Degree Requirements for Transfer Students

University Requirements

Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)

The University of California requires all undergraduate students (including international students) to demonstrate a minimum proficiency in English composition within three quarters of entering the University.

Transfer students meet this requirement prior to enrollment at UC San Diego.

American History and Institutions (AHI)

A knowledge of American history and of the principles of American institutions under federal and state constitutions is required of all candidates for the bachelor’s degree. Exception for all international students on F-1 or J-1 visas: the college will waive AHI at the end of the final quarter.

Most transfer students have already met the AHI requirement with prior coursework. Refer to the UC San Diego General Catalog for how to meet AHI if applicable.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

A knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion is required of all candidates for a bachelor's degree. This requirement is satisfied by passing one four-unit course.

All transfer students must satisfy this requirement. Refer to Undergraduate Education for the approved list.

Unit Requirements

A minimum of 180 units; at least 60 units must be upper-division
No more than 25% of UC San Diego course units graded on a Pass/Not Pass basis
At least 35 of the final 45 units completed at UC San Diego

GPA Requirement

A 2.0 or higher GPA in all courses taken at University of California including: UC Summer Sessions, UC Education Abroad Program, UC Sacramento Center, and the UC San Diego Washington Program (UCDC).

Transfer Agreements

All transfer students must complete SYN 100 and High-Impact. Depending on transfer credit, additional coursework may be required.

Refer to the relevant transfer agreement below for details, and contact Seventh College Academic Advising with any questions or concerns.

Note: all agreements apply exclusively to students admitted as transfers; they do not apply to students admitted as freshmen.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) Certification

Agreement Details

Completion of all IGETC requirements at a California Community College prior to transferring to UC San Diego
Certification must be sent from the community college to UC San Diego Office of Admissions and posted to your Academic History

GE Requirements

Synthesis 100 (4 units), letter grade only
High-Impact Course (2-4 units), P/NP or letter grade

Partial IGETC Certification

Agreement Details

Missing no more than two IGETC requirements at a California Community College prior to transferring to UC San Diego
Certification must be sent from the community college to the UC San Diego Office of Admissions and posted to your Academic History

GE Requirements

Synthesis 100 (4 units), letter grade only
High-Impact Course (2-4 units), P/NP or letter grade
One to two missing IGETC requirements (can be P/NP or letter grade of C- or better)

Reciprocity

Agreement Details

Completion of all lower-division general education/breadth requirements at another UC or four-year institution prior to transferring to UC San Diego
Students with an official letter of reciprocity will be waived from all lower-division GE requirements

GE Requirements

Synthesis 100 (4 units), letter grade only
High-Impact Course (2-4 units), P/NP or letter grade

Official reciprocity letter certifying completion of lower-division requirements must be sent to Seventh College Academic Advising via email at seventhadvising@ucsd.edu or by mail to:

University of California, San Diego
Seventh College
ATTN: Academic Advising
9500 Gilman Drive #0541
La Jolla CA 92093-0541

No Transfer Agreement

Course-by-Course Evaluation

Academic Advisors review transfer coursework and determine on a course-by-course basis which lower-division GE requirements have been fulfilled and which lower-division GE courses are still needed
Students may petition transfer courses for GE credit

GE Requirements

Complete all remaining General Education requirements not already fulfilled by transfer courses or test scores. Review your Degree Audit in TritonLink and if needed, refer to Degree Requirements for First Year Students to see lists of approved Alternatives courses.

General Education for Transfer Students

Synthesis

The Synthesis Program utilizes a robust and distinctive approach to students' learning and emphasizes the importance of confronting large-scale, global issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.

All transfer students have already met the prerequisites for SYN 100 and will be pre-authorized to enroll starting Winter Quarter of their first year at UC San Diego.

SYN 100 must be taken at UC San Diego for a letter grade.

SYN 100 - Offered Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer

SYN 100 is a project-based course that builds upon foundational skills by taking a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to complex global problems. Each section focuses on a different theme, challenge, or question related to the climate crisis. Despite the different class topics, all students will learn by designing and executing a team project that addresses their section’s theme. Browse SYN 100 offerings here.

All transfer students have already met the prerequisites for SYN 100 and will be pre-authorized to enroll starting Winter Quarter of their first year at UC San Diego.

High-Impact

The High-Impact requirement is satisfied by completing one course (2-4 units) selected from a variety of engaging experiential learning options. This course may overlap with major, minor, and university requirements.

The High-Impact course can be taken for letter grade or P/NP, except for SYN 150, which must be taken for letter grade in order to fulfill the High-Impact requirement.

High-Impact Webinar

Learn about the various ways that you can meet this requirement by watching the High-Impact Webinar presented by Seventh College Advising and representatives from the Academic Internship Program and the Study Abroad Office.

SYN 150/SYN 150R - Offered Fall & Winter

SYN 150 is recommended for Seventh College transfer students in preparation for SYN 100. Students critically examine, through an interdisciplinary and antiracist lens, key issues impacting our changing planet.

Prerequisites: restricted to Seventh College transfer students only, must be taken for a letter grade to count toward Seventh College High-Impact requirement, cannot be taken after SYN 100. Students will not receive credit for both SYN 150 and SYN 150R (the remote version of SYN 150).

Courses Numbered 195 to 199

Any 2-4 unit course numbered 195 to 199 will satisfy the High-Impact requirement.

Courses numbered 195 or 196 - consult the relevant academic department or program for how to enroll
Courses numbered 197, 198, or 199 - refer to How to Request Enrollment in Special Studies Classes

Department/Program Courses

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

AAS-179 - Capstone for Black and African American Studies

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS

ASTR-150 - Observational Astrophysics Laboratory
ASTR-154 - Data Science in Astronomy

ANTHROPOLOGY

ANAR-135 - Study Abroad: Ancient Mediterranean Civilization
ANAR-135S - Summer Study Abroad: Ancient Mediterranean Civilization
ANAR-155 - Study Abroad: Ancient Mesoamerica
ANSC-138 - The Cultural Design Practicum: Using Anthropology to Solve Human Problems (no prerequisites)
ANSC-169 - Culture and Environment: Research Seminar and Practicum (no prerequisites)
ANSC-173 - Ethnography in Practice (no prerequisites)
ANTH-128A - Climate Action Scholars: Community Engagement and Research (no prerequisites)

BIOENGINEERING

BENG-191 - Senior Seminar I: Professional Issues in Bioengineering
BENG-193 - Clinical Experience in Bioengineering

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

BIMM-170 - Genomics Research Initiative Laboratory II
BISP-193 - Biology Education Research

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CENG-124A - Chemical Plant and Process Design I

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

CHEM-143C - Organic Chemistry Laboratory

COGNITIVE SCIENCE

COGS-108 - Data Science in Practice
COGS-122 - Start-up Studio
COGS-123 - Social Computing
COGS-127 - Data-Driven UX/Product Design
COGS-187B - Practicum in Professional Web Design
COGS-190A - Pre-Honors Project in Cognitive Science
COGS-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.

COMMUNICATION

COMM-102C - Methods of Media Production Practicum: Practicum in New Media and Community Life (no prerequisites)
COMM-102M - Methods of Media Production Practicum: Studio Television
COMM-102P - Media Production Laboratory: Television and Analysis and Production
COMM-120N - Advanced Media Production: News Media Workshop
COMM-124A - Critical Design Practice/Advanced Studio
COMM-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.

COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

CSE-112 - Advanced Software Engineering
CSE-118 - Ubiquitous Computing
CSE-125 - Software System Design and Implementation
CSE-132B - Database Systems Applications
CSE-145 - Embedded System Design Project
CSE-147 - Introduction to Embedded Systems
CSE-148 - Advanced Processor Architecture Design Project
CSE-176A - Healthcare Robotics
CSE-176E - Robot Systems Design and Implementation
CSE-193 - Introduction to Computer Science Research

CRITICAL GENDER STUDIES

CGS-128 - Trasnational Feminisms

CULTURE, ART, AND TECHNOLOGY

CAT-124 - Sixth College Practicum (by TEA request only)

DATA SCIENCE

DSC-160 - Data Science and the Arts
DSC-180A - Data Science Project I

DESIGN

DSGN-100 - Prototyping

ECONOMICS

ECON-190 - Introduction to Research in Economics
ECON-191A+191B - Senior Essay Seminar A/Senior Essay Seminar B

EDUCATION STUDIES

EDS-135 - Working with Newcomer Communities in San Diego
*EDS-139 - Practicum in Teaching and Learning
EDS-155 - Climate Education for Climate Justice
EDS-190 - Research Practicum

* must be taken with one of the following approved corequisites: EDS-128A-B, or 129A-B-C, 130, 131, 133, 136, 137, 140, 141, 145, or 146

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

ECE-115 - Fast Prototyping
ECE-140A - The Art of Product Engineering I
ECE-148 - Introduction to Autonomous Vehicles
ECE-190 - Engineering Design
ECE-191 - Engineering Group Design Project
ECE-193H - Honors Project

ENGINEERING

ENG-100D - Design for Development

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

ENVR-105 - Conservation Solutions
ENVR-144 - Wilderness Training

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

ESYS-187A - Senior Internship Project I

ETHNIC STUDIES

ETHN-100C - Social Justice Praxis
ETHN-100H - Honors Research Design
ETHN-120D - Race and Oral History in San Diego (no prerequisites)

GLOBAL HEALTH

GLBH-111 - Health Frontiers in Tijuana
GLBH-150B - Horizons Honors Thesis Seminar II

HISTORY

HITO-193 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.
HIUS-120D - Race and Oral History in San Diego (no prerequisites)

HUMAN DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES

HDS-191 - Field Research in Human Development
HDS-193 - Advanced Research in Human Developmental Sciences
HDS-194A - Honors Thesis in Human Developmental Sciences

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

INTL-190 - Seminar in International Studies
INTL-190H - Honors Seminar in International Studies

JAPANESE STUDIES

JAPN-190 - Japanese Studies Research Seminar (no prerequisites)

LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

LATI-131 - Gender as a Border (no prerequisites)
LATI-150 - Digital Oral History in Latin America
LATI-175 - Action & Knowledge Participatory Action Research: “Breaking the Monopoly” with Community-Driven Research (no prerequisites)

LITERATURE

LTSP-166 - Creative Writing

MANAGEMENT, RADY SCHOOL OF

MGT-102 - E-Commerce (no prerequisites)
MGT-108R - Applied Market Research (no prerequisites)

MATHEMATICS

MATH-111A - Mathematical Modeling I

MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

MAE-148 - Introduction to Autonomous Vehicles
MAE-154 - Product Design and Entrepreneurship
MAE-155A - Aerospace Engineering Design I
MAE-156A - Fundamental Principles of Mechanical Design I
MAE-190 - Digital Storytelling: Dynamic STEM Communication (by petition, no prerequisites)

MUSIC

MUS-103A - Seminar in Composition I
MUS-132R - Recital Preparation
MUS-137D - Seminar in Jazz Studies I

NANOENGINEERING

NANO-120A - Nanoengineering System Design I

PHILOSOPHY

PHIL-115 - Philosophical Methods Seminar
PHIL-191A+191B - Philosophy Honors/The Honors Essay

PHYSICS

PHYS-124 - Laboratory Projects
PHYS-133 - Condensed Matter/Materials Science Lab

POLITICAL SCIENCE

POLI-117 - Bending the Curve: Solutions to Climate Change (no prerequisites)
POLI-191A - Senior Honors Seminar: Frontiers of Political Science
POLI-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.
POLI-194SD - Local Internship Research Seminar

PSYCHOLOGY

PSYC-111B - Research Methods II
PSYC-115B - Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology II
PSYC-116C - Laboratory in Clinical Psychology Research III
PSYC-117 - Laboratory in Educational Research and Outreach
PSYC-193L - Psychology Laboratory Topics
PSYC-194A - Honors Thesis I

PUBLIC HEALTH

PH-193 - Public Health Capstone I
PH-194 - Public Health Capstone II

SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY

SIO-109 - Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions (no prerequisites)
SIO-147 - Applications of Phylogenetics
SIO-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.

SOCIOLOGY

SOCI-104Q - Qualitative Interviewing (no prerequisites)
SOCI-110 - Qualitative Research in Educational Settings
SOCI-188 - Field Research in Migrant Communities—Practicum
SOCI-188E - Community & Social Change in Africa
SOCI-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

SE-140A - Design of Civil Structures I
SE-143A - Aerospace Structural Design I
SE-165 - Structural Health Monitoring
SE-184 - Ground Improvement

THEATRE + DANCE

TDAC-122 - Ensemble: Undergraduate Production
TDAC-123 - Advanced Studies in Performance
TDDE-130 - Assistant Designer
TDDE-132 - Undergraduate Main Stage Production: Design
TDDE-190 - Major Project in Design/Theatre Production
TDDR-190 - Major Project in Directing
TDDR-191 - Major Project in Stage Management
TDHT-119 - Production Dramaturgy
TDPF-161 - Studies in Performance—Winter Production
TDPF-162 - Studies in Performance—Spring Production
TDPF-163 - Dance Repertory
TDPR-102 - Advanced Theatre Practicum
TDPR-104 - Advanced Practicum in Stage Management

URBAN STUDIES AND PLANNING

USP-128A - Climate Action Scholars: Community Engagement and Research
USP-141A - Life Course Scholars Research and Core Fundamentals
USP-142A - Urban Challenges: Homelessness in San Diego Core Fundamentals
USP-177A - Urban Design Practicum (no prerequisites)
USP-179 - Urban Design, Theory, and Practice (no prerequisites)
USP-185A - Real Estate Finance and Development Studio I
USP-186 - Senior Sequence Research Proposal
USP-188 - Field Research in Migrant Communities—Practicum
USP-190 - Senior Honors Seminar
USP-193 - San Diego Community Research (no prerequisites)
USP-194 - Research Seminar in Washington, D.C.

VISUAL ARTS

VIS-108 - Advanced Projects in Art (by petition)
VIS-110F - Installation: Cross-Disciplinary Projects
VIS-110M - Studio Honors I
VIS-160A - Senior Project in Computing Arts I
VIS-181 - Sound and Lighting
VIS-182 - Advanced Editing
VIS-183A - Strategies of Self
VIS-190 - Design Master Studio

Academic Internship Program (AIP)

Any upper-division internship completed through AIP will satisfy the High-Impact requirement.

UCDC - UCDC Research Seminar coursework may count toward Alternatives by petition.
UC Center Sacramento
Academic Department and Program Partnerships
Find an internship
Apply to earn credit for an internship found on your own

Study Abroad Programs

Any 2-4 unit course completed through Education Abroad Program (EAP), Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP), or Global Seminar will satisfy the High-Impact requirement. Learn how to participate in a Study Abroad program.

Other Experiential Learning Opportunities

Completion of the California Ecology and Conservation program will satisfy the High-Impact requirement.

Other credit-bearing experiential learning opportunities may be approved by petition.

Major Requirements

All UC San Diego majors require the equivalent of at least twelve or more upper-division courses (forty-eight or more units). Consult department and program advisors regarding major requirements and opportunities.