- Two transferable courses in English composition or critical thinking and writing.
- One transferable math course that has a prerequisite of intermediate algebra or higher.
- Four transferable college courses in at least two of the following subject areas: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences.
- There may be additional lower division requirements that students can complete at their current institutions or at UCLA. Should a major not have specific prerequisites, we expect students to demonstrate interest in academic study by completing coursework related to the major.
Personal Criteria
- Employment while attending school
- Involvement in campus organizations and community service
- Family responsibilities
- A return to school where early grades are not indicative of strong academic performance
- Military service
- Other opportunities or challenges that may have shaped your educational experiences
Personal Insight Questions
The personal insight questions are just that — personal. This is your chance to augment the information elsewhere in your application and give us more insight into you during the review process.
As a transfer applicant, you may respond to one required question and three out of seven additional questions. Find out how to best answer these personal insight questions.
Planning Your Academic Transition
- You’re strongly encouraged to take your required English and math courses as early as possible with at least one English course and math course completed by the end of fall.
- To be competitive for admission to UCLA, focus on completing the general UC transfer requirements and major preparation first.
- Look into Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), which enables California community college students to complete UC general education requirements before they transfer. It’s not a requirement for UCLA, but is strongly recommended for students applying to all schools but the Samueli School of Engineering. Students can use the summer prior to transferring to finish remaining courses for IGETC, but these courses can’t be used to meet transfer admission requirements.
- Know that UCLA doesn’t pre-evaluate course transferability prior to submission of an application.
- Double-check your coursework on ASSIST. Students may be deficient units because a course was not transferable or did not receive credit due to limitations, duplications or other restrictions.
- Take advantage of UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP), an online tool that helps students transferring from California community colleges track and plan their coursework.
- If you’ve completed courses outside the California Community College system, compare those course descriptions with those in the UCLA General Catalog.
- Know that courses completed in the summer immediately prior to transfer can’t be used to fulfill the minimum unit requirement.
Preparation for Your Major
You must complete your major preparation requirements by the end of spring prior to transfer.
However, if you’re applying to a highly selective major, complete the majority of your major prep as early as possible. The most competitive applicants for business economics, economics and psychology will have completed all major prep by the end of fall prior to transfer.
- Majors in the College of Letters and Science
- Majors in the School of the Arts and Architecture
- Majors in the Samueli School of Engineering
- Majors in the Herb Alpert School of Music
- Majors in the School of Nursing
- Majors in the Luskin School of Public Affairs
- Majors in the School of Theater, Film and Television
- Majors in the School of Education & Information Studies
- Majors in the Fielding School of Public Health
Filling Out Your UC Application
- Report courses exactly as they appear on your transcript, including non-transferable courses and withdrawals. You must report all courses completed at any post-secondary institution. You may not omit any courses or previous institutions from your application.
- Provide an accurate email address on your application and check that account regularly. You may receive important information via email during the admission review process.
- List the language of instruction at your high school.
- Provide your fall grades and planned spring coursework in January. To do so, log in to your application and create a Transfer Academic Update (TAU) by January 31. We can’t review your application if you have not submitted your TAU.
- Explain any gaps in education.
- Withdrawals, incomplete grades and academic renewals are not necessarily viewed negatively. Take time to address these in your application so that we have a clear understanding of your academic progress.
- You can import information directly into the UC Application from the UC TAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I send transcripts or letters of recommendation?UCLA doesn’t require or accept letters of recommendation or official transcripts during the admission selection process. Our review is based on the self-reported information provided on the UC Application. If additional information or materials are necessary, we will contact you directly with a specific request.
Exception: Applicants to majors in certain specialty schools (i.e. Arts & Architecture; Music; Nursing; Theater, Film and Television) may be required to submit additional materials as part of the supplemental application procedures. Learn more about the supplemental application procedure.
