Transferring from Santa Monica College

Many students use Santa Monica College as the freshman and sophomore years of a four-year college plan. In fact, SMC is a leader in transferring students to four-year colleges and universities, including the UC and CSU systems. Each of these institutions has a list of courses that must be completed to satisfy its general education and lower-division major requirements.

Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should identify which transferable courses are required for both their major and general education. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a counselor to develop an academic plan best suited for their transfer institution and intended major.

The following checklist should help a student establish transfer goals:

Identify admission requirements.
Identify general education requirements.
Identify preparation for the major.
Determine whether the major is “impacted.”
Determine the competitive GPA for the major.
Establish a relationship with a counselor who will help to make the student the most attractive applicant possible!

Santa Monica College offers courses similar to courses offered in the lower division (i.e., the first two years) of four-year colleges and universities. Course requirements for graduation vary from one institution to another, so it is to a student’s advantage to choose his or her transfer university or college as early as possible. Students are advised to complete the courses at SMC that best satisfy the lower-division course requirements of their transfer institution(s). Lower-division course requirements typically include a set of “general education” courses and a sequence of courses in the student’s chosen “major” field of study.

For transfer admission to the UC or CSU system, a student will need to complete 60 or more UC- or CSU-transferable semester units of study — with the required grade point average — by the end of the spring semester for fall admission, or by the end of the fall semester for spring admission. However, these institutions do not look only at the number of units that have been completed, they also look at how to apply those units to a student’s education goal (e.g., how many of the units meet the general education requirements, how many of these units meet the major requirements, etc.).

Admission requirements, course transferability, and course credit allowed will vary at private, out-of-state, or international colleges and universities. Students should consult the transfer school’s catalog for specific requirements and transferability or make an appointment with an SMC counselor or a university representative at General Counseling & Transfer Services to clarify admission standards.

For more up-to-date, detailed, or extensive information regarding transfer requirements, students are encouraged to drop by General Counseling & Transfer Services or visit the website (smc.edu/transfer). Students can also access this information online (go to assist.org). Students are invited to visit General Counseling & Transfer Services to discuss their transfer strategy with a counselor or with one of the representatives of colleges or universities, who periodically visit SMC. Various general education patterns for some of the most popular transfer institutions for Santa Monica College students are described below. Selected lower-division major requirements for some four-year institutions are included in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

Students interested in transferring should also be aware of critical application filing periods and procedures. This information — as well as applications to most four-year institutions in California — can be obtained online at smc.edu/transfer.

Please Note: The requirements listed on the following pages are SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. For updated information, students should check with their Santa Monica College counselor periodically, or look online at smc.edu/transfer.

Transfer and Articulation Agreements

Articulation is the process of linking two educational institutions together to help students make a smooth transition — without experiencing a delay or duplication of coursework — from the community college to a four-year college or university.

Santa Monica College has worked out transfer (articulation) agreements with a wide variety of colleges and universities on how SMC’s units of credit will transfer. These agreements can contain general education requirements, lower-division major requirements, or both.

Students planning to transfer from Santa Monica College to a UC or CSU campus can find articulation information online (go to assist.org or to smc.edu/articulation). ASSIST (assist.org) is a database that contains information on lower-division major requirements and general education requirements for UC and CSU campuses and their equivalent at the community college. Students are strongly encouraged, and will probably find it much easier, to use the assistance of a counselor at General Counseling & Transfer Services.

Santa Monica College has articulation agreements with the following institutions of higher education:

University of California

UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Los Angeles
UC Merced
UC Riverside
UC San Diego
UC San Francisco
School of Dentistry
School of Pharmacy
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz

California State University

CSU Bakersfield
CSU Channel Islands
CSU Chico
CSU Dominguez Hills
CSU East Bay
CSU Fresno
CSU Fullerton
CSU Humboldt (Humboldt State)
CSU Long Beach
CSU Los Angeles
CSU Maritime
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU Northridge
CSU Pomona (CalPoly, Pomona)
CSU Sacramento
CSU San Bernardino
CSU San Diego
CSU San Francisco (San Francisco State)
CSU San José (San José State)
CSU Sonoma (Sonoma State)
CSU San Luis Obispo (CalPoly, SLO)
CSU San Marcos
CSU Stanislaus

Private Colleges/Universities – California

Academy of Art University, San Francisco
Alliant International University
American Jewish University
Antioch University Los Angeles
Art Center College of Design
Ashford University
Azusa Pacific University
Biola University
California College of The Arts
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)
California Lutheran University
Charles R. Drew University
Columbia College Hollywood
Concordia University Irvine
DeVry University
Emperor’s College of Traditional Medicine
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)
Los Angeles Film School
Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
Marymount California University
Menlo College
Mount Saint Mary’s University
National University
New School of Architecture and Design
New York Film Academy Los Angeles
Notre Dame de Namur University
Otis College of Art and Design
Pacific Oaks College
Palo Alto University
Pepperdine University
- Graziadio School of Business and Management
- Seaver College
Point Loma Nazarene University
Saint Mary’s College of California
Santa Clara University
SCI-Arc
Southern California University of Health Sciences
United States University
University of La Verne
University of Massachusetts Global (formerly Brandman University)
University of Phoenix
University of Redlands
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California (USC)
- School of Pharmacy
- Viterbi School of Engineering
University of West Los Angeles (UWLA)
Whittier College
Woodbury University

Out-of-State Colleges/Universities:

Arizona State University and
Arizona State University Online (AZ)
Berklee-Online I Berklee College of Music (MA)
George Mason University (VA)
Kansas City Art Institute (MO)
LIM College (NY)
Oregon State University (OR)
Pacific Northwest College of Art/Willamette University (OR)
Regis University (CO)
Savannah College of Art and Design (GA)
Smith College (MA)
SUNY Polytechnic University (NY)
Syracuse University (NY)
University of Hawai’i Manoa (HI)
University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
University of Nevada, Reno (NV)
University of New Mexico (NM)
Western Oregon University (OR)

International Universities

American College Dublin (Ireland)
American University of Paris (France)
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (England)
Athabasca University (Canada)
Bath Spa University (Bath, England)
Brunei University London (England)
John Cabot University (Rome, Italy)
Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)
Middlesex University (London, England)
Northumbria University (Newcastle, England)
Rennes School of Business (France)
University of Gloucestershire (England)
University of Otago (New Zealand)
University of Westminster, London (England)
Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)

Online Bachelor’s Degrees

Cal State Online
Alliant International University
Arizona State University
Athabasca University (Canada)
The City University of New York (CUNY)
School of Professional Studies
Berklee – Online I Berklee College of Music (MA)
DeSales University
National University (Los Angeles Campus)
Oregon State University
Pepperdine University
Graziadio School of Business and Management
Purdue University Global
Regis University
Sacramento State University
Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
TUI University
Western Governors University (UT)

Students are strongly advised to gather as much information as possible about their chosen transfer college or university. Counselors will assist students with the transfer process, including appropriate course selection and information regarding the admission process and requirements. However, it is up to each individual student — working with a counselor — to decide upon an education goal, to take responsibility for devising a long-range education plan to achieve that goal, to read the catalog of his or her chosen transfer institution, and then to choose the appropriate Santa Monica College courses to satisfy the requirements for transfer to that college or university.

General Education Requirements and Transfer

Nearly every college and university requires the completion of a series of lower-division general education courses prior to awarding their Bachelor’s degrees. Santa Monica College offers a selection of general education courses broad enough to satisfy almost any lower-division general education graduation requirement. However, each college and university has a unique pattern that it requires of its students.

Because there are numerous general education patterns, all students SHOULD see a counselor to determine which pattern is best for them and to develop an appropriate transfer course plan. Students are urged NOT to attempt to plan a transfer without professional advice.

The fact that so many different patterns exist creates some problems for the community college transfer student. Fortunately, students at a California Community College may use the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for almost all schools in either the CSU or UC system. Alternatively, CSU has developed a general education pattern (CSU GE) for community college transfer students that meets the lower-division general education requirements for all of the CSU campuses.

Completion of IGETC or CSU GE does NOT constitute completion of all admission requirements. Please consult with an SMC counselor to develop a comprehensive transfer strategy. Courses approved for IGETC are designated as such in the course description. Students should refer to assist.org for further information.

The IGETC and CSU GE patterns can be found in the General Education (GE) Patterns section of this catalog or online at smc.edu/articulation.

General Education Certification

“General Education Certification” means that SMC has verified that a student has completed the lower-division general education requirements, and this guarantees that no additional lower-division general education courses can be imposed on a student as a condition of graduation. “Certified” community college students are deemed to have satisfied the lower-division general education requirements of their chosen transfer institution. “Uncertified” UC and CSU transfer students will have their transfer coursework applied to the graduation requirements of their new UC or CSU campus, but may find that they must complete more lower-division general education units than are required of a “certified” transfer. For this reason, “fully certified” transfer is strongly recommended. NOTE: Students transferring to a CSU should be aware that nine (9) units of upper-division general education courses must be completed after transfer.

Santa Monica College is authorized to certify students who have satisfactorily completed the required courses. This includes not only courses taken at SMC, but also selected coursework taken at other regionally-accredited colleges and universities through a process called “pass along certification.” As a result, it is critically important for every student who transfers into SMC from another college or university to have official transcripts sent directly from the other institution(s) to SMC’s Admissions Office. Please see an SMC counselor for assistance.

IGETC Certification

When Santa Monica College is a student’s last/most recent school of attendance, SMC can certify the completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), which satisfies the lower-division general education requirements for both UC and CSU transfer students. All IGETC coursework MUST be completed before a student’s transfer to receive “Full IGETC Certification.” Students will receive “Partial IGETC Certification” if they are missing no more than two courses from the IGETC pattern.

CSU GE Certification

The California State University (CSU) system will extend “Full CSU GE Certification” to students who have completed all sections of the CSU General Education Pattern. “Partial CSU GE Certification” is awarded for completion of one or more, but not all of the five general education subsections. CSU Certification should be requested during a student’s last semester at Santa Monica College. If a student is only partially certified, most CSU campuses will allow the students to work on attaining full certification by taking SMC courses during an inter-session or during concurrent SMC-CSU enrollment.

Requesting Certification

Students whose transfer plan is the IGETC or the CSU General Education Pattern should request certification after they have selected and committed to attend a four-year institution. Requests for certification should be filed in the Admissions Office during these dates (requests will be processed ONLY during these periods):

Fall semester – October 1 to December 1
Spring semester – January 1 to July 31

Students are responsible for making the request for certification. Santa Monica College does not automatically certify. Certification request forms are available online at smc.edu/forms and in the Admissions Office. A minimal processing fee will be assessed (consult the Admissions Office website for details).

Please Note: IGETC or CSU GE certification from SMC might not be completed by the transfer college’s published deadline for submission of application transcripts. Students should NOT depend on this process for submission of transcripts. A submitted certification request does not automatically include a transcript submission to the transfer college. A separate transcript order is recommended.

Transfer to the University of California (UC) System

Santa Monica College takes great pride in leading the state in the number of students who successfully transfer to the UC system. This system has ten campuses, the following nine of which have undergraduate programs: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Admission representatives from UC campuses visit SMC on a regular basis. Stop by General Counseling & Transfer Services to obtain a calendar of these scheduled visits, or check online at smc.edu/transfer.

UC Applications

UC applications are available August 1.

Applications for admission to the UC system are available online at admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu. California Community College students receive admission priority over other transfer applicants, and several of the UC campuses offer guaranteed admission to well-prepared transfer students. The Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) — at admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/transfer-admission-planner — is an online tool that can help students plan and monitor progress towards transferring to a UC Campus. Because the pool of students applying to the UC varies each year, the level of academic performance for admission to a campus or to a major will vary as well. Variables such as the number of applicants, their academic qualifications, and the number of spaces available can impact acceptance rates.

UC Priority Application Filing Period

To Attend	Apply
Fall	October 1 – November 30
Winter	July 1 – 31
Spring	October 1 – 31

All UC campuses accept applications for fall admission. To determine which UC campuses accept in winter and/or spring, call the specific campuses or see universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions for details.

Transfer Admission Requirements for the University of California (UC)

The minimum requirements for UC transfer admission can be found at admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer.

These include:

Complete the following 7-course pattern by the end of the spring term prior to fall enrollment at UC:
- Two transferable courses in English composition;
- One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning;
- Four transferable college courses chosen from at least two of the following subject areas:
  - arts and humanities
  - social and behavioral sciences
  - physical and biological sciences
Complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit. No more than 14 semester (21 quarter) units of the 60 semester (90 quarter) units may be taken on a Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit basis. Courses designated “UC” in the course description will transfer as baccalaureate credit for (at least) elective credit to the University of California. Students should refer to assist.org for further information.
Earn at least a 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable courses (2.8 if student is a nonresident) and be in good standing at the last college or university attended. NOTE: Some majors require a higher GPA for admission selection and a higher grade point average is required to be a more academically attractive transfer applicant to most UC campuses.

All branches of the University of California allow up to 70 transferable semester units from a community college. Students who have already completed 70 or more transferable semester units at a community college may still complete courses for credit (e.g., to finish IGETC or major requirements) at a community college, but will not be able to transfer more than 70 semester units of credit to the University of California. Please note: all UC-transferable units will be included in the GPA calculation and analyzed for subject credit.

Students are advised to visit SMC’s General Counseling & Transfer Services for a realistic estimate of the current grade point average actually required for admission to various major programs at various UC campuses, and to verify the most appropriate lower-division general education pattern for their goal.

Beyond the Minimum: An Academically Attractive Applicant for UC

The University of California tries to provide a place on one of its campuses for all California resident applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements and file an application during the appropriate filing period.

In recent years, the number of applicants for some campuses and some majors has far exceeded the number of spaces available. When a campus cannot accept all eligible applicants, it uses standards that are more demanding than the minimum requirements to select students. These criteria are:

Completion of a specified pattern of courses that provide continuity with upper-division courses in the major;
Completion of a specified pattern of courses that meet general education or breadth requirements;
Attainment of a specified GPA in all transferable courses;
Participation in academically selective honors courses or programs;
Special talents, achievements, and awards in a particular field, such as the visual and performing arts or in athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; or experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the applicant’s promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.

UC General Education Requirements

There are two ways for a student to complete general education requirements for the UC system: (1) complete the general education pattern specific to a particular UC campus, or (2) complete the IGETC. Please see above for important information regarding IGETC Certification. NOTE: SMC does not accept foreign coursework from non-U.S. regionally accredited institutions to meet general education requirements.

UC Impacted Majors

Some majors at UC campuses are highly competitive, or “impacted.” This means that certain courses in the major must be completed with achievement of a high GPA prior to transfer. Please consult with General Counseling & Transfer Services for details.

Transfer to the California State University (CSU) System

Santa Monica College transfers an impressive number of students to the California State University system, which consists of 23 campuses located throughout the state. Admission representatives from local CSU campuses visit SMC on a regular basis. Please check with General Counseling & Transfer Services for more detailed information.

CSU Applications

Applications for admission to the CSU system are available online at calstate.edu/apply. Applications to impacted programs must be filed during the priority-filing period, which is the first month applications are accepted for a given term. Many CSU campuses are approaching capacity in a number of academic disciplines, and they are likely to stop accepting applications for admission after the first month of the filing period. Campuses that are less impacted may accept applications up to one month prior to the opening day of the term, although individual programs may close earlier. Applications should be filed as early in the filing period as possible to ensure priority consideration!

CSU Priority Application Filing Periods

Students are encouraged to attend an application workshop before beginning application procedures. The priority application filing periods are:

Quarter System Campuses

Summer Quarter: Feb 1 – 28

Fall Quarter: Oct 1 – Nov 30

Winter Quarter: June 1 – 30

Spring Semester: Aug 1 – 31

Semester System Campuses

Fall Semester: Oct 1 – Nov 30

Spring Quarter: Aug 1 – 31

Transfer Admission Requirements for the California State University (CSU)

The minimum requirements for CSU transfer admission can be found at calstate.edu/apply. They include:

Complete a minimum of 30 semester units of CSU GE courses.
- The following areas of the CSU GE pattern MUST be completed for admission and the courses satisfying these areas must be completed with a grade of C- or better: CSU GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.
Complete 60 semester/90 quarter CSU-transferable units, including a minimum of 30 semester/45 quarter units in general education courses. Courses designated “CSU” in the course description have been determined by Santa Monica College to be baccalaureate-appropriate and acceptable for transfer to the California State University as at least elective credit. Students should refer to assist.org for further information.
Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in CSU-transferable courses and be in good standing at the last college or university attended. NOTE: Some majors require a higher GPA for admission selection and a higher grade point average is required to be a more academically attractive transfer applicant to most CSU campuses.

Prior to transfer, it is strongly recommended that students complete the IGETC or CSU GE pattern in full, including the American Institution graduation requirement. Certain programs have more applicants than there are spaces available. These “impacted programs” have additional screening requirements. Please see an SMC counselor or visit smc.edu/articulation for details.

CSU General Education Requirements

Students may follow either the CSU GE pattern or the IGETC pattern to meet lower-division general education requirements for the CSU system. Please see above for important information regarding CSU GE or IGETC Certification. NOTE: SMC does not accept foreign coursework from non-US regionally accredited institutions to meet general education requirements.

Associate Degrees for Transfer to the CSU System

The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (California Education Code §§ 66746-66749) guarantees admission to a California State University (CSU) campus for any community college student who completes an Associate Degree for Transfer, which is a variation of the Associate degrees traditionally offered at a California Community College. The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) — awarded as either the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) — is intended for students who plan to complete a Bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. Students completing the ADT degree program are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but NOT to a particular campus or major.

The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T/AS-T) is designed to facilitate transfer admission to a CSU campus in a similar major as a student has pursued at Santa Monica College. Students considering transfer to a UC, private, or out-of-state school should consult a counselor regarding that institution’s transfer requirements.

Associate Degree for Transfer Requirements

Completion of at least 60 CSU-transferable semester units including:

Completion of the academic path with a grade of C or higher in each course, or with a P if the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, and the P is equal to a C or higher (Title 5 §55063);
Completion of either CSU GE or IGETC; students transferring to CSU using IGETC must complete Area 1C (see smc.edu/articulation or visit General Counseling & Transfer Services);
A minimum of 12 degree-applicable semester units completed at SMC;
A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in all CSU-transferable units (Note: While a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for admission to the CSU, some majors/campuses may require a higher GPA. Nonresident and international students may be required to have a higher minimum GPA. For more information consult a counselor.)

Associate Degrees for Transfer Available at SMC

Students at Santa Monica College may earn an Associate Degree for Transfer in:

Administration of Justice (AS-T)
Anthropology (AA-T)
Art History (AA-T)
Business Administration (AS-T)
Child and Adolescent Development (AA-T)
Communication Studies (AA-T)
Early Childhood Education (AS-T)
Economics (AA-T)
Geography (AA-T)
History (AA-T)
Journalism (AA-T)
Kinesiology (AA-T)
Mathematics (AS-T)
Nutrition and Dietetics (AS-T)
Political Science (AA-T)
Psychology (AA-T)
Social Justice Studies, Gender Studies (AA-T)
Sociology (AA-T)
Spanish (AA-T)
Studio Arts (AA-T)
Theatre Arts (AA-T)

New Associate Degrees for Transfer are being developed. Please see a counselor or visit smc.edu/articulation for more information.

Course Identification System (C-ID)

The Course Identification Numbering System — referred to as C-ID — is a common numbering system used to identify comparable courses at different California Community Colleges. A course with a C-ID will generally be accepted at participating California Community Colleges and California State University (CSU) campuses.

For example, Geography 1 is listed with a C-ID of GEOG 110 in the SMC schedule of classes and catalog. As a result, students can be assured that Geography 1 will generally be accepted as equivalent to courses with GEOG 110 as the C-ID at other California Community Colleges and the CSU campuses.

Many of the transferable courses students need to complete for the Associate in Arts for Transfer to CSU (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer to CSU (AS-T) will have a C-ID designation. C-ID is also useful for students who attend — or have attended — more than one California Community College.

Students, however, should always confirm how each college’s course will be accepted for transfer credit at a particular four-year college or university, as course requirements may change, and courses may be modified and added to or deleted from the C-ID database. Students can consult the ASSIST database at assist.org to find out how each college’s course will be accepted, but will find it more efficient, convenient, and helpful to check with a counselor to determine how C-ID courses fit into their education plans for transfer.