International Transfer Students
An international transfer applicant is a student who:
- Wishes to study at our university on an F-1 (student) visa or J-1 (exchange) visa
- Has completed post-secondary course work at a college or university located outside the United States or at a regionally accredited community college or university within the United States, and
- Has not yet earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.
Admission Types
Read the requirements that fit your situation:
If you have been attending a college or university within the United States and wish to transfer to CSUN, the requirements are:
- Fewer than 60 transferable semester units earned (less than two full years)
- Meet all admission requirements for international first-time freshman applicants
- An overall GPA of 2.0 or greater in all college/university work combined
- Completion of a General Education written composition course and a General Education mathematics course, each with a passing grade of "C" or better. These two courses must be completed post-secondary at a recognized institution.
If you have been attending a college or university outside the United States and wish to transfer to CSUN, the requirements are:
- Fewer than 60 transferable semester units earned (less than two full years)
- Meet all admission requirements for international first-time freshman applicants
- An overall GPA of 2.00 or greater in all college/university work combined. Your CSUN admissions advisor will calculate your international GPA for you.
- Completion of a General Education mathematics course with a grade equivalent to "C" or better. This course must be college-level and completed post-secondary at a recognized institution.
- An official test score proving your English language proficiency or eligibility for exemption. See the "Admission Requirements" section below.
If you have been attending a college or university within the United States and wish to transfer to CSUN, the requirements are:
- At least 60 transferable semester units earned (two or more years)
- An overall GPA of 2.00 or greater in all college/university work combined
- Successful completion of the four Basic Skills courses with a grade of "C" or better:
- Written composition (English)
- Critical thinking (Logic)*
- Mathematics (Must be college-level, above intermediate algebra)
- Oral communication (Speech)
- *Note: Students applying as Engineering or Computer Science majors do not have to complete critical thinking prior to admission.
If you are already attending an accredited two-year college in California, you may be interested in the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program. View a list of Associate Degrees for Transfer that match CSUN majors.
If you have been attending a college or university outside the United States and wish to transfer to CSUN, the requirements are:
- At least 60 transferable semester college units earned (two or more years)
- An overall GPA of 2.00 or greater in all college/university work combined. Your CSUN admissions advisor will calculate your international GPA for you.
- Successful completion of a General Education mathematics course with a grade equivalent to "C" or higher. This course must be college-level and completed post-secondary at a recognized institution.
- An official test score proving your English language proficiency or eligibility for exemption. See the "Admission Requirements" section below.
How to Apply as a Transfer Student
Use the above "Admission Types" section to ensure that you qualify.
CSUN application and document deadlines for international transfer applicants are shown in the table below.
| Semester | Application Deadline | Document Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| For Fall Admission | Oct. 1 to May 31 | June 15 |
| For Spring Admission | Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 | Nov. 15 |
Explore our majors and decide which program you'll select on your application.
As an international transfer student, you'll need to assemble the following items to apply for admission:
- Official transcripts. You will need to provide all official secondary and post-secondary records, including certificates, degrees or diplomas in original language of issue. If you have studied in the U.S., you are are required to have the U.S. institution(s) send official transcript(s) directly to CSUN.
- Official English translations of all academic records including certificates, degrees or diplomas.
- Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or other acceptable test.
- A credit or debit card. The $70 application fee is due at the time of submission and can only be paid by credit or debit card.
- Financial affidavit and bank statement. Download and complete the Affidavit of Financial Support (PDF) and obtain a copy of your bank statement.
- A copy of your passport photo page.
Once you're ready, create an account and complete your application on Cal State Apply, the CSU's online application system.
Before submitting your application, you can upload* the following documents to the program materials section of Cal State Apply:
- Completed Affidavit of Financial Support (PDF) (both pages) and bank statement
- A copy of your passport photo page
- Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or other acceptable test
- Unofficial transcripts (not required but helpful to speed the processing of your application)
Be sure to carefully review your information before submitting.
*Note: If it is not possible to upload your documents before the deadline to submit your Cal State Apply application, please contact us at intladm@csun.edu for assistance.
After you apply, watch for an email from our office with the info you'll need to create an account in our CSUN Portal. Once you've set up an account, you can check your application status. You can expect updates regarding your admission decision to be available in CSUN Portal in the weeks after you apply.
You will be notified of your admission status by the Office of International Admissions.
If you have been denied admission to the university, you may appeal this decision. For details and instructions to submit an appeal, please see Admission Appeals.
You must submit official transcripts to the Office of International Admissions. Please submit:
- All official academic records in original language of issue. Applicants who have studied in the U.S. are required to have the institution(s) in the U.S. send official transcript(s) directly to CSUN.
- Official English translations of all academic records.
Paper transcripts must be received in sealed, unopened envelopes. Ask your previous school(s) to send your official transcripts to:
California State University, Northridge
Attention: International Admissions
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8207
U.S.A.
For electronic transcripts, choose "CSU Northridge" as the recipient.
If you have any California community college transcripts, please review eTranscript California and have the transcripts sent through this system.
Admission Requirements
You will be considered for admission to CSUN as an international transfer student if:
- You meet one of the "Admission Types" categories at the top of this page.
- You have met our English language requirement:
| Test Name and Website | Minimum Score Required for Undergraduate Students | How to Send Your Score to CSUN |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge C1 Advanced English (formerly CAE) | 172 | Email "Confirmation of Entry" page to intladm@csun.edu. |
| DET – Duolingo English Test | 95 | Online through your Duolingo Account. See Sending Your Results. |
| EIKEN CSE – Common Scale for English | 2304 (Pre-1) | Contact EIKEN online; they will send the score directly to us. |
| GTEC CBT – Global Test of English Communication Computer-Based Test | 1125 | Have GTEC send a copy of your "Official Score Certificate" to CSUN. |
| IELTS Academic - International English Language Test System | 6.0 | Have IELTS send a copy of your "Test Report Form" to CSUN. |
| iTEP Academic - International Test of English Proficiency | 3.8 | Have iTEP send your score to CSUN. |
| PTE Academic - Pearson Test of English | 50 | Online through your PTE Academic Account. |
| TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language |
Internet Based score: 61 We do not accept TOEFL ITP. |
Use CSUN School Code 4707. |
Exception: The TOEFL or other English language proficiency exam is not required if you have:
- Attended a high school in the U.S. for three or more years, or
- Attended a high school where English is the principal language of instruction for three or more years
CSUN interprets "where English is the principal language of instruction" to mean that a school is located in a country where English is the daily medium of communication for the majority of residents, and that students receive academic instruction in English at all levels of education.
Countries currently meeting the above requirement are: Australia, Belize, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, plus a few nations in the Commonwealth Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago).
If you have any questions, please contact an International Admissions Advisor.
CSUN Intensive English Program and Conditional Admission
An in-person Intensive English Program (IEP) is offered through CSUN’s Tseng College of Extended Learning. The International Admissions Office works closely with the IEP office to offer "conditional admission" to academically eligible students enrolled in the IEP. Admission to the university is guaranteed once the student has completed the English language requirement. Learn more at Intensive English Programs.