Admissions Requirements

The College of Business and Economics welcomes all qualified applicants to our programs. At the present time, we accept new students who are entering Cal State Fullerton as either a first-time freshman or applying as an upper-division transfer student (60 or more transferable units). The information that follows applies to our three undergraduate majors: Business Administration, Economics and International Business.

If you would like more information regarding campus-wide admission requirements, campus tours, fees and other related information, visit the university's future student page .

Returning to CSUF

Students leave the university for many reasons and return for many reasons as well. Your path to re-enrollment and continuing your educational journey begins here! For additional questions on the return process check out the Bring Back Titans website.

When to Apply

We encourage prospective students to file their applications as early as possible as our programs close once our quotas are filled.

For Fall Semester

The filing period for fall entry begins October 1st of the preceding year.

For Spring Semester

The filing period for spring semester entry begins August 1st of the preceding year.

How to Apply

  1. Submit an application on the Cal State Apply website. Complete the application, and designate CSU, Fullerton as your institution of choice. Submit it by following directions in the website. By applying electronically, you save time on the processing of your application. There is a $55 nonrefundable application fee that must accompany the application.

  2. When asked to do so , request required transcripts of records of all previous scholastic work from each school or college attended.
    Information on submitting Official High School Trancripts   OR
    Information on submitting Official College Transcripts is found on the Office of Admissions website.
  3. All first-time freshmen applicants are required to submit scores from either one of two national testing programs before eligibility for admission to the university can be determined. Registration forms and test dates for either test may be obtained from school or college counselors, from the address below, or from campus testing offices. For either test, submit the registration form and fee at least one month prior to the test date.

ACT Address

American College Testing Program, Inc.
Registration Unit,
P.O. Box 414
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
(319) 337-1270

SAT Address

The College Board (SAT 1)
Registration Unit,
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, New Jersey 08541
(609) 771-7588

Admission Requirements for First-Time Freshmen

First-year students must meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • be a high school graduate or equivalent;
    • complete the  15-unit comprehensive “A-G” pattern  with a grade of C- or better by high school graduation; and
    • earn a qualifying “A-G” grade point average (GPA) as described below.

"A-G" requirement may not be completed during the summer term prior to fall enrollment.

Subject Requirements

The CSU requires a minimum 15-unit pattern of courses for admission as a first-time freshman. Each unit is equal to a year of study in a subject area. A grade of C or better is required for each course you use to meet any subject requirement.

Foreign Language Subject Requirement

The foreign language subject requirement may be satisfied by applicants who demonstrate competence in a language other than English equivalent to or higher than expected of students who complete two years of foreign language study. Consult with your school counselor or any CSU campus admission or relations with schools office for further information. Please consult with any CSU admissions office for further information about alternative ways to satisfy the subject requirements.

Cal State Apply for First-Time Freshman

Admission Requirements for Upper-Division Transfer Students

Transfer students must meet the minimum eligibility requirements (summer  or intersession coursework completed during the term immediately prior to enrollment cannot be used for eligibility)   :  

  • earn  60 semester/90 quarter transferable units;
  • complete 10 general education courses (30 semester/45 quarter) units with a grade of C- or better including;
  • the "Golden Four" courses with a grade of C- or better:
    • A1) Oral Communication 
    • A2) Written Communication
    • A3) Critical Thinking - Engineering (Civil, Computer, Electrical, and Mechanical) and Computer Science majors are exempt 
    • B4) Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
  • earn a qualifying grade point average (GPA); and
  • be in good standing at the last college or university attended (eligible to re-enroll).

General Education Certification is strongly recommended. Information on GE certification is available at the Admissions and Records Offices, Counseling Centers, and Transfer Centers at all California community colleges.

Cal State Apply for Transfer Students