With the myriad of options available at most community colleges — classes, special programs, majors and minors — it can be challenging to prepare for a successful transfer. UC Davis and the University of California offer several resources to help smooth the way for you.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
The UC Davis TAG program offers transfer students a written guarantee of admission to UC Davis, one year in advance, in the major of their choice. The agreement, prepared by transfer students with their community college counselors, outlines the classes and grades required to guarantee admission to UC Davis. TAGs are available at all California community colleges.
Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP)
TOP is a cooperative program between UC Davis and 18 Northern California community colleges. TOP advisers from Undergraduate Admissions regularly visit participating colleges to provide information about UC Davis admission and selection, major preparation, general education, financial aid, housing and many other important student services.
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
or UC Davis General Education (GE)
An important decision you'll make while preparing to transfer concerns your selection of a general education pattern—those courses that guarantee a well-rounded education. You have two choices: IGETC or the UC Davis GE. IGETC is a pattern of courses designed to allow California community college students to complete their general education requirements before transferring to a UC campus or a California State University (CSU) campus. Transfer students from institutions other than California community colleges and those not completing the IGETC pattern will be required to follow the UC Davis GE pattern.
We do not recommend that you complete IGETC if you plan to enter a major with substantial lower-division requirements, such as those described in our Major Requirements section. It is more important to complete courses required for you major than to fulfill all your general education requirements before transferring; completion of a general education pattern is not required for admission to UC Davis, but is required for graduation.
Students pursuing UC Davis Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees in the College of Biological Sciences and in the College of Letters and Science can use the IGETC pattern to fulfill campus GE, breadth and foreign language requirements. With some exceptions, students choosing the IGETC pattern should complete it while at a California community college in order for the pattern to fulfill all general education requirements. Once you're admitted to UC Davis, but before you enroll in classes, you should submit a certificate of IGETC completion to UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions.
UC Davis Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees and high-unit majors often require a great deal of lower-division course preparation. In these cases, although IGETC is accepted, the UC Davis GE pattern is recommended. You may take general education courses articulated to those at UC Davis as time allows, and can complete the UC Davis GE pattern after transferring to UC Davis. Additional details are available on ASSIST and in the UC Davis General Catalog.
The UC Davis GE requirement will change effective fall 2011. The new pattern will have an increased focus on building critical skills and core reading/writing proficiency. It will be more flexible for students in unit-heavy majors. The campus will provide more information as details are finalized.
ASSIST
Which courses at your California community college will fulfill admissions, general education or major requirements? ASSIST can answer your questions about course transferability quickly and easily.
UC Transfer
Visit uctransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu to learn more about transferring to the University of California from a California community college. Find out what's required to transfer and how you can maximize your chances of being admitted to the University of California. |
