New Transfer Academic FAQs

• When can I meet with a College Counselor or Major Advisor?

When can I meet with a College Counselor or Major Advisor?

ERC Academic Counselors do not meet with new first year students prior to Week 0. You can utilize the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to contact your major department and ERC Academic Advising.

Your class selection will take place prior to Orientation. This is why it is so important to visit the VAC and submit your Academic Background by the deadline! There will be some time during Orientation to ask Advisors questions, but not one-on-one time to work through individual schedules.

Incoming students can meet with an ERC Academic Counselor starting Week 0 or "Welcome Week” of Fall quarter.  To view our Drop-In Advising hours, visit our Academic Services webpage.

• I’m transferring from a California Community College with over 100 semester units, how many of those units will be transferred and how will they transfer to quarter units?
• Where do we check our transfer coursework and if they were received?
• Does the Community College GPA transfer as well or does it "restart"?
• What happens if the course I took at a California Community College does not appear on ASSIST.org?
• How can I petition to use a community college class for a major or GE requirement?
• Is there a website that we can use to see a similar comparison for transfer credits from out of state colleges?
• Can I still get credit if I take a class that my scores or transcript clear me from?
• If I took courses elsewhere and it’s not posted to my records yet, but I need it to enroll in a course for Fall, how do I get access to enroll in that course for Fall?
• If I took a GE course at a community college, does that mean I can transfer the credits I earned for that class to UCSD and that I don’t have to take this particular class once I am at UCSD?
• Does my community college GPA transfer to UCSD?

I’m transferring from a California Community College with over 100 semester units, how many of those units will be transferred and how will they transfer to quarter units?

Only UC transferable credit will be transferred, and the maximum California Community College units you can transfer is 105. To convert semester units to quarter units, simply multiply by 1.5 (ex. 3 semester units x 1.5 = 4.5 quarter units).

Where do we check our transfer coursework and if they were received?

Visit the Triton Checklist at http://tritonchecklist.ucsd.edu and click under the "Transcripts and Test Scores" heading to see if your transcripts and/or AP/IB scores have been received. If it is not there, check with UCSD Admissions to ensure that they have received your transcript(s) and/or AP/IB scores. 

Once your transfer coursework has been received and posted by UCSD Admissions into your student records, you will be able to view all coursework posted in your Academic History and Degree Audit.  Your Academic History and Degree Audit can be found by going to tritonlink.ucsd.edu then clicking on “Tritonlink Tools” > “Academic History” under “Grades and Transcript tools” OR “Degree Audit” under “Advising Tools”.

If you have further questions regarding sending transcripts and if they were received, please contact UCSD Admissions directly. 

Does the Community College GPA transfer as well or does it "restart"?

Community college GPA is not calculated with your GPA from UCSD as it is a UC GPA.  If you took coursework at a UC, those grades will be included in your UC GPA.

What happens if the course I took at a California Community College does not appear on ASSIST.org?

You will first need to verify that the course is UC transferable.  Although a course you took at the community college may not be directly equivalent to a UCSD course, it may be UC transferable and possibly applied towards a general education (GE) requirement. To use for a GE requirement, fill out an Undergraduate Student Petition and include a course syllabus to submit to the ERC Academic Advising Office for review (for general education purposes only).

If you would like to petition for course equivalency and/or to be able to take the next course in a sequence in courses offered by Math, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or another STEM course, you will need to submit the petition to the respective academic department.  Each academic department will review petitions for their own course.

How can I petition to use a community college class for a major or GE requirement?

For a major requirement, you need to speak with your major department advisor. Use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to communicate with the department. To petition a GE requirement, bring the course syllabus and filled out Undergraduate Student Petition to ERC Academic Advising.

Is there a website that we can use to see a similar comparison for transfer credits from out of state colleges?

We do not have an articulated system with out-of-state institutions, therefore we do not have a website you can look at. However, you can still petition to use courses taken at an out-of-state school towards a requirement.

To petition a GE requirement, bring the course syllabus and filled out Undergraduate Student Petition to ERC Academic Advising.

If you need to be pre-authorized into a course, submit an Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) request online. 

Can I still get credit if I take a class that my scores or transcript clear me from?

If you retake a course at UCSD that you have previously passed and earned credits for, then you will NOT receive credit.

If I took courses elsewhere and it’s not posted to my records yet, but I need it to enroll in a course for Fall, how do I get access to enroll in that course for Fall?

First make sure your transcript(s) has been sent to the UCSD Admissions Office. If received by UCSD Admissions Office, follow up with them to see when they can post your transfer credit.  If your transcript is pending receipt or pending posting, submit an Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) request to the academic department for pre-authorization for enrollment in a course.

If I took a GE course at a community college, does that mean I can transfer the credits I earned for that class to UCSD and that I don’t have to take this particular class once I am at UCSD?

Go to http://www.assist.org to see if a course at a California Community College is equivalent to a UCSD course. If your course is listed as equivalent to a UCSD course that meets an ERC GE requirement on the site, you do not need to petition it through ERC Academic Advising. Refer to the chart below for guidelines on which California Community College departments to select to find courses that may fulfill ERC GE requirements:

If you'd like to use a course for your major, please consult with your major department. 

NOTES:

It is NOT guaranteed that all courses in these community college departments will satisfy any particular ERC GE; these are just suggestions to help you find potential courses.

In order to satisfy an ERC GE requirement, courses must transfer to UCSD as at least 4.0 quarter units each.

Does my community college GPA transfer to UCSD?

No, your community college GPA will not be factored into your UC GPA.  Only UCSD or other UC courses will factor into your GPA.

• If I am IGETC certified, do I still need to take any GEs?
• I did not finish my IGETC at my community college.  Will the system categorize me as partial IGETC? Or do I need to submit a partial IGETC?
• What does a partial IGETC exempt me from taking?
• I’m a new freshman first year student, can I be granted IGETC?

If I am IGETC certified, do I still need to take any GEs?

Yes, you need to take MMW 121 and MMW 122 for your General Education.

You will also need to complete the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) university requirement. 

I did not finish my IGETC at my community college.  Will the system categorize me as partial IGETC? Or do I need to submit a partial IGETC?

You must have an official partial IGETC certification on record to be categorized as partial IGETC.  You may need to have your community college send/resend the partial IGETC certification to UCSD Admissions to help make sure it is posted on your academic history.  

What does a partial IGETC exempt me from taking?

The number of GEs will depend on which IGETC area(s) the student is missing.  To receive a partial IGETC, a student can only miss up to two IGETC areas. 

I’m a new freshman first year student, can I be granted IGETC?

No, students who enter UCSD as a new freshman first year students cannot have IGETC status. Only transfer students can be granted IGETC.

• Why is my Academic History blank?
• Where can I find my Degree Audit?

Why is my Academic History blank?

The reason is either due to missing transcript(s) and/or AP/IB scores or your transcripts and AP/IB scores have been received but not posted to your records yet.

If you submitted your test scores and transcripts by the July 1st deadline, it should be posted by mid-August.

Visit the Triton Checklist at http://tritonchecklist.ucsd.edu and click under the "Transcripts and Test Scores" heading to see if your AP and/or IB scores have been received. If it is not there, check with UCSD Admissions to ensure that they have received your transcript(s) and/or AP/IB scores.

Where can I find my Degree Audit?

• Will our appointed times to select classes be given at random?
• Can I change my WebReg enrollment time?
• What happens if you miss your enrollment time?
• What website do we go on to sign up for classes?
• Can I sign up for classes that are not in my major?

Will our appointed times to select classes be given at random?

Appointment times are randomly assigned by the Registrar’s office for all new students entering Fall quarter.

Can I change my WebReg enrollment time?

No, you cannot change your enrollment time.  Remember that enrollment times are assigned randomly for your first quarter.

What happens if you miss your enrollment time?

Your appointment time starts and ends at a given date, therefore if you “miss” the start of your allotted time, you may enroll in classes until your time ends. Try to register as close to when it begins as possible. Keep in mind that appointment dates/times are based on Pacific Standard Time (PST).

The add deadline is Week 2 of the quarter. 

What website do we go on to sign up for classes?

You will enroll using WebReg. You can find WebReg by going to tritonlink.ucsd.edu >“Tritonlink Tools” > “Classes & Enrollment Tools”. (See full tutorial here)

Can I sign up for classes that are not in my major?

Yes, you can enroll in classes that are not in your major. This courses would be considered elective classes. However, be sure you are making progress in your major and GE requirements. Some departments close their classes to major/minor students only so be sure to check pre-requisites.

• Where and when can I take the Placement Exams?
• Are my recommended courses specific to my academic history/test exemptions?
• How many classes do I need to take per quarter?
• How many units should I take in my first quarter?
• What is the difference between DI and LE meeting type classes?
• Are the classes listed in the schedule of classes the only ones offered in Fall? Where do I find a list of all UCSD courses?

Where and when can I take the Placement Exams?

If you have been informed or have determined yourself that you need to take a placement exam, please review the details on the Placement Exam websites, which includes information regarding the following:

- Math (Calculus only)
- Language: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Greek, Korean, Latin, Russian, Arabic, American Sign Language (ASL), Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Vietnamese

Please select a time that is not during orientation, you will not have the opportunity to take the test during orientation. You will not be excused from orientaiton to leave and take the exam.

Are my recommended courses specific to my academic history/test exemptions?

ERC Counselors review your academic background submitted in the VAC, academic record (test scores, AP/IB and/or transfer credit) to create an enrollment guidance to help prepare you. Your major’s or proposed major’s academic plans are used as well.

How many classes do I need to take per quarter?

We recommend you enroll in four classes your first quarter. This gives you room in your schedule to drop to three classes if you are overwhelmed or do not like a class. 12 units is considered full time.

How many units should I take in my first quarter?

If you are not working and have no other major time commitments we recommend registering for four classes (16 units). This gives you the option to drop one course and remain a full time student.  

What is the difference between DI and LE meeting type classes?

LE stands for Lecture and DI stands for Discussion (also referred to as section).  The Lecture is the main part of a course that is headed by a Professor, while the discussion is a smaller group setting lead by a teaching assistant or an instructional assistant. When signing up for classes, you must enroll in both parts of a class.

Are the classes listed in the schedule of classes the only ones offered in Fall? Where do I find a list of all UCSD courses?

Yes, the schedule of classes reflects the current quarter's course offerings.  You can find a list of all UCSD courses in the General Catalog: http://catalog.ucsd.edu. 

• Do I have to take MMW during my first two quarters?
• Will I get a seat in MMW 121?
• Can I take MMW 121 and MMW 122 in the same quarter?
• If I am starting a brand new language, should I still take the language placement exam?
• Where can we find a list of languages that we can take as beginners to fulfill the ERC language requirement?
• If we are fluent in a specific language, can we just take the proficiency exam and would that satisfy the foreign language requirement for ERC?

Do I have to take MMW during my first two quarters?

You are required to take MMW 121 and 122 but you do not have to take them during your first two quarters.  However, it is highly recommended you complete both courses during your first two quarters as you would be done with MMW courses during your first year and you would be taking them with your fellow first year transfer students. Additionally, MMW is only offered in specific quarters so you do not want to miss the opportunity to enroll as it may cause delays to your graduation plan. 

Will I get a seat in MMW 121?

Seats have been saved in MMW 121 to try to make room for all new transfer students. You should register as close to your appointment time as you can to have the best chance of getting the class(es) you want.  

Can I take MMW 121 and MMW 122 in the same quarter?

No you cannot take both MMW 121 and MMW 122 in the same quarter.  MMW 121 is offered in the Fall and MMW 122 is offered in the Winter during the academic year.

If I am starting a brand new language, should I still take the language placement exam?

No placement exam is needed if you will start a new language. You can start in the first course if you have no prior knowledge. For Chinese and Japanese you will need to speak with the department advisor.

Where can we find a list of languages that we can take as beginners to fulfill the ERC language requirement?

Visit the ERC General Education website to find the list of languages UCSD offers.

If we are fluent in a specific language, can we just take the proficiency exam and would that satisfy the foreign language requirement for ERC?

Yes. For more information on how to take a proficiency exam, click here.

• When/How can you declare a second major?

When/How can you declare a second major?

See an ERC Academic Counselor for more information or read “How to Declare a Double Major” website.  

Note: You can declare the double major after completing your first quarter and before reaching 135 units.

• How soon should I start planning for studying abroad? And where do I go?

How soon should I start planning for studying abroad? And where do I go?

You should begin researching on the different study abroad programs (EAP, OAP, Global Seminars) that best fit your needs. Study abroad forms are due at least three quarters (1 year or so) before the departing term.  For more information contact the Study Abroad Office.

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