California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) Certificate of Achievement

Complete a minimum of 9 semester units with at least one course each from 1A - English Composition, 1B - Critical Thinking and Composition, and 1C Oral Communication.

Complete a minimum of 3 semester units.

Complete a minimum of 6 semester units with at least one course each from 3A - Arts and 3B - Humanities.

Complete a minimum of 6 semester units from at least two disciplines.

Complete a minimum of 7 semester units with at least one course each from 5A - Physical Science and 5B - Biological Science. At least one course must include a laboratory component as indicated in Area 5C - Science Laboratory. Asterisk (*) indicates a Lab course that meets the Area 5C requirement.

This requirement will be satisfied by completion of any laboratory course in Area 5A or 5B. Laboratory courses are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the above lists.

Complete a minimum of 3 semester units.

Courses used to satisfy this certificate must have been Cal-GETC approved during the semester in which the course was completed. For a complete listing of courses and approval dates log on to www.assist.org or see a counselor or evaluator for a list of course approval dates.

Cal-GETC may not be the best choice to satisfy general education requirements for majors that require extensive lower division major preparation. See a counselor or consult admission.universityofcalifornia.edu or www.assist.org for additional Cal-GETC considerations.

Completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), when certified by the community college, constitutes fulfillment of the lower-division general education requirements at most campuses of the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). Certification is an official acknowledgment by the community college that the student has successfully completed the Cal-GETC pattern in its entirety. Once certified, students are not required to complete additional lower-division general education courses after transfer, although they may be expected to meet upper-division or campus-specific requirements.

Cal-GETC Certification Using Pre-Fall 2025 IGETC Courses

Students who completed IGETC-approved courses prior to Fall 2025, including courses that are no longer active in assist.org, may apply those courses in the same Cal-GETC area(s) for certification.

^ Courses listed in multiple areas shall not be certified in more than one area.

* Indicates laboratory course.

** CSU and UC Systems have an American institution (AI) graduation requirement that is not part of the Cal-GETC pattern and is not required for Cal-GETC Certification. It is recommended that students complete this requirement prior to transfer. Students using the Cal-GETC pattern for transfer to a UC campus may have satisfied the American Institutions graduation requirement through high school coursework. 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 combined, satisfies this requirement at all UC campuses except UC Santa Barbara, which requires a college-level course. 

UCLA requires that the student must have earned a “B” average in these high school courses. Students who did not satisfy the AI requirement through high school coursework may do so by taking any course indicated by ** on the Cal-GETC pattern. Students must take an additional course in the same Cal-GETC area as the AI requirement to satisfy the area general education requirement. It is highly recommended that you consult a Counselor to ensure a successful transfer.

Students using the Cal-GETC pattern to transfer to a CSU campus to satisfy the AI graduation requirement may complete one of the two options below:

• Option 1: HIST 17A AND one of HIST 27, 30B, 34, POLSC 1, 4
• Option 2: POLSC 1 AND one of HIST 17A, 17B, 27, 30A, 30B, 31, 34(F16)

CSU campuses have the discretion whether to allow courses used to satisfy the CSU AI graduation requirement to be counted in Area 3B/4.

+ Transfer credit may be limited by UC. Students should consult counselor or visit www.assist.org for additional information.

++ Math 38A, 38B, and 39 combined: Maximum credit, 5 units.

Some transfer institutions may require students to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. The specific requirement varies by institution. Below are some common ways students may meet this requirement; however, acceptance of these options is determined by the transfer institution. Students should always verify with their intended transfer institution to ensure the method they choose will be accepted.

Completion of advanced language courses that emphasize culture and are listed in Cal-GETC Area 3B (Humanities).

Completion of two years of the same foreign language in high school level work with a grade of “C” or better.

SAT II: Subject Tests in languages other than English with minimum scores as indicated below: Before May 1995 use 1st score; if taken after May 1995 use 2nd score.

Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in languages other than English with a score of 3 or higher.

International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBHL) examinations in languages other than English with a score of 5 or higher.

International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

General Certificate of Education (GCE) “O” level exams in languages other than English with a grade of “A”, “B”, or “C.”

General Certificate of Education (GCE) “A” Level exams in languages other than English with a grade of “A”, “B” or “C.”

Satisfactory completion of an achievement test administered by a community college, university, or other college in a language other than English. The test will have to assess the student’s proficiency at a level equivalent to two years of high school language. This conclusion must be posted on a transcript indicating unit, course title and grade or on a document with letterhead of the institution granting proficiency stating that the student has mastered proficiency in the language equivalent to two years of high school language. If an achievement test is not available, a faculty member associated with a United States regionally accredited institution of higher education can verify a student’s competency. The institution must provide a document on letterhead asserting that the student has mastered proficiency in the language equivalent to two years/second level of high school instruction. 

Seventh and Eighth Grade Courses: High school-level courses in languages other than English completed (in junior high/middle school) during 7th and/or 8th grades, with letter grades of at least “C-” may be used (see Section 9.3/10.6.2d). This may be done by including the names of and grades for these courses on the student’s transcript, or by stating their equivalency on the transcript. The 7th and 8th grade courses may also be validated if the student completes one semester or more of the same language in high school at a higher level.

In an institution where the language of instruction is not English, formal schooling through the sixth grade level or higher. Appropriate documentation must be presented to substantiate the language of instruction. If an official sealed transcript cannot be obtained from an international institution, an unofficial or opened transcript may be used.