Whether you’re transferring credits from a California community college, another UC, a different four-year institution, a UC EAP program, or an out-of-state school, it’s essential to understand how your credits transfer to ensure every part of your academic record is counted toward graduation.

Office of Admissions Transfer Guides

The Office of Admissions evaluates and processes transfer credits. After students complete the course(s) from another institution, they must submit their official transcript to UCSB Admissions to receive credit. These guides are provided by the Office of Admissions to help students determine which courses and credit will transfer to UCSB.

Email admissions@sa.ucsb.edu if you have further questions.

 

Guide to Course Transferability

Guidelines for Current UCSB Students

Guidelines for Students Participating in Non-UC Study Abroad

 

 

Types of Transfer Credit

Expand each area below for details regarding transferring credit to UCSB from other institutions. If you are considering taking courses at another institution, we recommend that you consult with your major advisor or a College of Letters & Science advisor to address your individual circumstances.

 

If you plan to transfer credit from a California Community college, keep this information in mind:

  • Students may transfer no more than 105 lower-division units, and these courses will appear on a student's "course history" in GOLD but will not appear on the student's official UCSB transcript.
  • CC courses can only fulfill lower-division unit requirements.
  • CC courses do not count toward academic residency.
  • CC courses are not included in your UC GPA.

Use these helpful tools to ensure your courses count!

Assist.org is an online tool that can help you when planning to take courses at a California community college. Use it to find information about:

  • courses that are transferable to the University of California
  • courses that you can choose to fulfill General Education Program requirements
  • courses that you can choose to fulfill requirements in the preparation for your major (not available for every major at every community college)
  • course-to-course equivalencies (not available for every course)

The California Virtual Campus (CVC) website can help you find online courses offered by California community colleges.  By using both the CVC website and Assist.org, you can locate transferrable online courses that could help you fulfill UCSB requirements. 

UCSB students can earn credit at other UC campuses through specific programs listed below. Except for a few UCOE courses, courses at other UCs are not automatically counted as equivalent to UCSB courses or specific requirements. Students may request to have courses evaluated  applied to General Education or major requirements by petition. To explore these options, consult a College of Letters & Science advisor for GE petitions, or your major advisor for major requirements petitions.

  • UC (not UCSB) Summer Sessions:  Students may enroll at another UC during its summer session. Upon completion of the summer session, the student must have the transcript from the other UC sent to UCSB's Office of Admissions where it will be evaluated for transfer credit. Once the Admissions officer approves, the course will appear on the student's UCSB transcript and will count toward the student's UC GPA but not toward academic residency.
  • The Inter Campus Visitor Program is for students who spend a quarter or a semester enrolled as a full-time student at another UC. Upon completion of the term, if approved, the courses will appear on a student's UCSB transcript and will count toward the student's UC GPA but not toward academic residency.
  • Simultaneous Enrollment Program is for UCSB students who simultaneously enroll in courses at UCSB and at another UC. Upon completion of the term, the courses will appear on a student's UCSB transcript and will count toward the student's UC GPA but not toward academic residency.

 

UC Extension programs, a.k.a Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE), or "Open University" are designed to extend the opportunity for people in UC communities to enroll in UC courses and/or to complete professional certificates. In certain situations, admitted UC students might benefit by enrolling in courses through UC Extension. Students should discuss their plans with a Letters & Science College advisor if they are considering enrolling in UC courses via Extension, PaCE or Open University, and should keep the following in mind:

  • UC Extensions, including UCSB Extension, act similarly to separate institutions. They have different admission and enrollment policies than their UC home campus and provide separate transcripts.
  • Students need to have an Extension transcript, including a UCSB Extension transcript, sent to the UCSB Office of the Admissions, for the units to transfer and appear on their UCSB transcript.
  • All courses taken through Extension at another UC do not apply toward a student's UCSB GPA.
  • UCSB "Open Enrollment Courses" are regular UCSB courses taken via Extension and can count toward a student's UC GPA.
  • UCSB courses with an "X" designation (TMP X 130A, X 130B, X 130C for example) do not count toward a student's UC GPA.
  • Extension courses numbered 300 or higher do not transfer for degree credit.
  • Courses taken via Extension, even UCSB Extension, do not count toward academic residency.

It is possible to transfer credit from out-of-state community colleges and other four-year schools. When considering an out-of-state institution, keep in mind that:

  • Grades from the courses taken do not apply to a student's UC GPA.
  • Credit for the courses does not count toward academic residency requirements.
  • Courses will not appear on the "Course History" in GOLD but not on a student's official UCSB transcript.
  • Not all courses from other institutions will automatically be counted as equivalent UCSB courses or towards specific requirements. Students may request that courses be applied to General Education or major requirements by petition. To explore these options, consult a College of Letters & Science advisor or your major advisor.

Also, see the "Important reminders when transferring credit" section below for details.

 Important reminders when transferring credit

 

While UCSB does not pre-evaluate course for transfer, if students carefully follow the Office of Admissions Transfer Guidelines, they should be able to successfully transfer credit. A Letters & Science College advisor will be glad to review your plans and give you insights on transferring credit. 

If you take a course at another institution that is equivalent to one already completed at UCSB, it will not transfer for credit. Likewise, if you took a course equivalent to a UCSB course at another institution, you will not receive credit for completing the course again at UCSB.

You will not receive credit for a lower-level course if you've already completed a higher-level. For example, if you complete Spanish 3 at UCSB and then enroll in a Spanish 1 course at another school, you will not receive credit for the course.

If you take non-UCSB courses that you believe should satisfy a prerequisite for UCSB courses, you must:

  • Send an official transcript from the institution to the UCSB Office of Admissions.
  • Bring a copy of your transcript, the course description, and the syllabus for the course you believe will meet the prerequisite to the UCSB department of the course you'd like to be enrolled in. The department will review the information and decide whether the course meets the prerequisite and clear you to register for the course.

When choosing courses you plan to transfer to UCSB, review the UCSB General Education Program Outcomes and Transfer Guide to ensure the course meets UCSB's GE Area requirements and to see how courses from other institutions, including study abroad courses, are assessed for General Education requirements.

If you have questions about whether a course or courses could apply toward General Education requirements, speak with a Letters & Science advisor. Keep in mind that an advisor cannot formally approve a course for a General Education requirement until after a course has transferred and has been petitioned.

Lower-division major coursework can be completed at a community college or at a four-year university. If you are interested in completing lower-division major coursework at a community college, visit Assist.org to determine which courses have an articulation agreement to fulfill major requirements. If you plan to take courses at a four-year university or at a community college outside of California, consult with your major department to see if the work can be applied to the UCSB major. Remember, no more than 105 units of lower-division units may be transferred. In some cases, students may satisfy a major requirement with CC courses above the 105 unit maximum without receiving unit credit.

Upper-division major coursework must be completed at a four-year university. If you plan to transfer upper-division coursework from another university, speak with your departmental advisor and a College of Letters & Science advisor. Make sure the courses you intend to take are, in fact, upper-division. You can verify this by reviewing the other institution's course catalog.