ethical/legal to accept an offer while waiting for another?

[Caffeine Junkie]

Considering uncertainty for those who feel necessary to apply and hopefully attend graduate school, I think it is a bit curious how each school is left to their own devices concerning dates. Specifically, dates for acceptancing offers, and dates for determine one's funding are not always parallel to their security in taking up or rejecting these offers. Recently, I learned that one of my two offers will not be possible and therefore put me down to one. The aforementioned lone offer I have left is undesirable for me at the moment for a couple reasons:

 

1) I am merely nominated for funding, but am required to either accept to reject in two days. Further, the school is out of state, and I have a family to think about before committing to any one situation.

 

2) I am unsure that I wish to continue in the discipline of the accepting program, and I think my chances to be better in the major that I sort of unoffically minored in and have gained acceptance for in the other program but am unable to attend.

 

This past Sunday I began another application for a local state school, which I completed thrity dollars and two days later- that being yesterday. The program I applied to is reputed as a feeder into PhD programs for my subject of interest, and it is right accross the street from where I work, which is about 19 miles from my home. Their application deadline is in 9 days, yet many on here have stated that they have already recieved decisions within a few weeks of their submission. The institution in question is the Philososphy M.A. program at California State University Los Angeles. Additionally, it seems as though funding is considered for those already in the program and in good standing, not so much for newcomers, which is a load of pressure off of me in the present time. Moreover, I exceed their minor equivalency standard of 32 quarter units with 40.5 or 27 semester units of Philosophy.

 

However, since I am unsure of the outcome I am wondering if I CAN accept the offer on the table while I wait for CSULA's decision, or if doing so would be considered unethical, or if such could be found out by either party-thus, hurting my prospects?