How does the Berkeley City College to UC Berkeley transfer program operate?

I'm really interested in transferring from Berkeley City College to UC Berkeley. Can anyone explain how the transfer program works? Are there specific requirements or advantages in the program that make this a smooth transition?

Hello!

First off, congrats on considering such a path. Berkeley City College (BCC) has a close relationship with UC Berkeley, which can work to your advantage as a transfer student.

Here's how the transfer process generally works:

BCC has an outlined "IGETC" (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) which is a series of courses that California community college students can complete to satisfy freshman/sophomore-level general education requirements at any UC or CSU campus. This allows for a smooth transition as it fulfills lower-division GE requirements at UC Berkeley.

However, UC Berkeley's College of Letters and Science, College of Engineering, and Haas School of Business each have their own breadth or general education requirements. As such, IGETC is not recommended for all majors at UC Berkeley, especially STEM majors which have rigorous lower-division prerequisites.

For a better evaluation of your transfer pathway, Berkeley City College has a Transfer Center that provides resources and counseling for students planning on transferring to a 4-year institution. They have a partnership program with UC Berkeley known as "Berkeley City College & Berkeley City Scholars" dedicated to ensuring a seamless pathway for transfer.

In terms of specific requirements, up-to-date information can be found on the UC Berkeley admissions website, but generally you'll need at least a 3.0 GPA (higher for non-California residents) and the majority of your prerequisites completed.

Advantages of this program include a close-knit community of other transfer-minded students, dedicated resources and counselors to help guide you through the application and transition period, and potentially priority consideration given the partnership between BCC and UC Berkeley.

Transferring from a community college to a university is an excellent way to not only save money, but also to prepare yourself academically for the rigor of upper-division courses at a top-tier institution like UC Berkeley.

Best of luck on your educational journey!