Additional Requirements for Transfer Applicants

If you are considering transferring to the University of California, it is important that you take courses than help you meet the minimum admission requirements for transfer students. In addition, there are other requirements you must fulfill to receive your undergraduate degree from UC. Some, such as the American History and Institutions Requirement and the Entry Level Writing Requirement, apply to all UC campuses. Other requirements vary according to the campus you attend and your particular college or school and major.

General Education Requirements

General education requirements are designed to give UC undergraduates a broad background in all major academic disciplines — natural sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. The general education requirement, sometimes called the breadth requirement, lists the specific courses you must take or number of credit hours you must earn in each discipline.

Each school and college at every UC campus has its own general education requirements. With careful planning, you can meet many of the lower division requirements. If you attend a community college, check ASSIST for more information about courses that will meet the general education requirement of the campus you plan to attend. You also have the option of completing the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) to satisfy the lower division general education requirements at any UC campus.

Major Preparation Requirements

Major preparation requirements specify the courses you must take during your first two years of college to prepare for advanced study in your major. They may be required as part of the major, they may be prerequisites for other courses that are required as part of the major, or they may be required to gain admission to the major.

Transfer applicants are evaluated, in part, on the basis of their performance in major preparation coursework, so it is important that you investigate the requirements for your intended major as soon as possible. If your major requires mathematics and science, it is especially important that you complete those prerequisites before you transfer.

You should begin coursework in your major as soon as you have selected one. Visit your college's Transfer Center or check ASSIST website for specific major preparation requirements in the campus you plan to attend.

If you are applying for fall admission, the campus may require you to complete certain major preparation requirements by the end of the preceding spring term. Lack of preparatory coursework may affect your admission to your major, particularly if there are many applicants and a limited number of spaces.

Entry Level Writing Requirement

You must satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (formerly known as the Subject A Requirement) to graduate in any program at the University of California. One way to meet this requirement is to complete a transferable college course of 3 semester (4 quarter) units in English composition with a grade of C or better. Students who meet UC's requirements for minimal transfer eligibility, which include two transferable college courses in English composition, satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Many transfer students fulfill this requirement while in high school or before entering college in one of the following ways: by scoring 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language or Literature); by scoring 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English or 6 or higher on the Standard Level Examination (Language A only); by scoring 30 or higher on the ACT Combined English/Writing test; by scoring 680 or higher on the Writing section of the SAT Reasoning Test or the SAT II: Writing Subject Test prior to high school graduation.

Students who have not satisfied the Entry Level Writing Requirement before transferring must enroll in an appropriate English course at the University of California.

American History and Institutions Requirement

All undergraduate degree programs at UC require study in American history and institutions. This requirement may be met through examination or enrollment in specific courses. Each campus decides how its students may meet the requirement.

Satisfactory completion in high school of a one-year course in U.S. history, or a half-year course in U.S. history and a half-year course in American government, satisfies this requirement at all UC campuses except UCSB. (At UCLA, students must also have earned a B average in these courses.) UCSB requires students to complete a college-level course. Satisfaction of your community college's history and institutions requirement will also meet the requirement at most campuses. It is highly recommended that you complete this requirement before you transfer.