What is 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.
How does Cal-GETC Work?
Completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) will permit a student to transfer from a California Community College (CCC) to a California State University (CSU) 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 will permit a student to transfer from a California Community College (CCC) to a University of California (UC) campus or program generally without the need, after transfer, to take additional lower-division, general education courses to satisfy campus general education requirements. For most students, it is strongly recommended that students complete Cal-GETC prior to transfer. Advantages of completing Cal-GETC may include more flexibility in class selection at the university and timely progress to degree completion. All CSUs and most UC campuses and programs will accept certified Cal-GETC completion as satisfying lower-division general education requirements. Note that some individual colleges or majors within a UC campus may not accept or recommend Cal-GETC to fulfill all of their general education requirements.
Is Cal-GETC required for transfer?
Completion of the 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 Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) is required) and under AB 928 is the “singular lower division general education pathway that meets the academic requirements necessary for transfer admission to the California State University and the University of California.”
For the UC:
Students may choose to complete coursework to meet the campus general education requirements of the university program to which they plan to transfer, but such a course of action would be inconsistent with the intent of AB 928. Completion of the Cal-GETC lower-division General Education Transfer pathway may not be appropriate for some engineering, math, or science students or for students completing majors that have a high number of lower-division unit requirements. Such students may be advised to focus on completing their lower-division major preparation requirements while meeting minimum admission requirements (e.g., the UC seven-course pattern for UC admissions). Such a student would not be Cal-GETC certified prior to transfer.
For the CSU:
For the CSU, some students may elect to take courses to fulfill the CSU’s general education requirements (CSU GE) after transfer, but such a course of action would be inconsistent with the intent of AB 928. Completion of the Cal-GETC lower-division General Education Transfer pathway may not be appropriate for some engineering, math, or science students or for students completing majors that have a high number of lower-division unit requirements (especially those without a Transfer Model Curriculum for the associate degree for transfer).
Do all areas on Cal-GETC need to be completed for certification?
Yes, students transferring using the Cal-GETC pattern may receive only full certification. Partial certification is not permitted.
What is the minimum grade required for Cal-GETC?
A minimum “C” grade is required in each college course for Cal-GETC. A “C” is defined as a minimum of 2.0 grade points on a 4.0 scale. A “C-” grade valued at less than 2.0 grade points on a 4.0 scale cannot be used for Cal-GETC certification.
What is the unit requirement for each Cal-GETC Course?
Each Cal-GETC course must be a minimum of 3.0 semester or 4 quarter units.
How do IGETC courses apply toward Cal-GETC?
IGETC courses taken prior to Fall 2025 may be included in Cal-GETC certification if the courses are also approved for the corresponding Cal-GETC Area.
How do Cal-GETC courses apply toward IGETC?
Cal-GETC courses taken Fall 2025 or later may be applied towards IGETC certification if the courses are approved for the corresponding Cal-GETC Area.