Admission Requirements

In order for us to process your application and issue you a Form I-20, you must satisfy ALL of the following requirements:

  • Be at least 18 years of age by the start of the program.
  • Have completed high school.
  • Have paid the Program Application Fee upon submitting your online application. This fee is non-refundable.
  • Have submitted all required documents at the time of your online application.

IMPORTANT: Program Tuition must be received in FULL and successfully posted on your Students Account before we can issue a Form I-20.

Application and Items to Submit

  1. Submit an online Intensive English Program (IEP) Conditional Admission Application by selecting the appropriate semester, creating a user account, and completing all appropriate sections of the application prior to submitting. If you have any questions/concerns, please email us at  iep@csun.edu .
    • Program Application Fee is paid at the time of the online application by credit card only (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). This fee is non-refundable.
    • Provide HOME COUNTRY ADDRESS on the application. This is a SEVIS requirement.

      NOTE: SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information database, used nationwide, by U.S. government to maintain accurate and current information on non-immigrant students, as well as generate a Form I-20, which is required to present at a visa interview.

  2. The application will ask for the following:

    English Proficiency Test Information – You will need to select the English Proficiency test most recently taken (TOEFL, IELTS, iTEP, Duolingo, Other) and enter test date and score. If no testing was done, you will be asked to include this information based on your best self-assessment. This information will be verified once the application is processed and will be used to assess the best program level placement. Below are the program levels based on test score results:

      TOEFL IELTS iTEP Duolingo
    Intermediate IEP Level 32-34 4.5 2.5-2.9 65
    Advanced IEP Level 35-45 5.0 70
    University Bridge A/B Level 46-59 5.5 3.0-3.4 75-90

    Note: A score below the levels listed will be considered on a case-by-case basis. See Curriculum for additional information on the program levels. Test scores are only used as a guide. The final placement will be determined after the ‘Meet and Greet’ with the faculty in which they will assess the listening and speaking skills of the student.

    Field of Interest – You will need to select a field of interest for content-based learning. You can choose from the following fields of study: Cinema, Engineering, Finance, Humanities, Music Theory, or Will decide later.

    Note: If you select “Will decide later,” once admitted to the Intensive English Program, you students MUST select a field of interest. See Curriculum for additional information on “Content-Based Classes”.

  3. Upload and attach the following documents during your online application:

    For the Intensive English Program, upload and attach:

    IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS, for  UNDERGRADUATE Conditional Admission, upload and attach:

    Note:  To browse a complete list of CSUN undergraduate degree programs, select BACHELOR DEGREES.

    • Copy of OFFICIAL transcripts from High School issued in original language and translated in English.
    • Copy of OFFICIAL certificate/diploma of High School graduation issued in original language and translated in English.
    • Copy of OFFICIAL transcripts from College/University issued in original language and translated in English.
    • Copy of OFFICIAL certificate/diploma of College/University graduation issued in original language and translated in English.

    IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS, for GRADUATE Conditional Admission, upload and attach:

    Note: To browse a complete list of CSUN graduate degree programs, select MASTER DEGREES. NOT all graduate degree and certificate programs are open for conditional admission. Contact iep@csun.edu for an updated conditional graduate major list. After a semester's admissions cycle has closed, some majors may still be accepting students. To look for these exceptions, please view the ADMISSIONS CALENDAR .

    • Three (3) Recommendation Letters
    • A Statement of Purpose
    • A Resume / CV
    • ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT – Contact iep@csun.edu for an updated conditional graduate major and requirements list.
  4. IMPORTANT – Complete and submit a CSUN online application at Cal State Apply to your desired degree program.

    For application assistance, please use the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at iep@csun.edu. If you’re unable to complete an online application, please let us know and we can send you a paper alternative.

    • Cal State Apply Fee of $70 USD to apply to each program.

    Note: This fee is non-refundable.  Payments can only be made in the application via electronic check, credit or debit card.  We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.  Once you submit your application and payment, click View Payment History for each program on the Check Status page to confirm your payment's receipt.

CSUN's English-Language Proficiency Requirements

Applicants can be pre-approved for admission to an undergraduate or graduate degree program of their choice through IEP's Conditional Admission plan if they have not yet met the English-language proficiency admission requirements of their target educational institution. Interested students must apply to both the Intensive English Program (IEP) with Conditional Admission and to the CSUN degree program.

CSUN English-Language Proficiency Requirements (for degree programs)

The English language tests and minimum scores listed in the table below are accepted by CSUN for applicants. (For other tests accepted by CSUN, see the  International Admissions website.)

Test UNDERGRADUATE
Minimum Score
GRADUATE**
Minimum Score

IELTS
International English Language Test System

6.0 or higher 6.5 or higher

TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language

  • Internet-Based Test (IBT)
  • Paper-Based Test (PBT)
61 (iBT) 80 (iBT)
500 (PBT) 550 (PBT)

PTE Academic
Pearson Test of English Academic

50 58

iTEP
International Test of English Proficiency

3.8 4.0

Cambridge CAE

172 180

Duolingo DET

95 105

EIKEN

Pre-1 (2304 min) 1 (2630 min)

GTEC

1125 1200

**NOTE: Some graduate programs may require a higher TOEFL/IELTS scores. For program-specific requirements, please visit the university catalog.

Exceptions for English-Language Proficiency

CSUN does not require proof of English-Language Proficiency if the student earned a degree outside the U.S., where English is the principal language of instruction.

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).

TOEFL Waiver

The TOEFL Waiver Option is available to students who apply for conditional admission to the university and complete the university bridge levels of the program with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students completing University Bridge A in all courses are eligible for an undergraduate TOEFL Waiver and students completing University Bridge B are eligible for a graduate TOEFL Waiver. For more about TOEFL Waivers, contact the IEP Academic Office at (818) 677-5938.

Program Policies

Please carefully review the full list of International Programs and Partnerships Program Policies.