Transfer Admission Eligibility

You are considered a transfer applicant if you have completed coursework at a college or university since leaving high school, but you have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree.

To be considered for transfer admission to CSULB you must meet the following minimum requirements by the end of the prior spring term for fall admission and by the end of the previous summer term for spring admission:

• Complete 60 transferable semester units or 90 transferable quarter units.
• Have a minimum, overall college GPA of 2.00 or higher in all transferable college course work attempted.
• Be in good standing at the last college or university attended in a regular session.
• Complete a minimum of 30 semester units or 45 quarter units in courses approved to meet CSU General Education (GE) requirements.
• Complete with a grade of C or better the CSU GE requirements in Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning.

NOTE: CSULB is closed to Lower-Division Transfer Applications with the exception of a limited number of highly-qualified Nursing students. 

In order to support the academic success of CSULB students, academic programs have determined the academic coursework and preparation that best predict successful completion of the major and timely graduation. These requirements include general education courses, coursework critical to success in the major, and minimum grade point average criteria. 

There are two possible pathways you can follow to demonstrate preparation in your intended major:

1. The first pathway is to complete the Major-Specific Requirements for Transfer listed on the CSULB website. These requirements reflect the lower-division major preparation recommended by the department faculty at CSU Long Beach. For detailed criteria for each CSULB major, please visit Major-Specific Requirements for Transfer.
2. The second possible pathway is the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) curriculum is used in lieu of the specific course requirements listed on the CSULB website. The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) can be completed at your California Community College. Please note the following: 

• The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) is not the same as a “regular” Associate degree from a California Community College. The Associate Degree for Transfer provides lower-division preparation in a particular major; a traditional Associate degree does not.
• Not all majors at CSULB have a corresponding ADT at every California Community College. If you chose the ADT pathway, be sure you are pursuing a degree that has been deemed similar to your intended major at CSULB. Please follow up with the counselors at your Transfer Center, or visit the website at adegreewithaguarantee.com.
• You must complete your Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) prior to your first semester at CSULB. If for any reason you do not complete your ADT in a timely manner, you will be held to the Major-Specific Requirements for Transfer on the CSULB website (see above).
• For more information about the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) and transfer admission eligibility at CSULB, please visit Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).

Remember that all major-specific course requirements must be completed with a C or better.

• For fall semester admission, coursework and unit minimums must be completed no later than the prior spring term.
• For spring semester admission, coursework and unit minimums must be completed no later than the prior summer term.

Please understand that we are obliged to confirm that you have met all admission criteria based on a review of your official academic record. We find that if the applicant is completing admission requirements in the term immediately preceding their first semester at CSU Long Beach that it is usually not possible for a student to submit a final official college transcript in time to enroll at CSULB. Please work with your transfer counselors to complete all critical admission criteria, including unit minimums and course work, by the time you submit your application to CSULB.

• Except for “highly impacted” majors, CSU eligible applicants who are considered local based on their high school of graduation or their military veteran status will be offered admission if they meet the major-specific minimum cumulative GPA and required lower-division preparation. See Local Preference Admission Consideration for more information. 
• For local applicants who apply to a highly impacted major, their cumulative grade point average (GPA) will be increased by 0.1 during the admissions process. This calculated GPA will be applied to the competitive ranking and departmental review for admissibility to a highly impacted program.
• Other CSU eligible applicants who have met the Major-Specific minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and the minimum required lower-division preparation will be considered on a space available basis based on their academic performance compared with other applicants for the major.
• In rare cases, if space is available after all students meeting the minimum major GPA and preparation have been accommodated, then CSU eligible students without the minimum major preparation may be considered.
• Students admitted to the major who have not completed the additional recommended transfer requirements or the additional CSULB requirements must complete them in their first year at CSULB.
• Students who report they have completed, or plan to complete, their CSU eligibility and/or the minimum major preparation requirements, but fail to do so, may have their offer of admissions withdrawn.

While admission to all of our majors is competitive, some majors are extremely space-constrained and have a higher impaction level than other majors. Please review the Major-Specific Requirements for Transfer. If a major is “highly impacted,” it will be noted next to the name of the major. 

Highly impacted majors require additional supplemental criteria and these requirements are indicated in the major-specific details. Supplemental criteria may include interviews, auditions, portfolios, or other academic credentials, and the applicant is strongly advised to contact the major department directly for more information. All applicants to these highly impacted majors will be ranked based on completion of the Major-Specific Requirements, additional preparation coursework completed, and the supplemental criteria listed.

Students who have been granted local preference and apply to a highly impacted major will have their cumulative grade point average (GPA) increased by 0.1 during the admissions process. This calculated GPA will be applied to the competitive ranking and departmental review for admission consideration.