Plan for Transfer

Start planning early! Your transfer process doesn’t have to be complicated. Contact the Transfer Center today to meet with a transfer counselor and plan a path forward.

The number of required transferable units varies between universities, but California State University and University of California only require 60 transferable units before transferring. 

Within those 60 transferable units, you must complete:

  • Some general education courses
  • Major preparation courses
  • Additional transferable electives if you don’t otherwise have 60 transferable units

General Education Patterns

CSU General Education-Breadth Requirements

As part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, all California State University students must have a minimum of 48 general education-breadth semester units.

These 48 units must include:

  • 39 units of lower-division general education courses 
  • 9 units of upper-division courses 

Río Hondo College can certify up to 39 lower-division general education units, but completion is not required for admission to CSU. Students who are certified with 39 semester units of lower-division general before admission to CSU will only be required to complete a minimum of 9 semester units of upper-division general education work after their transfer to CSU.

Before you transfer, you need to request CSU-GE Certification. You can make this request at the Admissions Office anytime during your last semester at Río Hondo. 

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum is helpful if you want to keep your options open. Consider IGETC if you know you want to transfer but haven’t decided on a particular institution, campus, or major yet.

University of California, California State University, and some private universities will accept IGETC to fulfill lower-division general education courses.

If you intend to transfer into a major that requires extensive lower-division preparation, such as engineering or the biological, physical and natural sciences, you should concentrate on completing the prerequisites for the major that the college screens for to determine eligibility for admission.

IGETC is not an admissions requirement, and it does it guarantee admission to the campus or program of choice. However, it may improve your chances for admission to a competitive UC campus. Be sure to consult with a transfer counselor about these courses.

General Education Requirements for Private Universities

General education requirements vary among private universities. You should consult with a transfer counselor early to discuss appropriate courses. Some private universities require you to complete specific general education courses before transferring. Río Hondo has articulation agreements with some private universities. For general education and transfer requirements for other private universities, visit the university’s website.

USC

All USC students must complete six categories of general education courses to graduate, plus writing, foreign language, and diversity requirements. You may complete four of the six categories before transferring to USC. You can also complete the writing, foreign language, and diversity requirements before transferring.

University of La Verne

All students at the University of La Verne must complete general education courses. Follow Transfer Track I to meet transfer requirements. Meet with a transfer counselor or the University of La Verne representative to review a transfer plan.

Whittier College

Whittier College requires a specific set of General Education courses before transfer.

Major Prep

Before you begin your transfer planning, find out if the CSU or UC campus of your choice offers the major you are interested in.

Major prep courses for UC and CSU are available on ASSIST. Major preparation for private universities varies. Meet with a transfer counselor for more information.

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