University of California System (UC)

As a junior-level transfer applicant, you must meet the following requirements. Some of your major preparation and general education coursework will count towards these requirements. 

1. Complete the following 7-course pattern by the end of the spring term prior to fall enrollment at UC:
   • Two transferable courses in English composition;
   • One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning;
   • Four transferable college courses chosen from at least two of the following subject areas:
     • arts and humanities
     • social and behavioral sciences
     • physical and biological science
   • Keep in mind:
     • each course must be worth at least 3 semester units and be UC-transferable. Check ASSIST to see what courses from Barstow Community College are transferable. 
     • you need to earn a grade of C or better in each course or a Pass (P) grade if pass is equivalent to a C (2.00)
     • AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 may be used in appropriate subject areas (exception: only one of the two English courses required can be satisfied by an AP exam score. 
     • If you've completed IGETC or campus-specific general education requirements, you may have already satisfied the 7-course pattern.
2. Complete at least 60 semester units of UC-Transferable credit. No more than 14 semester units of the 60 semester units may be taken as pass/fail or credit/no credit. 
3. Earn at least a 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable courses (2.8 if you're a non-resident). Some majors require a higher GPA for admission selection. 
4. Complete the required/recommended courses needed for your intended major with the minimum grades. 

Some UC campuses and/or majors may have additional requirements for admission. For the most up-to-date information on transfer requirements, visit the specific campus website and schedule an appointment with the Transfer or Career Center or a counselor. 

If you’ve decided on a major but want to keep your UC campus options open, consider completing a UC Transfer Pathway – a single set of courses you can take to prepare for your major on any of our nine undergraduate campuses. Not only will you have clear guidance on what courses you need to take, but you’ll have a competitive edge to get into any UC campus and be well positioned to succeed once you get here.

The Transfer Pathways include:

• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Business administration
• Cell biology
• Chemistry
• Communication
• Computer science
• Economics
• Electrical engineering
• English
• History
• Mathematics
• Mechanical engineering
• Molecular biology
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Pathways give you a clear roadmap to prepare for your major and be well positioned to graduate on time from any UC campus. Check out UC's Transfer Pathways Guide to see what courses at Barstow Community College will fulfill specific expectations of a Transfer Pathway.

If you are interested in transferring to a University of California campus, then the Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) Program may be right for you. The TAG program offers students guaranteed admission to one of the six participating UC Campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz). 

By participating in TAG, you may receive early review of your academic records, early admission notification and specific guidelines about major preparation and general education coursework. 

The TAG matrix provides a list of participating campuses and campus-specific requirements to qualify. Remember you can only submit a TAG application for one UC, so choose wisely! 

How to pursue the UC TAG

1. Use the UC Transfer Admission Planner to complete the TAG application, and review it with your community college counselor and/or UC Campus TAG adviser.
   • You’ll need to submit TAG Application between Sept. 1-30th for the fall term and May 1-31 for the winter/spring term (only UC Merced and UC Riverside participate in the winter/spring TAG program). 
2. Fulfill all remaining coursework and GPA requirements in your TAG agreement.
3. Fill out the application for admission to UC and submit it Nov. 1-30th. 

Learn more about UC the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) by clicking on your colleges of interest below:

• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC Merced
• UC Riverside
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz 

You can also watch this instructional video that will walk you through the entire UC TAG Application by clicking HERE! 

The University of California (UC) offers a comprehensive selection of undergraduate degree programs. Click on your UC campuses of interest below to view a list of available majors:

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

The Transfer Center schedules several campus tours throughout the academic year. All of our campus tours will be on our Events & Workshops page.

However, you can still take a virtual tour by clicking on your campus of interest below:

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

A variety of financial aid sources are available to help you pay for college. Financial aid can come from:

• Federal
• state
• School
• private sources

For more information on the different types of financial aid available at the UCs, check out our Financial Aid webpage.

Learn more about federal grants, loans, and work-study jobs and how they can help fund your education! 

Housing Options

The UC's offer many different options when it comes to housing for transfer students. It is important to look into your housing options as you plan for transfer. Below is additional web links and contact information for each UC campus. 

Last Updated: 04/29/2021

Childcare Options

The UC's offer childcare options for transfer students with children. Make sure to look into each campuses options and eligibility requirements. See links below for full details. 

Last Updated: 04/29/2021

The UC's promote an inclusive environment for students with disabilities. They equip students with appropriate accommodations and services to achieve their individual academic goals. Each campus is dedicated to supporting students and collaboration with the campus community to remove barriers to educational access and embrace the University's values of equity and inclusion. Click on each campus link below for more information. 

• UC Berkeley
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC Los Angeles
• UC Merced
• UC Riverside
• UC San Diego
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz

Last Updated: 04/29/2021

Many of the UC's offer Transfer Student Centers that provide assistance to students who transfer with navigating the academic and cultural landscape, and offer programs and services that focus on supporting students in successfully transitioning to a 4-year university. In addition, many of these centers assist students in building connections and exploring and pursuing academic and career goals. Click on each link below for more information on each campuses center. 

• UC Berkeley
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC Los Angeles
• UC Merced
• UC Riverside
• UC San Diego
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz

Last Updated: 04/29/2021

Want to talk directly to your future UC campus? Reach out to the admissions office of the college you're interested in to learn more using the UC Campus Directory! 

One of the most important items you need to remember as a transfer student is that you apply for transfer to a UC almost an entire year in advance. For instance, if spring 2025 is your last semester at Barstow Community College you will apply for Fall 2025 admission to the UCs between October 1-December 2nd, 2024.

Also keep in mind that not all UC's open for spring application. You can check to see when applications are open at the UC website. 

When you're ready to complete your application to the UC, be sure you have these items on hand:

• Unofficial Transcripts: You'll be asked to enter all the courses completed on your UC application; those that are currently in progress; and any you plan to take. Transcripts will be requested by campuses as needed.
• You're Social Security number, if you have one. 
• Your citizenship status
• Annual income. Your parents' if you are a dependent; your income if you are independent.
• Personal Insight Question Responses. Highly recommend that you type your responses into a word document so that you can copy and paste them into the application. 

UC Personal Insight Questions

There is a lot more to the UC application than just coursework and grades. The UCs also require transfer students to respond to Personal Insight Questions. 

All transfer applicants must answer a required question and also answer 3 out of 7 additional questions. Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words. Which three questions you choose to answer is entirely up to you. However, you should select questions that are relevant to you and your experiences and that best provide the UCs with a picture of who you are as an individual. 

Required question: Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to success in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university. 

We highly recommend using the Personal Insight Questions: Guide for Transfer Applicants provided by the UCs. 

• English Version
• Spanish Version

The Barstow Community College Transfer Center offers multiple workshops to assist students in completing the CSU admissions application. Check out our Events & Workshops page for a list of current workshops.

Ready to get started on your admissions application? Utilize the multiple resources listed below to help you complete the application. However, be sure to schedule an appointment with the Transfer Center so that we can check your application for errors prior to you submitting it. You can schedule an appointment with the Transfer Center by sending an email to transfer@barstow.edu.

• UC Admissions Application Website
• UC Undergraduate Admissions Application Guide (PDF)
• Instructional Videos on Completing Each Section of the UC Admissions Application

So you were offered admission to a UC, congratulations! However, you're not done yet! Now you need to sign your "Statement of Intent to Register" (SIR), pay your confirmation deposit, and complete the "next steps" for admitted students. 

Click on the link below for the university that you received an offer of admission to in order to see the next steps:

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

The table below is a list of the University of California Housing and Financial Aid websites and phone numbers.

The UC campuses review each applicant's record thoroughly, and admission decisions are rarely reversed. However, students who are not admitted may request a review of the decision if they believe there was an error in the evaluation or can provide new and compelling information not included in the initial application. Each campus has specific procedures to handle such appeals. Contact the campus admissions office for information.