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California State University, Chico
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How to Apply: Graduate Student

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Dare to take the next step in your educational journey by joining the Wildcat Family.

Chico State’s graduation application is open for fall (August) and spring (January) start through Cal State Apply, the application for all CSU campuses.

Application Open Dates

Fall (August) Start: October 1
Spring (January) Start: August 1

Application deadlines vary for each graduate program.

Get Started

  1. Review Admissions Criteria & Timelines
    Graduate students must meet University requirements and those of their chosen graduate program. Some programs only accept fall applications and other are open fall and spring. You can find the deadlines and required materials for your program on the individual program pages.

  2. Gather Application Materials
    Collect your transcripts as well as your English language proficiency documents (if required). You only need to submit GRE scores if you are applying for the Computer Science MS and your bachelor’s degree is not from an ABET accredited school in a computer science related discipline.

  3. Start Your Application
    Applications to Chico State are completed online through Cal State Apply.

  4. Submit Your Application Pay Your Fee
    There is a $70 application fee. The CSU does not offer any guaranteed income-based application fee waivers for graduate applications. If the application fee is a barrier to your ability to apply, reach out to us at graduatestudies@csuchico.edu.

  5. Keep in Touch
    Look for an email from us with instructions on activating your student portal. Monitor the email you used to set up your Cal State Apply Account. We will use this email if we need to contact you, including notification of your admission decision. If your program requires recommendations be sure to monitor Cal State Apply to verify your recommendations have been submitted.

Application Processing

Admissions notification timelines vary by program. While we strive to review and respond to all applications as quickly as possible, decisions will not be made until several weeks after the application deadline. This allows us to ensure a thorough and fair review of each application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before you begin your application, have the following items on hand:

  • Unofficial transcripts. 
    • Completed bachelor’s degree in the US: you are required to upload unofficial transcripts of each school you attended since high school.
    • Completed bachelor’s degree outside the US: in addition to uploading unofficial transcripts, you are required to separately send a set of official academic documents and English translations (if necessary) to evaluate your educational background. Our evaluations are performed by trained University staff and we do not rely on third-party evaluators such as WES.
  • Credit card. Application fees are due at the time of submission and are paid by credit card.
  • Annual income. If you are independent, then report your income. If you are a dependent, then report your household income.

Yes, some tips on navigating the Cal State Apply graduate application are:

  • When completing your Extended Profile be sure to select the correct Degree Goal.
  • Use the Search function to find your graduate program and add it to your application cart.
  • Check the Program Materials section to discover any additional materials that are required by your program. Some of the most common are:
    • Recommendations
    • Statement of Purpose
    • Writing Sample
    • Custom Questions

If you get stuck, the Office of Graduate Studies staff is ready to assist! Contact us at 530-898-6880 or graduatestudies@csuchico.edu.

To be considered official, you must request each school you attended to send a transcript directly to Chico State. It is preferable to have official transcripts sent electronically but we can accept paper copies as long as they are mailed to us by the school in a sealed envelope.

Paper transcripts that are not received in an envelope sealed by the school are considered unofficial. Likewise, electronic transcripts that are sent to you and then forwarded to us are also considered unofficial.

Admission decisions are initially based on unofficial transcripts uploaded to the application, so we do not need your official transcripts until after you are admitted. If you are in the process of earning your bachelor’s degree wait until your degree has been awarded and posted on your transcript before ordering an official copy.

After you’ve been admitted and if requested, send official transcripts from your institutions to:

Electronic Transcripts
Order through each school’s Registrar’s office or clearinghouse. If an email address is required have electronic transcripts sent to: info@csuchico.edu

Mailed Transcripts
Office of Graduate Studies
California State University, Chico
400 West First Street
Chico, CA 95929-0875

The determination of residency for tuition purposes affects whether a student pays in-state or out-of-state tuition fees and is guided by California state law. Out-of-state tuition fees are higher than in-state tuition fees.

Visit the California State University Residency website to review CSU residency requirements, important residence determination dates, and exceptions and exemptions, along with important residency forms and information regarding the appeal process. 

DACA, undocumented, or AB540 students:

  1. In your Cal State Apply Extended Profile, select "No" when it asks if you require an F1 or J1 visa.
  2. Select "California" as the state of residence if you consider California to be your permanent home.
  3. In the Citizenship/Residency Information section of the application, select "None" for your U.S. citizenship.

Be aware that missing or inaccurate information may result in you being considered a non-California resident for CSU tuition purposes.