How does transferring credits from a junior college to a CSU work?

I'm at a junior college now and planning to transfer to a California State University. Can anyone explain how the transfer credit process works? I'm interested in knowing what credits usually transfer over successfully.

During your time at a junior college, it's very important to plan your coursework around the classes and credits that will transfer successfully to your target 4-year institution—in this case, a California State University (CSU). An efficient way to ensure this transition happens smoothly is to follow an articulated agreement—sometimes called a transfer agreement—between the junior college and the CSU.

For California community colleges in particular, an extremely helpful tool is the website Assist.org. This site provides articulation agreements between California Community Colleges and CSU campuses. By viewing the articulation agreement for your specific junior college and the CSU you hope to attend, you can see directly which of your junior college classes equate to classes at the CSU.

CSUs will accept both general education courses and major-specific courses for transfer students, but the courses must be college-level academic courses from an accredited institution to be considered. Typically, lower division courses (100 and 200 level) are more likely to transfer than upper division courses (300 and 400 level), because they fulfill general education requirements that are fairly standard across institutions.

One useful thing to note for ANY transfer bound student is to have an understanding of the IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum). The IGETC is a series of courses that California community college students can complete to satisfy freshman/sophomore level general education requirements at any CSU or University of California campus.

Remember, it's crucial to work closely with an academic advisor at your junior college to ensure the classes you're taking will transfer and apply to your future degree plan at CSU. Verification of transferable credits should happen before you transfer, along with the application process.

Additionally, make sure to request an official transcript from your junior college to be sent to the CSU once you've completed the necessary coursework. This transcript will be the official record of your completed courses and will facilitate the credit transfer. Keep in mind, each CSU campus will have its own admissions office that will analyze and process the transferred credits. You should also be able to see these credits reflected in your new CSU account once the process is complete.

Please remember that policies can vary from institution to institution, and even within departments at the same institution. So while these are general rules, they may not apply perfectly in every individual case. Always double-check with both your current institution and the institution you plan to attend.