Transfer Requirements

At Berkeley, the world’s premier public university, you can excel beyond, exchange ideas and, ultimately, change the world.

• You are a transfer student if you have completed coursework during a regular session at a college or university after high school (the summer session immediately following high school graduation does not count).
• While the UC gives California community college applicants priority over other transfer applicants, we also accept applications from those applying from institutions outside of the California Community College system.
• Berkeley only accepts applications for the fall term. The UC Application is available in August the year prior to the fall term you are applying for.

• Completion of general education/breadth requirement
• Minimum 60 UC-transferable semester (90 UC-transferable quarter units)
  • Please note that every course offered at your institution is not UC-transferable
  • For non-California Community College students click here for information on how to determine what courses are UC-transferable
  • Please note that some majors require a minimum GPA in these courses

  NOTE: Effective for the fall 2025 application cycle, Berkeley will no longer require IGETC/Cal-GETC, Essential Skills, or UC Reciprocity for eligibility for students applying to the College of Letters and Science and the College of Computing, Data Science and Society. Students will have to complete University of California 7-course pattern to satisfy eligibility requirements for admission. IGETC will continue to be used to meet the L&S essential skill and 7-course breadth requirements, which are separate from admission requirements.

  This change in policy does not impact fall 2024 admission.

  Comprehensive review and selection
  • The applicant’s full record of achievement in college-level courses, including number of units, general education, and major preparation courses.
  • Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the community are considered.

  These factors can be demonstrated in different ways whether it is traditional clubs/organizations, home life, work life, or other life experiences.

  • Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admissions readers seek diversity in personal background and experience.
  • Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those sponsored by the University of California or California Community Colleges.

  Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion are excluded from the criteria.

  All achievements, both academic and nonacademic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had, and the reader’s assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantage of those opportunities. For an applicant who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which the applicant has responded to and/or overcome them. Readers also consider other contextual factors that bear directly upon the applicant’s achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support available in the home.

  The review recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the student’s ability to succeed at Berkeley and beyond.

  Applicants with coursework from four-year institutions
  • Students will be granted up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units for first-year/sophomore (lower division) coursework completed at any institution or combination of institutions
    • Units earned through AP, IB, and /or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation and do not put applicants at risk of being denied admission
    • Units earned at any UC campus (extension, summer, cross/concurrent and regular academic-year enrollment) are not included in the limitation

    Unit maximum admissions policy:

    • After applying the UC lower-division maximum transfer credit limitation policy, all junior/senior (upper division) and all UC units (lower division and upper division) are added to that total unit count. If the resulting unit count exceeds 80 semester units (120 quarter units), the student is ineligible for admission.
    Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam credit

    Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams can be used to benefit students in two ways. Exams with scores of 3 or higher on AP exams, or 5 or higher on IB higher-level exams can be used for unit credit. Units from credit-bearing exams can help students meet the unit minimum requirement, but will not be counted toward the unit maximum admission policy. Students can also use AP and IB exams for general education and/or subject credit and are encouraged to review ASSIST.org or guide.berkeley.edu for more details. For more information on how AP credits can be used, review the UC Exam Credit Matrix.

    International students

    International students have the same transfer admission requirements as all other students. International English Exams (i.e. TOEFL or IELTS) are not required for admission since English proficiency is assumed when completing the Reading and Composition requirement or completing an IGETC certification. However, they can be beneficial to the student’s success if admitted to Berkeley.

    Resources

    • Transfer requirements
    • Transfer information by college
    • Transfer courses for reading and composition
    • Transfer applicant resources
    • Transfer applicant checklist