General Education Transfer Credit

The General Education curriculum described below applies to all students who matriculate in Spring 2022 or beyond. Students who matriculated in Fall 2021 should consult the following Fall 2021 policies:

• Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
• Completion of the UA General Education Requirements with Transfer Courses
• Application of Arizona Community College Transfer Courses to UA General Education Requirements (for students without a certified AGEC)
• Application of Four-Year and Out-of-State Two-Year College Transfer Courses to UA General Education Requirements
• Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

 

General Education coursework completed at another institution may be transferred to the University of Arizona. The type and number of General Education requirements that are satisfied by transfer courses is dependent on the type of institution and the specific courses taken.

Transfer Courses from Arizona Institutions

Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

The Arizona public community colleges and the three state universities, including UArizona, have agreed upon a common structure for a general education core curriculum. This common structure is called the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC). AGEC is composed of a minimum of 35 semester units of lower-division general education course work that prepares the student for transfer.

Students transferring from an Arizona community college to one of the state universities have the option of completing the lower-division general education requirements at the university or completing the AGEC while at a community college.

Completing the AGEC will fulfill the following lower-division general education requirements at the University: composition, mathematics, Exploring Perspectives, Building Connections Courses and required attributes. The University reserves the right to verify that an AGEC certified by a community college conforms to State-approved policy before the AGEC is applied toward a UArizona degree. Students with an AGEC are still required to fulfill lower-division program requirements, second language, and prerequisites within their college and major/minor area of study to complete a UArizona degree. The requirements to satisfy the AGEC are available through the Arizona community college advising centers.

In the absence of a complete certified AGEC, transfer students from Arizona community colleges may meet their general education requirements with a combination of AGEC-approved courses taken before their initial enrollment at UArizona, along with subsequent UArizona general education course work.

 

Arizona Community College Transfer Courses (for students without a certified AGEC)

For students who have not completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC), Arizona community college transfer courses will apply to the Foundations component of the UA General Education Curriculum based on equivalencies in the Course Applicability System (CAS).

Community college courses determined by the University of Arizona University-wide General Education Committee to be equivalent to Perspectives and Building Connections courses as noted in the CAS will transfer on a course-by-course basis and fulfill the respective requirements. Additionally, the University of Arizona will accept one or more courses identified by CAS as department elective credit toward Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections requirements in the following manner:

• Transfer applicability will be determined on a course-by-course basis by a UA academic advisor in the college of the student's primary major.
• Exploring Perspective requirements can be fulfilled by AGEC Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, or Physical & Biological Science courses that align with each of the four categories: Artist, Humanist, Natural Scientist, and Social Scientist.
• Building Connections courses may be fulfilled by any Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, or Physical & Biological Science AGEC courses whose content approaches a topic from multiple perspectives that will enhance conceptual thinking, problem solving, innovative design, critical analysis, evaluation of ideas, and creation of knowledge/products.
• Any accompanying attributes from EP and BC courses will count toward the student's requirement of general education course attributes.

When incorporating one or more transfer courses to satisfy General Education requirements, students should seek advising at the University of Arizona to ensure the breadth of exposure central to the General Education curriculum. Students completing an AGEC at a community college should obtain General Education advising at the community college.
Advising for major-specific requirements should be obtained at the University.

 

Transfer Courses from California Institutions

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

The California public community colleges and state universities have agreed upon a common structure for a general education core curriculum. This common structure is called the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State General Education Pattern (CSUGE). The IGETC and the CSUGE are composed of a minimum of 35 - 40 semester units of lower-division general education course work that prepares the student for transfer.* All transferable course work must be completed with a grade of -C- or better.

Students transferring to the University of Arizona from California with an IGETC certified by a California community college will have completed the majority of the University's lower-division General Education requirements. The IGETC will fulfill the following lower-division General Education requirements at the University: freshman composition, mathematics-General Strand, Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections courses and required attributes.

The University reserves the right to verify that an IGETC certified by a community college conforms to California-approved policy before the IGETC is applied toward a UArizona degree. Additionally, students with an IGETC are required to fulfill (1) the Second Language Requirement, (2) prerequisites for advanced standing in the college and/or major/minor areas of study, and (3) all specific upper-division degree program requirements.

*Note: For purposes of this transfer policy, the IGETC is identified; but completion of the CSUGE is equally acceptable in the same ways.

 

California Transfer Students without a certified IGETC

In the absence of a certified IGETC, transfer students from California colleges and universities may meet the UArizona General Education requirements with a combination of IGETC-approved courses taken before their initial enrollment at UArizona, along with subsequent UArizona General Education course work.

 

Transfer Courses from Four-Year and Out-of-State Two-Year Colleges

Transferable courses from out-of-state institutions and Arizona four-year institutions may apply to the Foundations component of the UA General Education curriculum based on a course-by-course evaluation by University advisors in departments offering First-Year English Composition, Mathematics, and Second Languages.

The University of Arizona will accept one or more transfer courses toward fulfilling Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections requirements in the following manner:

• Transfer applicability will be determined on a course-by-course basis by a University academic advisor in the college of the student's primary major.
• Exploring Perspective requirements can be fulfilled by courses that align with each of the four categories: Artist, Humanist, Natural Scientist, and Social Scientist.
• Building Connections courses may be fulfilled by any Liberal Arts or Science courses whose content approaches a topic from multiple perspectives that will enhance conceptual thinking, problem solving, innovative design, critical analysis, evaluation of ideas, and creation of knowledge/products.
• Any accompanying attributes from EP and BC courses will count toward the student's requirement of general education course attributes.

 

When incorporating transfer course work to satisfy General Education requirements, students should seek advising to ensure the breadth of exposure key to the General Education curriculum.