Completion of Cal-GETC will permit a student to transfer from a California Community College (CCC) to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus or program without the need, after transfer, to take additional lower-division, general education courses to satisfy campus general education requirements.

Completion of Cal-GETC is not an admission requirement or admission guarantee for transfer to the CSU or UC, nor is it the only way to fulfill the lower-division, general education requirements for students at the CSU or UC. However, Cal-GETC may be a requirement for some programs (e.g., if an ADT is required). For most students, it is strongly recommended to complete Cal-GETC requirements prior to transfer. However, completion of the Cal-GETC requirements may not be appropriate for some engineering, math, or science, or other high unit majors. Additionally, some individual colleges or majors within a UC campus may not accept or recommend Cal-GETC to fulfill all of their general education requirements. Students should meet with a counselor to discuss the most appropriate general education pattern for their major and intended transfer institution.

Students transferring to a CSU who are Cal-GETC certified will still need to complete 9 semester units of upper-division general education (GE) after transfer and may also be held to other campus specific graduation requirements outside of general education and major coursework.

Students not completing the Cal-GETC requirements before transferring will be subject to the regulations regarding general education requirements of the school or college of the campus to which they have been admitted.

Beginning Fall 2025, the following student groups are expected to follow Cal-GETC:

• New students (no previous CCC or CSU enrollment)
• Students from UC, in-state-private and/or out-of-state institutions

Note: Students who have catalog rights prior to Fall 2025 may elect to complete the Cal-GETC requirements but it is not required.

Students in the following situations are not required to follow Cal-GETC:

• Goal is to earn an AA/AS degree without transfer - can follow the GCC General Education Requirements
• Maintained continuous enrollment at GCC, another CA Community College (CCC), or a CSU prior to Fall 2025
• Have official transcripts showing:
  • Full UC IGETC certification if transferring to a UC
  • Full CSU IGETC certification if transferring to a CSU
  • Full CSU GE Breadth certification if transferring to a CSU

Students who begin at a CCC prior to Fall 2025, can follow the CSU GE Breadth or IGETC requirements, so long as they maintain continuous enrollment (have catalog rights). There has not been further discussion of when these GE patterns will be sunset. This is still yet to be determined.

• While these requirements are not part of Cal-GETC, it is highly recommended that students complete the History and Political Science courses and “double count” them in other Cal-GETC areas.
• Note: CSU campuses have the discretion on whether to allow courses not certified by the CCC to satisfy the CSU United States History, Constitution and American Ideals (AI) graduation requirement to also count for GE.

• Students transferring to the UC are encouraged to demonstrate competence (proficiency) in a language other than English equivalent to two years/second level of high school instruction.
• While this requirement is not part of Cal-GETC, it is highly recommended that UC-bound transfer students complete this requirement prior to transfer, and GCC can certify completion of this requirement.
• There are several ways LOTE proficiency can be demonstrated, including:
  • Completion of the second level of high school coursework in a language other than English with a letter grade of “C-“ or better in the second semester of the second year
  • Satisfactory completion of a course (or courses) at a college or university equivalent to the second level of high school instruction, with a letter grade of “C“ or higher (or a “Credit/Pass“ grade)
  • SAT Subject Tests in languages other than English
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
  • International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL) Examinations
• Note: LOTE certification does not guarantee that you have completed your LOTE requirement, as UC campuses and programs have varying LOTE requirements. Learn more here.

The course would still count so long as:

• The student has maintained continuous enrollment and has catalog rights to follow the CSU GE Breadth requirements
• The course satisfied the GE area in the 2024-2025 academic year

Note: If the student stops out and loses catalog rights without completing the CSU GE Breadth requirements, the student will be expected to follow the Cal-GETC requirements.

If the student completes the full CSU GE Breadth or IGETC requirements prior to graduation from high school, they should apply for certification through an Official Transcript Request. The CSU GE Breadth/IGETC certification will be honored when the student transfers. 

A new student taking classes in Summer 2025 must follow either the 2024-2025 CSU GE Breadth or IGETC requirements, as Cal-GETC will not start until Fall 2025. Students can change to the Cal-GETC pattern in Fall 2025, if they choose to do so.

Only a full Cal-GETC certification with all areas completed may be forwarded to the CSU and UC. No partial Cal-GETC Certification will be accepted.

New Cal-GETC approved courses cannot be used to satisfy CSU GE Breadth requirements.

Cal-GETC courses taken Fall 2025 or later may be applied towards IGETC certification if the courses are approved for the same Cal-GETC area.

If a student completed a course that satisfied an IGETC area at the time of completion, it can be used to satisfy the same Cal-GETC area.

• To check whether a course satisfied an IGETC area at the time of completion, visit ASSIST.org and select “IGETC for UC and CSU” in the transferability lists.

Returning students not completing Cal-GETC but wishing to use previously completed coursework to satisfy individual campus admission requirements should consult with their target transfer institutions.