Transfer Credit

The University has developed and maintains Transferable Course Agreements with all of California's community colleges. These agreements specify those courses that will receive baccalaureate degree credit from the University. All community colleges also have agreements with UC campuses that specify which of the transferable courses may be used to meet various general education/breadth and major preparation requirements. These agreements were developed to ensure continuity in students’ academic programs. It is important that prospective transfer students take college courses that are acceptable to UC for transfer credit.

Limits on Transfer Credit niversitywide Articulation

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

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

Universitywide Articulation

The Transferable Course Agreements (TCAs), often referred to as the "first level" of articulation, determine the general transferability of community college courses to the University. Courses approved for transfer are applied as advanced standing elective credit toward an undergraduate degree at any UC campus. The UC Office of the President develops and updates the TCAs with the community colleges. The agreements are reviewed by anarticulation analyst, who uses UC and community college catalogs, expanded course outlines and regulations established by the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, the UC Academic Senate committee responsible for admission requirements.

Two basic principles are involved in determining whether a community college course is transferable. First, the course should be comparable to one offered at the lower division level at a UC campus. Second, if the course is not equivalent to a particular UC course, it must be appropriate for a University degree in terms of its purpose, scope and depth.

Each year, the University contacts the articulation officer at each community college requesting assistance in updating the TCA. The University sends general information related to the articulation process, a copy of the community college’s most recent articulation agreement and specific instructions for reviewing and updating the agreement. The full agreement is updated every year.

Community colleges are asked to submit their most recent catalog and a listing of new courses (including course outlines) for review. The University reviews the material submitted by the community college and sends a copy of the updated TCA to the community college and the UC campuses. As shown in the sample TCA below, each course is displayed by department, course number and title.

Sample UC-Transferable Course Agreement Courses From California Community Colleges (source: www.assist.org)
This agreement lists courses transferable for unit credit at all UC campuses. It is based on information from the 2006–07 catalog and is valid until the next update. Courses marked with "UC-" will satisfy the five areas of the 1998 transfer course requirements. (E=English, M=Math, H=Humanities, B=Behavioral and Social Sciences, S=Biological and Physical Sciences) IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT UC'S TRANSFERABLE COURSE AGREEMENTS Variable Topics Courses These courses are also called "Independent Studies," "Special Studies," "Special Topics," "Internships," etc. Credit for variable topics courses is given only after a review of the scope and content of the course by the enrolling UC campus. This usually occurs after transfer and may require recommendations from faculty. UC does not grant credit for variable topics courses in Journalism, Photography, Health, Business Administration, Architecture, Administration of Justice (Criminology) or Library Departments because of credit restrictions in these areas. Honors Course Credit Limitation Duplicate credit will not be awarded for both the honors and regular versions of a course. Credit will only be awarded to the first course completed with a grade of C or better.
Course	Title	IGETC Area	Semester Units	UC Area
ENGL 100	Reading and Composition	1A	3	UC-E
ENGL 110	Composition and Literature	3B	3	UC-E UC-H
ENGL 161	Creative Writing I		3
ENGL 162	Creative Writing II		3
# ENGL 71	Folklore		3
ENGL 165	Advanced Composition	1B	3	UC-E

Campus Articulation

The UC campuses use information in the Transferable Course Agreements to develop
various campus-specific articulation agreements with the community colleges. These
agreements, described below, allow prospective transfer students to work toward a specific
University degree while enrolled at a community college. Individual deans of colleges
and schools at the UC campuses determine the acceptability of transfer courses to satisfy
degree requirements. Campus admissions or relations with schools offices serve as liaison
between the community college articulation officers and the UC deans.

General Education/Breadth Requirement Agreements

General education/breadth requirement agreements specify which community college courses may be used to satisfy general education/breadth requirements of particular colleges and schools at a particular UC campus.

Major Preparation Requirement Agreements
Major-preparation requirement agreements specify which community college courses may be used to satisfy preparation requirements for particular majors or programs of study at a particular UC campus.

Course-by-Course Agreements
Course-by-course agreements specify the community college courses that are comparable to or "acceptable in lieu of" corresponding courses at a particular UC campus.

Language/Literature Credit for Students Whose Native Language Is Not English

A student whose native language is not English who has completed at least nine years of education conducted in that native language may receive credit for language courses in the native language only if the courses are advanced courses at the upper division level. College credit for literature in the native language is allowed only for courses taken in native institutions of college grade or for upper division and graduate courses actually taken at the University of California or at another institution of approved standing where the language of instruction is English.