Graduate Applicants

You'll love being a Pioneer!

We are excited to review your application and the prospect of you joining our diverse and dynamic community. As a top-rated university, we are committed to your success. With world-class faculty and over 30 graduate programs, Cal State East Bay provides you the opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in your area of interest. Whether you are about to finish your undergraduate degree, continuing your graduate studies, or wanting to elevate your career, you can benefit from our cutting-edge graduate programs. Besides robust degree programs, Cal State East Bay provides real-world education to our students that prepares them for rewarding careers.

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Graduate Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the university admission requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to graduate and post-baccalaureate studies are:

Completed a four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended.
Have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 in an acceptable earned baccalaureate degree, or a grade point average of at least 2.5 in the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) attempted, or hold an acceptable post-baccalaureate degree earned at a regionally accredited institution.

At this time, Cal State East Bay is not accepting applications for new unclassified post-baccalaureate students.

Applicants must also meet the graduate program’s admission requirements

Individual graduate departments may have additional admission standards for their programs (e.g., letters of recommendation, resumes, test scores). Contact your academic department for more information.

View a List of Academic Department Coordinators

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Graduate Application & Document Deadlines

Submitting your application within the deadline is crucial in the admission process. Before starting your application, please make sure to note the important dates listed below for graduate admissions. All required documents and fees must be submitted before the deadlines.

University Applications (Cal State Apply) are accepted for most majors from August 1, 2025- November 1, 2025.

While standard application university deadlines apply, certain programs may require earlier submissions or additional applications materials. For specific details, kindly visit the corresponding academic department's website.

Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities are due by November 15, 2025. Documents received after the priority deadlines are processed in receipt date order on a space-available basis. If a degree is in progress, please make sure that the degree is recorded on your transcript prior to submitting your transcript to our campus.

Admission offers must be accepted prior to the start of classes.

University Applications (Cal State Apply) are accepted for most majors from October 1, 2025- June 1, 2026.

While standard application university deadlines apply, certain programs may require earlier submissions or additional applications materials. For specific details, kindly visit the corresponding academic department's website.

Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities are due by July 1, 2026. Documents received after the priority deadlines are processed in receipt date order on a space-available basis. If a degree is in progress, please make sure that the degree is recorded on your transcript prior to submitting your transcript to our campus.

Admission offers must be accepted prior to the start of classes.

University Applications (Cal State Apply) are accepted from February 1, 2025- April 1, 2025.

While standard application university deadlines apply, certain programs may require earlier submissions or additional applications materials. For specific details, kindly visit the corresponding academic department's website.

Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities are due by May 1, 2025. Documents received after the priority deadlines are processed in receipt date order on a space-available basis. If a degree is in progress, please make sure that the degree is recorded on your transcript prior to submitting your transcript to our campus.

Admission offers must be accepted prior to the start of classes.

International students are those who hold a U.S. student visa, exchange visitors and other nonimmigrant classifications. Additionally, California residents and U.S. citizens who were internationally educated are also processed by the International Admissions Office,
- Note that although Internationally Educated students may pay resident fee for tuition purposes, their applications are handled by International Admissions due to evaluation of international coursework.
For a complete list of graduate majors, visit the Office of Graduate Studies.

Three Steps to Apply for Cal State East Bay Graduate Admission

1. Apply to Cal State East Bay online: Applicants should submit their online application through and pay the $70 nonrefundable application fee. Applicants may not apply for more than one program or term at the same time. No application fee waivers are available to graduate students.
*If applying for financial aid, use the Cal State East Bay School Code 001138 when applying.
Need help? Check out our Cal State Apply Guide
2. Submit official transcripts: Request official, final transcripts from all colleges and universities, both before and after you earned your bachelor's degree, to be sent to Cal State East Bay’s Office of Admissions.

The Office of Admissions does not accept composite transcripts. In this context, composite transcripts are transcripts issued by one institution but contains courses taken at another institution. In these cases, students MUST submit final, official transcripts from BOTH institutions. Learn how to submit your transcripts.

Please do not send transcripts until you have submitted your application on Cal State Apply
If your graduate program also requires official transcripts, you need to send additional copies directly to your department as well.

3. Apply to a graduate program: Graduate programs may require other application materials, such as letters of recommendation and resumes. Contact your academic department for individual program requirements, advising, admission terms, deadlines, and instructions on where to send departmental documents.

Note: Not all graduate programs accept applications for every term.

Find your department contact information.

Current Students - Change of Graduate Degree Objective

If you are a current graduate student at Cal State East Bay and wish to change your major, you could qualify for a Change of Graduate Objective after your first term of attendance. For more information, visit the Change of Graduate Objective page. Please make sure to consult with your prospective program for information about departmental application deadlines and requirements.