Transfer requirements

The minimum requirements for Berkeley transfer admissions are listed below. It is important to note that transfer admission requirements will vary by college and major, however there are a number of requirements that are common across all colleges. These requirements must be complete by the end of the spring term prior to the fall term you are applying for:

• Completion of general education/breadth requirement
• Minimum 60 UC-transferable semester (90 UC-transferable quarter units)
  • Please note that every course offered at your institution is not UC-transferable
  • For non-California Community College students click here for information on how to determine what courses are UC-transferable
• Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in all transferable college-level coursework
• Lower division major preparation courses
  • Please note that some majors require a minimum GPA in these courses

NOTE: Effective for the fall 2025 application cycle, Berkeley will no longer require IGETC/Cal-GETC, Essential Skills, or UC Reciprocity for eligibility for students applying to the College of Letters and Science and the College of Computing, Data Science and Society. Students will have to complete University of California 7-course pattern to satisfy eligibility requirements for admission. IGETC will continue to be used to meet the L&S essential skill and 7-course breadth requirements, which are separate from admission requirements.

This change in policy does not impact fall 2024 admission. 

Learn about transfer admissions information by college.

Transfer applications are reviewed using a comprehensive review process. While no one attribute or characteristic guarantees the admission of any applicant to Berkeley, transfer students can be most competitive by excelling in the academic areas.

While academic indicators are weighted more heavily than other parts of the application, other factors are considered in the Comprehensive Review process. The following are examples of qualities and attributes we consider in the Comprehensive Review process:

• The applicant’s full record of achievement in college-level courses, including number of units, general education, and major preparation courses.
• Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the community are considered.

These factors can be demonstrated in different ways whether it is traditional clubs/organizations, home life, work life, or other life experiences.

• Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admissions readers seek diversity in personal background and experience.
• Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those sponsored by the University of California or California Community Colleges.

Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion are excluded from the criteria.

All achievements, both academic and nonacademic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had, and the reader’s assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantage of those opportunities. For an applicant who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which the applicant has responded to and/or overcome them. Readers also consider other contextual factors that bear directly upon the applicant’s achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support available in the home.

The review recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the student’s ability to succeed at Berkeley and beyond.

Students who have completed UC-transferable coursework at any four-year institution at any point in time may be ineligible for admission if they exceed the unit maximum policy for admission. Please note that students with all coursework completed at a 2 year institution will never exceed the unit maximum admission policy. To determine if you have exceeded the unit maximum for admission you must first understand and apply the UC lower-division maximum transfer credit limitation policy. Once you do that you apply the Unit Maximum Admission Policy.

UC lower-division maximum transfer credit limitation policy:

• Students will be granted up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units for first-year/sophomore (lower division) coursework completed at any institution or combination of institutions

  • Units earned through AP, IB, and /or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation and do not put applicants at risk of being denied admission

  • Units earned at any UC campus (extension, summer, cross/concurrent and regular academic-year enrollment) are not included in the limitation

Unit maximum admissions policy:

• After applying the UC lower-division maximum transfer credit limitation policy, all junior/senior (upper division) and all UC units (lower division and upper division) are added to that total unit count. If the resulting unit count exceeds 80 semester units (120 quarter units), the student is ineligible for admission.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams can be used to benefit students in two ways. Exams with scores of 3 or higher on AP exams, or 5 or higher on IB higher-level exams can be used for unit credit. Units from credit-bearing exams can help students meet the unit minimum requirement, but will not be counted toward the unit maximum admission policy. Students can also use AP and IB exams for general education and/or subject credit and are encouraged to review ASSIST.org or guide.berkeley.edu for more details. For more information on how AP credits can be used, review the UC Exam Credit Matrix.

International students have the same transfer admission requirements as all other students. International English Exams (i.e. TOEFL or IELTS) are not required for admission since English proficiency is assumed when completing the 7-Course Pattern.

Determining Transferability of International Coursework 

• Check to see if your school is recognized by your country's Ministry of Education (or other appropriate government agency) or a U.S. regional accrediting agency. The school must be officially recognized in order for us to accept any credit. You must report all post-secondary institutions, coursework, and grades whether transferable or not.
• Transferable courses must be from a university level academic degree program comparable to a U.S. Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Terminal vocational or technical programs are often not transferable to UC Berkeley, even if taken at recognized institutions.
• Determine if your subjects are similar to any subjects offered at UC Berkeley using descriptions in the UC Berkeley Course Guide. We will only consider transfer credit for subjects that are similar to those offered in the UC system.
• If you cannot find a comparable course at UC Berkeley, look in the catalogs of other UC campuses. A course may also be transferable if it is offered somewhere in the UC system.
• Remedial academic subjects, such as English taught as a second language and high school level math, are not transferable. Although there are some remedial subjects offered at UC Berkeley, you will notice in our catalog they are not worth credit toward a degree.

Whether or not you believe your coursework will be transferable, you will be required to report ALL post-secondary coursework undertaken in your application. No final decisions on transfer credit will be made until you officially apply and enroll at UC Berkeley