At San Diego Mesa College, transferable courses to the California State University system and/or University of California system are indicated by (CSU, UC) following the catalog course description. Students are advised to contact their counselor to determine which specific courses are applicable to their educational objective.
Students are advised to complete 60 units that will transfer in order to be eligible for full junior status at the transfer school.
It is possible to transfer to the CSU with 56 units; however, 60 is now strongly recommended and required by specific institutions. Many private universities and out-of-state colleges will accept transfer students with fewer units. Please check the catalog for the specific college you are interested in for transfer requirements.
As a general rule, the maximum number of units accepted for transfer will be 70 semester units. Please see a counselor to discuss your specific situation. Some institutions review units differently once a student has attended a four-year institution.
Most colleges and universities will accept 70 semester units towards the total number of units needed to complete your bachelor's degree; however, if you have taken more units than that, the content of the courses will be used to satisfy needed requirements.
The minimum grade point average needed to be eligible for transfer to a California State University (CSU) is 2.0.
The minimum grade point average needed to be eligible for transfer to the University of California (UC) is 2.8
The grade point average needed for transfer to private colleges varies so please check the college catalog. Some majors and some colleges are impacted and will require higher grade point average for admission.
Please see a counselor to determine the specific grade point average needed for the institution you plan to transfer to. It is important to remember that meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admissions to the institution of your choice. It solely allows you to be eligible, but not necessarily admissible.
Since our goal is to assist students in ensuring a successful transfer, please see a counselor to develop an educational plan.
*Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and San Diego State University have different GPA requirements.*
To be accepted to an impacted program or campus, the GPA for admission will need to be considerably higher than the minimum required. A GPA of 3.0 and higher may be required to be competitive for transfer admission. In addition to having a competitive GPA for transfer, it is also important to complete the major preparation courses required for the program.
*The GPA will vary each year according to the specific applicant pool and institution at that time. Make sure to check each institution for varing GPAs.*
A GPA calculation sheet can be found in the Transfer Center. GPA is calculated by the following formula: Total Units Attempted divided into Total Grade Points. To obtain your grade points, you will need to add up the grade values you have received for each of your transferable classes. Make sure you are converting units to ensure consistency if you have attended both a quarter and a semester system college/university.
GE or General Education is a program of courses in the arts and sciences that provides a broad educational experience. Courses are usually introductory in nature provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge in English, arts, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, physical and biological sciences.
Students who transfer to the CSU can complete the lower division GE requirements at a community college like Mesa prior to transfer. There is an upper division GE requirement of 9 units, which must be completed after transfer at the CSU from which the bachelor's degree is granted. It is not possible to complete all of the general education needed to graduate from a CSU at the community college.
IGETC or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum is a general education program which community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements for any CSU or UC campus.
Completion of IGETC is one option for students to use when preparing for transfer. It is not the only option and for some majors, such as engineering and science, may not be recommended. Please see a counselor to assist you in determining whether following the IGETC requirements will be the best route for you. If you have questions about which GE pattern to complete, talk to a counselor.
Students who are planning to transfer to a CSU may want to complete the CSU GE, otherwise known as the California State University General Education Certification Pattern. This allows community college students to satisfy lower division general education requirements at a community college such as Mesa. Upon completion, students are able to apply for certification.
Completion of CSU GE Certification Pattern is an option for students to use when preparing for transfer. It is not the only option and for some majors such as engineering, elementary education, nursing, and many others, may not be recommended. Please see a counselor to assist you in determining whether following the CSU GE Certification Pattern will be the best route for you.
If you have questions about which GE pattern to complete, talk to a counselor.
Certification of CSU GE or IGETC is an important step in the transfer process. The certification of GE is the official notice verifying that a transfer student has completed courses satisfying lower division general education requirements.
The certification will be either on the transcript or on a separate certification form. The request for certification of CSU GE or IGETC can be processed through the Evaluations Office located in building I3-201. It is recommended that this request be made after completion of all courses needed for certification (at the end of your last semester at Mesa) and after arrival of transcripts from all transfer institutions.
To be certified, all courses on IGETC must be completed with a grade of C or better.
The CSU GE pattern can be certified by completing a specific area or by completing the entire 39 units pattern. One can receive either full or partial certification. Please see a counselor for further details.
Representatives from many colleges visit the Transfer Center in the Counseling Office on a regular basis each semester. To make an appointment to meet with them, stop by or call the Transfer Center at (619) 388-2473 or visit the Transfer Center located on the second floor of the I300 building in room I3-202.
You should meet with a college representative whenever possible. The Counseling Department can provide you with information related to your academic requirements and your success, but the representatives may be able to talk to you more about teacher/student ratio, size of campus, dorm life, transportation, student services, financial aid, majors, career services, etc. They will provide you with information that cannot be obtained from counselors or catalogs, so it is advised that you meet with the representatives when you can. A sample list of questions is available in the Transfer Center for reference.
An associate degree is a two-year degree granted by a community college to students who completed a specified program of study usually totaling 60 units.
A bachelors degree or baccalaureate degree is a four-year degree granted upon completion of at least 124 semester units or 180 quarter units. The California State Universities, the University of California and many private, independent, and out-of-state four-year colleges and universities offer Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Degrees.
Completion of 60 units is needed to obtain an associate degree. There are general education, math competency and other requirements needed to obtain the degree. Please refer to the San Diego Mesa College catalog for specific requirements or see a counselor.
No. You need to meet the minimum admission requirements for the college/university that you plan to attend. However, it may be possible that you may have completed an Associate Degree in Transfer Studies if you have met the admission requirements for a transfer institution. You should meet with a counselor to determine your eligibility for this degree.
Lower division courses are offered for freshman and sophomore level credit. All courses offered at a community college are lower division courses.
Upper division courses are offered for junior and senior level credit. These courses are not offered by community colleges.
Articulation is the process of evaluating courses to determine whether coursework completed at one college will meet the requirements for admission, transfer credit, general education, or major preparation at another college.
CAN is a common numbering system used to identify courses which are often required as lower division preparation for majors. The courses are taught at many colleges with each specific campus using their own unique number for the course.
The CAN system allows counselors and students to determine equivalent courses offered at different colleges by using the common number (CAN). The English 101 course at Mesa is CAN ENGL 2. Courses at Mesa that qualify for CAN are identified in the class schedule and in the catalog.
A Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) agreement is a formal, written agreement that outlines the courses that must be completed before transfer, states the GPA required, and lists specific requirements for majors.
The Transfer Admission Agreement will guarantee admission to the university as long as the provisions of the agreement are completed. Students with 30 transferable units completed may be eligible for a TAG.
Mesa College currently has transfer admission agreements with UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside and Woodbury University.
A major is a program of study, which leads to a degree. It is the primary area of study in which the greatest depth of knowledge will be developed.
A minor is a secondary field of study, not as comprehensive as the major is.
Preparation for a major is an important step. Information as to which classes are required for a specific major can be obtained from the college catalog and from articulation agreements.
The Transfer Center (located on the second floor of the financial aid building, room I3-202). On the Internet, one can also visit Assist and Center for Independent Learning, have copies of college catalogs and the articulation agreements. In addition, advising sheets have been developed to assist students in lower division major preparation.
Not all colleges require one to declare a major prior to transfer; however, many do. For a specific CSU or UC campus, refer to information in the application for admission. For other colleges, please check the college catalog or contact the admissions office for that information.
An impacted major is one that is popular and more applications for admission are received than the campus can accommodate during the priority application-filing period. If you are applying to a major that is impacted, the GPA for admission may be higher and you may have to complete lower division courses for the major prior to transfer to allow you to be more competitive.
There are many resources available in the Transfer Center to assist you. You will want to plan to visit the college you are interested in and also research the transfer requirements in the college catalog. If a representative for the college visits Mesa College Transfer Center, please make an appointment to meet with them.
Transfer Day is an event which takes place on the Mesa College campus each fall and provides students with a wonderful opportunity to meet with representatives from many campuses.
In some instances when an articulation agreement is not available for the institution you wish to transfer to, it is highly recommended that you contact the institution and request transfer information. Since a formal articulation agreement has not been established, it will be up to the transfer institution to determine which courses they will accept from Mesa College.
The California State University (CSU) is the system of higher education in California that grants the most bachelors degrees. It is sometimes called the "teacher training" institution. The CSU also grants masters degrees.
The University of California (UC) is the research system of public higher education in California. The UC grants professional and doctorate degrees, as well as bachelors and masters degrees.
The CSU has a more practical, career-oriented approach to education in contrast to the more theoretical approach offered by the UC.
The CSU and UC systems vary in their philosophies and focus. Visit the transfer center to obtain mor information about these systems. We would like to assist you in finding the college that will best suit your needs.
Each college has an academic year with terms marking the beginning and end of classes.
A quarter is one type of term within an academic year. Each quarter is 10 weeks in length and there are usually three quarters (fall, winter and spring) in an academic year.
A semester is the other type of term within an academic year. Each semester is 16 to 18 weeks in length, and there are two semesters (fall and spring) in an academic year.
In addition some colleges offer a fourth term during the summer. For example, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo has a summer quarter. However, most colleges offer summer classes, but summer in NOT considered an official term of the academic year.
San Diego Mesa College is on the semester calendar with short-term courses offered throughout the semester. Please refer to a schedule for specific information.
There is a one-month period of time when applications are first accepted for a specific term at the CSU and UC. Please refer to the Dates and Deadlines of the CSU and UC applications for prioritizing filing dates.
Please note the deadlines for impacted institutions such as San Diego State University. Even though CSU application indicates that applications are first accepted at the beginning of the month, the application-filing period for impacted campuses are only during the first month. Please visit the transfer center or speak with a counselor for further details.