Admission Requirements
Our application deadline is April 1 and applications are entirely electronic.
All applicants must have:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants should send official transcripts as soon as possible, preferably well before April 1. We recommend that you have taken undergraduate foundational courses in ecology, engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, and/or quantitative methods.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 units of attempted coursework. If your GPA is below 3.0, you may enroll in courses through community colleges or CSUF’s Extended Education Open University to bring up your GPA.
- A personal statement explaining how our program fits your goals.
- Two letters of recommendation, including at least one from an academic instructor.
- The names of a few CSUF ENST faculty with whom you are interested in working. You don’t need to secure an advisor before applying, but you do need to show us you have thought about why our program fits your interests.
- For international students, a minimum score of 80 iBT TOEFL, 550 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS, or 58 PTE, in accordance with the Office of Admissions' guidelines for international applicants.
- Other than that English-language proficiency test for international students, we do not require standardized tests such as the GRE.
Application Process
Apply through Cal State Apply before the deadline of April 1 for the following Fall semester. Our program values cohort community, so students enter in the fall semester only.
All domestic applicants should also fill out the FAFSA or CA Dream Act forms before March 2 to be considered for financial aid and on-campus work-study opportunities.
CSUF's Grad Studies Office has more information about application procedures. CSUF's Office of Admissions has guidelines for international applicants.
After you begin your application, please check the "Task List" in your CSU Student Portal to ensure your official transcripts and letters of recommendation have arrived and to make sure you have completed all necessary parts of your application. If you have questions, you can contact the Titan Admissions Status office at (657) 278-7904 or at the Prospective Students page.
We begin reviewing files after April 1 and contacting applicants around the end of April.
Transferring Coursework
We can accept up to 9 units of transfer credits, subject to the approval of the Graduate Advisor and the Graduate Regulations in CSUF’s catalog. You must have earned a grade of B or better in a graduate-level upper-division course, taken within the last 5 years, and not used to satisfy degree requirements elsewhere.
Funding Opportunities
For information regarding university fees, see the Student Business Services website.
For financial aid through the university, see the Financial Aid website.
While the ENST program does not offer graduate assistantships, many ENST students find part-time work with our partners across campus as research fellows, lab members, teaching assistants, peer educators, and administrative assistants. We regularly publicize on-campus job opportunities for our students. We also offer small, merit-based scholarships for ENST students completing independent projects as well as opportunities for graduate-student conference travel.
Open Secrets of Successful Applicants
Applicants sometimes ask us what makes an application stand out, so here is a list of open secrets for all to see.
- Familiarize yourself with this website. In your personal statement, tell us how you think our specific program will help you get to where you want to go.
- Try to give your recommenders enough time to write a solid letter of recommendation that provides concrete examples of why they think you will be a successful student in our program. You may want to meet with them to discuss why you want to go to graduate school, then follow up to make sure your letters arrive on time.
- Check your application status in your Student Portal to ensure transcripts, letters of recommendation, and all other parts of your application are complete.
- Beyond required materials, you may consider adding an optional resume, an additional letter of reference, or other brief documents to help us understand who you are.
- If you have questions, reach out to the ENST Grad advisor at enst_advisor@fullerton.edu . We sincerely want to help you find the program that is the best fit for you.
