IB score reports: Send official scores (other colleges’ credit doesn’t transfer).
- Military Veterans - If you're a veteran, please send your discharge papers (Form DD 214) and military transcripts (like AARTS or SMART) for college credit.
Cal State LA uses email as the official means of communication with applicants. Initial admission communications are sent to the email reported in the Cal State Apply application. Applicants are required to maintain a current email address on file with the University, and to check their email regularly.
Throughout the admissions process, the Office of Admissions and Recruitment will send communications to the "preferred" email address as indicated in your GET Student Center. You may update your email address at any time by visiting your Golden Eagle Territory (GET) Self-Service Student Center.
To help prevent these important emails from being flagged as spam/junk mail by your email provider, please mark the calstatela.edu domain as a safe sender in your email account.
Be aware, we discovered that the following email hosts have blocked Cal State LA emails. If you currently have an email account with one of these email hosts, we strongly encourage you to create a new email account with an alternate email host (e.g., gmail.com, outlook.com, icloud.com, etc.).
- qq.com
- 126.com
- 163.com
- yeah.net
Offers of admission are normally made in March for Fall admission, and in October for Spring admission. All offers of admission will be provisional and subject to verification based on official transcripts. Admission offers may be withdrawn if the GPA, completed courses, or course grades are lower than what is reported or if you miss any admission deadlines. Please make sure to report accurate information on your application.
How do I accept the offer of admission?
To accept the admission offer, admitted students must pay the non-refundable $100 (USD) Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (ECD) by May 1st for Fall admission. The deposit will offset a portion of the student's State University Fee. This is in addition to submitting U.S. college documents to confirm the admission decision within 30 days of the admission offer.
Can I appeal my admission decision?
Yes. If you believe your application was denied by mistake, you may submit an appeal:
- You must submit your appeal within 15 days of your denial notice
- Be sure to include your reason for appealing and any transcripts and test scores that support your case.
Here are some important items to consider if you are offered admission and decide to attend Cal State LA:
Admitted Student Information: If you have already been offered admission, refer to the Information for Newly Admitted International Transfers.
Applying for your I-20 or SEVIS transfer: To prepare for the process, please have the following items available: (1) copy of your Passport Biographical Page and (2) Financial Sponsor information and a copy of their recent bank statement (or other official letters of financial support/guarantee/scholarship). If you are currently already studying in the US, please also plan to submit: (1) copy of current Visa stamp; (2) copy of I-94; and (3) copy of I-20 or DS-2019, and Employment Authorization Document (EAD), if applicable.
If you have any questions about the I-20/SEVIS transfer process, please contact the International Students & Scholars Office at (323) 343-3170 or [email protected].
Campus Housing: Living on campus offers numerous opportunities for students to build lifelong friendships, develop as leaders and achieve academic success. We offer apartment-style residence halls that are a short walk to class, the University-Student Union, and various campus resources. To learn more, visit the Housing and Residence Life webpage.