To successfully transfer to a four-year college or university, students must complete specific general education requirements. While these requirements will vary based on the campus and major you intend to pursue, there are two main general education (GE) patterns you can follow: the CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE-B) and the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).
Not all campuses and majors require completion of a GE pattern. To determine which pattern is right for you, please visit the Transfer Center or make an appointment to meet with a counselor.
If your transfer college or university is requesting certification of your GE pattern, you must request an official transcript through Parchment and indicate which pattern you have completed. If you have AP/IB exam credits, coursework from another college, or high school coursework that will be used towards general education completion, we must have a copy of your official record on file in order to process your GE certification.
The CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE-B) is a 39-unit general education program that allows California Community College students to fulfill lower-division GE requirements for the California State University (CSU) system.
California Community Colleges can certify up to 39 lower-division GE-Breadth semester units. Certification means that the CSU will accept these courses to meet the CSU GE-Breadth areas designated by West Valley.
Students who are certified with 39 semester units of lower-division GE-Breadth units will only be required to complete a minimum of 9 semester (13.5 quarter) units of upper-division general education work after they transfer, just like other students attending their CSU campus.
If you are applying to a high-unit major such as science, technology, engineering, and some math-based fields, be sure to check with the CSU campus for their requirements in this area or make an appointment to speak with a counselor.
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a general education program which allows California Community College students to fulfill lower-division general education requirements for either the CSU or UC system without the need, after transfer, to take additional lower-division GE requirements.
Some majors, such as engineering or the biological, physical and natural sciences, do not recommend IGETC. They encourage applicants to complete requirements for their major over completing general education courses. Other majors may require or recommend you complete either IGETC or campus-specific general education requirements before you transfer.
To see which campus and/or major recommends that you follow the IGETC or their campus-specific requirements, consult Assist or the UC Campus Guidance for IGETC.