Transfer Requirements

Articulation is the process of evaluating courses, or a sequence of courses, to determine whether a particular course offered at a "sending" educational institution (such as Orange Coast College) will meet the requirements for admission, transfer credit, general education, lower division major preparation and/or elective credit at a "receiving" education institution (such as the California State University system, University of California or a private university).

This ensures that articulated courses taken and completed at Orange Coast College will be credited toward bachelor's degree requirements upon transferring to a four-year college or university.

To determine if an OCC course is articulated with a college or university, it must appear on a formal articulation agreement between the two institutions.  Students may still transfer successfully to four-year colleges and universities without any formal articulation agreements in place.  Many private and out-of-state colleges and universities provide unofficial Transfer Guides or Transfer Credit Equivalencies which may provide students with general information regarding transferable coursework to their institution.

It is important to note that Transfer Guides and Transfer Credit Equivalencies are NOT articulation agreements and should be used as an advising tool in consultation with an OCC counselor or four-year transfer college or university admissions representative.

Students are encouraged to meet with an OCC counselor as early as possible in their academic careers to develop a Student Education Plan, as well as with university admissions representative to confirm their choice of classes.

Elective Credit Agreements

These agreements indicate which courses will transfer for university credit, at a minimum. Courses that are approved for transfer credit do not necessarily count toward general education or a major at the university. Orange Coast College courses that transfer for credit to California State University or University of California (also known as the UC Transfer Course Agreement – UC TCA) are identified in the Orange Coast College catalog at the end of the course descriptions, or on ASSIST.

Course-to-Course Agreements

The purpose of a course-to-course agreement is to determine if a specific course taken at one college will satisfy a requirement at another college. For instance, if a community college course is approved as “comparable” to a university course, it may fulfill the same general education and/or major preparation requirements that the university course does.

Major Preparation

Major Preparation agreements specify courses that meet the lower division requirements for a major at a four-year college or university.

General Education

• CSU General Education-Breadth (CSU GE-B): CSU GE-B is a general education curriculum that identifies courses that students may take to fulfill the lower division GE requirements for the CSU campuses.
• Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): IGETC is a general education program which community college students can use to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at the CSU or UC systems without the need to take additional lower division general education requirements after transfer. IGETC is often not recommended for high-unit majors, like engineering.
• California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC): The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) is the singular transfer general education pathway for California Community College (CCC) students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for transfer and admission to the CSU and UC systems.

University of California Transfer Admissions Eligibility Course List

Completing the UC Transfer Admissions Eligibility Course list is the minimum requirement for admission eligibility; it does not guarantee admission nor does it guarantee that a student will be prepared and competitive for admission to a specific UC campus or major.

Campus-Specific General Education

Students may opt to follow the general education pattern specific to a university campus. Articulation agreements also exist between Orange Coast College courses and general education requirements at private colleges and universities.

About ASSIST

The ASSIST website is the official repository of articulation information for California's public colleges and universities. ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer) is a student-transfer information system that displays reports of how course credits earned at a California community college (CCC) can be applied when transferred to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus.

New ASSIST Website

Since the launch of the new ASSIST website in May 2019, articulation and transferability data continue to be released and published in phases. The following types of transfer data are available on the website:

Transferability Lists

• CSU Transferable Courses
• UC Transferable Courses
• UC Transfer Admission Eligibility Courses
• IGETC for UC and CSU
• CSU GE-Breadth Certification Courses
• CSU US History, Constitution and American Ideals Courses
• Effective Fall 2025 Cal-GETC Courses

Articulation Agreements

• By Department
• By Prefix
• By Major
• By General Education

The Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) is a statewide numbering system independent from the course numbers assigned by local California community colleges.  A C-ID number next to a course signals that participating California colleges and universities have determined that courses offered by other California community colleges are comparable in content and scope to courses offered on their own campuses, regardless of their unique titles or local course number.  Thus, if a schedule of classes or catalog lists a course bearing a C-ID number, students at that college can be assured that it will be accepted in lieu of a course bearing the same designation at another community college.  In other words, the C-ID designation can be used to identify comparable courses at different community colleges. However, students should always go to ASSIST to confirm how each college’s course will be accepted at a particular four-year college or university for transfer credit. ​

Let's begin with some major myth-busting

1. Your major does not determine the rest of your life, and there is no singular "perfect fit" - instead, there are likely several great options for you to evaluate and choose between.
2. Many careers do not require a specific major! Instead, it's more about having the skills and experience needed for the job.
3. You are not limited to the majors that OCC offers – as a transfer student, you can prepare for all the unique majors offered at universities that we may not have. Just meet with a counselor to ensure you’re taking the right courses.

Universities offer many options for majors, so it’s important to research and see what’s out there! Here are just a few examples:

Undecided about your career goals?

Consider booking an appointment with an OCC Career Counselor to explore your interests.

OCC also offers courses like COUN A104 - Career & Life Planning (3 units, UC/CSU transferable), COUN A120 - Career decision Making Accelerated (2 units, CSU transferable), COUN A170 - College Major Search (1 unit, CSU transferable) that can help you explore majors/career options. 

Websites to see what majors are offered at a university:

• Transfer Major Explorer (TransferBound): Database for exploring what majors are offered at all the CSU and UC campuses
• UC Check Majors: Database of majors offered at the 9 UCs
• CSU Degree Search: Database of majors offered at the 23 CSUs – narrow to bachelor’s
• College-Specific Catalogs: Understand what you’ll be taking in your major after you transfer (upper division classes) and review any concentrations offered in your major. Catalogs include Bachelor's and graduate degree programs (Master's, Doctorate), so make sure you take note of the type of degree you're looking at.
  • San Diego State (SDSU) Catalog 
  • CSU Fullerton (CSUF) Catalog 
  • UC Irvine (UCI) Catalog
  • UC Los Angeles (UCLA) Catalog - UCLA list of Majors 

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Career database – check out the “How to become one” tab for details on what major(s) may be required for a specific occupation
• What Can I Do With a Major in? Website: Great website if you're considering a major but are unsure what you can do with it 

Each campus has distinct characteristics and majors. Visit CSU Campus Match to learn more about each campus and compare them as you consider which campuses are best fit for you. You can also take a CSU Virtual Tour. 

Here are some tips on how to Transfer from OCC to a CSU campus. Please make sure you visit the CSU Transfer Admission on the CSU website for more information. 

• If you are an international student, visit this link for more information on International Admission.
• Do you need info on AB 540? Visit the CSU website designated for AB 540

It is also recommended that you visit the CSU Local Area and CSU Impaction information early on in order to better understand how competitive each campus and/or major is.  

A Degree With a Guarantee (ADT) is another pathway for CSU transfer bound students. To view the various ADTs offered at OCC, visit the Transfer Programs section of the OCC website for more information on the ADT.

Do you have questions on AP’s? Visit the OCC Advanced Placement chart to see how OCC grants credit for CSU GE areas. If you are using AP scores for any lower division major requirements, then you will need to visit the individual CSU campus for how they award AP credit. Feel free to reach out to OCC Counseling or  Transfer Center for any additional question on Advanced Placement.

Below, you will find general CSU transfer admission guidelines. Please make sure you meet with an OCC Counselor regularly as requirements/policies may change. It is also important to develop a plan for your transfer timeline and make sure it is updated once a semester. To schedule a counseling appointment with OCC Counselor, please visit OCC Counseling website.

Note items below. Please meet with a counselor for more information and/or verify GE pattern.  

^ Students who begin at OCC prior to Fall 2025 may  follow the CSU GE Breath (Option 2), or IGETC-CSU (Option 3) as long as they maintain continuous enrollment and DO NOT lose catalog rights.  

* All new student who begin at OCC Fall 2025 will need to follow the Cal-GETC GE pattern for transfer.  

1. Complete “The Golden Four” requirements as soon as possible:

   • Oral Communication: CSU GE: A1^/ IGETC Area 1C^/ Cal-GETC Area 1C*

   • English Composition: CSU GE: A2^/ IGETC Area  1A^/ Cal-GETC Area 1A*

   • Critical Thinking: CSU GE A3^/IGETC Area 1B^/ Cal-GETC Area 1B*

   • Mathematics/Quantitative Reasonings: CSU GE B4^/ IGETC Area 2^/ Cal-GETC Area 2*

2. Complete CSU GE (Option 2), IGETC –CSU (Option 3), or Cal-GETC* (effective beginning Fall 2025)

   • High Unit majors may not be recommended to complete all of Option 2^, Option 3^ or Cal-GETC*. Please make sure you meet with an OCC Counselor to discuss how you will complete the CSU general education requirements. 

3. Complete lower division major requirements for your major, along with General Education requirements. 

    

• Use ASSIST to identify your lower division major requirements for the specifics CSU you plan to transfer. It is also important to visit the individual campus website for more information on the major.
  
  

1. Complete 60 CSU transferable semester units with a minimum 2.0 (CA resident) or 2.4( non-resident)

   • You can use ASSIST to identify which courses from OCC transfer to a CSU.

   • While the above lists the minimum GPA's for CSU's, please keep in mind that CSU campuses that are impacted will  require much higher GPA's. Visit the individual CSU website for more information on impaction/GPA's and make sure you meet with an OCC Counselor to discuss your options and create a successful strategy for transfer.  

CSU Majors & Programs 

• CSU Degree Search 
• CSU Nursing Programs 
• Teacher & Educator Preparation 
• Cal State Online 

Please make sure you visit the website below for more campus specific information on impaction/major requirements. 

• CSULB Major Specific Requirements
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Transfer Selection Criteria
• Cal Poly Pomona Major Impaction Information
• CSULA Major Specific Requirements

Ready to apply?

All CSU campuses will open applications on October 1 for the following Fall term. Please make sure you complete the application accurately and if you need any assistance please visit the OCC Transfer Center. Spring application filing periods are not always open, so please visit the individual campus website.

• Dates/Deadlines
• Apply Online

The only world-class public research university for, by and of California.  Nine UC campuses offer undergraduate and graduate education; one (UCSF) is graduate/professional only. 

As a prospective UC transfer applicant, make sure to visit UC Campuses/Location Map and obtain more information about the individual UC campuses.  

It is highly recommended, that all UC bound transfer students create a UC TAP account as soon as possible. It is a great tool to keep track of community college coursework as well as using it to apply as a TAG applicant.  

• UC Transfer Admission Planner

Please make sure you visit the UC Admissions website to gain more information on UC Transfer Requirements. If you are an international student, visit the UC International Admission website for more information.

Interested in a Transfer Admission Guarantee to the UC's?  For more information, visit the UC Transfer Programs website, as well as the OCC Transfer Programs website.

Do you have questions on AP’s? View the OCC Advanced Placement chart to see how OCC grants credit for IGETC (Option 3) areas. If you are using AP scores for any lower division major requirements, then you will need to visit the individual UC campus for how they award AP credit. Feel free to reach out to OCC Counseling or Transfer Center for any additional question on Advanced Placement.

Below, you will find general UC transfer admission guidelines. Please make sure you meet with an OCC Counselor regularly as requirements/policies may change. It is also important to develop a plan for your transfer timeline and make sure it is updated once a semester by scheduling a counseling appointment with an OCC Counselor.

Note items below. Please meet with a counselor for more information and/or verify GE pattern.  

^ Students who begin at OCC prior to Fall 2025 may  follow the IGETC-UC (Option 3) as long as they maintain continuous enrollment and DO NOT lose catalog rights.  

* All new student who begin at OCC Fall 2025 will need to follow the Cal-GETC GE pattern for transfer.  

1. Complete your English and Math courses as soon as possible. 
   • English Composition: IGETC Area 1A ^/Cal-GETC Area 1A* 
   • Critical Thinking:  IGETC Area 1B ^/Cal-GETC Area 1B* 
   • Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning:  IGETC Area 2 ^/Cal-GETC Area 2*
2. Along with English/Math, make sure you have the required 4 courses in at least 2 of the following areas: 
   • Arts/Humanities 
   • Social/Behavioral Sciences 
   • Physical/Biological Sciences
3. Complete your General Education. IGETC –UC( Option 3) ^  or Cal-GETC *  
   • High Unit majors, may not be recommended to complete all of  Option 3. Please make sure you meet with OCC Counselor to discuss how you will complete the CSU general education requirements.

4. Complete lower division major requirements for your major, along with General Education requirements.  Use ASSIST to identify your lower division major requirements for the specific UC you plan to transfer. It is also important to visit the individual campus website for more information on the major. For example, the campuses below have very specific selection for the major. 

5. Complete minimum 60 UC transferable semester units with a minimum 2.4 (CA resident) or 2.8( non-resident).

   • You can use ASSIST to identify which courses from OCC transfer to a UC.

   • While the above lists the minimum GPA's for UC's, please keep in mind that UC campuses that are impacted will  require much higher GPA's. Visit the individual UC website for more information on selectivity/GPA's. Also make sure you meet with an OCC Counselor to discuss your options and create a successful strategy for transfer.  

Ready to apply?

All UC campuses will open applications on August 1 for the following Fall term. Please make sure you complete the application accurately and if you need any assistance please visit the OCC Transfer Center. Winter/Spring application filing periods are not always open, so please visit the individual campus website.

• Apply Online
• UC Dates and Deadlines 

Orange Coast College grants academic credit towards an Associate Degree or Certificate for successful completion of examinations of the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board with a minimum score of 3 unless otherwise indicated. 

OCC Course Catalog - AP Credit Information contains details on which AP exams can be used for credit. 

To order official Advanced Placement Scores please click on the AP Student College Board. 

Orange Coast College accepts College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations with minimum scores of fifty. Currently enrolled students may be awarded three units of credit per examination upon submission of official results. The exception to this is for examinations in languages other than English, as detailed in the following table. Credit is awarded as general education or elective credit.

Orange Coast College students automatically receive credit for CLEP examinations if official scores are sent to the College. Grades are not assigned and the credit is not used in calculating grade point average.

University of California campuses do not accept CLEP examinations. Transfer students are also cautioned that, regardless of Orange Coast College policy, some institutions determine CLEP credit based on their own local policies and may recalculate credit. For further information, please consult a counselor and visit the OCC Catalog's CLEP Information page.

Orange Coast College accepts International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) ex­aminations with minimum scores of four or five, depending on the exam. Cur­rent­ly en­rolled students may be awarded three units of credit per examination upon submission of official results. Credit is award­ed as general education credit.

Orange Coast College students automatically receive credit for IB examinations if official scores are sent to the College. Grades are not assigned and the credit is not used in calculating grade point average.

Transfer students are cautioned that, re­gard­less of Orange Coast College pol­i­cy, some institutions determine IB credit based on their own lo­cal policies and may recalculate credit. For further in­for­ma­tion please con­sult a coun­se­lor and visit the OCC Catalog's IB Information page.

Select California private and out-of-state colleges and universities accept completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) requirements to fulfill their campus lower-division core (general education) requirements.

Certification of Cal-GETC may permit students to transfer from Orange Coast College without the need, after transfer, to complete additional core (GE) curriculum requirements or coursework at the four-year college or university.

Students should review the GE and lower-division major requirements published in the college/university catalog and consult with an admissions counselor to confirm if and how completion of Cal-GETC GE may fulfill all or part of the transfer institution’s GE requirements for a baccalaureate degree program and to determine if coursework completed for Cal-GETC GE will satisfy any lower-division major requirements.

Several California private colleges and universities provide transfer credit (or course) equivalencies or transfer guides which do  not  constitute an official agreement between Orange Coast College and the transfer institution. Transfer guides and transfer course/credit equivalencies are  not  articulation agreements and should be used for general advising purposes only in consultation with an Orange Coast College counselor. Students are encouraged to review the transfer credit policy at each college or university prior to applying.

These are some of the most common California private colleges and universities that California Community College students transfer to. If the school has historically accepted Cal-GETC General Education equivalency, it is noted next to that school's information. Please note this is not a comprehensive list; to explore other private colleges visit the CCC Transfer Website.

Academy of Art University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Alliant International University Transfer Information

Art Center College of Design Transfer Information

Azusa Pacific University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

Biola University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

California Baptist University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC 

California College of the Arts Transfer Information | Accepts Cal-GETC 

Chapman University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC 

Concordia University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC 

DeVry University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Golden Gate University Transfer Information 

Loma Linda University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Loyola Marymount University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Mt. St. Mary's University Transfer Information 

National University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

Pepperdine University  Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Pepperdine University (Graziadio School of Business) Transfer Information

Point Loma Nazarene Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

Stanford University  Transfer Information

University of LaVerne Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of the Pacific  Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of Redlands  Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of San Diego  Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

University of San Francisco  Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement

University of Southern California  Transfer Information | USC GE | USC GE Requirements | GE Articulation | Major Articulation

Vanguard University Transfer Information | Accepts Cal-GETC

Whittier College Transfer Information | Accepts Cal-GETC

Woodbury University Transfer Information | Articulation Agreement | Accepts Cal-GETC

Several out-of-state colleges and universities provide transfer credit (or course) equivalencies or transfer guides which do  not  constitute an official agreement between Orange Coast College and the transfer institution. Transfer guides and transfer course/credit equivalencies are  not  articulation agreements and should be used for general advising purposes only in consultation with an Orange Coast College counselor. Students are encouraged to review the transfer credit policy at each college or university prior to applying.

These are some of the most common out-of-state colleges and universities that California Community College students transfer to. If the school has historically accepted Cal-GETC General Education equivalency, it is noted next to that school's information. Please note this is not a comprehensive list; to explore other out-of-state colleges visit the CCC Transfer Website.

Arizona

Arizona State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Northern Arizona University  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC 

University of Arizona  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Colorado

University of Colorado Boulder  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of Northern Colorado  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Florida

University of Miami Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Hawaii

Hawaii Pacific University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of Hawaii Transfer Information | Course Equivalency 

Idaho

Idaho State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

University of Idaho Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Illinois

Northwestern University  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Southern Illinois University  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Massachusetts

Boston University  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Harvard College  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Northeastern University Transfer Information | OCC - Northeastern Admissions Agreement

Nevada

University of Nevada, Reno Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of Nevada, Las Vegas  Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Oregon

Oregon State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Portland State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

University of Oregon Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Utah

Brigham Young University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency

Utah State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Washington

Seattle University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC

Washington State University Transfer Information | Course Equivalency | Accepts Cal-GETC