Palm Desert Campus

TELEPHONE: 760-341-2883
WEBSITE: Palm Desert Campus Bulletin website

Administration

Dean: Jaze Zhu, Ph.D.
  JZhu@csusb.edu

Associate Dean: Anissa Rogers, Ph.D., M.A., M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
   anissa.rogers@csusb.edu

Mission Statement

The Palm Desert Campus of California State University, San Bernardino is a dynamic, student-centered learning community that aspires to create transformational opportunities that nurture and sustain the intellectual, environmental, economic, and cultural richness of the Coachella Valley. By collaborating with and investing in students, faculty, staff, and communities, together we strive to define the future.

General Information

Over thirty years ago, Coachella Valley civic leaders began to call for a local public four-year college. The group’s efforts lead to California State University, San Bernardino establishing a branch campus on the College of the Desert campus. From the beginning, our efforts were to serve Coachella Valley students locally with programs that met local needs. In 2002 we moved to our permanent location on Cook Street.

We offer our students the resources of a large, comprehensive university through the San Bernardino campus. At the same time, the Palm Desert Campus offers the supportive environment of a small campus with small classes and more opportunities for contact with instructional faculty.

Our schedule operates on the semester system (fall and spring) with courses 15 weeks long. We also offer a summer term.

Whether you are looking for a 4-year degree, to enhance your professional skills, or complete one of our many degree, credential, or certificate programs, you will find everything you need at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. Our commitment to quality and small class sizes allows us to provide an educational experience that is enriching, as well as convenient.

Facilities

The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is located on a 166-acre site off the I-10 freeway. The first building constructed and occupied in 2002 was the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building, funded by the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation, the Berger Foundation, the City of Rancho Mirage and Florence Rigdon, a Rancho Mirage resident. Housing the university’s administrative offices, the building also has over 3,000 square feet of classroom space, faculty offices, 120 seat Oliphant Auditorium, book store, the Rancho Mirage Student Center, and distant learning laboratories.

The second and third buildings, the Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence and Indian Wells Theater, were occupied in 2005 and built largely with funds from the City of Indian Wells, The Annenberg Foundation, the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, Palm Desert National Bank, and Jean Hahn and John I. Hardy.

The Palm Desert Health Sciences Building, noted as one of the most environmentally sound buildings in the Coachella Valley, opened in 2008. Donors for this building included eight of the Valley’s municipalities as well as the County of Riverside, The Desert Healthcare District, the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation, The Webb Foundation, Palm Desert National Bank, and other community members. This facility houses the Helene A. Hixon Information Resource Center, biology and chemistry labs, nursing labs, the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Student Health and Psychological Counseling Center, as well as additional classrooms and computer labs.

These buildings include state of the art classrooms, faculty offices, video conference classrooms, full computer and internet presentation capabilities in all classrooms, as well as computer laboratories for student research and allows for study individually or in groups.

Admissions

To apply for admission to the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, students must complete the CSUMentor application online at Cal State Apply and have transcripts sent to:

CSUSB Palm Desert Campus Office of Admissions

37500 Cook Street

Palm Desert, CA 92211

You can also watch the admissions video at Palm Desert Campus website to learn more about CSUSB PDC. For further admissions information, please contact a PDC Admissions Counselor.

Freshman and Transfer Students, please contact

Brenda Machuca

760-341-2883 ext. 78111, bmachuca@csusb.edu

Alejandra Quintero

760-341-2883 ext. 78282, alejandra.quintero@csusb.edu

Financial Aid & Scholarships

The Palm Desert Campus has a financial aid consultant that is on campus on a weekly basis to assist with questions, applications, and other issues pertaining to financial aid and scholarships.

Edith Passi

760-341-2883 ext. 78143, Edith.Passi@csusb.edu

The Palm Desert Campus offers various scholarships that are limited to PDC students. These include, but are not limited to the Athena Fund Scholarship, the Coeta & Donald Barker Scholarship for nursing students, and the Betty Barker Scholarship.

Other highlighted scholarships include:

The Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship awards ten to twenty $3,600 scholarships each to CSUSB Palm Desert Campus students. Students are eligible if enrolled in a major offered at PDC, with a majority of their coursework completed at PDC, maintaining a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA and demonstrating a commitment to service in the community

H.N. and Frances Berger Scholarship awards five $5,000 scholarships to Palm Desert Campus students who are studying allied health, including nursing, nutrition, kinesiology or education or criminal justice. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0.

A $10,000 gift from the City of Palm Desert honored President Albert Karnig upon his retirement by establishing the President Albert Karnig Academic Excellence Scholarship. The scholarship provides support for high achieving undergraduate students who are enrolled full time on the Palm Desert Campus with 12 or more units and who have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.5.

The Cal State University Associates Scholarship awards $1,500 to students who take a majority of classes at the Palm Desert Campus and are Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, or graduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The recipients of the award may reapply up to three times, and each scholarship is good for one year.

The Steve and Catharine Briggs Scholarship awards scholarships to students enrolled in the College of Natural Science's Nursing or allied health professions degree programs who attend courses at the Palm Desert Campus and demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of a career in nursing or the allied health professions.

There are many scholarships administered by the CSUSB Financial Aid Office available for PDC students that are . They can be applied for on-line at Financial Aid website beginning January 1st through March 2nd of each year. You can also search for off-campus scholarship opportunities using the “Search” feature on My Coyote.

Commencement

The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus holds its own commencement exercises each spring in the Agua Caliente Casino and Spa at The Show. These exercises occur prior to commencement exercises at the San Bernardino campus.

College of Extended Learning

The College of Extended Learning (CEL) helps learners of all ages and backgrounds achieve their continuing education goals by providing access to University degrees, certificate programs, professional development and personal enrichment programs. Some classes are offered at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, while others are offered at the San Bernardino campus and many courses are offered online.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers non-credit, university-level courses for adults age 50+ who love to learn, but without the stress of homework, tests, or grades. Through membership in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OOLI), you can experience the joy of learning about a wide range of topics in the arts, sciences, and humanities -- and some lighter courses just for fun. OLLI membership also gives you access to a variety of engaging discussion groups, interesting educational trips, and free member events. 

Palm Desert Campus Programs & Advising

Bachelor’s Four-Year Degree Programs

BA in Administration

BA in Communication

BA in Criminal Justice

BS in Cybersecurity

BA in English

BA in History

BA in Liberal Studies, Integrated Track

BS in Nursing (BSN)

RN to BSN 

Advisor: Marc Wittlif, 909-537-8127, marc.wittlif@csusb.ed​u

Nancy Wolf, nwolf@csusb.edu

BS in Nutritional Science and Dietetics

Advisor: Dr. Dorothy Chen, 909-537-5340, dchen@csusb.edu

BA in Psychology

Bachelor’s Transfer Degree Programs

BA in Administration

BA in Career & Technical Studies

BS in Career & Technical Studies

Advisor: Sid Burks, 760-341-2883 ext. 75679, sburks@csusb.edu

BA in Communication

BA in Criminal Justice

BA in Design Studies

Advisor: Ruth Howell, 760-341-2883 ext. 78110, rhowell@csusb.edu

BA in English

BA in History

BS in Kinesiology

BA in Liberal Studies, Integrated Track

BA in Psychology

Credential Programs in Education

Certificate Programs

Masters Programs

Doctoral Program

Palm Desert Campus Academic Advising

Ruth Howell

760-341-2883 ext. 78110, rhowell@csusb.edu

Carolina Meza, MA. Ed.

760-341-2883 ext. 78253, Carolina.Meza@csusb.edu

Vanessa Rojo, M.S.

760-341-2883 ext. 78234, vanessa.rojo@csusb.edu

For other student services at PDC, visit: https://pdc.csusb.edu/current-students