General Education Requirements: Cal-GETC

Certification of Cal-GETC Areas

Certification of courses completed for Cal-GETC will be honored provided that a course was on a college's approved Cal-GETC certification course list on the ASSIST website during the academic year when it it was completed, regardless of catalog year (Cal-GETC Standards 5.2.2).

CSU American Institutions 

The CSU U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals (AI) graduation requirement is not part of Cal-GETC; however, CCCs can certify completion of this requirement with a grade of D or better. Courses used to satisfy this requirement may also be applied to Cal-GETC Area 4 if completed with a grade of C or better

UC Languages Other Than English (LOTE) 

The LOTE requirement is included as optional on Cal-GETC certification forms but is not part of Cal-GETC and not required for full Cal-GETC certification or UC transfer eligibility. UC’s LOTE requirement is a graduation requirement for many UC degrees. The equivalent of 2 years of high school language instruction will satisfy the LOTE requirement.   

Cal-GETC Certification vs. Admission Requirements 

MSJC Counselors can help students choose the most efficient way to complete their general education requirements. Students should remember that any kind of general education certification before transfer is separate from – and does not guarantee – admission: certification recognizes completed coursework, not eligibility to enroll at an institution. 

For UC, see the Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions 

For CSU, see the CSU Admission Handbook 

Grade point average

A minimum "C' grade is required in each college course for Cal-GETC. A "C" grade is defined as a minimum of 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. A "C-" grade valued at less than 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale cannot be used for Cal-GETC certification. 

Certification via Completion of an Approved Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) 

For CSU: CCC students are considered fully certified for lower-division general education if they successfully completed Cal-GETC requirements and are awarded an ADT. 

For UC: completing Cal-GETC may satisfy the seven-course pattern requirement and earning an ADT may be considered by some campuses in the comprehensive review process. The UC Admissions website provides additional information for transfer students. 

STEM Majors 

Completion of the Cal-GETC may not be appropriate for some engineering, math, or science students or for students completing majors that have a high number of lower-division unit requirements (especially those without a similar ADT). STEM students may be advised to focus on completing their lower-division major preparation requirements while meeting minimum admission requirements (e.g., the UC seven-course pattern for UC admissions). Students completing the 7-course pattern would not be Cal-GETC certified prior to transfer (Cal-GETC Standards)