Online Application Submission

Completed applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Fall 2025

Application period began: October 1, 2024

• Cal State Apply Application due date for domestic applicants: April 1, 2025*
• MyCED Application due date: April 11, 2025

Applications are not accepted after the deadline.

NOTE: Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

*International Applicants (F1 visa) have an earlier Cal State Apply application deadline of March 15, 2025 for Fall 2025 consideration.

Use Cal State Apply to apply and be sure to complete all components of the application by the published deadline.

The Cal State Apply dashboard is divided into four sections:

• Personal Information: contact information, biographic information and financial information, etc.
• Academic History: colleges attended, GPAs, etc.; do not hand-enter transcript information
• Supporting Information: enter “I am not adding any experiences”
• Program Materials: select "I am not adding any program materials" (these will be submitted on MyCED)

Please refer the tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for tips on filling out these sections of Cal State Apply. Please also refer below for detailed information for what documents to submit for the program application materials.

Lastly, there is a non-refundable $70 application fee. Your application will not be processed until this fee has been paid. Please note that the CSU system does not offer a fee waiver for graduate level applications.

Important: you may only apply to one graduate program per CSU.  If you are unsure about which program is best for you, contact the Graduate Studies Office.

For technical assistance with Cal State Apply, please contact the Cal State Apply Help Desk:  (857) 304-2087, via email or visit the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center.  Cal State Apply Application Support is available Monday – Friday, 6AM – 5PM PT.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

After you complete and submit the CSULB Cal State Apply application, please upload supplementary program application materials via MyCED by the MyCED program application deadline:

• Statement of purpose (prompt provided below)
• Résumé
• Writing Sample: One representative sample of your academic writing ability (see below for guidelines)

Please refer the MyCED tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for general tips on filling out the MyCED application.

Please email ced-gradstudies@csulb.edu if you need technical support navigating MyCED. 

Statement of Purpose Prompt

Applicants must submit a three-page statement of purpose (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font). The statement must address each part of the following three questions:

1. Describe examples of your sustained personal engagement with communities that are underrepresented or marginalized. How have these experiences led you to apply to the EESJ program? 
2. What are your academic, professional, and personal goals? How would the EESJ program help you achieve them?  
3. Tell us about the specific social and educational justice issues that you are most passionate about, and then describe your involvement in research, advocacy, and/or activism in support of the communities affected by these issues.  

Each question may be answered sequentially, or you may integrate your response to all three questions into one central discussion. 

Need help with writing your Statement of Purpose? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website

Résumé

Please upload the most recent copy of your résumé.

Need help with updating your résumé? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website

Writing Sample

Please upload a representative sample of your academic writing. Ideally, your writing sample will be an essay or research paper written for a class or university requirement. If you have been out of school for awhile and are concerned your past papers do not reflect your current writing abilities, then please plan to edit/rework a past research paper, or write a new paper that reflects your academic writing. Please note: We do not accept lesson plans, Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) documents, or grant proposals as your writing sample.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Be prepared to enter the names and e-mail addresses for two recommenders. Recommendations due by April 11, 2025. You may complete and submit your MyCED application before your recommenders submit their letters.

Who to ask
At least one of the two letters of recommendation should be from a former professor/instructor who can speak to your potential as a graduate student.  Recommendations from university faculty members (professors/lecturers) are preferred, but a letter from a supervisor in a professional setting will also be accepted as a second letter.  We encourage you to seek the strongest possible letters, and suggest speaking with your recommenders about your future plans before completing this section. 

Once you have entered and saved information for a recommender, an email request from MyCED will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.

Your recommenders will be instructed to respond to the following statement:

Please provide information relevant to the applicant’s suitability for graduate study in the Equity, Education and Social Justice program. Please cover topics such as the applicant’s academic abilities and intellectual capacity, personal qualities, maturity, ability to work with diverse groups of people, international experience, and obstacles overcome. It is not necessary to address each of the topics noted above, especially if you do not have a basis for commenting on the applicant’s abilities in a certain area. Please include any additional topics you believe are relevant to the applicant’s suitability for this specific graduate program.