Graduate Fall Steps to Apply

SDSU uses the California State University common admission application through the Cal State Apply website. The application requires a $70 fee that is non-refundable and may not be transferred to another term. The California State University system typically reserves a very limited number of fee waivers for prospective graduate students who are California residents and demonstrate financial need. If you meet this criteria, please email [email protected] to request the application fee waiver appeal form, including a personal statement and documentation detailing the change in income and circumstances. Graduate Admissions will contact you once your information is reviewed and to inform you if the fee waiver has been granted. The review process can take up to two weeks to complete, so be aware of program deadlines before submitting this request. Due to the very limited number of waivers available, not all eligible students will be granted a fee waiver. If you cannot apply online, contact Graduate Admissions to make special arrangements to apply electronically with campus assistance.

Guidelines for Completing the Cal State Apply Application

1. Your application will only be reviewed for the intended program indicated on your Cal State Apply application.
2. Only one application per student will be considered. Do not submit multiple applications, as this will result in processing delays.
3. Review the list of graduate programs and the program descriptions in the University Catalog carefully, to confirm you are applying to the correct program.
4. Provide an accurate and valid email address. If you fail to provide us with a valid email address, you will not receive information critical to your status as an applicant. Please adjust your privacy settings to ensure you receive emails from SDSU.
5. After you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email.

Apply to SDSU

Back to Top

Within two weeks of submitting your Cal State Apply application, you will receive an email from San Diego State University that includes your SDSUid. Your SDSUid is an identifier to securely access many campus IT services, including my.SDSU, the official online portal for student admissions, student records, financial aid, tuition and fee payment, and more. Please follow the instructions provided in the email to activate your SDSUid account.

Visit my.SDSU and select my.SDSU Login. Enter your SDSUid and password, and select Sign In to log in to my.SDSU.

• Keep your email address updated on your my.SDSU account, as email is SDSU's official form of student communication. It is recommended that you check your email account regularly.
  • Use the Profile tile to review and update your contact information, if needed.
• Track Your Status
  • Use the Admissions tile to check the status of your application.
  • Use the Tasks tile to review any checklist items (To Do's) you need to complete.

Need Help?

If you did not receive the email with your SDSUid or have questions regarding your SDSUid, you can get help from IT services. Learn how to activate your SDSUid on the SDSUid Help web page, or check out the How Do I Activate My SDSUid? video tutorial. Please reach out to the Student Help Resources available to you if you are experiencing difficulties with your account.

For help with my.SDSU, review the my.SDSU Student Resources page.

Back to Top

Graduate applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended. Do not send transcripts before submitting the Cal State Apply application, as this may result in processing delays.

Transcripts from U.S. Institutions

• Submit official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all colleges and universities attended.
• Transcripts must have been issued within the last year. Transcripts received with print dates older than one year will not be accepted.
• Hard copy transcripts for SDSU coursework are not required.
• Electronic transcripts are acceptable. Please ensure that you indicate this preference when making your request. If you are required to provide an email address to send the secure online document to SDSU, please use [email protected].

Transcripts from International Institutions

If you have international coursework, you are required to submit official transcripts (academic record) and official proof of degree (diploma/degree certificate), both in the original language and an English translation, for all post-secondary schools attended.

1. Post-Secondary Transcripts: Official transcripts/grad reports are required from all post-secondary schools attended. Review the Graduate Requirements by Country web page for country-specific information. Failure to submit the required documents listed will result in your application being canceled.
2. Diploma/Degree Certificate: For each post-secondary degree completed, submit an official copy of your diploma/degree certificate or provisional degree certificate. Review the Graduate Requirements by Country web page for country-specific information. Failure to submit the required documents listed will result in your application being canceled.
3. English Translation: For each original-language document, submit an official certified literal English translation. The translation must be from the university or a certified translator and should contain all information shown on the original-language documents in the same format.

How to Submit International Transcripts and Diploma/Degree Certificates

Option 1: Evaluation Report

Submit a foreign evaluation report from one of the following:

• IERF—course by course detail report with course level identification
• WES—course by course (WES ICAP)

The evaluation report must be sent electronically, directly by IERF or WES to Graduate Admissions and must include copies of the international documents used to complete the evaluation.

Option 2: Official Documents

Submit official international documents in a sealed/unopened envelope to the mailing address listed below, stamped or signed by the appropriate official from the issuing institution. Do not send your only original academic record(s) and/or diploma(s)/degree certificate(s). All documents received become property of SDSU and will not be returned.

Documents uploaded to the Cal State Apply and/or Interfolio applications are separate from those required by Graduate Admissions and are not updated in my.SDSU.

Mailing International Documents

If you are mailing international documents to Graduate Admissions, we recommend using a guaranteed delivery service, such as Federal Express or DHL. This allows you to track and confirm delivery of your documents to Graduate Admissions. Documents should be mailed to the exact address listed below. Failure to send documents to the Graduate Admissions mailing address may result in your documents not being delivered in a timely manner or not being received at all.

Graduate Admissions 
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8225

Deadline to Submit Transcripts

The deadline to submit transcripts will be indicated in your my.SDSU account.

How Long Will it Take to Process My Documents?

Allow at least three weeks for processing after documents have been submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office. The status of documents and test scores will be updated in your my.SDSU account after they have been evaluated. Please do not submit your documents multiple times, as this will cause delays in processing.

Back to Top

All graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants, regardless of citizenship or native language, who do not possess a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or from a country* whose official/primary language is not English must submit one of the following:

• TOEFL minimum score of 80 iBT/ 550 PBT.
• IELTS overall score of 6.5 or higher.
• Duolingo English Test score of 105 or higher. Please note Duolingo is not acceptable for applicants to joint doctoral programs.
• PTE minimum score of 58 or higher.

Test scores must be from within the past two years. Official test scores can be sent directly from the testing agency, or you may submit a copy of your official score report through your my.SDSU account.

English Proficiency Waivers

The English proficiency requirement may be waived for applicants who meet one of the following conditions:

• Earned post-baccalaureate degree (master’s or higher) from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
• Earned associate’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
• Completed 2 years of full-time academic study (60 semester/90 quarter transferable units) at a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
• Earned or In-Progress Bachelor’s degree from an international post-secondary institution where English was the principal language of instruction.
• Earned master’s degree (or higher) from an international post-secondary institution where English was the principal language of instruction.
• Completed the highest level of the EAP program at SDSU’s American Language Institute.

The English proficiency requirement will be waived upon receipt of an official transcript verifying the applicant meets one of the listed conditions.

*Applicants from the following qualifying countries will be automatically exempt from the English proficiency requirement: American Samoa, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Falkland Islands, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Back to Top

Program-specific supplemental documents (resume, personal statement, letter of recommendation) should be submitted directly to your graduate department and not the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office. Please note the supplemental documents are separate from those required by Graduate Admissions and not updated in your my.SDSU account. Review the individual graduate program for specific instructions, requirements and deadlines.

Questions regarding program-specific documents should be directed to the department. Contact information for each department and links to the department website can be found on the graduate programs page for your major.

Graduate Programs

Back to Top

Check your application and admission status periodically through my.SDSU.

What does my admission status mean?

Pending To-Do List*: A document (transcript and/or diploma/degree certificate) or test score required by the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office is missing or has not been completed. An incomplete application status indicates further action is required by the applicant.

Graduate Admissions Evaluation*: Admission file is complete and being evaluated by the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office to determine if the applicant has met the minimum SDSU requirements for admission. Review the University Catalog for minimum requirements. There is no further action required of the applicant.

Department Review*: The SDSU Graduate Admissions Office has completed the initial evaluation and the applicant's file has been forwarded to the graduate department for review. Each graduate department makes admission recommendations based on an applicant's completed file (transcripts, diploma/degree certificate) and any required supplemental documents (resume, personal statement, letter of recommendation). There is no further action required of the applicant.

*Please note this status only applies to required documents submitted to the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants should check with their individual department for the status of required supplemental documents.

How long will it take to process my documents?

Allow at least three weeks for processing after documents have been submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office. The status of documents and test scores will be updated in your my.SDSU account after they have been evaluated by the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office. Please do not submit your documents multiple times, as this will cause delays in processing.

Back to Top