Transfer to a Baccalaureate College or University
Las Positas College provides the equivalent to the first and second years of a four-year college or university program. Students intending to transfer to baccalaureate colleges and universities may complete their lower division general education requirements and major field preparatory courses at Las Positas College. The Counseling Department and the Transfer Center can provide the most up-to-date transfer information, in addition to individual counseling appointments.
Students should meet early and regularly with a counselor to ensure a smooth transition to the transfer institution. Counselors work with students to develop Student Educational Plans (SEPs) that map out the courses needed for successful transfer.
Transfer Services (Building 1600)
A variety of transfer services are coordinated and provided through the Career and Transfer Center. Transfer services include:
- Individual drop-in appointments with LPC counselors;
- Individual appointments with college/university representatives;
- Access to a library of college and university catalogs, both in print and online;
- Support completing with the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) application;
- Referrals to appropriate faculty and supportive services;
- Assistance with technology in the articulation of coursework (www.assist.org) and college applications;
- Transfer events, including Transfer Day;
- Workshops that assist with transfer planning, the application process, and the personal statement.
Comprehensive counseling services are available in the Counseling Department. Counselors work with students to develop Student Education Plans (SEPs), provide assistance with career and major exploration and selection. For more info, see “Counseling Services.”
Transfer Preparation
The main components of a typical transfer plan are listed below:
- General Education Requirements
To earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of California (UC) or the California State University (CSU), students must complete a program of general education. The pattern for the CSU system is called CSU General Education Breadth Requirements. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a pattern valid for both the UC and CSU systems. Some high-unit majors and certain UC campuses may have different requirements – consult a counselor for info. - Lower-Division Major Requirements
Students should take specific lower-division courses required for their chosen majors (also called major preparatory courses). Impacted or selective majors (those that are competitive for admission) may require all or most major preparatory courses to be complete before transfer. ASSIST* (www.assist.org) lists the articulation agreements of these major preparatory courses for the UC and CSU campuses. The lower-division major requirements may differ depending on the institution; therefore, it is important for students to review the agreements for each university considered and consult a counselor. *See ASSIST information that follows below. - Electives
Electives are additional transferable courses completed in order to meet the total number of units required to transfer.
Transferability of Courses
Students may transfer a maximum of 70 community college semester units to most California public four-year colleges or universities. Courses in excess of 70 units may still be used to meet transfer requirements. Many baccalaureate level courses offered at Las Positas College have been articulated with the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and a number of private institutions. ASSIST.org provides the most up-to-date lists of transferable courses. Students should visit www.assist.org at the beginning of each academic year to obtain updated information.
Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID)
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, for example COMM 110, students at that college can be assured that it will be accepted in lieu of a course bearing the C-ID COMM 110 designation at another community college. However, students should always go to www.assist.org to confirm how each college’s course will be accepted at a particular four-year college or university for transfer credit.
The C-ID numbering system is useful for students attending more than one community college and is applied to many of the transferable courses students need as preparation for transfer. Because these course requirements may change and because courses may be modified and qualified for or deleted from the C-ID database, students should always check with a counselor to determine how C-ID designated courses fit into their educational plans for transfer.
Students may consult the C-ID database at www.c-id.net for specific information on C-ID course designations. Counselors can always help students interpret or explain this information.
ASSIST
ASSIST (www.assist.org) is the official repository of articulation information for California public postsecondary educational institutions. ASSIST includes reports of how course credits earned at a California Community College may be applied when transferring to a public California university. Students are advised to meet with a counselor to learn how to use the information posted on ASSIST.
Guaranteed Transfer Programs
Las Positas College provides transfer students with a variety of opportunities to participate in guaranteed transfer programs. Currently, there are programs that guarantee transfer to at least 55 colleges and universities. The University of California system has a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program at the majority of its campuses. The California State University system has an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program that guarantees students admission to many of its campuses, based on major and impaction status. Numerous independent and in/out-state-colleges, and universities also have Transfer Admissions Agreements (TAA) with Las Positas College.
UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
A Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is a contract that guarantees admission to a
participating campus of the University of California. Students must request a TAG
during the month of September prior to applying for transfer for the following Fall
term. Students must also apply for admission to the university during the following
November. Campuses participating in the UC TAG program include: UC
Davis, UC Merced, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz.
CSU Associate Degree for Transfer (AD-T)
LPC now offers associate degrees for transfer (AD-T) to the CSU system. These may include Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) Degrees. These degrees are designed to provide a clear pathway to a CSU major and baccalaureate degree. CA Community College students who are awarded an AA-T or AS-T Degree are guaranteed admission with junior standing somewhere in the CSU system and are given priority admission consideration to their local CSU campus or to a program that is deemed similar to their community college major. This priority does not guarantee admission to specific majors or campuses. Students who have been awarded an AA-T or AS-T Degree are able to complete their remaining requirements for the 120-unit baccalaureate degree within 60 semester or 90 quarter units. For more info, see Associate Degree for Transfer (Programs of Study) in this Catalog.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
Through this agreement with University of California, Los Angeles, students completing the LPC Honors Transfer Program by fulfilling at least 5 honors contracts in their classes, along with their IGETC requirements can apply to UCLA as TAP applicants. UCLA TAP certification is not a guaranteed admission to UCLA, but has an acceptance rate significantly higher than general transfer students without TAP. Students will need to join the LPC Honors Transfer Program to became TAP applicants. For more information on the LPC honors program visit their website at http://www.laspositascollege.edu/honors/.
Colleges and Universities with Transfer Admission Agreements
Additional transfer guarantee programs are available with Saint Mary’s College, Santa
Clara University, John F. Kennedy University, and the University of the Pacific. Las
Positas College students also have opportunities for guaranteed admission programs
with Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. All California Community
College students also can participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee program
with select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Students who complete
certain academic requirements are guaranteed transfer to any of the participating
HBCUs. For more information about this unique opportunity,
please visit www.cccco.edu/HBCUTransfer
Current and prospective community college students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to review their options for transfer and to develop an educational plan that best meets their goals and needs.
California State University (CSU)
Admission Requirements for Transfer to CSU
To be eligible for junior-level transfer to a CSU, students must:
- Complete 60 CSU transferable units;
- Earn a college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable courses;
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended;
- Complete at least 30 semester units of general education requirements, with grades of “C” or better. The 30 units must include all of the GE requirements in communication in the English language (English composition, oral communication, and critical thinking) and at least one course of at least 3 semester units in transferable mathematics. (More info in the “Las Positas College General Education Pattern” charts.)
Note: Some competitive campuses and/or majors have additional requirements. Consult a counselor for details.
Some CSU campuses may consider students who have completed fewer than 60 units if they meet the following requirements:
- Earn a grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable college units completed;
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended;
- Meet first-time freshman admission requirements or have completed courses to make up high school deficiencies and;
- Meet the eligibility index required of a freshman.
CSU General Education Requirements
LPC offers two general education patterns which enable students to meet all of the lower-division general education requirements.
Students may complete one of the following patterns:
- Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). See the “Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)” chart in this Catalog.
- CSU General Education Breadth Requirements. See the “California State University General Education Breadth Requirements” chart in this Catalog.
Priority Application Filing Dates for CSU
Summer Term: Feb. 1 – 28 of that year
Fall Term: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30 of prior year
Winter Term: June 1 – 30 of prior year
Spring Semester or Quarter: Aug. 1 – 31 of prior year.
NOTE: Not all campuses admit students every semester/quarter. Please visit www.calstate.edu/apply for more information.
CSU Resources
Cal State Apply – www.calstate.edu/apply – provides information regarding admission requirements, application deadlines, and specific CSU campuses.
University of California (UC)
Admission Requirements for Transfer to UC
To be minimally eligible for junior-level transfer to a UC campus, students must:
- Complete 60 UC transferable units with a GPA of at least 2.4; no more than 14 units may be taken Pass/No Pass.
- Complete the following seven-course pattern, earning a grade of C or better in each class:
English Composition (UC-E) - two transferable college courses* (3 semester units each);
Mathematical Concepts and Quantitation Reasoning (UC-M) - one transferable college course* (3 semester units);
Arts and Humanities (UC-H), Social and Behavioral Sciences (UC-B), and/or Physical and Biological Sciences (UC-S) - four transferable college courses* (3 semester units each) chosen from at least two of these subject areas.
Note: Completion of IGETC will satisfy the above seven-course pattern for UC admission, but not the 60 unit requirement. Some competitive campuses and/or majors have additional requirements. Consult a counselor for details.
*Visit ASSIST.org for eligible courses.
UC General Education Requirements
Students may complete one of the following:
- Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)*, See the “Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)” chart in this Catalog.
- General education requirements of the receiving UC campus.
*UC San Diego’s Eleanor Roosevelt and Revelle Colleges and UC Berkeley Haas School of Business will NOT accept IGETC. IGETC is not advisable for some high unit majors. Consult a counselor to determine the best option.
UC Transfer Limitations
Refer to www.assist.org for current limitations on UC transfer credit. See also individual courses in this Catalog or consult a counselor.
State University General Education (GE) Breadth Requirements” chart in this Catalog. Counselor assistance is advised.
Priority Application Filing Dates for UC
Fall Semester or Quarter: Nov. 1–30 of previous year
Winter Quarter/Spring Semester: July 1–31 of previous year
NOTE: Not all campuses admit students every semester/ quarter. Visit www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions for details.
UC Resources
The web site www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions provides up-to-date UC transfer admissions and application information.
Additional Transfer Information
Certification of General Education for Transfer to UC and CSU
IGETC and CSU GE Breadth certification is the process by which the community college verifies that a student has completed all the required coursework for the IGETC or CSU GE Breadth pattern. Students who transfer without certification may have to meet the local general education requirements of the university campus. Certification is not automatic and must be requested after acceptance to the university. This request should be made in the Office of Admissions and Records. The certification will be sent after final grades are posted. In addition, a Certificate of Achievement in University Transfer is available for posting to the LPC official transcript for students who complete either transfer GE pattern (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). Additional information is under “University Transfer” in this Catalog’s academic programs section.
Private/Independent and Out-of-State Colleges and Universities
Transfer requirements for private and out-of-state colleges and universities vary. Students should consult the transfer institution’s catalog or website. LPC counselors can also advise students on independent and out-of-state college and university requirements and preparation. Recently 40 Independent Colleges have started to accept the Associate Degree for Transfer. Please consult with a counselor to determine if the transfer institution you are planning to attend accepts the AD-T to meet transfer requirements.