Basic requirements

Basic requirements are the academic standards you have to meet to be considered for admission to the UC system. It’s important to know about the basic requirements, and they should be the starting point for your transfer planning. If you think you want to transfer, learn more about the different paths to UC. 

As a junior-level transfer applicant, you’ll need to meet the following requirements. Luckily, some of your major preparation and general education coursework will count toward these requirements. 

Complete the following 7-course pattern by the end of the spring term prior to fall enrollment at UC.

• Two transferable courses in English composition;
• One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning;
• Four transferable college courses chosen from at least two of the following subject areas:
  • arts and humanities
  • social and behavioral sciences
  • physical and biological sciences

For example:

3 chemistry courses and 1 history course
2 sociology courses, 1 physics course, and 1 art history course
1 biology course and 3 literature courses

Complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit. 

No more than 14 semester (21 quarter) units of the 60 semester (90 quarter) units may be taken pass/fail or credit/no credit. Learn more about UC-transferable credit. 

Earn at least a 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable courses (2.8 if you're a nonresident).

Some campuses and majors may require a higher GPA for admission selection.

Complete the required/recommended courses needed for your intended major with the minimum grades.

Visit ASSIST to see the major preparation coursework expected by each campus or refer to UC's Transfer Pathways, a single set of courses you can take to prepare for your major on any of our nine undergraduate campuses. 

As you are planning your UC transfer, keep these important facts in mind: 

• Each course must be worth at least 3 semester units (or 4-5 quarter units) and be UC-transferable. Check ASSIST to see what courses from your community college are transferable. 
  
  
• You need to earn a grade of C or better in each course or a Pass (P) grade if pass is equivalent to a C (2.00). 
  
  
• You need to be in good academic standing (GPA 2.00 or above) at the last college/university you attended prior to enrolling at UC. 
  
  
• AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 may also be used in appropriate subject areas (exception: only one of the two English courses required can be satisfied by an AP exam score)
  
  
• All campuses recommend that you complete math and English as early as possible (some highly recommend completing them by the end of the fall term, one year prior to enrolling at UC). 
  
  
• If you've completed IGETC or campus-specific general education requirements, you may have already satisfied the 7-course pattern