Preparing for Your Eventual Major

If you've already chosen a major...

Here's How to Find the Right Campus for You:

Here's How to Pick your Community College Classes:

If you are pursuing a major with required or recommended introductory or prerequisite courses, you will find most of these classes at your community college. These pre-major requirements are described in CSU campus catalogs.

Most CSU campuses have "articulation agreements" with several community colleges specifying how coursework taken at California Community Colleges can satisfy lower-division requirements for the major. Check the articulation agreement to be sure your courses will be accepted toward the degree at the CSU campus you plan to attend. You can obtain articulation agreements for specific majors from your counselor or transfer center director or via the ASSIST website.

A few CSU high-unit majors, such as engineering, some math-based fields, science, and other technical majors have so many lower-division requirements that you may not be able to complete the lower-division general education requirements before you transfer. You should speak with your counselor to determine which courses can be completed after you transfer.

If you haven't yet chosen a major...

Here's a Tool to Help You Figure it Out:

Use the Student-Career Matching Assistant on this site. It can help you find careers that may interest you and the corresponding majors that lead to those careers.

Here's How to Pick Your Community College Classes:

Concentrate on completing lower-division general education requirements. These courses are transferable and meet admission requirements. Taking general education courses is one way to learn about the various disciplines and help you choose a major.

Most CSU campuses allow you to apply as an undeclared major if you are not sure about the career path or academic program you want to follow. Some CSU campuses, however, will not accept students who do not declare a major.