How to Apply

M.S. in Child Development

Important Dates for Fall 2027

Item	Due Date
1. Cal State Apply application (opens August 1 each year)	February 1, 2027* (Please submit ASAP)
2. Program application	February 15, 2027
3. Official transcripts due	February 15, 2027

Application Instructions

Step 1: Submit Cal State Apply Application to SDSU

SDSU uses the California State University common admission application through the Cal State Apply website. Complete the first steps through the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office.

SDSU Graduate Admissions: Steps to Apply

Step 2: Submit Slate Application to Program

Within 72 hours of submitting your Cal State Apply application, you will receive an email containing a personalized link to Slate, where you must complete your program application.

Please ensure that all required program-specific documents listed below are prepared in advance and ready to upload to your Slate application.

Application Guide: Slate Applicant User Guide

Items Requested in Program Application

Resume/CV

Please follow the instructions in this Resume Guidelines document (PDF).

Language Background

Please download and complete this Language Background form (PDF) with your application.

Academic Writing Sample

Please provide one example of your academic writing. Research or literature review papers are preferred. This requirement applies to all applicants.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required from academic or professional sources. We recommend having at least one letter from a university professor (and all three can be university professors). Professors who you have worked with on a research project are great letter writers, as are professors who have gotten to know you in a classroom setting. Employers or internship supervisors are also great recommenders if you are working in a field related to child and family development.

For now, just get the recommenders' names and email addresses, as you will request these letters be submitted through the Interfolio program application.

Personal Statement

In a two-page, double-spaced essay, respond to the following prompts. Please format with double-spacing, 12-point font and at least one-inch margins. Use a maximum of two pages for your answer, and please upload in PDF format.

Please explain:

Why you wish to become a student in the Master of Science in Child Development.
Any experience that you have, which you believe makes you an especially qualified applicant for a graduate degree program in Child Development.
Your research or project development interests, and which faculty you may be interested in working with on research or project development.
What population you are most interested in learning about or working to benefit (e.g., low-income, teens, racial and/or ethnic minorities).
Your future career goals and how this degree will help you achieve them.

Step 3: Submit Official Transcripts

After you submit your Cal State Apply application, send Official Transcripts from all postsecondary schools attended to SDSU. Continue to monitor your email account for correspondence from SDSU.

Step 4: Monitor my.SDSU

Be sure to follow all instructions provided by SDSU, particularly those related to setting up your my.SDSU account. Once your account is active, regularly monitor your my.SDSU Application To-Do List for any items or requests issued by Graduate Admissions. Prompt attention to these items is essential to avoid delays in the processing of your application.