The University of California is one of two public university systems in the state of California. There are ten UC campuses that educate over 200,000 students. The UC system not only provides an exceptional education to many thousands of students, it also serves as the state’s research institution and engages a number of public service programs and industry partnerships. The UC offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees and provides a number of opportunities for post-degree continuing education.

The following information can help you learn more about how to meet requirements to enter a UC campus as a transfer student, where the campuses are located, which academic programs are offered by each one, and how to apply for transfer.

UC Transfer Admission Information
Assist.org
IGETC (General Education)
Transfer Admission Planner (TAP)
TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee)
UC Application
UC Transfer Checklist

UC TRANSFER ADMISSION INFORMATION

Minimum UC Transfer Eligibility Requirements

• 60 UC-transferable units
• 7 UC-transferable GE courses completed with "C" grade or better and comprised of:
  • 2 courses in English Composition
  • 1 course in Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning
  • 4 additional courses from at least two of the following disciplines: Arts & Humanities; Social/Behavioral Sciences; Physical/Biological Sciences
• 2.4 GPA for California residents
  Note: Highly selective majors may have different minimum requirements. Work with a counselor to determine what courses are best for you.

Recommended UC Transfer Guidelines

• 60 UC-transferable
• Lower division major preparation done
• IGETC or campus-specific GE completed (for low-unit majors)

or

• The 7 required courses above (high-unit majors)
• 3.0+ GPA for California residents (may be higher for selective campuses and/or majors)

Students should place highest priority on achieving minimum transfer eligibility and on completing major preparation courses. Some majors require that students complete major preparation courses before they transfer. When UC campuses receive more applications than they have room to admit, they typically select the applicants who are most prepared for their majors.

After students have planned their courses for major preparation, they can think about General Education. GE is not required for admission; however, it is required for graduation from UC.

Students should work with a counselor and a UC advisor to know how to prepare for their majors. You can easily make an appointment with an MPC counselor online, or call 831-646-4020. 

For more information, go to the UC Transfer Admission Requirements website.

UC Transfer Pathways

Many of UC’s most popular majors now have clear pathways to transfer. For more information, visit UC Transfer Admission Major Preparation. And be sure to meet with a counselor to create an educational plan that supports your transfer goals.

ASSIST.ORG

Assist.org helps you find community college courses that are transferable to a UC or CSU campus and how those transferable courses might be used to satisfy major preparation or general education.
There are several tutorials available to help you use the website effectively. 

IGETC (General Education)

2019—20 Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum

IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) outlines courses a student may take at a community college to complete the lower-division general education requirements and UC and CSU schools. IGETC is not an admissions requirement and is not recommended for all majors. Students majoring in STEM fields such as Engineering, Biological and Physical Sciences or majors that require extensive lower-division preparation are not encouraged to follow IGETC. Make an appointment with an MPC counselor to see if IGETC is the right path for you.

UC TAG (TRANSFER ADMISSION GUARANTEE)

Monterey Peninsula College offers a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to six University of California campuses: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. To be eligible, students must have already completed at least 30 UC-transferable units with a 2.8 to 3.4 UC-transferable GPA. Please note that certain UCs and majors may have additional requirements. You can see a basic breakdown of the requirements by institution below. For more detailed information, please visit the campus' website. 

     UC Davis TAG Requirements
     UC Irvine TAG Requirements
     UC Merced TAG Requirements
     UC Riverside TAG Requirements
     UC Santa Barbara TAG Requirements
     UC Santa Cruz TAG Requirements

Students may apply for a Transfer Admission Guarantee to only one UC campus. Applications are submitted online September 1 to 30. Students must also complete and submit the regular UC application by November 30 indicating their TAG school as well as any other UC campuses they would like to apply to.
For the most up to date information, visit the University of California Transfer Admission Guarantee webpage for specific requirements and to begin the online TAG application.

UC TRANSFER CHECKLIST

For Fall semester applicants 

UC Transfer Checklist – Download printable PDF

August/September

• Meet with your counselor to finalize transfer admissions eligibility
• Gather transcripts from all colleges attended (unofficial is fine)
• Draft Personal Insight Question responses 
• Submit UC TAG application between September 1-30
• Attend transfer workshops (UC Personal Insight Questions and UC TAG)

October

• Have your Personal Insight Questions reviewed by the English Student Skills Center, your counselor, or in the Career & Transfer Resource Center
• Attend transfer workshops
• Attend Transfer Day and ask your questions to university and college representatives directly
• Visit Preview Days & take campus tours. Search for local university Preview Days through the Transfer Events Calendar
• Apply for Financial Aid (priority deadline is March 2, but the sooner the better)
  • FAFSA
  •  California Dream Act

November

• Application filing period for Fall term to UC campuses is November 1-30. Apply at UC Apply Online
•  Attend transfer workshops
• Visit Preview Days & take campus tours. Search for local university Preview Days through the Transfer Events Calendar
• Submit admissions applications. Check your email for a confirmation letter after applying.

December

• Research housing and any other resources or services you need
• Research scholarship opportunities for next academic year
• Develop a timeline reflecting important deadlines from present to entering the university

January

• Research/Apply for scholarships, housing, etc.
• Apply for Financial Aid (priority deadline is March 2)
  • FAFSA
  • California Dream Act
• Complete your "Transfer Academic Update" by January 31st with your Fall semester grades
• Establish your student account
• Log in and update your grades
• Be sure to check your student accounts and email regularly. Respond to any and all requests from the UC campuses to which you applied.  
• UC Berkeley requires its own specific update as well as the general UC Transfer Academic Update

February/March

• Submit documents as requested
• Apply for Financial Aid (priority deadline is March 2)
  • FAFSA
  • California Dream Act
• Research/Apply for scholarships, housing, etc.
• Apply for graduation at Monterey Peninsula College 
  • Receiving an Associate's Degree for Transfer? Your deadline to apply for graduation will be sooner. Check MPC's Important Dates and Deadlines. 
  • Not sure if you are eligible to earn a degree? Make an appointment with your counselor

April/May

• Research/Apply for scholarships, housing, etc.
• Review Financial Aid Award Offer

June/July

• Submit Student Intent to Register (SIR) 
• Request General Education Certification through MPC’s Admissions and Records Office 
• Request official transcripts from MPC and each college attended previously (high school if necessary) by July 1st 
• Send other documents such as AP, IB, and TOEFL scores as necessary or requested by the UC campuses by July 15th 
• Sign up for transfer student orientation (bring unofficial transcripts)
• Register for classes (usually done at orientation)
• Submit immunization records, residency forms, etc., as requested by university