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UC Transfer Requirements & TAG Program

Sep 24, 2025

Overview

This session covered University of California (UC) transfer admission requirements, the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, key deadlines, and provided guidance on the application process and common questions for prospective transfer students.

UC Transfer Admission Requirements

  • Transfer applicants must have completed post-high school college coursework, primarily at a California Community College (CCC).
  • UC gives priority to CCC students applying as juniors.
  • Minimum transferable units required: 60 semester or 90 quarter units (about 2 years of full-time study).
  • Must complete the seven-course pattern: 2 transferable English composition courses, 1 transferable math course, and 4 courses from at least two disciplines among Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, and Physical & Biological Sciences.
  • Each of the seven course pattern courses must be at least 3 semester units and completed with a grade of C or better.
  • Additional coursework may be needed for general education (GE) or major preparation requirements.

Major Preparation & Screening Majors

  • Some majors require specific prerequisite courses ("screening majors"); others ("non-screening majors") do not.
  • For screening majors, all required courses and GPA must be completed before admission.
  • Computer Science is not available for TAG at UCSC but can be applied for through the general application.
  • Use assist.org to verify which community college courses are transferable and meet major or GE requirements.

TAG Program Details

  • TAG guarantees admission to one participating UC campus and major if all requirements and deadlines are met.
  • Only six UC campuses offer TAG; eligibility requires over half of units from a CCC and your final school before transfer must be a CCC.
  • International students on F1/J1 visas may participate if eligibility is met.
  • Only one TAG can be submitted per student, and it is non-binding.
  • TAG submissions use the UC Transfer Admission Planner (TAP) between September 1-30, prior to submission of the UC application in October/November.
  • The major selected for the TAG must match the major on the UC application.

TAP Account & Application Process

  • A TAP account is required for TAG; enter all completed, in-progress (IP), and planned (PL) coursework, including through the spring term prior to transfer.
  • Minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter completed transferable units and a 3.0 UC-transferable GPA are required at the time of TAG submission.
  • Spring term planned courses must be included even without a finalized schedule.
  • TAG applicants are notified of pre-evaluation decisions in mid-November.
  • General UC application is required for all applicants, whether or not TAG is submitted.

Application & Admission FAQs

  • Official transcripts are only required after admission; unofficial transcripts are helpful for application accuracy.
  • Only the TAG major must match the UC application major for the tagged campus.
  • You cannot TAG for winter or spring admission; only fall.
  • No lab is needed for science courses in the seven-course pattern.
  • GPA requirement of 3.0 applies to all transferable courses for TAG.

Support & Next Steps

  • Reach out to your UC campus representative or use [email protected] for questions.
  • Use assist.org and the UC TAG matrix for cross-referencing requirements.
  • A TAP account is helpful for advising, even if not applying for TAG.
  • Applying to multiple UCs is encouraged; campus selections and majors may differ by UC.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • TAG — Transfer Admission Guarantee: guaranteed admission to a participating UC campus/major if requirements are met.
  • TAP — Transfer Admission Planner: online tool to track and plan coursework for UC transfer.
  • Screening Majors — Majors requiring specific prerequisite courses and GPA before admission.
  • Assist.org — Website to check CCC courses that transfer to UC and meet requirements.
  • Seven Course Pattern — Core group of GE courses needed for UC transfer admission.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Submit TAG application via TAP by September 30 if applying.
  • Complete and submit the general UC application in October/November.
  • Match your TAG and general UC application majors for the TAG campus.
  • Stay in contact with your UC rep and update your TAP/UC application if your planned courses change.
  • Use assist.org to confirm transferable coursework and major prep requirements.

Full transcript