Planning to Transfer

• IGETC

To transfer to UC, you'll need to do three things: meet the eligibility requirements, prepare for upper division study in your chosen major and, as appropriate, complete a set of general education requirements.

Knowing the requirements in each of those areas and planning your community college program around them will maximize your chances for admission to the UC campus and program of your choice. Meeting requirements in advance will give you more freedom when selecting courses once you enroll at the University. You may also be able to complete your undergraduate education within four years, without having to attend additional terms to meet requirements or take prerequisites.

In this section, you'll find general information about transfer credit, major preparation and general education. The section on IGETC will help you decide if that curriculum is right for you.

To learn more about the particular requirements that apply to you, read the appropriate UC campus General Catalog, or use the Exploring Majors tool on the ASSIST website. In addition, you should contact the Admissions Office at the campus you wish to attend as soon as possible to help you with the planning process. Representatives in these UC offices are available to give you precise, up-to-date information about the availability of majors, oversubscribed programs, coursework you need to take and requirements that relate specifically to your circumstances. They also can refer you to other reliable sources of information and advising.

If your community college has a Transfer Center, the University encourages you to take advantage of its resources. Transfer Center advisers often can provide you with much of the information you need to start planning. UC representatives, as well as representatives from other four-year colleges and universities, visit the transfer centers to meet and advise prospective transfer applicants.

Transfer Credit

With careful planning, many students who take a full two years of transferable coursework at a community college graduate two years after transferring to UC. The key is taking only courses that are acceptable to the University of California for transfer credit. All courses you take to satisfy University requirements must be transferable.

Every California community college has an agreement with the University, called a transfer course agreement (TCA), that specifies which of its courses receive UC credit. In addition, your community college and the UC campus you wish to attend may have additional agreements that specify which transferable courses may be used to meet various college (general education or breadth) and major requirements.

To find out if your college courses are transferable to UC, you can also visit the ASSIST website and select your community college. ASSIST also has information about credit for general education/breadth requirements, major preparation and the IGETC. The lists are updated throughout the year, so check ASSIST periodically to ensure you have the most current information.

Limits on Transfer Credits

The University will award graduation credit for up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units of transferable coursework from a community college, meaning those units will be counted toward completion of your degree. Courses in excess of 70 semester (105 quarter) units will not receive unit credit but will receive subject credit and may be used to satisfy University subject requirements.

Some campuses also limit the total number of transfer units that will be accepted. If your community college work is combined with credit from a four-year institution, different unit limits may apply. Please consult the Admissions Office at the UC campus that interests you.

Additionally, there is a limit to the number of units you can transfer in the following coursework (the courses must be listed on your community college's TCA with UC):

English as a Second Language courses: A maximum of 8 semester units will earn transfer credit.

Physical education activity courses: A maximum of 4 semester units will earn transfer credit.

Transfer From Semester to Quarter System

All UC campuses use the quarter system except UC Berkeley and UC Merced, which use the semester calendar. If you are enrolled in a community college or other institution with a fall term that does not end before January 1, you cannot transfer to the University for the winter quarter.

Most students don't lose credit when they transfer. If you will be changing from a semester to a quarter system, you should try to complete series courses before you transfer—for example, Chemistry 1A-1B—to avoid duplicating coursework. If your school is on the semester calendar and you wish to enroll in the latter terms of a two- or three-quarter course sequence at UC, you may have to repeat material. With careful planning, however, you can minimize this problem.

All transferable units will be converted from semester to quarter units, except at UC Berkeley and UC Merced.