Language of instruction
The California State University system is made up of 23 campuses, each with their own identity. It is renowned for the quality of its teaching and the excellence of its graduates. CSU is the most affordable public university in the US, and also among the most diverse.
CSU’s campuses dot the entire length of California, from Humboldt in the North to San Diego near the border with Mexico.
Semester dates
Semester system campuses:
Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Marcos, Sonoma and Stanislaus
| UQ Semester | Host Semester | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Spring Semester | January–April |
| Semester 2 | Fall Semester | August–December |
Quarter system campuses:
East Bay, Pomona, San Bernardino and San Luis Obispo
| UQ Semester | Host Quarter | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Winter & Spring Quarters |
Early January–Mid-March |
| Semester 2 | Fall Quarter | Mid-September–Mid-December |
* Applications accepted for UQ Semester 2 (fall semester) exchange or for full year (fall to spring) only. UQ Semester 1 exchange only is not available.
** All students who apply for a full year exchange to a Quarter campus must complete all three quarters (Fall, Winter & Spring).
For an Academic Calendar, please refer to the campus link below.
Guides and additional information
CSU has online resources available to help get the most out of your exchange:
Campuses
CSU's 23 campuses span the entire length of California. CSU exchange programs are available at:
- Bakersfield
- Channel Islands
- Chico
- Dominguez Hills
- East Bay
- Fresno
- Fullerton
- Humboldt
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Monterey Bay
- Northridge
- Pomona
- Sacramento
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San José
- San Luis Obispo
- San Marcos
- Sonoma
- Stanislaus
CSU Maritime Academy is not available for exchange.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Student testimonials
- B. ArtsSemester 2, 2015
Full-time study load
Semester campuses:
- 12 units at CSU is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Quarter campuses:
- 15 units in CSU's fall quarters is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
- 24 units across CSU's winter and spring quarters is equivalent to 8 UQ units
Minimum academic requirements
CSU requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.5.
You must have a full study load of UQ general electives if you wish to study at CSU.
Exchange at CSU is not available to US citizens (including dual citizens).
Find courses
Search the CSU course catalogues if courses do not appear in the database.
Search the Credit Precedent Database to find courses offered by your host university that have been previously approved for credit at UQ. The database should be used as a general guide only.
Study areas taught in English
Course restrictions
All course descriptions are available on the CSU website. Host campuses do not provide full course profiles. Do not contact CSU for course profiles.
- A small number of course profiles are publically available in limited disciplines at specific campuses. See Additional academic information below.
For more information on program restrictions, view the CSU campus profiles, select your desired campus, and see 'Impacted/Closed and Restricted Subject Areas'.
Exchange programs at CSU are not available to US citizens (including dual citizens).
CSU English Language Proficiency Requirements: Students who have not attended an educational institution at the secondary level or beyond where English is the principal language of instruction for at least three years are required to take an English Proficiency Test and supply their results when they apply for CSU. For more information please see CSU's English Language Proficiency Requirements.
Additional academic information
CSU course numbering differs across campuses.
CSU has online resources to help you understand their academic policies:
Students are able to list their preferred campuses, however, preferences are not guaranteed.
| Campus | Courses Numbered | Departments |
|---|---|---|
| Chico | 100-499 | Child Development; Mechanical Engineering; Religious Studies |
| Dominguez Hills | 100-499 | Computer Science |
| Northridge | 100-499 | Geological Sciences Department; Religious Studies |
| Sacramento | 1-199 | Economics |
| San Francisco | 100-699 | Civil Engineering; Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Criminal Justice; Electrical Engineering; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Urban Studies and Planning |
| San Luis Obispo | 100-499 | Mathematics |
| San Jose | 1-199 | Anthropology; Economics; Electrical Engineering; English and Comparative Literature; History; Humanities; Kinesiology; Justice Studies; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Studies; World Languages and Literatures |
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Accommodation
On-campus housing options are available at most campuses, but may be limited. Due to the application process at CSU, you will not be allocated a CSU campus until May (for Semester 2 applicants) or November (for Semester 1 applicants). The allocation date will impact your ability to plan, apply for and secure accommodation. Please keep this in mind when selecting your first preference host university as the campus allocation date is beyond the control of the Global Experiences Team. Most international students live off-campus. General information on CSU's on-campus housing is available on the CSU overview webpage.
More detailed information about housing can be viewed on the individual campus websites.
Cost of living
The cost of living varies across CSU campuses, with some located in big cities and others in smaller, more rural areas. If cost is a deciding factor, recommended campuses are ones located outside the large metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Proximity to the ocean is a considerable factor impacting the cost of living. CSU provides an average cost of living and attendance for each of their campuses.
Additional Mandatory Fees
Each CSU campus also has additional mandatory fees which are outlined on the CSU Estimated Campus Costs page. These fees cannot not be waived.
Financial support
A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.
Insurance
Students approved to participate in the Student Exchange Program are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.
For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).
If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.
Each CSU campus has their own health insurance requirements and health insurance plan. Information regarding the CSU's student health insurance plan, including costs and benefits, can vary from campus to campus. At most campuses, exchange students are required to purchase the mandatory health insurance. Exchange students are not eligible to waive this requirement.
Exchange students may be eligible to waive the Health Insurance Plan at only five of the CSU campuses if they have additional cover that meets minimum waiver requirements. See the CSU Estimated Campus Costs and the website of the relevant campus for more details.
Before purchasing an additional policy, students should confirm that the policy meets the CSU campus minimum waiver requirements. Please note that the waiver of the Health Insurance Plan is not guaranteed and subject to approval from California State University.
A waiver is not automatic. Do not assume that a waiver will be approved or that you will receive a waiver based on the experience of a friend from UQ who studied at the same institution on exchange.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Organise your visa
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As the Global Experiences team is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.
Contact the US Embassy and Consulates for visa information.
Travel risk levels
The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.
If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, Global Experience programs to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.
Find out the risk level and travel advice for your host country on the Smartraveller website.
Register your travel plans
You must register your travel plans on the International SOS so that you can be contacted and supported in an emergency.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.