Admission/Application Requirements

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Thank you for your interest in the Master of Arts in Political Science program at California State University, Long Beach. Below you will find important information that will guide you through the application process. If you have any further questions please email cla-poscgraduate@csulb.edu. 

Deadlines:

Admission deadline: October 1 (accepted applicants will begin the program in Spring semester)

Admission deadline: January 15 (accepted applicants will begin the program in Fall semester)

The deadlines listed above are the dates on which application files must be complete. Applications that are incomplete by the due date will not be reviewed.

Minimum prerequisites necessary for admission consideration: 

  • A bachelor’s degree with a major in political science or a bachelor’s degree with 24 upper division units in political science comparable to those required for a major in political science at this university. 
  • A 3.0 (“B”) GPA in political science courses taken as an undergraduate. 
  • A complete application, with all necessary components.

Students who have not majored in political science and do not have 24 units of upper division political science work are encouraged to consult with the graduate coordinator for further advice.

Applying to the MA Program:

Applying to the master’s program in Political Science at CSULB requires the application and all supplemental materials be electronically submitted to Cal State Apply. The link to Cal State Apply is found here: Cal State Apply-Graduate 

Components of the Application:

A. Program Application

The Department Application is found here: Department Application. The Department Application, like the rest of the application material, must be submitted through Cal State Apply.

B. Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose instructions are found here: Statement of Purpose

C. Transcripts

  1. Official Transcripts
    One set of official transcripts from the university where you earned or will earn your BA degree must be sent from the university electronically to ES-IDPTrans@csulb.edu OR via postal mail to:

    Enrollment Services/Admissions
    California State University, Long Beach
    1250 Bellflower Blvd.
    Long Beach, CA 90840-0106

  • Once you submit your Cal State Apply application, please follow-up with ES-IDPTrans@csulb.edu to ensure transcripts have been received and linked to your Cal State Apply application.
  • DO NOT send transcripts to the Political Science office. Official transcripts must be sent to CSULB’s Enrollment Services. 

         2. Unofficial Transcripts 

           Upload the unofficial transcript from the institution where you earned (or will earn) your BA degree and the unofficial transcripts from any other the institutions where you completed Political Science courses.

D. Three Letters of Recommendation

In Cal Sate Apply, you must provide the names and email addresses for three referees (those writing you a recommendation letter). These should be professors who can evaluate your potential to succeed in graduate school.  

  • Please advise your referees that they will receive an email from “Calstateapply@liaisoncas.com” with a link to submit a confidential letter of reference. Please inform your recommenders to “be on the lookout” for this email in their inbox and in their spam or junk folders. Recommenders must submit their recommendations in Cal State Apply.
  • Frequently check your portal to ensure letters have been submitted and contact those recommenders who have yet to complete the recommendation. If your recommenders do not submit letters by the application deadline, your application will be incomplete and will not be reviewed.  

 

International Applicants: 

  • International applicants are subject to the same admission criteria as domestic applicants (outlined above) and they must also present additional documents as requested by the Center for Professional and International Education (CIE). Please visit the CIE website to view the most current CSULB International Admissions information: Center for International Education 

                    Center for International Education (CIE) 
                    6300 E. State University Drive 
                    International Admissions, FND 180 
                    Long Beach, California 90815 

                    cie-admission@csulb.edu 

                   (562)985-5476 

  • NOTE: Always follow the Political Science department deadlines.

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Financial Aid 

If you are planning to apply for financial aid to support your graduate study, please be sure to submit your application materials as soon as possible; it is a good idea to do so prior to being informed of your acceptance to the program, as some grants (such as the State University Grant) have early application deadlines. For more information see: the Financial Aid Website. You may also consult Scholarships and Financial Aid for potential scholarship opportunities.