Admission as a Transfer Applicant

The University defines a transfer applicant as a student who has completed high school and who enrolled in a regular session at a college or university after high school. (Summer sessions do not count.) UCI considers a California community college transfer applicant as a student who has completed at least 30 semester units/45 quarter UC-transferable units at one or more California community colleges (see full definition above). A transfer applicant may not disregard the college record and apply for admission as a freshman. (Transfer applicants who are not residents of California should also refer to the section on Nonresident Admission Requirements.)

Transfer Admission Guarantee: UCI's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program offers provisional admission to well-qualified junior-level students from participating California community colleges. Although admission to UCI is selective in most majors, through TAG, admission can be guaranteed for transfer students who meet the TAG Eligibility and major prerequisites requirements (see TAG Selection Guidelines later in this section).

SELECTION CRITERIA

UCI attempts to accommodate as many qualified transfer applicants as possible. Priority consideration for admission of transfer applicants is given to junior-level applicants (with a minimum of 60 semester/90 quarter units of UC-transferable credit) from California community colleges and is based upon: (1) GPA in transferable courses; (2) depth of preparation toward general education and major requirements; and (3) participation in the TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program, which requires early completion of one transferable English composition course, and one transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning. TAG Applicants for fall quarter 2013 admission must have completed the first English and one mathematics course by the end of summer 2012. The second English course must be completed by spring 2013. Transfer applicants with the strongest academic performance will be the most competitive for admission. Junior transfers from four-year colleges, including other UC campuses, and lower-division transfers will be considered as space permits.

In the case that UCI is unable to accommodate all qualified applicants in their first-choice major, those students who indicate a valid alternate major may be offered admission in that major. Students who wish to change their major after enrolling at UCI must submit an Undergraduate Petition for Change of Major to the academic counseling office in the school or program of their prospective major. This is of particular importance to those who apply in majors which are subject to additional course prerequisites and/or have a limit placed on the number of applicants admitted into the major. (See the following list.)

A secondary criterion in UCI's transfer selection process is based upon consideration of the academic criteria in conjunction with the following personal achievement criteria: an exceptionally challenging curriculum; outstanding accomplishments relevant to academic aims; hardships or unusual circumstances the applicant has faced, and the ways in which the student has responded to these challenges; a strong, thoughtful match between UCI's programs and the student's academic and career objectives, preparation, talents, and skills; and potential contributions to the campus. The level of performance needed to gain admission varies from year to year depending on the size and the academic quality of the applicant pool and the number of enrollment spaces.

Transfer applicants to the majors listed below must complete prerequisite courses for the major as specified.

Biological Sciences: Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the Biological Sciences major. All applicants must complete one year of general chemistry with laboratory with grades of C or better; one year of organic chemistry with grades of C or better; one year of biology courses equivalent to Biological Sciences 93, 94 at UCI with a grade of C or better in each course; and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Business Administration: Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0) and who satisfactorily complete lower-division courses equivalent to UCI's calculus (Mathematics 2A-B), economics (Economics 20A-B), and statistics and accounting (Management 7, 30A, 30B) will be given preference for admission. Management 1 may be completed at UCI. Admission to the major will be competitive due to limited space availability.

Business Information Management: Junior-level applicants who satisfactorily complete the following requirements will be given preference for admission: (1) one year of approved college-level math, preferably courses in calculus equivalent to UCI's Mathematics 2A-B; if not available, two semester courses equivalent to other major-related math courses are acceptable; (2) one year of transferable computer science courses* with at least one course involving concepts such as those found in Java, Python, Scheme, C++, or other object-oriented or high-level programming language; (3) one year of introductory accounting theory and practice equivalent to UCI's Management 30A-B; and (4) one year of micro- and macro-economics theory equivalent to UCI's Economics 20A-B.

*Additional computer science courses beyond the two required are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major(s) of interest. Java is used extensively in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn it by studying on their own or by completing a Java-related programming course prior to their first quarter at UCI.

Additional courses beyond those required for admission must be taken to fulfill the lower-division degree requirements, as many are prerequisites for upper-division courses. For some transfer students, this may mean that it will take longer than two years to complete their degree.

The Business Information Management major is offered jointly by the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and The Paul Merage School of Business. More information is available at http://www.ics.uci.edu/ugrad or at the Bren School of ICS Student Affairs Office; telephone (949) 824-5156; e-mail: ucounsel@uci.edu.

Chemistry: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who have satisfactorily completed the following required courses: one-year of general chemistry with laboratory and one year of approved calculus. Completion of one year of organic chemistry is strongly recommended.

Computer Game Science: Junior-level applicants who satisfactorily complete the following course requirements will be given preference for admission: (1) one year of approved college-level math, preferably courses in calculus equivalent to UCI's Mathematics 2A-B; if not available, two semester courses equivalent to other major-related math courses are acceptable; and (2) one year of transferable computer science courses* with at least one course involving concepts such as those found in Java, Python, Scheme, C++, or other object-oriented or high-level programming language.

Applicants to the Computer Game Science major should be aware that several lower-division courses must be taken at UCI; therefore, the minimum time to degree completion will exceed two years.

*Additional computer science courses beyond the two required are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major(s) of interest. Java and C++ are used in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn these languages by studying on their own or by completing related programming courses prior to their first quarter at UCI.

Computer Science and Engineering: Students are encouraged to complete as many of the lower-division degree requirements as possible prior to transfer, including one year of approved calculus; one year of calculus-based physics with laboratories (mechanics, electricity and magnetism); one year of transferable computer science courses* involving concepts such as those found in Java, Python, Scheme, C++, or other object-oriented or high-level programming language; and one additional approved transferable course for the major (an approved math, science, or CSE course).

*Additional computer science courses beyond the two required are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major of interest. Java and C++ are used in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn these languages by studying on their own or by completing related programming courses prior to their first quarter at UCI.

Students who enroll at UCI in need of completing lower-division course work may find that it will take longer than two years to complete their degrees. For further information, contact the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at (949) 824-5156 or The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at (949) 824-4334.

Dance: Applicants must audition in late January in ballet, modern, and jazz, prior to the fall quarter when entrance is anticipated, and be selected by faculty.

Earth System Science: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who have satisfactorily completed the following required courses: one year of approved calculus and one year of either general chemistry with laboratory (preferred) or one year of calculus-based physics with laboratory.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major. All applicants must complete one year of general chemistry with laboratory with grades of C or better; one year of organic chemistry with grades of C or better; one year of biology courses equivalent to Biological Sciences 93, 94 at UCI with a grade of C or better in each course; and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Economics: Transfer applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the majors in Economics, Business Economics, and Quantitative Economics. All applicants must complete one course in microeconomics, one course in macroeconomics, and two quarters/two semesters of approved first-year calculus.

Engineering: Applicants must select either Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering: Premedical, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Engineering Undeclared (option for freshmen only) as their major on the application. Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission. All applicants must complete the following required courses: one year of approved calculus, one year of calculus-based physics with laboratories (mechanics, electricity and magnetism), additional courses as specified by the major, and completion of lower-division writing. Students are encouraged to complete as many of the lower-division degree requirements as possible prior to transfer. See The Henry Samueli School of Engineering section of this Catalogue for information on courses required for each major.

See also the listing for Computer Science and Engineering, a major jointly administered by the The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences.

Environmental Science: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who have satisfactorily completed the following required courses: one year of either general chemistry with laboratory (preferred) or one year of biology with laboratory. One year of economics or sociology is recommended.

Humanities: Junior-level transfers for all majors within the School of Humanities must have completed the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement, and two semester or two quarter courses of approved English composition with grades of C or better.

Information and Computer Sciences: Students are strongly encouraged to follow the transfer preparation guidelines for any of the other Bren ICS majors. Applicants must select either Business Information Management¹, Computer Game Science, Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering², Informatics, or Software Engineering as their major on the application. Junior-level applicants who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission. Transfers to all majors (except for Informatics) must complete one year of approved college-level math, preferably courses in calculus equivalent to UCI's Mathematics 2A-B; if not available, two semester courses equivalent to other major-related math courses are acceptable. Informatics majors must complete one college-level mathematics course. All applicants must complete one year of transferable computer science courses* with at least one course involving concepts such as those found in Java, Python, Scheme, C++, or other object-oriented or high-level programming language. See the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences section of this Catalogue for information on preferred courses and specific requirements for transfer applicants to each major.

*Additional computer science courses beyond the requirement for transfer eligibility are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major(s) of interest. Java and C++ are used in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn these languages by studying on their own or by completing related programming courses prior to their first quarter at UCI.

Additional courses beyond those required for admission must be taken to fulfill the lower-division degree requirements, as many are prerequisites for upper-division courses. For some transfer students, this may mean that it will take longer than two years to complete their degree.

¹ See also the listing for Business Information Management, a collaborative major between the Donald Bren School of ICS and The Paul Merage School of Business in the Interdisciplinary section of the Catalogue.

² Apply at the Interdisciplinary section of the UC application. See also the listing for Computer Science and Engineering, a major jointly administered by the Donald Bren School of ICS and The Henry Samueli School of Engineering in the Interdisciplinary section of the Catalogue.

Mathematics: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who have satisfactorily completed the required course work of one year of approved calculus. Additional course work in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations is strongly recommended.

Music: All Music applicants must apply to the B.A. degree program and audition in late January/early February with an instrument or voice, prior to the fall quarter when entrance is anticipated; admission to the B.Mus. degree program is by a second audition later after matriculation.

Nursing Science: Admission to the major is limited and selective. Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the Nursing Science major. The following list of prerequisites is required for transfer students applying for fall 2014 entry. Students wishing to enter before fall 2014 should review the Nursing Science Web site at http://www.nursing.uci.edu for those specific requirements. All applicants must complete the following with grades of B or better: one year of general chemistry equivalent to UCI's Chemistry 1A-B-C; one quarter/semester of organic chemistry equivalent to UCI's Chemistry 51A; one quarter/semester of genetics equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences 97; one quarter/semester of biochemistry equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences 98; one quarter/semester of human physiology with laboratory equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences E109 and E112L; one quarter/semester of microbiology with laboratory equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences M122 and either M118L or M122L; one quarter/semester of human anatomy with laboratory equivalent to UCI's Nursing Science 100, 100L; one quarter/semester of philosophy equivalent to UCI's Philosophy 4 or 5; one quarter/semester of psychology equivalent to UCI's Psychology 7A/Psychology and Social Behavior 9; one quarter/semester of public health equivalent to UCI's Public Health 1; one quarter/semester of sociology equivalent to UCI's Sociology 1; and one quarter/semester of statistics equivalent to UCI's Statistics 7 or 8. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered.

Pharmaceutical Sciences: All applicants must have completed the following required courses with a grade of B- or better in all courses: one year of general chemistry courses with laboratory and/or one year of biology courses with laboratory equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences 93 and 94. In addition, all applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Additional courses that are recommended, but not required: one year of calculus, or a combination of calculus and statistics; one year of calculus-based physics with laboratory; and one year of organic chemistry with laboratory.

Effective Fall 2013: All applicants must have completed the following required courses with a grade of B- or better in all courses: one year of general chemistry courses with laboratory courses equivalent to UCI's Chemistry 1A-B-C and 1LC and one year of biology courses equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences 93 and 94. In addition, all applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Additional courses that are recommended, but not required: one year of calculus, or a combination of calculus and statistics; one year of calculus-based physics with laboratory; and one year of organic chemistry with laboratory.

Physics: Preference will be given to junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who have satisfactorily completed the following required courses: one year of approved calculus and one year of calculus-based physics with laboratory for engineering and physics majors.

Psychology and Social Behavior: Transfer applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission to the major.

Public Health: Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall and who satisfactorily complete lower-division requirements will be given preference for admission to the Public Health majors. All applicants to the B.S. degree in Public Health Sciences must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in required courses, and must complete one year of general chemistry with laboratory, and one year of courses equivalent to UCI's Biological Sciences 93 and 94. All applicants to the B.A. degree in Public Health Policy must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in required courses, and complete one year of social science courses in any combination of the following topics: anthropology, economics, sociology, and/or psychology.

TRANSFER STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The University of California requirements for admission as a transfer applicant vary according to the high school record. Transfer applicants who have completed a California Certificate of Proficiency or the equivalent must also meet regular University entrance requirements.

Transfer applicants should also refer to the section on Information for Transfer Students: Fulfilling Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.

The transcript submitted from the last college attended must show, as a minimum, that the student was in good standing and had earned a GPA of 2.4 (2.8 for nonresidents) or better in all transferable course work.

A transfer applicant must also meet one of the following conditions:

1.   If a student was eligible for admission to the University when the student graduated from high school—meaning that the student satisfied the Subject, Scholarship, and Examination Requirements or was identified by the University as eligible under the Eligible in the Local Context (ELC) program and completed the Subject and Examination Requirements in the senior year—the student is eligible to transfer if he or she has a C (2.0) average in transferable college course work and has met the prerequisites for his or her major.

2.   If a student met the Scholarship Requirement in high school but did not satisfy the Subject Requirement, the student must take transferable college courses in the missing subjects, earn a grade of C or better in each of these required courses, and earn an overall C (2.0) average in all transferable college course work to be eligible to transfer.

3.   Students who were not eligible for admission to the University when they graduated from high school because they did not meet the Scholarship Requirement must:

a.   Complete 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable college credit with a grade point average of at least 2.4 (2.8 for nonresidents). No more than 14 semester (21 quarter) units may be taken Pass/Not Pass); and

b.   Complete the following course pattern requirement, earning a grade of C or better in each course:

   i. Two UC-transferable college courses (3 semester or 4-5 quarter units each) in English composition; and

   ii. One UC-transferable college course (3 semester or 4-5 quarter units) in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning; and

   iii. Four UC-transferable college courses (3 semester or 4-5 quarter units each) chosen from at least two of the following subject areas: the arts and humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and the physical and biological sciences.

    Each course must be worth at least 3 semester units.

NOTE: For UCI, in fulfilling items i and ii, applicants for fall should complete the courses in English and mathematics no later than the spring term.

TRANSFER ADMISSION GUARANTEE (TAG) REQUIREMENTS

Highest admission priority is extended only to California community college applicants who will have completed 60 UC-transferable semester (90 quarter) units by the end of the spring quarter prior to the fall enrollment. A TAG community college applicant is defined as a student: (1) who was enrolled at one or more California community colleges for a least two terms, excluding summer sessions; (2) for whom the last college attended before admission to a UC campus was a California community college, excluding summer sessions; and (3) who has completed at least 30 semester (45 quarter) UC-transferable units at one or more California community colleges, excluding Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credit.

Students may be eligible for admission to UCI through TAG if they will have met all four of the following requirements: (1) completion of 60 UC-transferable semester (90 quarter) units by the end of the quarter prior to enrolling at UCI (units must be completed by spring 2013 for fall 2013) and attainment of at least the minimum GPA specified by the major. TAG details are available online at http://www.admissions.uci.edu/tag.html; (2) completion of the minimum UC transfer eligibility requirements in English (two courses) and transferable mathematics (one course). The first mathematics and English courses must be completed at the time of the TAG submission. The second English course must be completed by spring 2013 for fall 2013; (3) completion of additional requirements for the student's prospective major (s) at UCI, prior to enrolling at UCI (major requirements to be completed by spring 2013 for fall 2013); and (4) maintained UC eligibility.

NOTE: The majors in Arts and Humanities, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Business Administration, Dance, Developmental and Cell Biology, Genetics, Humanities and Arts, Microbiology and Immunology, Music, Neurobiology, Nursing Science, and Plant Biology will not participate in the TAG program for fall 2013. For the most current information, visit http://www.admissions.uci.edu/admissions/tag.html.

NONRESIDENT TRANSFER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Nonresident transfer applicants must meet the same minimum admission requirements as those for residents, except, nonresidents must have a grade point average of 2.8 or higher in all transferable college course work. Refer to the Expenses, Tuition, and Fees section of this Catalogue for information regarding residence classification for tuition purposes and the Nonresident Supplemental Tuition.

ADMISSION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

See the Admission of International Students section below on this page for information regarding English proficiency and other details.

ADMISSION FOR A SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE

A student whose educational objective has changed substantially after receiving the bachelor's degree may be considered for admission to a program for a second degree. Admission as a candidate for a second bachelor's degree requires that the applicant be fully eligible for admission to the University and have strong promise of academic success in the new major. All such admissions are subject to the approval of the dean or director of the UCI school or program in which the second degree will be earned.

Students who have not attended UCI as undergraduates during a regular academic quarter should complete the undergraduate application for admission and scholarships, available online at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply. Students who have attended UCI as undergraduates during a regular academic quarter should contact the Academic Advising Office of the major of interest to initiate the electronic Second Baccalaureate/Readmission Process. For more information, see http://www.reg.uci.edu/enrollment/readmission.html.

ADMISSION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The credentials of an international undergraduate applicant—a student who holds or expects to hold a student, exchange, visitor, or diplomatic visa and who wishes to attend school in the United States—are evaluated in accordance with the general regulations governing admission. The application should be submitted to the University of California Undergraduate Application Processing Service early in the appropriate application filing period. This will allow time for exchange of necessary correspondence and, if the applicant is admitted, will help the student in obtaining the necessary passport visa. Official certificates and detailed transcripts of records should be submitted directly to the UCI Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools only when requested.

International applicants whose native language is not English will be required to demonstrate their English proficiency. This is most often accomplished by achieving a minimum score of 550 (Paper-based) or 80 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or with a score of 7 (academic module) on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. Arrangements to take the TOEFL may be made by writing directly to TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA; (609) 771-7100; http://www.toefl.org. For information about the IELTS test, see http://www.ielts.org/. Students must ask the TOEFL/Educational Testing Service or IELTS to forward results of their tests to the UCI Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools. Completion of two acceptable English composition courses (as determined by the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools) with a grade of C or better will also clear the English proficiency requirement for international applicants.

Students who wish to improve their English proficiency to meet the TOEFL or IELTS requirement may enroll in the intensive Program in English as a Second Language sponsored by UC Irvine Extension. Information is available from International Programs, UC Irvine Extension, P.O. Box 6050, Irvine, CA 92616-6050; (949) 824-5991; e-mail: uciesl@uci.edu.

In addition to achieving a minimum TOEFL or IELTS score, all international students whose native language is other than English must take an Academic English/English as a Second Language Placement Test upon arrival and prior to registration. Based upon the results of this test, students may be required to improve certain language skills by enrolling in Academic English/English as a Second Language courses during their first year, with other major course work being adjusted accordingly.

Generally, financial assistance and scholarships from the University are not available to the nonimmigrant-visa student. International students must provide proof that sufficient funds will be available to meet their educational commitments while studying in the United States. International undergraduate students are considered as nonresidents of California and are required to pay Nonresident Supplemental Tuition in addition to fees paid by legal residents of California.

Please direct all inquiries regarding the undergraduate admission of international students to the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY OF PERMANENT RESIDENT, REFUGEE, AND INTERNATIONAL (F-1 VISA) STUDENTS: ACADEMIC ENGLISH/ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Any student (a) whose first or native language is not English, (b) whose verbal scores on the Writing section of the SAT Reasoning Test fall below a set level, (c) who has not satisfied the UC Entry Level Writing requirement, and (d) who has received a letter from the AE/ESL Program requiring them to take the AE placement test, or any such student without a verbal SAT Reasoning Test score, must take the AE placement test prior to the first quarter of enrollment, regardless of the student's TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score, IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score, or TSWE (Test of Standard Written English) score. Also, any student who is identified as an ESL student through the UC Analytical Writing Placement Examination must take the AE placement test. The test is given prior to the beginning of each quarter, during Welcome Week prior to the beginning of fall quarter instruction, and on dates to be announced. Information is available from the Academic Testing Center, telephone (949) 824-6207, and the Academic English/English as a Second Language Program, telephone (949) 824-6781.

Based upon the results of the test, students may be required to enroll in AE/ESL courses prior to enrolling in any other required writing courses. Students required to enroll in AE/ESL courses must begin satisfying their AE/ESL requirements within their first or second quarter at UCI. They must take these courses in consecutive quarters. The AE/ESL requirements are to be completed within the first six quarters at UCI. Students who have not satisfied the AE/ESL requirements by the end of their sixth quarter will be ineligible to enroll for a seventh quarter at UCI. The UC Entry Level Writing requirement must be satisfied during the quarter following the completion of AE/ESL requirements. If the AE/ESL requirements are completed during the first quarter of enrollment, the UC Entry Level Writing requirement must be satisfied before the beginning of the fourth quarter of enrollment.

AE/ESL courses, offered by the School of Humanities and listed in the School's section of this Catalogue, include classes in writing, speaking and listening, and reading and vocabulary development.

CREDIT FOR AE/ESL COURSE WORK

Students whose first language is not English may receive up to 12 baccalaureate credits for AE/ESL course work. Students may receive workload credit for courses taken beyond this 12-unit limit but will not receive additional credits applicable to the bachelor's degree.

CREDIT FOR NATIVE LANGUAGE

Students whose first language is not English may receive credit for course work in their native language and literature, provided such courses were completed at the college level in the country of the vernacular, or at the upper-division or graduate level at UCI or another accredited English-speaking institution. Some restrictions apply; see the School of Humanities section for information.