The information about IGETC provided on this page is specific to students pursuing a major in the College of Letters and Science. Students pursuing a major outside of Letters and Science should contact the appropriate advising office for specific information on IGETC in their college.

Overview

The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a pattern of coursework designed for California Community College (CCC) students planning to transfer to the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) systems.

At UC Davis, students who have successfully completed the IGETC are exempt from all General Education requirements that may be met with lower-division courses. In addition to satisfying GE, an IGETC also satisfies the following College of Letters and Science requirements*:

  • Lower Division English Composition
  • Foreign Language for Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
  • Area Breadth - Natural Sciences and Mathematics for Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

IGETC does not satisfy the following:

  • American History and Institutions
  • Upper Division English Composition
  • 180 Unit Minimum
  • 64 Upper Division Unit Minimum

*Before an IGETC can be used toward satisfaction of degree requirements, students must have a completed IGETC verified by their CCC and have an official certificate sent to UC Davis. 

The current IGETC will be replaced by Cal-GETC (per AB928) for students who started at their CCC in the 2025-2026 Academic Year. The Cal-GETC may not satisfy the same degree requirements as the IGETC due to differences in the Cal-GETC pattern. Details about Cal-GETC will be provided when more information is available.

Eligibility 

IGETC is most commonly completed by students admitted to UC Davis as transfers from California Community Colleges. However, students admitted to UC Davis as freshmen who previously participated in a dual-enrollment program while in high school (i.e. enrolled in community college courses prior to graduating high school) are also eligible to complete an IGETC.

Students who initially enroll at UC Davis then leave and attend a community college, and subsequently return via Readmission are not eligible to complete an IGETC while away from UC Davis.

Full vs. Partial IGETC

Full IGETC

Students who complete the full pattern of IGETC coursework at a community college are eligible to request a Full UC IGETC Certificate. Only a full certificate can be used toward satisfaction of the degree requirements at UC Davis. 

Partial IGETC

Students who complete all but two (2) courses in the IGETC pattern are eligible to request a Partial UC IGETC Certificate. A partial certificate cannot be applied toward satisfaction of degree requirements until the remaining courses are completed and confirmed by an advisor. See instructions below for more details. Note: If more than two courses are missing from the IGETC requirements, a community college can not provide a partial certificate. 

Certification of IGETC

Students who have completed the IGETC pattern must obtain an official certificate from their community college. Without an official certificate, IGETC cannot be applied toward satisfaction of University and College requirements.

Students must request an official certificate from their community college and have it sent directly to UC Davis. 

An IGETC certificate is not required to transfer to UC Davis, which means community colleges typically do not include a certificate with official transcripts unless specifically requested by a student. Check with your community college to verify your request was completed and check with an advisor to ensure your certificate was received.

Submitting Your IGETC

New Students

If you are a new student entering in the Fall quarter, you should have your IGETC Certificate sent to Undergraduate Admissions along with transcripts and test scores during summer. Click here for instructions. 

Continuing Students

If you are a continuing student and did not send your IGETC Certificate by the end of your first quarter, you should have it sent directly to the College of Letters and Science. You may submit an Official IGETC Certificate through one of the following methods:

  • Electronically, via: Parchment, Naviance, National Student Clearinghouse, Certee, SCOIR, Scribbles, or JST DoD Military Transcripts

  • Via US Postal Service sent directly from your community college in a sealed institutional envelope to:

    College of Letters and Science 
    Undergraduate Education and Advising Office
    University of California
    One Shields Avenue
    Davis, CA 95616-8507

    Note: Mailed official documents must be sealed in an envelope by the issuing school or institution. Only officially sealed documents are recorded as received

Submission Deadline

According to UC Policy, an IGETC must be completed within one academic year (i.e., three quarters plus summer) of a student’s transfer to UC. If you have missed this deadline, you may seek an exception by scheduling an appointment with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Education and Advising Office.

Self-Reported IGETC

When you applied to UC Davis, you were asked to self-report whether or not you will be sending UC Davis a Full IGETC Certificate. If you need to change that self-reported information, you can update your self-reported information in your MyAdmissions portal up until the end of your first fall quarter. After your first fall quarter, you must meet with an advisor if you need to update your self-reported information.

Common Issues

There are 116 California Community Colleges and each determines their own certification process. It is important that you contact your community college directly to ensure you understand their specific process. Below are some common issues you may encounter during the process. 

  • UC vs CSU
  • IGETC can be certified for UC or CSU. Make sure your certificate is certified for UC. If your IGETC is certified using CSU requirements or does not explicitly indicate that it has been certified for UC, you will need to contact your prior institution to have the certificate updated to show completion of the UC IGETC requirements.
  • Certificate Format
  • Many community colleges produce a unique IGETC Certificate form that is separate document from your transcript. However, some colleges will post a notation on your official transcript to reflect the IGETC Certificate. 
  • Denied Certification Requests After Transfer
  • Some community colleges will not certify your IGETC after you have left their institution, so it is important that you request your UC IGETC Certificate before transfer. 
  • Current IGETC Requirements
  • Some community colleges will only provide IGETC Certificates using current IGETC requirements, which may be different than the IGETC requirements you were pursuing while enrolled at your CCC. Due to this, requesting an IGETC Certificate after transfer is not always possible. It is important that you request your UC IGETC Certificate before transfer. 
  • Multiple Institutions or Missing Records
  • If you attended multiple community colleges, or are using high school coursework or exams (e.g. Advanced Placement) toward IGETC areas, you will want to ensure official transcripts and records are provided to the community college from whom you will be requesting certification. Insufficient or missing records could result in a denied request or an erroneous partial certificate. 
  • Foreign Language in High School and Area 6: Language Other Than English
  • IGETC allows two years of high school foreign language coursework completed with a grade of C- or higher to meet the Area 6: Language Other than English (LOTE) requirement. Be sure to send copy of your high school transcript to your community college. Note: Some high schools close during break times or only produce transcripts during certain times of the year, so you should have your records sent as early as possible.
  • Area 7: Ethnic Studies
  • In Fall of 2023 Area 7: Ethnic Studies was added to the IGETC requirements. As a result, students who matriculated to their community college in Fall 2023 or later must satisfy the Area 7: Ethnic Studies requirement. 

Completing a Partial IGETC

If you transferred to UC Davis with an official Partial IGETC Certificate, you are eligible to complete the remaining one-two* courses within your first year--starting from your first term of enrollment through the following summer. 

*If more than two courses are missing from the IGETC requirements, a community college cannot provide a partial certificate.

Important Note: Before enrolling in any course, you should meet with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Education and Advising Office to evaluate your certificate and determine what coursework is needed and the best options for enrollment. 

Options

In general, you have two options for completing courses for a partial certificate:

1) Taking Approved UC Davis Courses

You may use a UC Davis course to complete a missing IGETC area if it is considered equivalent to an approved community college course. Equivalency is determined by the official ASSIST.org articulation agreement between UC Davis and the community college that certified your IGETC. To count toward IGETC, the course must be completed with a grade of C or higher and cannot be taken Pass/No Pass. 

2) Taking Approved IGETC Courses at a Community College

You may also complete a missing IGETC area by taking an approved course at a California Community College. To qualify, the course must be listed as IGETC-approved for the specific area on ASSIST.org. After you complete the course with a grade of C or higher, be sure to have an updated transcript sent from the community college to UC Davis so the requirement can be verified and applied toward your Partial IGETC.

Once you have completed the required courses, you must follow up with an advisor to ensure your IGETC is completed and processed appropriately. 

Special Situations

Area 6: Language Other Than English (LOTE)

Partial IGETCs missing Area 6: LOTE may be completed at UC Davis by having your official high school transcript delivered to UC Davis showing successful completion of the second semester of the second year of LOTE or higher with grades of C- or better.

Area 7: Ethnic Studies

As this requirement is new, many community colleges have not established ASSIST Articulations with UC Davis for their Area 7 courses. If you have a Partial IGETC Certificate with Area 7 unsatisfied, you must determine if your community college has articulated any of their Area 7 courses to UC Davis courses. If a course is not available, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Education and Advising Office to discuss your options for completing Area 7.