General education & IGETC or Cal-GETC

UC’s general education requirements are designed to help UC undergraduates gain a broad background in all key academic disciplines, including natural sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts.

You will need to fulfill these requirements (sometimes called breadth requirements) before you graduate from UC. You should start taking general education classes at your community college.

There are two ways you can satisfy UC’s general education requirements:

  • Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). IGETC and Cal-GETC are sequences of courses, certified by the California community colleges, that you complete in order to satisfy the freshman/sophomore-level general education requirements at UC.

  • UC campus-specific requirements. Each school/college at every UC campus has its own set of general education classes. You can find out how to meet the requirements of a specific campus by checking out the campus general catalogs.

IGETC, Cal-GETC or campus-specific requirements?

Start with your campus and major. Before you start taking courses, check what’s recommended for your major and the UC campuses you want to attend.

Some majors like engineering or the biological, physical and natural sciences do not recommend IGETC or Cal-GETC. These programs encourage applicants to complete major prerequisites before completing general education courses.

Other majors may require or recommend you complete either IGETC or Cal-GETC or campus-specific general education requirements before you transfer.

What if I don't know what I want to major in or which campus to apply to?

IGETC and Cal-GETC are most helpful to students who want to keep their options open. If you know you want to transfer, but haven't decided on a particular campus or major, you can start by taking IGETC or Cal-GETC courses. We recommend, however, that you choose a major as early as possible so you can start working on any pre-requisites that the campuses may require.

Learn more about IGETC and Cal-GETC recommendations for each UC campus.

Are you a STEM major?

Try mixing up your class schedule with some general education classes. They’ll be a good balance to your major-preparation workload.

IGETC or Cal-GETC?

Beginning in fall 2025, Cal-GETC is the general education pattern available for students transferring to UC from California community colleges (CCC). If you were enrolled at a CCC prior to fall 2025 you may be able to complete IGETC. Reach out to your community college counselor for guidance.