Transfer to a California State University (CSU)
Upper-Division Transfer to a CSU
Who Is an Upper-Division Transfer (UDT) Student?
If you will have at least 60 semester or 90 quarter transferable units completed by the time you enter a CSU, you are considered an upper-division transfer applicant.
Admission Requirements for UDT Students
To be admitted to the California State University as an upper-division transfer (UDT) student, you must:
- Have completed a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of transferable coursework;
- Have an overall college GPA of at least 2.00; your GPA is calculated using all your transfer units attempted. In high-demand majors and campuses, a GPA of 2.00 may not be sufficient to be admitted;
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended. In simple terms, "good standing" means you are eligible to re-enroll at your last college or university;
- Have completed ten general education courses (30 semester units or 45 quarter units) of basic skills courses, with a grade of C- or better, and, specifically, four courses completed in the following areas under either general education pattern shown below:
| Requirement | CSU General Education-Breadth (GE-Breadth) | Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | Area A1 | Area 1C |
| Written Communication | Area A2 | Area 1A |
| Critical Thinking | Area A3 | Area 1B |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | Area B4 | Area 2 |
IGETC is a series of courses that prospective transfer students from California Community Colleges may use to satisfy the lower-division general education breadth requirements at both the California State University and the University of California.
CSU GE-Breadth Certification
The CSU General Education-Breadth (GE-Breadth) program allows California Community College transfer students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for any CSU campus before transfer. This curriculum provides an alternative to the IGETC requirements and can be a good option if you know you want to transfer to a CSU but don't know which campus you will attend, or if you know which campus you will attend but don't know which major you will pursue. For more information, visit ASSIST.org (opens in a new tab).
California Community Colleges or other approved institutions can certify up to 39 lower-division GE-Breadth semester (58.5 quarter) units. Certification means that the CSU will accept these courses to meet the CSU GE-Breadth areas designated by your CCC.
Students who are certified with 39 semester units of lower-division GE-Breadth units will only be required to complete a minimum of nine semester (13.5 quarter) units of upper-division general education work after they transfer, just like other students attending their CSU campus.
If you are applying to a high-unit major such as science, technology, engineering, and some math-based fields, be sure to check with the CSU campus for their requirements in this area or with your California Community College transfer counselor.
Additional Advice for UDT Students
- All undergraduate applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is not English or who have not attended schools at the secondary level or above for at least three years of full-time study at an institution where English is the principal language of instruction, must demonstrate English competency by receiving a minimum score on an approved English proficiency exam or must present a score of 500 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (opens in a new tab). Approved exams may vary by campus, but some examples are the TOEFL, Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) (opens in a new tab), International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP) (opens in a new tab), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (opens in a new tab). The CSU minimum score for the internet (iBT) version of the TOEFL is 61; some campuses may require a higher score. Contact the CSU campus for the most current minimum score requirements.
- Transfer students may earn general education or lower-division major credits by taking a CSU-accepted external examination in place of a course. The CSU faculties have determined the passing scores, minimum units of credit earned, and certification area (for General Education Breadth and/or U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals) of standardized external examinations, such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Each campus in the California State University system determines how it will apply credits earned by external examinations toward the degree major.
- Elective courses are those that count toward total transfer units needed for admission but are not used to fulfill lower-division admission, pre-major, general education, or graduation requirements.
Ready to Apply?
Submit your CSU transfer application through Cal State Apply (opens in a new tab).