About Us > Why California State University, Northridge

CSUN is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In 2012, the WASC Commission stated, “The Commission commends CSUN for becoming a model learning organization characterized by collaborative and evidence-based planning, decision making and problem solving. Among its accomplishments during this review are its deep understanding of the characteristics and needs of CSUN students, which has led to programs and activities that promote student success. As noted by the team, the foundation at CSUN could not be stronger.”

In addition to WASC, many programs at CSUN also carry additional accreditation from national and international associations and organizations for programs in specific fields. These special accreditations are an important indicator of institutional quality for anyone choosing a university because they confirm that the institution is able to meet the very rigorous standards of review and consistent quality set by many different and demanding field-specific accrediting organizations. They are a key indicator of the depth and breadth of a university’s commitment to quality over time. CSUN has been awarded 28 special accreditations in specific fields.

CSUN has more than 330,000 alumni that provide new graduates with a network of connections in California, across the nation and around the globe. Graduates are found in leading roles in many fields, including business, the arts, entertainment, science, engineering, civic life and education.

Read more at CSUN's Alumni Association.

University faculty engage in scholarship and research focused on solving vexing problems and vital issues in a wide range of fields and disciplines. At the same time, CSUN is dedicated to excellence in teaching and increasing the levels of student achievement with each passing year.

This focus on teaching and student achievement keeps class sizes smaller than one might expect at a large university. Faculty engage both undergraduate and graduate students in research and field work that ensure CSUN graduates leave the university prepared as agile and creative professionals, ready to innovate and make meaningful contributions to the world around them.

When it comes to graduate study, the quality of the faculty and its commitment to teaching midcareer professionals are first and foremost. CSUN is an institution where excellence in teaching counts as much as outstanding research and scholarship.

With many providers flooding today’s market, it is increasingly difficult to make the right choice. With CSUN, one of the largest public universities in California, there is no question of its enduring excellence, distinction and solid reputation.

By combining traditional scholarship and applied research, CSUN’s faculty offer an advanced education grounded in current professional practices. The university’s programs feature solutions to the many challenges facing professionals and organizations.

CSUN engages leading practitioners and employers, offering programs that create a comprehensive and engaged learning experience. These programs build on the experience of midcareer professionals, linking them to conversations and research at the forefronts of their fields, while preparing them for leadership roles after graduation.

Nearly all programs for midcareer professionals offered through CSUN’s Tseng College are taught in the cohort format. Under this format, students proceed with the same classmates from the start of the program to the finish.

This format creates a strong learning community that helps participants complete the program on time. It also provides a comprehensive learning experience, with each successive course building on the content of the last and laying the groundwork for those that follow. Additionally, the cohort format fosters lasting professional networking relationships between students as well as with the faculty.

A growing number of CSUN graduate-degree programs for midcareer professionals have a “stackable” curriculum. Developed through CSUN’s Tseng College, stackable curricula feature core courses for each graduate degree and also one or more integrated elective tracks. These tracks can be taken as part of the degree program or to satisfy the requirements for a linked graduate certificate.

Graduates of CSUN degree programs with embedded certificates earn both the graduate degree and the certificate, adding to the clarity and career impact of their professional credentials. Graduate-credit certificates – specifically those linked with CSUN master’s degrees for midcareer professionals – allow those with master’s degrees to add additional areas of specialization to their credentials over time.

This flexibility is increasingly valued in a global market where prepared, highly talented professionals are in great demand. Those who complete graduate-degree programs with stackable curricula finish with both the master’s degree and the linked graduate-credit certificate on their permanent transcripts.

CSUN recognizes that the demands of many professions require advanced coursework that draws on the expertise of faculty from more than a single field or discipline. In response, CSUN works with faculty in a number of disciplines to give graduates a professional advantage. This capability also enables CSUN to develop innovative programs that address changing needs in the economy.

For example, the Master of Arts in Music Industry Administration was designed and is taught by faculty from both the Department of Music in CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication, CSUN’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.

Another example is CSUN’s bachelor-degree completion program in Liberal Studies. The faculty who designed and teach in this fully online program come from a wide range of disciplines, including English, philosophy, communications, business, linguistics, humanities and economics. Cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary programs such as this respond to and educate graduates for success in the evolving global landscape.

All aspects of degree programs offered by CSUN through its Tseng College are crafted to meet the needs of midcareer professionals. Most scheduling allows students to take one course at a time, enabling them to focus on the demands of each without distraction. Typically, these programs feature two courses per term in back-to-back, eight-week formats. Scheduling is year-round, meaning the typical master’s degree can be completed in less than two years.

Many CSUN graduate programs for midcareer professionals are offered fully online, providing maximum flexibility of when and where to study. These programs unite students from across the nation and around the globe. Students benefit from studying with counterparts in a variety of locations and working environments. Through the cohort format, each program builds a cohesive and supportive learning community for midcareer professionals.

CSUN’s fully online graduate-degree programs are taught by the same faculty and practitioners as the university’s on-campus programs. Online program accreditation and evaluation standards, as well as on-time graduation rates and student-success rates on licensing exams, are as high as or higher than their classroom-delivered counterparts. Offered through CSUN’s Tseng College, these fully online degree and certificate programs have on-time graduation rates that average 85 percent or higher.

Online program faculty collaborate with instructional design and educational technology professionals in CSUN’s Tseng College’s distance learning unit. All faculty receive individualized training and ongoing support to ensure instructional excellence and the smooth and effective use of online educational technology.

The Tseng College’s professional distance learning staff also provides training and start-to-finish technical support to those who enroll in CSUN’s online degree programs.

Also highly valuable are “hybrid” graduate-degree programs, in which online instruction is blended with face-to-face instruction at off-campus locations. While online content predominates in CSUN’s hybrid model, the face-to-face component enables students to network with fellow professionals from different parts of their organization.

Starting a graduate program is a big step. For working adults, however, the real value – and challenge – is in completing the program. This is why CSUN focuses on providing the outstanding program design and student support services needed to keep its graduation rates so remarkably high.

Through the Tseng College, which is not state funded, CSUN provides responsive student support services that one would expect to find at high-priced private and/or for-profit universities. These services include a program management team and an academic lead assigned to each program and cohort to ensure that all students have direct personal support for administrative and academic issues. Students need only contact their assigned program manager to access the wider range of university services and navigate all aspects of the university, from application through graduation, including financial aid.

All CSUN programs offered through the Tseng College are designed to ensure that participants meet their educational goals and succeed in graduating. CSUN’s Tseng College’s fully online degree programs have on-time graduation rates that average 85 percent or higher, with some degrees, such as the M.S. Communicative Disorders, reaching 95 percent.

In addition to successfully graduating from the program, students also attain professional certification required for advancement within their fields. Some examples include:

• The first-attempt pass rate for the BCBA Exam for graduates of the M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis program reached 92 percent in 2017.
• Graduates of CSUN’s online Master of Public Health program consistently receive pass rates of 90% or higher on the National Commission for health Education Credentialing’s’ Certified Health education Specialist (CHES) exam.
• In 2015-2016, graduates of CSUN’s fully online Master of Science in Communicative Disorders reached a 95 percent first-attempt pass rate for the PRAXIS Examination. This national licensure exam is required to practice in the field.

Tuition for CSUN degree and degree-completion programs through the Tseng College is typically below that charged by private and for-profit providers or public universities outside of California offering similar programs.

Because programs for midcareer professionals are not funded with state dollars, the university can invest in features of high value to midcareer professionals that might not otherwise be possible. These include time invested in curriculum design, ongoing program reviews and updates, team teaching and field projects, online and off-site program delivery, cohort formats, extensive support services and more.