Transfer Credit Process

Creating a concise plan before you transfer allows for a smooth transition from one regionally accredited institution to another. This also allows for an easier path to earning a bachelor's degree.

  • After being offered admission into Cal State LA all official documents, including transcripts from all schools attended, will need to be submitted to the Office of University Admissions. This allows for an official evaluation process of all transfer credit to begin, which will result in adequate advisement for new transfer students.
  • Cal State LA accepts college-level academic credits from regionally accredited institutions.
  • Students who are transferring from institutions where formal articulation does not exist, or if a match is not available in ASSIST, must compare course descriptions to determine whether a course 'reasonably' matches the specified Cal State LA course. Cal State LA "course descriptions" can be found in the University Catalog.
  • If the student believes the course to be a match they should then submit a petition to receive credit for the course, if the student can provide supplementary course documents, this will help the review process. Information and instructions for comparing courses can be found in the Admission and Recruitment page under Determining Course Equivalencies for Major-Specific Criteria.
  • When transferring credits from a quarter/term system, credit hours will be converted to semester credits. This does not cause a loss in credits, nor does it require the student to retake equivalent course because of credit hour differences.
  • Credit will be awarded for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate Program (IB), and Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Official scores should be submitted to Cal State LA, along with other transcripts. More information about these types of credit can be found on the University Catalog page under Admissions.
  • Credit may also be awarded for Military Service, Peace Corps Training, and the Defense Activities in Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES). More information about these types of credit can be found on the University Catalog page under Admissions.
  • Students who have earned an associate degree for transfer (AA-T or AS-T) from a California Community College are guaranteed admission with junior standing to the California State University but not to any particular campus or program. This means that If you apply and are admitted to a CSU program that has been deemed similar to the Associate Degree for Transfer you are awarded, you are guaranteed to complete the baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree at the CSU in the similar discipline within 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units as long as you successfully complete all of the required coursework without the need to repeat courses or supplementing instruction with additional courses for minors or areas of emphasis.
  • For more information regarding the Associate Degree for Transfer(ADT) refer to the Admission and Recruitment page.
  • If you are transferring from a California Community College and have not earned an ADT you may still receive "certification". This is an official notification from a California Community College or another authorized institution that a transfer student has completed courses fulfilling lower-division general education requirements. The CSU GE-Breadth and the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) certification course lists for particular community colleges can be accessed at www.assist.org.
  • If you are transferring without an ADT, and have not received "certification", your transcript will be reviewed on a course-to-course or program-to-program basis depending on the articulation agreement between Cal State LA and other CSU campuses and any or all of the California community colleges, and other regionally accredited institutions, and credit will be granted accordingly. These articulation agreements can be found online at www.assist.org.
  • If you are transferring from a non regionally accredited institute, follow the steps outlined in the general transfer credit process to compare course descriptions to determine a match.