University of California (UC)
University of California (UC)
The University of California (UC) system is a prestigious public research university network with 9 campuses that offer undergraduate education and opportunities for transfer.
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of California, Merced
- University of California, Riverside
- University of California, San Diego
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Santa Cruz
Upper-Division Transfer Admission Requirements for the University of California (UC)
To establish eligibility for the UC as a junior-level transfer, students must:
- Complete 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC transferable courses;
- Earn a minimum 2.4 GPA (2.8 for non-residents) in all UC transferable courses (only coursework with a C or above grade will be determined transferable to the UC);
- Be in good standing at the last college/university attended;
- Complete the following 7-coruse pattern by the end of Spring term prior to Fall enrollment at the UC,
- Two transferable courses in English composition (UC-E)
- One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning (UC-M)
- Four transferable college courses chosen from at least two of the following subject areas:
- arts and humanities (UC-H)
- social and behavioral sciences (UC-B)
- physical and biological sciences (UC-S)
- Complete the required and/or recommended courses for their major with the minimum GPA eligibility listed on Assist.org.
Please refer to the University of California site on Upper-Division Transfer for more information,
Selective Majors
The UC system has consistently remained at the top of all university rankings across the United States, with five of the nine UC’s consistently ranked at the top 10 of all public universities. As a result, several majors at the UC are considered ‘selective majors’ or ‘highly selective majors’. Selective or Highly selective majors require student applicants to demonstrate a competitive or highly competitive GPA, completion of major preparation coursework prior to transfer, and an overall strong student applicant profile. Students applying to these majors are highly encouraged to work closely with their Counselor to plan for transfer eligibility at the UC, to engage with the Career Transfer Center early and often, and to create their UC TAP Account and work closely with our UC representatives for specialized guidance.
UC Transfer Admission Planner (TAP)
The UC TAP is a free, online tool provided by the UC that allows California Community College students to plan their coursework, monitor their progress and GPA eligibility, communicate with UC representatives, and to apply for the UC TAG. Students are encouraged to create their UC TAP accounts early and utilize this tool with their Counselor when tracking their UC eligibility for their major.
To learn more, go to:
https://uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu/students/
UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
The UC TAG offers California Community College students a guaranteed transfer pathway to one of the following participating campuses,
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, Merced
- University of California, Riverside
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Santa Cruz
Students can only apply for TAG to one participating UC Campus. Each UC campus includes their own set of guidelines for student’s applicants—such as the list of majors open for TAG or the GPA eligibility for the TAG. Students are encouraged to plan with their Counselor for the UC TAG eligibility, utilize the UC TAP resource to communicate early with UC representatives for additional support and to attend a “UC TAP to TAG” application workshop in the Career Transfer Center in September for assistance reviewing their UC TAG application.
For more information about the UC TAG, go to:
UC Transfer Pathways
In addition to using ASSIST.org to review major requirements at the UC, the UC includes the UC Transfer Pathways to assist students in planning for their top transfer majors. Each major pathway provides a roadmap for students to use in planning their major preparation coursework when applying across the UC system.
Current majors included in the UC Transfer Pathway include,
- Aerospace engineering
- Anthropology
- Biochemistry
- Bioengineering
- Biological sciences (New for fall 2027)
- Biology
- Business administration
- Cell biology
- Chemical engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil engineering
- Communication
- Computer science
- Data science
- Earth science/geology
- Economics
- Electrical engineering
- English
- Environmental engineering
- Environmental science
- History
- Materials science & engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical engineering
- Molecular biology
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Statistics
For more information, about the UC Transfer Pathway go to:
UC Davis Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP)
San Jose City College participates in the UC Davis Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP) which provides our students with access to a UC Davis adviser and support throughout the planning and application process for any of the UC campuses. This is a service that San Jose City College has procured for our students and is available year round.
For more information, go to:
https://www.ucdavis.edu/admissions/undergraduate/transfer/transfer-opportunity-program
UC Admissions Deadlines
Priority Application Filing Dates for University of California (UC) are typically,
Fall Semester/Quarter
- UC Application Opens: August 1st
- UC TAG Application Opens: September 1st
- UC TAG Deadline: September 30th
- UC Deadline to apply is: November 30th
Please note, the overall UC system offers one admissions cycle for transfer, which is in the Fall semester of each year. The application cycle begins as early as August and continues with important admissions deadlines throughout the year.
Students are highly encouraged to visit the Career and Transfer Center for a schedule of workshops and events to support their application process in August of the Fall application cycle. The Career and Transfer Center provides ongoing support throughout the year for each step in the UC application process. The Career Transfer Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Robert N. Chang Student Center (SC), Room 216A.
Also note, that UC Merced and UC Riverside do currently open for Spring Admission.
To learn more about these application deadlines, go to: