California Pre-Doctoral Program

How to Apply

Are you interested in applying to the California Pre-Doctoral Program? Whether you are merely "shopping" to see whether graduate school is right for you or absolutely sure of your intent to go to graduate school, you should consider applying.

The application deadline for the 2013-14 California Pre-doctoral Program is
March 29, 2013

Application Steps

  1. Contact the Pre-Doctoral Program Coordinator on the campus you plan to attend.
  2. Applicants must work closely with a home campus CSU faculty sponsor to develop an overall plan leading ultimately to enrollment in a doctoral program. This plan is tailored to the applicant's specific goals and educational objectives. Activities specified in the plan are undertaken during the award year (quarter or semester academic calendar).
  3. Send your application for the 2013-14 academic year (.docx) to your Pre-Doctoral Program Coordinator to be reviewed and forwarded to the CSU Office of the Chancellor by March 29, 2013.
    1. The application must be downloaded, typed, and printed for submission; it cannot be submitted online. If you are unable to download the application, you may obtain one from your campus Pre-Doctoral Coordinator.
    2. Three (3) copies of your application including transcripts are due from your home campus to the CSU Office of the Chancellor no later than 5:00pm on Friday March 29, 2013. Be sure to check with your campus Pre-Doctoral Coordinator for any internal deadlines. Applications sent directly to the Chancellor's Office from students will not be accepted and not considered in the selection process.
  4. Applications are reviewed by CSU and UC faculty and subject-matter experts who forward their recommendations of the top scholars to the California Pre-Doctoral Program Advisory Board, which confirms the selections by mid June.

The award year begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the following year. This period does not include the optional eight-to-ten week Summer Research Internship Program that takes place during the summer following the award.

This is a one-time award. Current or former Pre-Doctoral Scholars are not eligible to reapply.