Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a general education program that community college transfer students may use to fulfill lower-division general education requirements in either the UC or the CSU system without the need, after transfer, to take additional lower-division general education courses. The IGETC pattern is most useful for students who want to keep their options open before making a final decision about transferring to a particular UC or CSU campus. Completion of IGETC does NOT guarantee admission, nor is it required for admission.
Some students may be better served by taking courses that fulfill the CSU General Education-Breadth requirements or the requirements of the UC campus or other college to which they plan to transfer. Students pursuing majors that require extensive lower-division major preparation may not find the IGETC option to be advantageous. Engineering, Architecture, and Liberal Studies are examples of those majors. Roosevelt and Revelle Colleges at UC San Diego, the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and the College of Environmental Design (Architecture & Landscape Architecture majors) at UC Berkeley will not accept the IGETC. Schools of Engineering do not generally recommend the IGETC. Before selecting any courses, please see a counselor for assistance in planning your program.
Courses completed at a California Community College will be applied to the subject area in which they were listed by the institution where the work was completed. Coursework from other United States regionally accredited institutions can be used on IGETC. Each course must be deemed equivalent to a course on any California Community College’s approved IGETC course list, and must be used in the area designated on the IGETC course list. All courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher. A “Credit” or “Pass” that is defined by institutional policy as being equivalent to a grade of C (2.0) or higher may be applied to meet IGETC requirements. Foreign coursework from non-US regionally accredited institutions may not be used. Course credit earned on the basis of acceptable scores on Advanced Placement exams can be applied toward IGETC certification (see chart figure 2.1) for a list of acceptable AP courses and scores.)
IGETC Certification
The IGETC requirements should be completed and certified prior to transfer. “Certification” means that the last California Community College a student attended for a regular term (Fall or Spring for semester schools or Fall, Winter, Spring for quarter schools) prior to transfer to the UC or CSU system will verify that the student has completed the IGETC requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to request IGETC certification during the last semester of attendance at SMC prior to transfer. Requests for IGETC certification may be filed in the Admissions Office from:
• January 1 to July 31 for the Spring semester, and
• October 1 to December 1 for the Fall semester.
Before petitioning for IGETC certification, students are strongly urged to consult with their SMC counselor and verify that they have fulfilled their IGETC requirements.
Some private and out-of-state colleges and universities will accept the completed IGETC to meet their lower-division general education requirements. Please see chart below for a list of schools.
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) Requirements
Important: All areas must be completed before a student may request IGETC certification. All courses must be completed with grades of C (2.0) or higher. Courses used to meet IGETC requirements must have a minimum of 3 semester or 4 quarter units.
Courses with a laboratory component are designated by underlined text in the lists below.
Students wishing to earn an AA degree must complete a Global Citizenship course. These courses are designated by bold underlined text in the lists below.
AREA 1 – ENGLISH COMMUNICATION
CSU – Must complete Groups A, B, and C below.
UC – Must complete Groups A and B.
Group A: English Composition, 1 course (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)
English 1
Group B: Critical Thinking - English Composition
English 2 (if completed prior to Fall 1993 or at a school other than a California Community College, please consult with an SMC counselor)
Group C: Oral Communication, 1 course (3 semester/4-5 quarter units) (required for CSU only)
Speech 1, 6 (if completed Fall 2002 or later), 11
AREA 2 – MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING, 1 course (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)
Computer Science 10; Math 2, 7<, 8<, 10, 11, 13, 15, 21, (22) (if completed Fall 2001 or later), (23), (24), 26, 28<, 29<, 52
AREA 3 – ARTS AND HUMANITIES, at least 3 courses (9 semester/12-15 quarter units), with at least one course from the Arts and one course from the Humanities:
Art Courses: Architecture (50)∆ (same as Art 6), (51)∆ (same as Art 7); Art (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), ([6]) (same as Architecture 50), ([7]) (same as Architecture 51), (8), (9), (71), (72), ([73]) (if completed Fall 2001 or later) (same as Photography 52), (79) (satisfies Global Citizenship if completed Fall 2008 or later); Art History 1, 2, 3, 11, 15, 17, 21, [52] (same as Photography 52), 71, 72; Cinema (9); Dance 2, 5; English [55∆]; Film Studies 1, 2 (if completed Fall 2008 or later), 6∆ (if completed Fall 2008 or later), 8 (if completed Spring 2006 or later); Music 1, 30, 31, 32, 33 (satisfies Global Citizenship requirement if completed Fall 2005 or later), 35 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 36, 37 (if completed Fall 1999 or later), 39 (if completed Fall 1998 or later); Photography [52] (if completed Fall 2001 or later); Theater Arts 2, 5, [7<]∆
Humanities Courses: American Sign Language 2; Chinese 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later), 3 (if completed Fall 2000 or later), 4; Cinema (1), (5), (8) (if completed Fall 1998 or later); Economics 15∆ (same as History 15); English 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, [11] (same as Film Studies 11), 14, 15, (16), 17 (if completed Fall 1999 or later), 26 (same as Humanities 26), 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 (if completed Spring 2006 or later), 45 (if completed Fall 2002 or later), 50, [51] (same as Religious Studies 51), [52] (same as Religious Studies 52), 53, 54, [55∆], 56, 57 (if completed Fall 2000 or later), 58, 59 (if completed Fall 1998 or later); Film Studies 2 (if completed prior to Fall 2009), 5<, 6∆, [11] (same as English 11); French 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later), 3, 4; German 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later), 3, 4; Hebrew 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later); History 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15∆ (same as Economics 15), 16, (17)<, (18)<, 19, 20, 21, 22, (23), 24, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, (37) (if completed prior to Fall 1995), 38, 39, 41, 42 (if completed Fall 1996 through Summer 1997), 43, 45, 46, [48∆] (same as Philosophy 48), 52, 53, 55∆ (if completed Fall 1999 or later), 62; Humanities 26 (same as English 26); Italian 2 (if completed Spring 2005 or later), 3 (if completed Fall 2000 or later); Japanese 2 (if completed Spring 2005 or later), 3, 4; Korean 2 (if completed Spring 2005 or later), 3, 4; Persian 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later); Philosophy 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (if completed Fall 2000 or later), 10 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 11, 22, 23, 24 (if completed prior to Fall 1995), 41 (if completed prior to Fall 1995), [48∆] (same as History 48) [51∆], [52∆]; Political Science [51∆], [52∆]; Religious Studies (22), (23), [51] (same as English 51), [52] (same as English 52); Russian 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later); Spanish 2 (if completed Spring 2004 or later), 3, 4, 9, 12, 20∆; Theatre Arts [7]<∆
AREA 4 – SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, at least 3 courses (9 semester/12-15 quarter units), selected from at least 2 disciplines:
Anthropology 2, 3, 7, 14, 20, 21, 22; Child Development (18); Communication 1 (if completed Spring 2007 or later), 10 (if completed Fall 1998 or later); Early Childhood Education [18] (if completed Spring 2007 or later); Economics 1, 2, [5] (same as Political Science 5), 6, 15∆ (same as History 15); Environmental Studies [7] (if completed Fall 2001 or later) (same as Geography 7); Geography 2, [7] (if completed Fall 2001 or later) (same as Environmental Studies 7), [8] (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 11, 14 (if completed Fall 1998 or later); History 15∆ (same as Economics 15), 28, 42, [48]∆ (same as Philosophy 48), 55∆ (if completed Fall 2000 or later); Nutrition 7 (if completed Fall 2003 or later); Philosophy [48]∆ (same as History 48), [51]∆, [52]∆; Political Science 1, 2, [5] (same as Economics 5), 7, 8, 14, 21, 22 (if completed Fall 1998 or later), 23, 28, 47 (if completed Spring 2007 or later), [51]∆, [52]∆; Psychology 1, 3, 6 (if completed Fall 1998 or later), 11, 13, 14 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), [18] (if completed Spring 2007 or later), 19 (if completed Spring 2007 or later), 25 (if completed Fall 2001 or later); Sociology 1, 1S, 2, 2S, 4, 12 (if completed Fall 2003 or later), 30 (if completed Fall 1998 or later), 31, 32, 33, 34; Spanish 20∆ (if completed Fall 1999 or later); Speech 7 (if completed Fall 2002 or later), Urban Studies [8] (if completed Fall 2001 or later); Women’s Studies 10, 20
AREA 5 – PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, at least 2 courses (7-9 semester/9-12 quarter units), one a Physical Science course and one a Biological Science course, with at least one course including a laboratory. The course must be a minimum of 4 semester units or 5 quarter units to fulfill the IGETC lab requirement. Courses with a laboratory component are designated below by underlined text:
Physical Science Courses: Astronomy 1<, (1A), (1B), 2<, 3<, 4<, 5 (if completed Fall 2002 or later); Chemistry (1), (2), (3), 9, 10, 11, 12, (14), (15), (16), 21, 22, 24 (both 22 and 24 must be taken to fulfill lab requirement), 31; Geography 1<, 3, 5<; Geology 1<, 4<, 5 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 31; Physics (1), (2), (3), 6<, 7<, 8<, 9<, 12<, 14, 21, 22, 23< (if completed Fall 2000 or later)
Biological Science Courses: Anatomy 1, 2; Anthropology 1<, 5<, 9 (if completed Fall 2002 or later); Biology 2, 3<, 4< (if completed Fall 1998 or later), 6, (6A), (6B), (7), 9, 15<, 15N<, 21 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 22 (if completed Fall 2001 or later), 23, (25), 75N (if completed Fall 2000 or later); Botany 1; Microbiology 1; Physiology 3; Psychology 2; Zoology 5
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – (Required for UC only) This requirement may be fulfilled by completion of two years of one foreign language in high school with a grade of C (2.0) or higher (high school transcripts must be on file at SMC) or by completion at SMC of the first semester of a foreign language selected from the following courses:
American Sign Language 1; Chinese 1; French 1; German 1; Hebrew 1; Italian 1; Japanese 1; Korean 1 (if completed Fall 1999 or later); Persian 1 (if completed Fall 1999 or later); Russian 1; Spanish 1, 11 (course designed for native speakers). Please note: Students who complete any part of their education between 9th and 12th grade at an institution where the language of instruction is other than English will not receive UC unit credit for courses taken at SMC in that same language.
CSU GRADUATION REQUIREMENT IN US HISTORY, CONSTITUTION, AND AMERICAN IDEALS
(Not part of IGETC; may be completed prior to transfer.) 6 units, one course from Group 1 and one course from Group 2 (courses used to meet this requirement may be used to satisfy IGETC requirements):
US 1. Economics [15] (same as History 15), History 10 (if completed Spring 2007 or later), 11, 12, 15∆ (same as Economics 15), 41 (if completed Spring 2007 or later), 45 (if completed prior to Fall 2008), 46 (if completed prior to Fall 2008)
US 2. US Political Science 1
US 3. US Political Science 1
Key to Symbols for IGETC Requirements:
( ) Course no longer offered.
∆ Course may be listed in more than one area, but will not be certified in more than one area.
[ ] Course is offered in two departments, but students may receive credit for only one version of the course. See the Course Descriptions section of this catalog for details.
< Transfer credit may be limited by UC, CSU, or both.
IGETC Checklist
A summary of requirements for IGETC certification is listed below.
1. The institution is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or an equivalent accrediting body.
2. A course taken at a California Community College is applied to the subject area in which it is listed by the institution where the work was completed (check www.assist.org for college IGETC lists).
3. Coursework from other US regionally accredited institutions can be used on IGETC. The course(s) must be deemed equivalent to a course (or courses) on any California Community College approved IGETC course list and must be used in the area designated on the IGETC course list.
4. The grade received in course is C (2.0) or higher. A grade of C- (C minus) is not acceptable. A “Credit” or “Pass” that is defined by institutional policy as being equivalent to a grade of C (2.0) or higher may be applied to IGETC requirements.
5. Foreign coursework from non-United States regionally accredited institutions cannot be used for IGETC.
6. Each course is a minimum of 3 semester or 4 quarter units.
7. A science lab course is a minimum of 4 semester or 5 quarter units.
8. All courses that meet IGETC requirements are completed by the end of the semester you are petitioning for certification.
Petitions for IGETC certification may be filed in the Admissions Office from January 1 through July 31 for the Spring semester and October 1 through December 1 for students planning to complete requirements during the Fall semester. Certification petitions are available on those dates online (go to www.smc.edu/admissions/forms.htm) and in the Admissions Office. Requests for certification will be processed ONLY during those periods.
NOTE: Roosevelt and Revelle Colleges at UC San Diego, the School of Business at UC Berkeley, the College of Environmental Design (Architecture & Landscape Architecture majors) at UC Berkeley, and the College of Engineering at UC Riverside will not accept IGETC. In addition, some students may be better served by taking courses that fulfill the CSU General Education-Breadth Pattern, or that meet requirements for the specific GE pattern of the UC campus or college to which the students plan to transfer. Students pursuing majors that require extensive lower-division major preparation may not find the IGETC option advantageous. Engineering, Architecture, and Liberal Studies are examples of those majors.
Private and Out-of-State Schools That Accept IGETC
AICU, Alliant International University/USIU, Arizona State University, Biola University, California College for the Arts, California Lutheran University, Chapman University, Cogswell Polytechnical College, Concordia University, Dominican College of San Rafael, Hawaii Pacific University, Holy Names College, JFK University, Menlo College, National University, Notre Dame de Namur University (formerly College of Notre Dame), Oregon State University, Saint Mary’s College of California, Scripps College, Southern University – Baton Rouge, United States International University, University of La Verne, University of Northern Colorado, University of San Francisco, University of the Pacific, University of the West, Vanguard University of Southern California, and Woodbury University.
A score of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher Level (HL) exams is required to grant credit for IGETC certification.
An acceptable IB score for IGETC equates to either 3 semester or 4 quarter units for certification purposes.
Students who have earned credit for an IB exam should not take a comparable college course because transfer credit will not be granted for both.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)
The following International Baccalaureate (IB) exams may be used on IGETC.
|
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) EXAM |
IGETC AREA |
|
IB Biology HL |
5B (no lab) |
|
IB Chemistry HL |
5A (no lab) |
|
IB Economics HL |
4B |
|
IB Geography HL |
4E |
|
IB History (any region) HL |
3B or 4F |
|
IB Language A1 (any language, except English) HL |
3B & 6A |
|
IB Language A2 (any language, except English) HL |
3B & 6A |
|
IB Language A1 (any language) HL |
3B |
|
IB Language A2 (any language) HL |
3B |
|
IB Language B (any language) HL |
6A |
|
IB Mathematics HL |
5A (no lab) |
|
IB Physics HL |
B1 |
|
IB Psychology HL |
4I |
|
IB Theatre HL |
3A |
Applying Advanced Placement (AP) Credit to IGETC
• AP credit for the following exams—with a score of 3 or higher—may be applied to IGETC. Each exam satisfies one course.
• An acceptable AP score in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics B equates to 4 semester or 5 quarter units for certification purposes. UC or CSU may award more units toward the minimum needed to transfer. For details, see a counselor or UC/CSU Outreach representative.
• *Students who use AP Environmental Science, Physics C: Mechanics, or Physics C: Electricity/Magnetism will need to complete 4 semester or 5 quarter units in Area 5B to satisfy Area 5.
• College courses, including SMC courses, with similar content to an AP exam may yield transfer credit. Unit and subject credit is determined by each transfer institution. For details, see a counselor or UC/CSU Outreach representative.
• Official transcripts/scores and Advanced Placement (AP) scores must be on file with SMC’s Admissions Office.
|
AP EXAMINATION |
IGETC AREA |
UNITS AWARDED TOWARD IGETC PATTERN |
UNITS EARNED TOWARD UC TRANSFER |
|
Art History |
Area 3A or 3B |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Biology |
Area 5B (with lab) |
4 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Calculus AB |
Area 2A |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Calculus BC |
Area 2A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Chemistry |
Area 5A (with lab) |
4 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Chinese Language & Culture |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Economics – Macroeconomics |
Area 4B |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Economics – Microeconomics |
Area 4B |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
English – Language & Composition |
Area 1A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
English – Literature & Composition |
Area 1A or 3B |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Environmental Science* |
Area 5A (with lab)* |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
French Language |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
French Literature |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
German Language |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Government & Politics – Comparative |
Area 4H |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Government & Politics – U.S. |
Area 4H |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
History – European |
Area 3B or 4F |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/ 5.3 semester units |
|
History – U.S. |
Area 3B or 4F |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
History – World |
Area 3B or 4F |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Human Geography |
Area 4E |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Italian Language & Culture |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Japanese Language & Culture |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Latin – Literature |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Latin – Vergil |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Physics B |
Area 5 (with lab) |
4 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Physics C – Electricity & Magnetism* |
Area 5A (with lab) |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Physics C – Mechanics* |
Area 5A (with lab) |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Psychology |
Area 4I |
3 semester units |
4 quarter/2.7 semester units |
|
Spanish Language |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
|
Spanish Literature |
Area 3B & 6A |
3 semester units |
8 quarter/5.3 semester units |
Meeting Foreign Language Requirement (UC Only)
The Foreign Language requirement for IGETC may be met in one of the following ways:
1. Completion of high school coursework equivalent to 2 years of the same language with a grade of C (2.0) (C- is calculated as a C) or higher in the last semester of the second year. EXCEPTION: If a grade lower than a C (2.0) is earned in the second year, second semester, a grade of C (2.0) or higher in a higher level course will satisfy the requirement.
2. A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam in languages other than English.
3. A score of 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Exam in languages other than English.
4. Satisfactory completion of 2 or more years of formal schooling at the 6th grade level or higher in an institution where the language of instruction is not English.
5. Completion of a course(s) at a college or university with a grade of C (2.0) or higher (any course, excluding conversation courses, considered by the college to be equivalent to 2 years of high school language may be used).
6. Language other than English “O” level exam with grade of A, B, or C.
7. Satisfactory score on the SAT II: Subject Test in Languages other than English.
If exam was taken before May 1995, use first score listed; if taken after May 1995, use second score listed:
• Chinese with listening: 500/520
• French/French with listening: 500/540
• German/German with listening: 500/510
• Hebrew (Modern): 500/470
• Italian: 500/520
• Japanese with listening: 500/510
• Korean/Korean with listening: /500
• Latin: 500/530
• Spanish/Spanish with listening: 500/520
College courses, including SMC courses, with similar content to an AP exam may yield transfer credit. Unit and subject credit is determined by each transfer institution. Check with a counselor for details.
UC Unit Limitations
• A maximum of 4 Physical Education units are UC transferable.
• Students who complete any part of their education between 9th and 12th grade at an institution where the language of instruction is other than English, will not receive UC unit credit for courses taken at SMC in that same language.
Courses with UC Unit Limitations
Anthropology 1 and 5 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
Anthropology 3 and 4 combined – maximum UC credit 1 course
Architecture (10A), (10B), (11A), (20A) and Art 20 combined – maximum UC credit 17 units
Astronomy 1 (formerly 1A) and 3 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
Astronomy 2 (formerly 1B) and 4 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
Biology 3 – no credit if taken after 21, 22 or 23
Biology 4 – no credit if taken after 21, 22 or 23; no credit if taken after Botany 1 or Zoology 5
Biology 15 and 15N combined – maximum credit 4 units
Botany 1 – no credit if taken after 21, 22 or 23
Business 5 and 6 combined – maximum UC credit one course
Chemistry 10 – no UC credit if taken after 11
Chemistry 22 and 24 – maximum UC credit 5 units
Cinema (see Film Studies)
CIS 1 or 4 – no UC credit if taken after CS 3
English 30A – maximum UC credit 3 units
English 30B – maximum UC credit 3 units
ESL 11B, 21A, 21B, 25 combined – maximum UC credit 8 units
Film Studies 5 (formerly Cinema 5) – maximum UC credit 3 units
Film Studies 8 (formerly Cinema 2) – maximum UC credit 3 units
Film Studies 9 (formerly Cinema 4) – maximum UC credit 3 units
Geology 1 and 5 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
Geology 1 and 4 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
History 1, 2 and (35), (36) – Maximum UC credit 1 series (2 courses)
Journalism 1 and (2) combined – maximum UC credit 1 course
Math 2 and 22 – maximum UC credit 4 units
Math 7 and 8 and 23 and 24 combined – maximum UC credit 1 series (2 courses)
Music 1 – no UC credit if taken after Music 2
Music 92 – must be taken with a music ensemble class for UC credit to be granted
PRO SKILLS 3, 4, 6A, 6B, 29A, 29B; Physical Education 2, 3 combined – maximum UC credit 8 units
Physics 21, 22, 23 (formerly 1, 2, 3) combined with 6 and 7 or 8 and 9 – maximum UC credit one series
Physics 12 and 14 combined – maximum UC credit 4 units
Spanish 1 and 11 combined – maximum UC credit 1 course
Zoology 5 – no credit if taken after 21, 22 or 23
( ) Courses in parentheses are no longer offered