General Education Requirements - UC

1.)  Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

IGETC is a pattern of lower-division GE requirements that is accepted at all UC campuses. The entire IGETC pattern should be completed prior to transfer.  Students must complete specified courses in the following areas:

Area 6: UC Language Other Than English (LOTE)
Transfer students to the UC who intend to fully certify IGETC are required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English equal to two years of high school study. There are several methods students at De Anza College may use to demonstrate proficiency for the purpose of fulfilling the Language Other Than English requirement on IGETC.

For information about specific UC majors that do and do not recommend IGETC, see the IGETC Considerations section on the UC Transfer Admission Web site or use the Exploring Majors feature on ASSIST. 

Completion of IGETC is not a minimum transfer admission requirement and does not guarantee admission to a UC major or campus.  Keep in mind that some UC majors, campuses, and colleges/schools require additional course work beyond completion of IGETC to satisfy their general education requirements.  Additionally, completion of IGETC may not be considered an acceptable means of satisfying all lower-division GE/Breadth requirements by some colleges or schools within a UC campus.

IGETC is not recommended for every student planning to transfer to the UC.  In general, IGETC is not the best GE option for students pursuing high unit majors (e.g. engineering or the biological, physical and natural sciences) because these majors require extensive lower-division major preparation coursework to be completed.  Instead, it is often more advantageous for such students to complete courses that fulfill major preparation requirements rather than complete IGETC.

For students who decide to follow IGETC, it is strongly recommended that students complete IGETC prior to transfer and obtain full IGETC certification.  If, however, this is not possible, a partial certification may be issued.  Students are responsible for determining the appropriateness of a partial certification and should consult with a counselor or academic advisor.  Partial certification is defined as completing all but one (1) or two (2) courses on the IGETC pattern.  Once partially certified, it is the student’s responsibility to work with the counselor at the university to find out how to complete IGETC requirements. The UC is responsible for verifying that the missing IGETC course(s) has been completed and students should not request a full certification from De Anza after transfer.

A university or specific program may specify that full IGETC certification is required for admission (e.g. UC Berkeley's College of Letters & Science requires full IGETC certification as part of their selection criterion).  Students should check on the conditions for admission outlined by the university or program.

2.) UC Campus-specific General Education(GE)/Breadth Patterns

The campus GE/Breadth patterns for transfer students are the same as those for students who enroll at the UC as freshmen.  If you decide to follow a campus-specific GE/Breadth pattern, you must complete courses that are listed under the GE/Breadth articulation agreements (by UC campus) in ASSIST.

When deciding which GE pattern to follow you should consider factors such as your intended major, the GE/Breadth requirements for the specific school or college, and any previous college course work you may have completed.  As a transfer applicant, completing lower-division GE requirements prior to transfer will improve your chances for admission to a competitive major, campus, or program.

If you plan to fulfill the GE/Breadth requirements for a specific UC campus or college, confirm that the courses you take at De Anza College are listed on the GE/Breadth articulation agreements (by campus) on ASSIST. 

You should review the GE options available and consult a De Anza counselor or academic adviser to determine which program is most suitable for your transfer needs. To schedule an appointment with a De Anza counselor or academic adviser visit the Counseling & Advising Center, located on the 2nd floor of the Student & Community Services Building.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Credit on IGETC

Only credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams may be used to satisfy IGETC subject area requirements. Credit for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) cannot be used on IGETC.

For students who do not certify IGETC, each UC campus will determine how to apply credit from external exams toward major preparation or its local degree and GE/Breadth requirements.  Consult the UC college catalog or Web site of your choice to determine credit for AP and IB exams.

NOTE:  All AP or IB exam reports must be received and officially evaluated by De Anza College prior to a request for GE certification (see processes below).  The certification process may be delayed if exam reports have not been previously evaluated.

Advanced Placement (AP) – Official reports must be sent to the De Anza College Admissions & Records Office directly from College Board in order to apply. 

International Baccalaureate (IB) – Official reports must be sent to the De Anza College Admissions & Records Office directly from the International Baccalaureate Organization in order to apply.

Disclaimer:  The final responsibility for successful transfer rests with the student.  The information posted on the De Anza College Transfer Planning Web site is designed to assist you in obtaining the most accurate information possible.  However, this information is subject to change without notice, which may subsequently impact your admission to the University.

Students are encouraged to meet as early as possible and periodically with a counselor or academic adviser both at De Anza College and at the transfer institution to confirm your choice of classes and to develop an education plan for transfer.