General Education Requirements for Transfer Students

In order to graduate, all Sixth College students must meet the requirements of the university, their major, and Sixth College.

To determine your Sixth College General Education (GE) requirements, review the information below based on the articulation agreement you may have completed at your previous institution.

With IGETC:

Full IGETC satisfies the lower-division GE requirements of Sixth College. The required upper-division Sixth College GEs are Experiential Learning and CAT 125.

IGETC does not alter university requirements, major requirements, or upper-division GE requirements. Review major requirements with your major department advisor and university requirements with the college.

Waiving Lower Division GEs on your Degree Audit: Your previous California Community College must send your UC IGETC Certification to UC San Diego Undergraduate Admissions in order for lower division GE requirements to be waived. Contact Sixth College Advising if IGETC is not applied within 8-10 weeks of submission.

With Partial IGETC:

Partial IGETC may be applied for students missing only 1 or 2 IGETC courses. Your previous California Community College must send your IGETC certification to UC San Diego Undergraduate Admissions for consideration. Consult with Sixth College Advising to determine how to complete remaining IGETC courses at UC San Diego.

With UC or 4-Year Reciprocity:

UC Reciprocity satisfies the lower-division GE requirements of Sixth College. The required upper-division Sixth College GEs are Experiential Learning and CAT 125.

Reciprocity does not waive all required lower-division courses. Review major requirements with your major department advisor and university requirements with the college.

Waiving Lower Division GEs on your Degree Audit: Your previous institution must send a reciprocity letter to Sixth College Academic Advising (sixthadvising@ucsd.edu) in order for lower division GE requirements to be waived. Letters must certify completion of lower-division requirements at another UC or 4-year institution.

Without IGETC, Partial IGETC, or UC Reciprocity Certification:

If you transferred from another academic institution without a certification (IGETC or UC Reciprocity), an academic advisor will evaluate your transfer courses individually to determine which General Education (GE) requirements you have satisfied and which remain outstanding. You may need to submit petitions for certain courses to count toward GE credit. It is your responsibility to ensure all GE requirements are completed.

There are three main areas you will need to satisfy in order to earn your Bachelor's degree, these include: Major Requirements, College Requirements, and University Requirements.

We recommend that you meet with your major department advisor to review your major requirements. As an articulation student, you may also need to petition some of your transfer courses for major credit or to clear prerequisites.
In addition to your remaining lower division GE requirements, you will also need to complete the upper division Sixth College GE requirements: Experiential Learning and CAT 125.
The University requirements are outlined on our website under University Requirements and in the Catalog.

With Cal-GETC:

More info about Cal-GETC coming Summer 2026!