Meeting Multiple Schools' Transfer Admission (and Graduation) Requirements
Chances are that, if you’re applying to transfer to USC, you’re applying to other schools too. And each school has its own set of transfer requirements. With advanced preparation and a little organization, you can find courses that fulfill transfer requirements for multiple schools. (I love efficiency!) You’ll just need to cross-check a number of documents at the same time. For this, I recommend going old school, even if it’s not the most sustainable option: print everything out, lay it all on a table, and get your highlighter ready.
Requirements are requirements
First thing’s first: transfer requirements are, as you probably guessed it, required. For example, USC has a minimum math and a writing requirement. Certain majors at USC have additional course requirements. Other schools may also have strict requirements that you absolutely must meet. Use all the documents you need—discussed below—to make sure you complete what you absolutely must.
Gathering your documents
Now, it’s time to gather together all the necessary documents. This includes:
Whatever transfer guide a school provides.
At USC, we have the Transferring to USC brochure. You’ll find everything you need to know about transferring in this guide. This certainly includes course requirements and recommendations. It also includes general tips for being the most competitive candidate possible, academic policies, and more! You’ll want to pay particular attention to the sections “General Education” and subsequent “Additional Coursework by Major”.
Documents, if any, detailing the transferability of courses.
We have articulation agreements with most California Community Colleges. An articulation agreement is an official, comprehensive list of courses that will transfer to USC and how they will transfer to USC.
We have articulation histories with other schools. Articulation histories, in contrast, provide a list of courses that have transferred in the past and how they have transferred based upon previous students who have matriculated to USC. This means that the articulation histories are not fully comprehensive. It also means that courses not listed on the articulation history may still transfer and transfer for specific credit. In case the articulation history with your school is a little thin, we’ve provided general descriptions of each GE with sample classes. For example, Introduction to Sociology will always fulfill GE-C. You can also use the next document we’ll discuss, if needed.
The good news is that both articulation agreements and articulation histories are organized in the same way. Part I details GE courses; Part II provides course-to-course equivalencies (i.e. Course 120 at USC equal Course 150 at your school); Part III has all courses that will transfer for credit; and Part IV has courses that will not transfer for credit.
Course catalogues. (At least they’re available online now; gone are the days when you had to pick up a tome from your school bookstore.)
You can cross-check course descriptions across catalogues
,if you want to take a course not on an articulation history that you think might fulfill a requirement. For example, if you’re not sure which Calculus course fulfills the Business Administration transfer requirement, compare our description of Math 118 or Math 125 in the USC Catalogue with the description of the course in your school’s course catalogue.
Of course, check each school’s transfer admission website for any other helpful tools too!
Meeting USC and IGETC requirements
If you’re applying to USC and a Cal State or UC, then you will need to pay attention to both our requirements and recommendations and those listed as a part of IGETC. What is IGETC? The acronym stands for (*deep breath*) the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum. Basically, the IGETC program outlines a series of courses offered at California community colleges that satisfy general education requirements at University of California and California State University campuses. Depending upon the UC or CSU, you may or may not be required to complete all IGETC requirements prior to transferring. Like USC, you may also be required to complete other courses prior to transferring if you’re applying to certain majors at those schools.
USC requires all students to complete eight General Education courses within the Core Literacies (The Arts, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Quantitative Reasoning, Humanistic Inquiry, and Social Analysis), as well as two Global Perspective courses (Equity in a Diverse World and Traditions & Historical Foundations) in order to graduate from the university. Let me be clear that these are not required to transfer to USC. However, the more you complete, the more competitive an applicant you will be. Same goes for lower-division major recommendations. A good rule of thumb is to take two to three of these courses per semester or quarter.
Know that some, though not all, California community college courses that fulfill IGETC and major courses may also meet USC’s GE and major requirements and recommendations.
If you are current California community college student, how should you plan your coursework with the intent of transferring?
Great question! When planning your upcoming slate of classes, the goal is to find courses that fulfill UC/CSU and USC (and other schools to which you’re applying) requirements. This will help maximize your options for successfully applying to USC as well as other institutions. Here, you’ll want to cross-check the information in a school’s transfer guide (such as our Transferring to USC brochure) and document detailing the transferability of courses (such as our articulation agreement or history).
What if you would like to transfer to USC from a four-year institution?
This process is similar to transferring from a community college, except that you’ll be comparing the Transferring to USC brochure to USC’s articulation history (or the equivalent document for other four-year institutions). Understandably, four-year institutions, including USC, are not in the business of helping students transfer to other schools. That’s why our articulation history only has courses that have transferred in the past as students have matriculated to USC.
Here's what’s really important about applying from another four-year institution… As you consider your course schedule in the context of transferring, be sure that you continue to stay on track to graduate from your current school. You want to keep your options open! You may not be accepted by USC (or your other target transfer schools) or you may decide to stay right where you are because you love it or can’t afford to switch schools. To be safe, you want to make sure you’re still able to graduate on time.
Remember: find courses that meet our transfer requirements and recommendations (and those for other schools to which you’re applying) as well as your current institution’s graduation requirements.
Taking it to the next level
So… I really like to maximize, maximize, maximize. In some instances, you might be able to find a course that fulfills a requirement or recommendation for IGETC, USC, other schools to which you’re applying, and, if you’re at a four-year institution, your current school’s graduation requirements. Or you might find a course that counts towards a GE requirement and major requirement. They’re out there. Use those detective skills!
Final thoughts
Okay, so this might feel overwhelming. But remember that there are people to help you out. If you’re at a community college, talk with your transfer counselor. If you have a question, reach out to your transfer institution’s admission counselor. Who knows? If you’re attending another four-year school, your academic advisor might even be willing to help out.
Oh, and don’t forget to check which requirements or recommendations you have already completed with AP, IB, A-level, and/or college courses taken prior to high school graduation. You’ll find this information for USC on our articulation website.
You can do this!
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director - USC Office of Admission