How to Tour or Learn More About Cleveland State University's Campus

Updated

Cleveland State University's official website, csuohio.edu, gives prospective students two direct ways to explore campus before applying: the Tour CSU option and the "Learn what it's like to be a Cleveland State Viking!" section, both featured on the homepage. Use these if you want to see the campus in person or get a feel for student life before deciding whether CSU fits your goals. If you are still choosing a program, pair a tour with the site's program search so you know what you are visiting.

Start From the Homepage

The homepage is organized around a few clear entry points for prospective students:

  • Visit — the main path to campus visit information
  • Apply Now — for applicants ready to move forward
  • Request Information — for those who want details sent to them
  • Tour CSU — the campus tour option
  • Learn what it's like to be a Cleveland State Viking! — a look at the student experience
  • What will you study? — the program search tool

If your goal is simply to understand the campus, start with Visit and Tour CSU. If you are earlier in the process, the Viking section and program search help you build context first.

What to Expect From a Campus Visit

A campus visit is meant to help you judge fit, not just see buildings. Based on what the site emphasizes, a visit is most useful for:

  • Seeing the setting — CSU is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 1964, and its identity is tied to an urban campus and local industry partnerships.
  • Testing the learning model — the university describes engaged learning through partnerships with local industries, so a visit is a chance to ask how those partnerships work in your field.
  • Checking program format — programs are offered on campus, hybrid, and online. If you need a specific format, confirm it during your visit rather than assuming.
  • Getting a student's perspective — the Viking section exists to show what day-to-day life is like, which is often the deciding factor.

Tours help you decide whether CSU fits your needs by putting the academics, location, and student culture in front of you at the same time.

Use the Program Search Before or After Your Tour

The homepage's "What will you study?" tool lets you filter more than 175 career-building programs by:

  • Degree level — Bachelor's, Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's, Certificate, Doctorate, Endorsement, JD, Joint Degree, Licensure, Master's, Minors, Non-Degree, Specialist
  • Area of interest — including Arts, Business, Education, Engineering & Computer Science, Health & Medicine, Law, Natural Sciences, Social Science, and Urban Affairs
  • Format — On Campus, Hybrid, or Online

Running this search first makes a tour more productive: you can ask about the specific program you are considering instead of general questions. Examples from the catalog include Education, M.Ed. (On Campus, with specializations such as principal licensure, counseling, special education, and early childhood education), Psychology, B.A. (On Campus), and Nursing, B.S.N. (On Campus, preparing students for the NCLEX-RN).

Practical Steps

  1. Go to csuohio.edu.
  2. Select Visit or Tour CSU to find campus visit options.
  3. Browse "Learn what it's like to be a Cleveland State Viking!" to preview student life.
  4. Use "What will you study?" to identify your program, degree level, and format.
  5. If you want updates without committing, choose Request Information; if you are ready, choose Apply Now.

Common Questions

Can I explore CSU without visiting in person? Yes. The Viking section and the program search give you a remote overview, and online and hybrid formats are listed for some programs.

Does a tour commit me to applying? No. Visiting and requesting information are separate from applying. The homepage lists Apply Now as its own step, and applications are open for Fall 2027.

What if I don't know my program yet? Start with the area-of-interest filter, then narrow by degree level and format. A tour is more useful once you have at least a shortlist.