Graduate Veteran Students

At CSUN, we offer a variety of graduate programs across our eight academic colleges and one college of graduate and midcareer education. They are:

• Master's degrees
• Doctoral degrees
• Credentials
• Graduate certificates

Use our program finder to find one that fits your educational needs.

You will have to meet admission requirements for both CSUN and your graduate program. Most departments require an individual program application in addition to the Cal State Apply university application.

While CSUN sets minimum requirements for admission, each of our graduate programs will have its own criteria. This includes GPA, test scores, pre-requisite classes and the number of recommendation letters. You can find requirement information on the program page, its department website or catalog listing.

Applications for admission to CSUN graduate and credential programs are accepted starting Oct. 1 for the fall and Aug. 1 for the spring. University application deadlines vary by program. Use the CSU Application Dates & Deadlines tool to find individual closing dates.

The additional application to an individual program, as well as transcript and other document deadlines, may also differ for each program. Visit the program's department website for specific dates.

If you foresee needing to miss a deadline, please contact CSUN's Office of Veterans Affairs for assistance.

Once you know your program requirements and deadlines, start gathering the materials you need. You will need a copy of your transcripts, test scores, household annual income and your Social Security number, if you have one.

You may also need additional materials based on your graduate program requirements. Please check your department requirements to determine where to send these items. The additional items may include:

• Letters of recommendation or contact information for people who will write your letter
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• A statement of interest
• A research paper

Create an account and complete your application on Cal State Apply, the CSU's online application system. Be sure to carefully review your information before submitting.

You must submit official college transcripts to the Office of the Registrar. Be sure to send:

• All courses taken at other colleges and universities previously attended, even if the course work was not completed.
• All college courses in which you are currently enrolled (these are your preliminary, work-in-progress transcripts).
• Your final transcripts for work-in-progress as soon as you complete the courses and grades are posted.

You may also need to provide a duplicate set of official transcripts for your graduate program admissions. Be sure to check your department's requirements and deadlines.

Paper transcripts must be received in sealed, unopened envelopes. Ask your previous school(s) to send your official transcripts to:

California State University, Northridge
Office of the Registrar
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8207

For electronic transcripts, choose "CSU Northridge" as the recipient. If this option is not available, use registrar@csun.edu as the recipient email address.

If you have any California community college transcripts, please review eTranscript California and have the transcripts sent through this system.

Complete any supplemental application required by your graduate program. This may include filling out a separate application and/or submitting additional documents. Be sure to meet their deadlines for submission.

After you apply, you'll receive an email from CSUN with the info you'll need to activate your CSUN Portal and email account. Once you've set up an account, you can check your application status. Each department has its own criteria for admissions and will notify you when it has reached a decision.

To claim veteran education benefits at CSUN, you will have to submit:

• Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214)
• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

Even if you do not plan to receive veterans education benefits, we recommend you upload your DD 214 in order to qualify for priority registration.

Upload the documents that certify your eligibility for VA education benefits through the CSUN Portal. See the How to Certify Veterans Education Benefits Guide.

You will have to file your official request online through the "Request my VA Benefits" module in the CSUN Portal after registering for classes every term — winter, spring, summer and fall.

Please note: Once you have enrolled and registered for classes, you must immediately report any changes in your class schedule or academic plan to the School Certifying Official in the CSUN Veterans Affairs Office. This will help avoid delay in benefits.

Be sure to send in all of your transcripts to ensure you receive academic credit for your courses. Please see the Transcript Submission Information section below.