How to Apply to Chemistry at Cal State Long Beach: B.S. (ACS-Certified), B.S. Materials Science Option and B.A. in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Starting as a Pre-Major and Declaring After General Chemistry and Calculus, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Undergraduate chemistry at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM). This guide follows CSULB’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Biology is taught by the Department of Biological Sciences and is not covered here; medicine, nursing, pharmacy and similar programs are also outside this guide, so see the university’s website for them.

1. Degrees and options

• Chemistry (the department’s undergraduate degree page, 2026–2027 catalog): the B.S. in Chemistry, described as a laboratory-intensive degree certified by the American Chemical Society (ACS); the B.S. in Chemistry, Material Science Option, emphasising materials and run jointly with the Department of Physics and Astronomy; and the B.A. in Chemistry, intended for pre-professional students and others who do not plan a career in laboratory chemistry. There is also a Chemistry Minor and a Single Subject Chemistry Concentration for future chemistry teachers, which meets the subject-matter competence requirement for the Single Subject Teaching Credential; the page advises seeing a Science Education advisor early.
• Biochemistry degrees in the same department: the B.S. in Biochemistry (laboratory-intensive, certified by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ASBMB) and the B.A. in Biochemistry (a new degree aimed at pre-professional students, who can use many professional-school prerequisites as electives). Their admission and declaration rules are almost the same as chemistry’s, so they are covered together here.
• B.S. or B.A.? (department advising page): the B.S. is for students who want a laboratory-intensive degree; the B.A. has less emphasis on upper-division lab courses and leaves room for professional-school prerequisites and minors.
• Full course lists: the complete required courses and unit totals for each degree sit in the university catalog, which is hosted by a third party. They are not published on the pages read here; check the catalog and the department advising page.
• Research areas: the department website has pages for analytical, biochemistry and cellular biology, biophysical, drug design and delivery, inorganic, materials and energy, organic, physical and computational, and synthesis and catalysis research.
• Master’s degrees: the department also offers an M.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Biochemistry, not covered here.

2. How admission works: you apply to the university, by major, as a pre-major

• You apply to the university and are considered by intended major: chemistry sits in CNSM. First-year applicants may pick a specific major or apply undeclared, and the application-process page says CSULB makes admission decisions based on the intended major only. The pages read do not describe a separate college application or admission line.
• Pre-major status: the advising page says Chemistry and Biochemistry majors “require that students begin as pre-majors and then meet precise major-specific criteria to officially declare the major.” The first-year admissions page says the same of STEM majors in general: admission is to pre-major status, and continuing depends on lower-division course and GPA requirements.
• STEM Index: STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors are ranked on a STEM Index that weights quantitative skills: 600 × high school math GPA + 600 × high school science GPA. These pages do not list which majors count as STEM; chemistry is in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, so ask Admissions whether the STEM Index is applied to it.
• How the GPAs are calculated: from college-preparatory (A–G) courses taken after grade 9, with bonus points for up to eight honors-level grades in grades 10–12 (including up to two IB, AP or honors courses in grade 10). Initial decisions use the self-reported grades on the application, normally through grade 11, and all offers are provisional until final transcripts are verified.
• Minimums (first-year eligibility page): California high school graduates and other California residents need a 2.5 college-preparatory GPA and a STEM Index of at least 3,600 (higher than the CSU systemwide minimum); other non-California residents need a 3.0 GPA and the same 3,600 STEM Index. For non-STEM majors the minimum CSULB Index is 3,200 for California residents and 3,500 for non-residents. Meeting the minimum only makes you eligible to be considered.
• Local preference: applicants who are “local” by high school or military status are offered admission if they meet the 3,600 STEM Index; local applicants who fall short but have a 2.5 college-preparatory GPA and a 3,200 CSULB Index are offered undeclared admission. Other eligible applicants are ranked by the STEM Index and admitted as space allows in the major or college. The page says undeclared is not a route into the originally intended major. The boundaries are on the local-preference page.
• Testing: the CSU system does not use the SAT or ACT in admission decisions; scores may be sent after admission for English or math placement.
• Is chemistry “highly impacted”? In the Fall 2026 CNSM requirements and the Fall 2027 transfer requirements, none of the chemistry or biochemistry entries is marked highly impacted. The transfer-requirements index page, however, says all CSULB undergraduate majors continue to be “impacted” and have specific admission and declaration requirements.
• The university warns that many qualified applicants are not admitted and recommends a backup plan.

3. Declaring chemistry after you enrol

• Major-Specific Degree Requirements (MSDR): for Chemistry (B.A., B.S., B.S. Materials Science Option) and Biochemistry (B.S.), the Fall 2026 CNSM page requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5; lower-division preparation with a C or better in CHEM 111A and 111B (General Chemistry) and MATH 122 and 123 (Calculus I and II), with a GPA of at least 2.25 across these major-preparation courses; plus English composition, critical thinking and oral communication.
• Biochemistry B.A.: the same, except general chemistry may be CHEM 111A and 111B or CHEM 112A and 112B (Advanced General Chemistry); calculus is still MATH 122 and 123.
• The department’s advising page describes the same route: complete MATH 122 and 123, CHEM 111A and 111B and the written communication, oral communication and critical thinking general education areas with a C or better, while keeping a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50; students are then moved from pre-major to major automatically. It matches the 2.5 on the college page but does not mention the 2.25 GPA on the preparation courses that the college page adds.
• Process: every undergraduate must have a declared major by 60 units, and declaration also requires a progressively successful academic record. Pre-majors see CNSM academic advisors; once declared they see the department’s faculty advisors (Paul Buonora for chemistry, Jason Schwans for biochemistry, booked through Beach Connect).
• Changing into chemistry: the advising page says to contact the advisor for the major, confirm you meet the major-specific requirements and that the change will not delay graduation, and see the Student Records change-of-major page. The number of places is not stated on the pages read.
• Other rules (advising page): most department courses are letter-grade only with no credit/no-credit option, and every course required for the major needs a C or better.

4. Prerequisites and coursework

• CSU college-preparatory pattern (15 year-units, C or better in each): history/social science 2, English 4, mathematics 3 (4 recommended; algebra I, geometry, algebra II or higher), laboratory science 2 (one biological, one physical), one language other than English 2, visual and performing arts 1, college-preparatory elective 1.
• Advice for STEM majors: Admissions “strongly recommends that STEM applicants complete additional math courses beyond the CSU minimum.” A specific high school chemistry requirement is not stated by the department or college on the pages read.
• General Chemistry placement (CHEM 111A): the placement page says chemistry, biology, environmental science and policy, geology, materials science, chemical engineering and biomedical engineering majors all take CHEM 111A and 111B. The page’s criteria are written for continuing CSULB students and any one suffices: an AP Chemistry score of 2 or 3; CHEM 140 with a C or better (or currently enrolled); CHEM 102; eligibility to repeat CHEM 111A; a CPT score of 24 or better before spring 2021; completion of the CHEM ALEKS assessment; or an A or B in high school chemistry or AP chemistry together with MATH 119A or higher with a C or better (calculus may be taken concurrently). The placement page for incoming first-year students is at a different address that is not among the pages read here, so it is not published on the pages read.
• CHEM ALEKS: an adaptive online assessment and learning module; 80% mastery gives unrestricted access to CHEM 111A, it takes about 4 to 40 hours, and the license costs $30 for six weeks. The page contradicts itself: it says the module has 78 topics in one place, the listed groups add up to 75, and elsewhere it says 80% means 60 of 75 topics; follow what the ALEKS platform shows.
• Lower-division courses: in the pages read, the chemistry-related lower-division courses are CHEM 111A/111B (General Chemistry) and MATH 122/123 (Calculus I and II); the biology four-year plan also lists organic chemistry (CHEM 220A/220B with labs). The full required and elective courses and laboratory sequence for each chemistry degree are not published on the pages read here; see the catalog.
• Research course (advising page): there is no set time to begin CHEM 496 (Directed Research), but the page advises starting early and staying in a lab for several semesters; many students begin with about four semesters remaining. Students are told to browse research areas and lab websites. A thesis requirement is not stated on the pages read.
• Accreditation: the B.S. in Chemistry is ACS-certified and the B.S. in Biochemistry is ASBMB-certified (department degree page).
• AP and IB credit: Admissions says AP scores of 3 or higher with an official score report earn up to 6 units per exam, and credit is awarded once per course. IB Higher Level exams with a 4 or higher earn up to 12 units per exam, but a later note on the same page says a minimum IB score of 5 is required unless otherwise noted; both statements are on the site, so rely on the catalog’s credit table. Which AP or IB exam maps to which required course is in that table, which is not among the pages read here.
• Competitions: how chemistry olympiads or similar contests are viewed in admissions is not stated on the pages read.

5. Rounds, materials and costs

• U.S. first-year filing period: October 1 to November 30 for the following fall (Cal State Apply opens August 1 for most sections and the academic history section on October 1); only one application per academic year. The page shows no year, so confirm it is fall 2027 entry.
• Materials: decisions rest on the grades self-reported on the application; send documents only when asked, do not send a transcript before graduation unless requested. Admitted students submit official transcripts; the final high school transcript is due by July 15. Offers are normally made in early spring and are provisional (all senior-year courses with a C or better, all A–G courses done, graduation on time). Admitted students must accept and pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit by May 1; it is waived for students receiving need-based state or federal grants or full aid.
• Application fee, essays, recommendations: the pages read give no application fee amount and no essay or recommendation requirement specific to chemistry; check Cal State Apply and the Admissions pages.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Testing: the SAT and ACT are not used for admission.
• Tuition (fee page, 2026–2027; check the 2027–2028 figures): undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees per semester for California residents are $2,938 part-time (0–6 units) and $4,376 full-time (7+ units) by the itemised table; non-residents pay an extra $471 per unit. The page contradicts itself: its non-resident example uses $4,365 for the resident full-time total and gives $10,017 for 12 units, which does not match the $4,376 in the table; rely on your bill. Some courses carry extra course fees (whether chemistry labs do is not stated on the pages read).
• Local preference: see above; local applicants with a 3,600 STEM Index are offered admission.
• Department funding (scholarships page): continuing students apply through the BeachScholarships system with one general application that automatically considers them for dozens of scholarships; the deadline shown is March 2, 2026, so check the 2027 date. The department page lists the Dr. Dot Goldish Endowed Scholarship (undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students), the Kenneth L. Marsi Endowed Scholarship (an outstanding junior or senior in either major), the Leslie K. Wynston Endowed Award in Biochemistry (an outstanding biochemistry major planning to enter a health-related professional school), the Monahan Chemistry Research Endowment (summer research) and the Robert B. Henderson Memorial Endowed Scholarship (for students planning a Ph.D.). It also lists the need-based METRIC program, CNSM Summer Research Assistantships (continuing students with a mentor-signed plan; the 2026 cycle is shown as closed), and funded research programs including BUILD (NIH), CSU-SPaRA, the CSULB MD Alumni Research Program, the Doctoral Diversity Initiative, the KURE Summer Bridge Program and U-RISE (NIH). Most are for continuing students; entering-student scholarships specific to the department are not stated on the pages read.
• Support: the Jensen SAS Center offers free math and science tutoring and SAS Peer Mentors tutors CNSM pre-majors and majors; the Lindgren Math Tutoring Center and The Learning Center also offer free tutoring.

7. International applicants

• CSULB’s pages written for international applicants (grade requirements, English-language scores and waivers, deadlines, cost estimates, international scholarships) are not published on the pages read here; check the university’s international admissions pages.
• The first-year eligibility page sets, for “other non-California residents,” a college-preparatory GPA of at least 3.0 and, for STEM majors, a STEM Index of at least 3,600. It does not address international students separately, so confirm with International Admissions how this applies.
• Tuition: non-residents pay an extra $471 per unit (above). The tuition and financial-proof requirements that apply to international students are not stated on the pages read.
• Whether chemistry sets extra requirements for international applicants is not stated on the pages read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: none of the pages read mention China or say whether gaokao results are considered or how; contact International Admissions.
• Transcripts, huikao records, credential evaluation and English requirements: not published on the pages read; check the international pages.
• Math and chemistry: how Chinese high school courses map to CHEM 111A placement, MATH 122/123 or the college-preparatory pattern is not stated. After admission you can ask the department (chemistry placement email: chemistry.placement@csulb.edu).

9. Transfer students

• University level (transfer eligibility page): 60 transferable semester units (or 90 quarter units); at least a 2.00 GPA in all transferable work; good standing at the last college attended; at least 30 semester units of CSU general education; and a C or better in English composition, critical thinking, oral communication and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning. For fall entry these must be done by the end of the previous spring, for spring entry by the end of the previous summer. You must choose a major when you apply, and if you do not qualify for it you are not considered for another.
• Fall 2027 transfer requirements for chemistry (CNSM page, stated to apply to fall 2027 and spring 2028 only):
  • Chemistry B.A., Chemistry B.S., Biochemistry B.S. and Chemistry Materials Science B.S.: minimum cumulative GPA 2.5; preparation courses CHEM 111A, CHEM 111B, MATH 122 and MATH 123 with a GPA of at least 2.25 across them and a C or better in each; plus English composition, critical thinking and oral communication.
  • Biochemistry B.A.: minimum cumulative GPA 2.5; the same four preparation courses with a 2.25 GPA across them. (This entry lists only CHEM 111A/111B and does not repeat the CHEM 112A/112B alternative that the 2026 continuing-student page gives.)
  • The page lists no additional recommended courses for chemistry and does not mark these majors highly impacted. Applicants with a California community college Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) are evaluated on the ADT instead of the course list, with 0.1 added to their GPA in ranking.
• How applicants are considered (transfer requirements page): “local” eligible applicants who meet the major GPA and preparation are offered admission to majors that are not highly impacted; other eligible applicants who meet them are admitted as space allows, ranked by GPA and any extra preparation courses; applicants without the preparation are considered only if space remains. The index page also says its criteria are for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 while linking to the Fall 2027 pages, so confirm on the site.
• Dates (transfer eligibility page): fall applications can be started August 1, with submission October 1 to November 30; spring July 1 to August 31. No year is shown, so confirm fall 2027.
• Credit transfer: courses at California public institutions are matched in ASSIST. The advising page suggests that if a pending transfer-equivalency blocks enrolment because a prerequisite looks missing, you email your advisor with the course syllabi so the advisor can evaluate it and issue a permit. How specific chemistry courses map is not stated on the pages read.
• International transfer students: not published on the pages read; check the university’s international pages.

10. Outcomes

• The department advising page points students to career support: the Career Development Center, an internships page and the Health Professions Advising Office for those interested in health professional schools; the student chapter of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) is a club. No placement rate or salary data appears on the pages read.
• The advising page says applications for post-baccalaureate study are often due in the autumn before graduation and recommends preparing statements early.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• File through Cal State Apply October 1–November 30 (confirm fall 2027), choosing chemistry; math and science grades drive the STEM Index, with a 3,600 minimum
• After enrolling, finish CHEM 111A/111B, MATH 122/123 and three general education courses with a C or better, a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 2.25 on the preparation courses; you are then moved to the major automatically

International applicants (including China):

• Check deadlines, English scores and costs on CSULB’s international pages; ask International Admissions how the gaokao and Chinese courses are treated

Transfer students:

• 60 transferable units and a 2.0 GPA overall; for fall 2027, chemistry-track majors need CHEM 111A/B and MATH 122/123 (C or better), a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 2.25 on the preparation courses

Sources: California State University, Long Beach website, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Undergraduate degree programs; Department advising; Chemistry placement; Department scholarships and funded support; Major-Specific Degree Requirements; Fall 2026 CNSM requirements; First-year eligibility; CSULB Index and STEM Index; First-year application process; Test and transfer credit; Local preference; Transfer eligibility; Transfer major requirements; Fall 2027 transfer requirements (CNSM); Tuition and fees. Several of these pages show no year (the first-year filing period, department scholarship deadlines), and the fee page lists 2026–2027; confirm the versions that apply to fall 2027 entry.