Santa Monica College Biology 1 transfer process

I'm taking Biology 1 at Santa Monica College and want to transfer the credit to a CSU. Does anyone know how transferable this course is, and what steps I need to take to make sure it's recognized?

Santa Monica College (SMC) is part of the California Community College system and has established transfer agreements with the California State University (CSU) system. This means that courses like Biology 1 should be eligible to transfer.

You can verify the transferability of a course by using a tool called ASSIST, which is an online student-transfer information system that displays reports of how course credits earned at one California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. So by using ASSIST, you can see how your Biology 1 course from SMC corresponds to a course at a CSU campus.

Regarding steps to ensure your course is recognized, it’s essential to communicate with both Santa Monica College and your target CSU. Start the process by reaching out to your academic counselor at SMC, they could help guide you through the process. Additionally, make use contact (via email, phone call or registrar's portal) the admissions or registrar's office at the CSU you want to attend to ensure that they have all the necessary information to evaluate your credits.

Please remember to send official transcripts from SMC to your target CSU once the course is completed and the grades are posted. It’s usually done online and there may be a small fee. Also, be aware of any deadlines that the CSU has for receiving transcripts.

Remember, the final decision on whether a course is accepted for credit is always up to the receiving institution, so it's crucial to establish open lines of communication between yourself, SMC, and the CSU.