Steps for Newly Admitted Graduate Students

You're in! Now what? Steps to Complete Your Admission

As a graduate student at CSULB, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in unique experiences (both inside and outside of the classroom) that can help you succeed with your academic goals and life pursuits.

Reminder: Review key dates and deadlines related to your graduate program, including when to accept your admission offer, via Graduate Studies!

Explore and complete the steps below to ensure you meet all requirements necessary to transition your academic experience to The Beach:

Each student gets their own account to access online campus services and their own CSULB email address. This email address is the primary mode of communication from the university to students.

Once you receive your offer of admission, you can follow these instructions to activate your student account:

  1. Go to the CSULB Password Utility and select Next.
  2. Then, enter your new CSULB email address (found in your admission email) and follow the instructions to set the password for your account.
  3. To set your password, you will need to confirm that it’s really you logging in by getting a verification code through a phone call or text message. (The phone number will be the one you used in your Cal State Apply application.)

After you activate your account, you can log in to CSULB Single Sign-On at https://sso.csulb.edu, which is where you will be able to access your new email and other online services for students.

Review key dates and deadlines related to your graduate program, including when to accept your admission offer, via Graduate Studies.

  1. Log in to CSULB Single Sign-On and select MyCSULB Student Center. Throughout your time as a student, you'll use this hub to review your financial aid information, register for classes, check your account balance, and more.
  2. In the Admissions section, select “Accept/Decline.”
  3. Follow the instructions to Accept or Decline your Admission Offer.

When you accept your admission, you must pay the enrollment deposit, unless you qualify for a waiver. You can pay the enrollment deposit via credit card (MasterCard, American Express, Visa, and Discover are accepted) or electronic check. If you qualify for a waiver, the online process will automatically notify you. Once you accept your admission offer, you will receive an immediate confirmation that your acceptance and deposit have been accepted. The enrollment deposit is used to reserve your space in the program and is applied towards your first semester's tuition payment

For support, visit Using MyCSULB: Admissions.

What does it mean if I was admitted in “Conditionally Classified” standing?

Graduate applicants who have deficiencies in prerequisite preparation for their program may be admitted with a standing of “Conditionally Classified” if deemed appropriate by the program’s faculty. This standing means that continued enrollment in the program is contingent upon meeting additional requirements specified by the academic department.

What steps do I need to take if I was admitted in “Conditionally Classified” standing?

You should be in contact with your Graduate Advisor if you have questions regarding the conditions of your admission or the timeframe by which you are required to meet these conditions.

At the end of your admission term, the department will monitor your progress and, upon successful completion of the specified prerequisites, your student standing will be changed to “Classified” status. You will be allowed to enroll in classes; however, if the required preparation is not completed within the timeframe established by the department (usually by the end of the first semester of enrollment), you may be immediately dismissed from the program.

Visit the Financial Aid for Newly Admitted Graduate Students page to explore the different types of aid available and how to accept any financial aid offers you may have received. Sources of potential funding include grants, scholarships, fellowships, and loans.

Also, be sure to refer to the Tuition and Fees page for costs and payment deadlines.

Your Graduate Advisor helps you navigate your degree, discusses enrollment options for the current term and course offerings for future terms, formulates your program plan of study, provide mentorship and post-graduation guidance, and shares best practices, program requirements and policies to ensure your success. 

Students register for classes through their MyCSULB Student Center. Consult your Graduate Advisor, your plan of study, and the Schedule of Classes before you register. You can view the requirements for your program and the course descriptions in the University Catalog.

Each semester, you will receive a registration appointment via email. Your registration appointment will announce the day and time you can begin to register for classes.

The Office of Graduate Studies hosts a University-Wide Graduate Student Orientation for all incoming graduate students. This orientation welcomes students to the CSULB graduate community and shares important milestones during the graduate education journey and helpful graduate student resources and services to support graduate student success and achievements. This orientation is in addition to college/department/program orientations. Incoming graduate students should plan to attend both the University-Wide and program-specific orientations. 

Check with your graduate program regarding an initial program orientation. Graduate programs vary in length and requirements, so it is important that you know what steps you will need to take to successfully complete your degree.

Fall Deadline: August 15
Spring Deadline: January 15

What is “Provisional Admission”?

Graduate applicants may be offered admission on a provisional basis if certain requirements (such as the baccalaureate degree) are in progress at the time of admission. These requirements must be completed prior to enrollment in the program, and failure to meet these requirements will result in the rescission of the admission offer.

What steps do I need to take if I was offered “Provisional Admission”?

If you were offered “provisional admission,” you must submit to Enrollment Services a final official transcript showing the conferral date for your baccalaureate degree as follows:

  • If you were offered provisional admission for the spring semester, you must submit the final official transcript no later than January 15.
  • If you were offered provisional admission for the fall semester, you must submit the final official transcript no later than August 15.

After receipt of the final transcript, the admission decision will be audited to ensure all requirements have been met. If the requirements have not been met, you will receive notification that the offer of admission has been rescinded. Students will be allowed to enroll for classes prior to receipt of the transcript; however, if proof of degree completion is not received by the deadline, classes will be administratively dropped.

Submitting Official Transcripts

Electronic copies of official transcripts can be sent directly from the high school, college, or university to ES-IDPTrans@csulb.edu.

Official transcripts may also be mailed in their original, sealed envelope to:

California State University, Long Beach
Enrollment Services/Admission
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840

Official transcripts cannot be forwarded by the student.

Official transcripts may also be dropped off (in sealed original institution envelope) in person at Beach Central located on the first floor of Brotman Hall.

Are you a CSULB degree holder? CSULB degree holders applying for CSULB graduate programs do not need to submit their CSULB transcripts as those particular transcripts are already on file with the university.

Fall Deadline: June 1
Spring Deadline: December 1

All incoming students are required to comply with CSU Immunization Policy. Learn more about immunization policies and requirements via Student Health Services. 

Online Tools for Students:

As a CSULB student, you’ll have access to online tools that will help you meet your educational goals:

  • MyCSULB Student Center is your online center for class registration, financial aid awards, and personalized student account information.
  • CANVAS is CSULB’s online learning environment that includes online course catalogs, virtual classrooms, resources and more.
  • Beach Connect is CSULB’s mobile app for students. Beach Connect allows you to keep track of important to-dos and upcoming deadlines and make appointments with your advisors and other support resources.

You can access MyCSULB Student Center and Beach Connect through CSULB Single Sign-On. Take some time to learn about these online tools, as you will be using them often during your time at CSULB:

Additional Campus Resources:

The Graduate Center is located on the 2nd Floor of the University Library and provides graduate students key resources, such as graduate writing support, a designated graduate study space, short-term laptop loans, and funding opportunities, such as travel grants for current CSULB graduate students to attend academic conferences. The Graduate Center offers a variety of workshops, mentors, and graduate-only events for inter-professional networking opportunities, including the annual Graduate Research Conference, and Grad Slam Competition. Incoming graduate students have an opportunity to be matched with a seasoned CSULB graduate student through the GradMentor program. Mentors provide information via virtual meetings and remote interactions to share resources and support services while acclimating to graduate life.