Welcome to L.A.!The beautiful hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is just five miles from Los Angeles' civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students reflect the city's mix of populations. You will benefit from nationally recognized academic programs and an outstanding intensive English program. Here in the capital of the entertainment industry, Cal State L.A. offers innovative programs in visual arts, writing, animation, television, film and media production; and music, opera, theatre and dance and fashion and design. Other popular fields include engineering, computer science, natural and social sciences, health and human services, education, and languages, poetry and literature. U.S. News & World Report 2006 ranked Cal State L.A.'s graduate nursing program and undergraduate engineering and business programs among the best in the nation at primarily undergraduate institutions. On Cal State L.A.'s 175-acre campus, students will enjoy a wide range of support services and involvement opportunities including more than 120 student organizations, intercollegiate athletics, and intramural activities. Enrichment programs include the Luckman Jazz Orchestra, an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, to be housed in the Los Angeles Regional Crime Lab, now under construction. All of the University's thousands of computers are interconnected with easy access to centralized computing resources from anywhere on campus. A laptop loan program makes high-quality laptop notebooks available to students. Cal State L.A. is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC). Student HousingAccommodations include convenient residence apartments, a "quiet house", an international student house, and a residence for first-time students. Campus housing residents have their own 24-hour computer lab, academic center, weight room, and game room, and volleyball and basketball courts. Outstanding Faculty and Alumni Cal State L.A.'s nationally and internationally recognized faculty boasts 12 recipients of the California State University system's prestigious Trustees' Outstanding Professor Award (more than at any other CSU campus) and two educators who have received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math, Science and Engineering Mentoring in a White House ceremony. CSULA alumni include Billie Jean King (tennis great), Donald Sterling '56 (owner of the Los Angeles Clippers), Sam Durrance '72, '74 (astronaut), Joseph Wambaugh '60, '68 (novelist), James Newton '81 (classical/jazz musician and composer), and many others. The English Language ProgramThe English Language Program (ELP) provides intensive, non-credit ESL (English as a Second Language) instruction designed to fast-track entrance into the University and matriculation to university studies. Its skills-based program in Reading, Writing, Grammar, Speaking, Listening and Pronunciation prepares language learners to meet the minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score required for undergraduate admission (presently 500, paper-based) and also provides "conditional admission" to most graduate programs for students successfully completing Levels 6 or 7 of the Language program. (Students must meet the requirements of the University and their academic department before being conditionally admitted.) Classes are held Mondays through Fridays, and include TOEFL preparation, a computer lab with software tutorials, and a free Institutional TOEFL test given each quarter as a practice exam. All ELP students enjoy access to University activities and facilities, including free campus e-mail with computer lab access, software training, and library privileges. Applying to the University To apply to Cal State L.A., go to www.csumentor.edu and send a $55 check or money order (non-refundable). To request for a CSU fee waiver, go to www.csumentor.edu Be sure to submit the application before the filing period ends. International Visa applicants must submit applications by November 1 for Fall Quarter, June 1 for Winter Quarter, and July 1 for Spring Quarter. (Please note that Fall Quarter begins in late September and ends in early December; Winter Quarter runs between January and mid-March; and Spring Quarter begins in late March and ends in early June.) Despite the sharply rising costs of education, Cal State L.A. remains one of the most affordable four-year universities in California. Applying to the English Language Program To apply to the English Language Program, go to www.calstatela.edu/exed/ELP. If needed, complete an Application Form ($100 non-refundable fee) and a Sponsor Support Form, and attach a current bank statement. The ELP will assist with the issuing of an I-20 form to apply for a Student Visa. |
