General Education Transfer Requirements

MPC students who plan to transfer to a University of California or California State University campus in advanced standing (also called upper-division or junior level) should satisfy as many university general education and major requirements (prerequisites) as possible before transferring. High-unit majors such as engineering and biological sciences may be exempt from some general education courses. Students should see a counselor for more information and check www.assist.org for articulation agreements.

CSU General Education-Breadth

The CSU General Education-Breadth pattern allows California Community College transfer students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for any CSU campus prior to transfer. Completion of the CSU General Education-Breadth pattern is not a requirement to transfer to CSU.This curriculum provides an alternative to the IGETC requirements and to a university’s GE/Breadth requirements.

CSU-GE Certification: Upon completion of the CSU General Education-Breadth pattern, transferring students should request that a CSU-GE certification be sent to the CSU campus of choice. Certification indicates verification by Monterey Peninsula College that a student has completed all CSU lower-division general education requirements. Without the certification, students may be held to completing the general education requirements specific to the transfer CSU campus and may be required to complete additional general education coursework after transfer. It is the student’s responsibility to request certification by submitting the appropriate form to Admissions & Records Office. Partial certification by individual subject area is allowed for CSU GE-Breadth.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a selection of courses that community college students can complete to satisfy CSU or UC lower-division general education requirements. Courses must be completed for all areas with a grade of “C” or better. It should be noted that completion of the IGETC is neither a requirement for transfer to CSU or UC nor is it the only way to fulfill the lower-division general education requirements prior to transfer. Students pursuing majors that require extensive lower-division preparation (e.g., science, engineering, arts) may find the IGETC inappropriate to follow. Counselors are available to help students decide the most appropriate pattern to follow.

IGETC Certification: Upon completion of the IGETC pattern, the transferring student should request that an IGETC certification be sent to the UC or CSU campus of choice. Certification indicates verification by Monterey Peninsula College that a student has completed all lower-division general education requirements for the University of California or California State University. Without the certification, students may be held to completing the general education requirements specific to the transfer UC or CSU campus and may be required to complete additional general education coursework after transfer. It is the student’s responsibility to request certification by submitting the appropriate form to Admissions & Records Office.

Partial certification (i.e., certification of all but one or two courses) is allowed but may not be accepted by all UC or CSU campuses. Students must still complete all admission requirements for transfer: Areas 1A, 1B, and Area 2. Students intending to transfer to CSU are also required to complete an additional course in Oral Communication (Area 1C) and do not need to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English to transfer, but another language may be required for CSU graduation. Check your campus of choice. Contact a counselor for information regarding certification.

IGETC for STEM: Certain Associate Degrees for Transfer allow the use of IGETC for STEM. With this GE option, students follow the IGETC pattern but delay completing the following until after transfer: one Arts or Humanities course; one Social and Behavioral Science course; and the Language Other Than English requirement (only for UC-bound students who have not satisfied it through proficiency). Allowance for the use of IGETC for STEM pattern is noted within the applicable program listing.