Admission Requirements

To apply to the Master of Arts in Diverse Community Development Leadership (DCDL) program, applicants must possess (at the time of enrollment):

  • Have met at least 1 of 2 degree requirements:
    • A Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 2.5; or
    • A Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university
  • Be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended.

English Proficiency Requirements

For Non-U.S. Degree and International Students Only

Exception: If a graduate applicant has earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S., the TOEFL or other English language proficiency exam is not required.

The English language tests and minimum scores listed in the table below are accepted by CSUN for graduate applicants for the Master of Arts in Diverse Community Development Leadership program.

Test Name and Website Minimum Score Required for Graduate Students Send Score Directly To CSUN
Cambridge C1 Advanced English (formerly CAE) 180 Email “Confirmation of Entry” page to intladm@csun.edu.
DET – Duolingo English Test 105 Online through your Duolingo Account. See Sending Your Results.
EIKEN CSE – Common Scale for English 2630 (1) Contact EIKEN online; they will send the score directly to us.
GTEC CBT – Global Test of English
Communication Computer-Based Test
1200 Have GTEC send a copy of your "Official Score Certificate" to CSUN.
IELTS - International English Language Test System 6.5
Have IELTS send a copy of your "Test Report Form" to CSUN.
iTEP Academic - International Test of English Proficiency 4.0 Have iTEP send your score to CSUN.
PTE Academic - Pearson’s Test of English 58 Online through your PTE Academic Account
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language — Internet Based score: 80
— Paper-based score: 550
We do not accept TOEFL ITP.
Use CSUN School Code 4707.

If an applicant has earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a college or university outside the U.S. where English is the principal language of instruction, the TOEFL or other English language proficiency exam is not required. Please note:

  • 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).

Admission to the University

Students must submit an online application to the program and be admitted prior to taking the first class in the program. Students are required to provide official transcripts from the required institutions of higher education.

Before submitting your application, please ensure you meet all University admission requirements, including a minimum GPA of 2.5.