Pre-arrival Information for International Students

Welcome to California State University, Northridge


Our 333-acre campus is located in the northern part of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, a suburban area shadowed by the Santa Susana mountains. Restaurants, shopping malls, and movie theaters are close at hand. Los Angeles has attractive beaches, museums, professional athletic teams, theaters and concert sites, just 30-45 minutes away. CSUN offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as a variety of credential programs. Its diverse student body totals more than 36,000 and includes members of all races, ethnicities and ability groups.

Registration

All international students will have a "Foreign" Registration Hold. The "Foreign" Registration Hold will be lifted after you submit documents and preferably attend group advisement. A list of documents is available in the welcome letter as well as in the instructions for group advisement. Please contact the International and Exchange Student Center (IESC) to schedule an appointment for mandatory group advisement.

This must be done as soon as possible by either calling our office or e-mailing your advisor.

Ph: (818) 677-3053

Foreign Student Advisors for International Students are assigned by your field of study:

  • Brenda Acosta
    • College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Patricia Marquez
    • College of Art, Media, & Communication
    • College of Social and Behavioral Science
    • College of Education
  • Foreign Student Advisor (vacant): You may contact one of the other advisors.
    • College of Health and Human Development
    • College of Science and Math
    • College of Humanities
  • Roopa Rawjee
    • College of Business and Economics

Please read the Welcome Letter from IESC for additional information.

ELM/EPT Exams

Those students who are required to take the English Placement Test (EPT) and/or the Entry Level Math Exam (ELM) must communicate with their academic advisor regarding test results and registration. These students must arrive soon enough to take the exam(s) in order to fulfill mandatory enrollment in the appropriate level English or Math course during your first semester. A "Testing Invitation" from the Office of International Admissions will notify you of the testing dates and whether the exams are required.

If you are outside of the U.S., we encourage you to arrange an earlier test date in your area/country.

If you live outside of the state of California, have been admitted to a CSU campus and need to take the EPT and or the ELM before arriving, please call 1-925-808-2142 or e-mail csuout-of-state@ets.org. Out of state testing is arranged for the 2nd week of each month. There is an additional fee of $50.00 for testing outside of the State of California.

  • The EPT fee is $18.00
  • The ELM fee is $18.00
  • The school code for CSUN is 004707

You will need to call ETS to set up a proctor in your area (home country) and provide them with the following information:

  • Contact information (full name, mailing address, daytime phone number, e-mail, Social Security Number (if you do not have a SSN, you may use your CSUN ID number for this purpose)
  • What exams you need to take; and
  • Name of two (2) institutions in your area where you could take the exams.

Please be advised that ETS takes up to four weeks to process scores and report them to the institution of your choice.

Transportation From LAX To CSUN

Important:Students are responsible for making their own arrangements for transport.

The following options are available:

  • The best option is the FLYAWAY bus to VAN NUYS, which can be boarded outside each terminal at LAX. It departs every half-hour (24hrs) and goes non-stop to the Flyway Bus Terminal at Van Nuys, California. Please make sure you catch the Flyaway Bus to Van Nuys and NOT Westwood or Union Station! Travel time to Van Nuys is 50 minutes and costs $7.00 one way. Take a taxi from the Van Nuys Terminal to the CSUN campus. Please visit http://www.lawa.org/vny/flyAwayBus.cfm for more information.

  • Taxis are available from LAX to CSUN and cost about $35 to $50.
    Authorized Taxicab Supervision (ATS) (323) 776-5324
    L.A. Taxi/United Checker Cab (213) 627-7000.
    You may also visit http://www.layellowcab.com/ for services and other information.

  • A "shuttle van" is also available outside each terminal at LAX. These vans carry several passengers and make several stops. Board the San Fernando Valley shuttle. The estimated cost is approximately $15-$45 and the estimated travel time is one to one and one half hours. Advance reservations can be made at http://www.supershuttle.com/.

Housing:

Important: Students are responsible for making their own living arrangements.

The following options are available:

On-campus: Campus housing is limited. Please act quickly if you plan to apply for on-campus housing. Information is available at http://housing.csun.edu/. If you signed a housing contract, the early move-in date is generally the Friday before classes begin. Should you choose to arrive earlier, contact Karla La Rosa at (818) 677-6106 or Nadine Dotto at (818)677-6104 so that you can get a referral to guest housing or a local hotel. The cost of guest housing for one night is $98 and each additional night after that will cost $73. However, if you plan to stay for more than five nights, each additional night after that will be $45. The estimated cost for a local hotel with tax included is $90 to $100. For information regarding off-campus housing call Marlyn Smith (818) 677-2160. Options include private residences, shared accommodations, apartments and condominiums. If you arrive earlier than the move-in date, there is no guarantee that you will be offered accommodations on campus without prior arrangements. Please call DaVon Henson, Housing Coordinator at (818) 677-2160 to avoid any inconvenience.

Online: CSUN Student Housing and Conference Services also offers an off-campus housing database.

Several online resources including the campus newspaper The Daily Sundial carry classified advertisements for rooms for rent, or from students seeking roommates.

Hotels/Motels: Students who need temporary accommodation may consider the possibility of local hotels or motels.

Immunizations

All students must show proof of immunization to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Rubeola at the Klotz Student Health Center. Verification/immunization must be fulfilled by the end of the student's first semester. Students who are under 18 years of age must provide proof of immunization to Hepatitis B before the end of the student's second semester. Students who took the immunization in their home country may submit a letter from their doctor in English stating the date on which they received it. Students who are unable to submit written proof of immunization will have to either take the immunization, or take a blood test to prove immunity, or sign a waiver. Contact the Student Health Center for more information on costs and availability.

Orientation

All international students must attend a one-day mandatory International Student Orientation on August 20, 2009. You may visit http://www.csun.edu/nso/ for more information.

For more information

We strongly recommend that you visit http://www.csun.edu//international/ immediately to review important information regarding your foreign student status. Click on New Student/ Fall 2009.

First time transfer students are encouraged to visit www.csun.edu/a&r/transferchecklist.html and First time freshmen are encouraged to visit www.csun.edu/a&r/freshmenchecklist.html to obtain important information.

We look forward to meeting you soon and assisting you with your transition to CSUN. Please contact the IESC at 818-677-3053 for more information. Our address is USU Building C, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8445.

RR: 02/09/09

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