General Education for Transfers
Transfer students may apply courses taken at other institutions toward lower-division general education requirements. The disciplinary communication course(s) (DC code) must be taken at UCSC.
If you are currently attending one of the California community colleges, see the ASSIST website, consult with the UC Santa Cruz Office of Admissions, or consult with your current counselor to determine which college courses satisfy UCSC requirements.
Transfer students who have satisfied the general education or breadth requirements of another UC campus prior to transfer will be considered to have completed the UCSC general education requirements, with the exception of the DC requirement. Students will need to request a Letter of Reciprocity from their former UC campus in order to have their general education requirements satisfied by completion of requirements at that campus. Completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) prior to enrollment at UCSC will also be accepted in lieu of the campus general education requirements, with the exception of the DC requirement.
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a series of courses that prospective California community college transfer students may complete to satisfy the lower-division general education requirements at UC Santa Cruz, excluding the upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The IGETC is intended exclusively for California community college transfers and is not an option for continuing UCSC students (including students who transferred to UCSC without having completed a full or partial IGETC before their first quarter) or for students transferring from four-year colleges or universities.
For more information about IGETC, visit the UC Admissions IGETC webpage.
Transfer students can be certified for full IGETC (completed the curriculum) or partial IGETC (missing no more than two courses) based on coursework taken prior to their first term of enrollment at any UC. Official certification for full or partial IGETC can only be obtained through a student’s California community college. Certification should clearly notate full or partial UC IGETC completion and can be included on a student’s official transcript or on the IGETC certification form. Partial IGETC certification must indicate exactly how many courses from each area are missing. Students who are partially certified will be contacted by the Degree Progress Unit after the official partial IGETC certification is received with further instructions. Courses used to satisfy IGETC must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. A grade of Credit or Pass may be used if the community college’s policy states that it is equivalent to a grade of C (2.0) or better.
IGETC is not recommended for majors that require extensive course preparation, such as any major in Baskin Engineering or the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
If you do not complete IGETC or partial IGETC prior to beginning at UC Santa Cruz, you are required to complete the UC Santa Cruz general education requirements.You may not return to your previous institution to complete full IGETC after entering a degree program at any UC campus,If you have been certified for partial IGETC you may take courses at UCSC or a community college to satisfy the remaining course(s). If you have neither full nor partial IGETC, you may take courses at UCSC or a community college to satisfy any remaining UCSC general education requirements.
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
Beginning in fall 2025 Cal-GETC will be replacing IGETC as the singular general education pathway for students at the California Community Colleges. For more information and updates refer to the
UC Admissions website.
Major Requirements and Course Prerequisites for Transfer Students
Students who believe they have taken courses at other institutions that satisfy major requirements or UCSC course prerequisites should review
ASSIST.org for existing transfer articulation agreements from California community colleges. If they have additional questions for courses from other institutions, they should contact their major advisor for review.