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 California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems. 

Starting fall 2025, the Cal-GETC will serve as the singular GE pattern for completion of an AA-T, AS-T, or AA degree program and/or for GE certification to the UC or CSU. This will apply to new incoming students and previously enrolled students who have lost catalog rights.

Cal-GETC shall be used for new incoming students and previously enrolled students who have lost catalog right beginning fall 2025. Continuous enrolled students with catalog rights may elect to use Cal-GETC.

Students with continuous enrollment who have maintained catalog rights and choose not to use Cal-GETC, may utilize the CSU GE Breadth pattern or IGETC pattern. These students should work closely with their Counselor to ensure they enroll in the correct courses for certificate and degree completion, and for transferring to a university. 

Students who have not maintained continuous enrollment and have lost catalog rights, must use the Cal-GETC pattern beginning fall 2025.

Students who have graduated with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), may utilize their previously certified general education requirements.

Cal-GETC applies to:

1. New incoming students that begin their enrollment at San José City College (SJCC) in fall 2025 and thereafter.
2. Students with external credits from the University of California (UC), in-state private/independent universities, and out-of-state universities with no claim to SJCC catalog rights.
3. Returning students, that have not maintained continuous enrollment at SJCC prior to fall semester 2025 and lost catalog rights.

Cal-GETC is not intended for,

• Students with catalog rights, who have maintained continuous enrollment at SJCC prior to fall 2025. Unless a student chooses to use this GE Pattern.
• Students who have earned an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) prior to fall 2025, the ADT includes GE certification.
• Students who have—prior to Fall 2025—met the full General Education (GE) Certification for California State University General Education Breath (CSU GE Breadth) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), whether transcribed on the official transcript or in other forms.
• Students who are seeking to complete an Associate of Science (AS) degree and have no catalog rights. An AS degree includes 80% of the Cal-GETC general education requirements, but not the entire sequence. 

Yes, starting fall 2025, only a student with catalog rights can utilize their CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern towards certificate and degree completion and/or towards GE certification for transfer.

US History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement is not required for completion of Cal-GETC.

However, in many cases US History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement is highly recommended for students seeking to transfer to the CSU.

US History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement is a graduation requirement towards completion of a bachelor's degree at the CSU and is required for SJCC AA and AS degrees.

Students should consult their Counselor when planning for transfer to avoid over-enrollment. Courses required for the US History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement also satisfy general education requirements within Cal-GETC.

The Language other than English (LOTE) is not required by Cal-GETC.

The LOTE was previously a GE requirement for the IGETC pattern; however, within the general education pattern realignment impacted by AB 928, the LOTE is now only a graduation requirement at the UC.

Students that have not completed the LOTE requirement through High School Coursework, AP exam, or other criteria determined by the UC, may continue to utilize enrollment in an approved Language other than English course to satisfy this UC graduation requirement.

The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) offers students a streamlined pathway to transfer to a CSU. These degrees include the lower division major preparation coursework, certified general education, a form of guaranteed admission to the CSU system, a 0.1 GPA bump when applying for transfer, an Associated degree, and in many cases entry into the CSU at Junior level status. For most majors, the ADT continues to be a win-win option for students seeking to transfer to the CSU.

However, several factors may complicate how well aligned an ADT is to a student’s educational goals and what the best determination may be when planning for graduation and transfer. For example, if a student is applying to the CSU and the UC, the lower division major requirements may differ substantially. If a student is a STEM major, their recommended sequence at an individual campus may vary widely than the ADT pathway. Similarly, an ADT is not available for all majors.

Students are advised to meet regularly with their Counselor to plan accordingly and to ultimately make a decision that is well informed. Students may also seek out resources and support with the SJCC Career Transfer Center and with our university admission representatives.

Per AB 928, if an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathway exists, students are to be automatically placed into it unless they meet the statutory exceptions.

Statutory exceptions from an auto ADT placement include:

• San José City College does not offer the corresponding ADT for the student’s chosen major.
• A student’s educational pathway is better served by a local associate degree.
• The student plans to apply to transfer to a UC campus or an independent/private college or university.
• The student is seeking to complete a community college baccalaureate degree program.
• The student is seeking to complete career education program - these are non-transferable degrees and do not include the ADT option.

Students are highly advised to work with their Counselor to make an informed decision based on their degree and/or transfer goals.

Generally, San José City College does not have assigned academic pathway Counselors except in career education. 

All Counselors at San José City College are trained in transfer requirements and supporting students in whichever major or career pathway they have chosen.

Students are advised to contact the Counseling Department for additional information and guidance.

California community college counselors play a vital role in helping students to navigate the complexities of transfer, graduation, and enrollment. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with a Counselor to develop an educational plan and to continue meeting with their counselor each semester to stay up to date on any changes that may impact their academic pathway.

Counselors are available to assist students with course scheduling, educational planning, career and major exploration, transfer planning, and much more!

The San José City College AB 928 implementation workgroup is charged with coordinating college-wide efforts to ensure that proper communication and guidance are given to all constituent members.

The Articulation Office, the Instructional Policies Curriculum Committee (IPCC), the Matriculation Workgroup, and the AB 928 Counseling Faculty Coordinator will work with Counseling faculty and the wider campus staff to ensure a seamless transition.

A student enrolled for the summer 2025 term would retain catalog rights to use the CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern. However, after fall 2025, that student would have the option to continue their academic planning using the Cal-GETC pattern.

Students are highly advised to work with their Counselor to make an informed decision based on their degree and/or transfer goals.

No, only a full certification of general education (GE) is available with Cal-GETC.

This is a change from how students were able to use the IGETC pattern which offered partial certification, or the CSU GE Breadth pattern which offered CSU GE Breadth for STEM.

No, courses for Cal-GETC must be passed with a minimum grade of “C,” where a “C” grade is defined as a 2.0 on a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) scale.

A “Credit” or “Pass” grade is acceptable, providing that it is equivalent to a grade of “C” or higher. A college transcript must reflect this policy.

In many cases, students with catalog rights will be able to complete their coursework using Cal-GETC approved courses towards their CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern. However, some GE areas, such as Communications Studies, Critical Thinking, and Mathematics may have been significantly altered. Students are highly encouraged to work with their Counselor to determine the best option towards completing their certificate, degree, and/or GE certification.

Cal-GETC approved courses must have a minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units. Lab courses that accompany lecture courses are an exception.

Exception:

3-quarter unit or 2-semester unit English and Mathematics courses may satisfy
Cal-GETC Area 1A or Area 2 if:

• They are part of a sequence.
• At least two of the 3-quarter units or 2-semester unit courses as part of the same sequence and have each been completed with a “C” grade or higher; and the course sequence meets the rigor and breadth of Cal-GETC.