Let's start with the goal

Transfer to a CSU and earn your bachelor's degree

Most of the journey is coursework, spread across however many semesters you need. There's one focused "application year" near the end and here's a preview.

Your application year, once you're ready

Fall

Oct 1 — Cal State Apply opens
Deadlines vary by campus

Winter–Spring

Admission decisions

Spring

Accept your offer; finish your degree

Fall

You start at your CSU

Everything before this (GE, major prep, units) happens at your own pace. Meet with a counselor each semester to confirm you're on track.

Two ways to lock in a guarantee

For most transfer students

Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T / AS-T)

Earn an AA-T or AS-T, and you get:

Guaranteed admission to the CSU system (not necessarily your first-choice campus)
A 0.10–0.20 GPA bump at impacted campuses/majors
Priority to your local CSU for a similar major
Bachelor's completion within 60 units after transfer.

Requires the major's AA-T/AS-T courses, a CSU GE pattern, 60 units, a 2.0+ GPA, and completion by spring of your transfer year.

For incoming first-year students

Transfer Success Pathway (TSP)

If you're starting college with no prior coursework, TSP gives you:

Guaranteed admission to one of the CSU campuses
Extra academic advising while you're at COM
Access to the CSU Transfer Planner to stay on track

Apply Aug 1–Oct 31 through the CSU Transfer Planner. Meet requirements within three years to keep your seat.

Explore AA-T / AS-T degrees Explore the TSP

CSU Transfer Success Pathway Available Programs

TSP Availability Matrix

CSU Transfer Success Pathway — Availability Matrix

Data as of August 24, 2026 · 1653 of 2018 programs open · 23 campuses

✓ Open for TSP agreements · Closed this cycle Blank = not offered at this campus Tip: print in landscape orientation.

Agriculture & Food Sciences

38 open · 6 closed · 3 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSULB	CSUMB	Fresno State	SSU
Agriculture & Agribusiness	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓
Food Science & Enology	✓		✓		✓		✓	✓
Animal Science	✓	✓	·				✓

Architecture & Planning

12 open · 7 closed · 2 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Maritime	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Urban & Regional Planning		✓				✓								✓			✓			✓
Architecture		·			✓	✓											·	✓	·	✓

Arts & Design

63 open · 18 closed · 6 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Fine Arts & Studio Art	·	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓		✓	✓		✓	·	✓		✓	✓
Art History		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·			✓		✓	✓	·	✓	✓		✓
Fashion & Textile Design				✓						✓		✓				✓		✓
Graphic & Visual Design			✓	✓				✓		·	✓				✓	·		✓
Photography & Animation			✓					✓	·	·					✓	✓			✓
Interior & Industrial Design										·		✓			✓			✓

Business & Economics

140 open · 63 closed · 9 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Maritime	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Business Administration	·	·		✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓			✓		·	✓	·	·	✓	✓	✓	✓
Management & Human Resources			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		✓	✓	✓				·			·
Economics		·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	·		✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓		✓
Hospitality & Tourism					✓	✓			✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	·
Accounting			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		·	✓	✓				·	·	✓	·	✓
Finance & Real Estate			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		·	✓	✓				·	·	✓	·	✓
Marketing			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		·	✓					·	·	✓	·	✓
Business Information Systems					✓				✓			✓	✓	✓				·		✓	·
International Business				✓		✓			✓		✓	✓	✓					·	·	✓	·

Communication & Media

52 open · 7 closed · 4 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUDH	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Journalism	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Communication Studies	·	✓		·	✓			✓	·	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
Public Relations & Advertising					✓	✓	✓	✓	✓					✓
Broadcast & Digital Media						✓						✓				✓	·	✓

Education

84 open · 13 closed · 3 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Early Childhood & Child Development	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓
Liberal Studies & Teacher Prep	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Deaf Studies & Special Education													✓			·	✓

Health Sciences

135 open · 50 closed · 11 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Kinesiology & Exercise Science	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓
Public Health	·		✓	✓		✓			✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
Nutrition & Dietetics	·		✓	✓	✓						✓		✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Health Administration			✓	✓				✓			✓		✓	✓		✓	✓
Recreation & Recreation Therapy	·	✓							✓		✓					·	✓	✓	✓
Gerontology & Human Services			✓					✓		✓		✓					✓	✓
Social Work		✓	✓	·					✓		·	✓		·		·	✓	·	✓	✓
Communicative Disorders & Speech			✓	✓					✓	✓	·		✓			·	✓			·
Health Sciences (General)					·		✓	✓	✓					✓			✓
Clinical & Allied Health								✓					·				✓
Nursing		·	·	·		·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·		·	·	·			·

Humanities & Languages

207 open · 16 closed · 9 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
English & Literature	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
History	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Spanish & Latin American Studies	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Philosophy	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
Humanities & Global Studies				✓			✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓		✓	✓		✓
Asian Languages & Studies			✓	✓						✓	✓	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Religious Studies				✓		✓				✓	✓		✓					✓	✓
French & Other Romance Languages		✓	·	✓					✓	✓	✓		✓				·			✓
Linguistics								✓		✓	✓		✓		✓	✓		✓		✓

Life & Environmental Sciences

198 open · 21 closed · 13 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Maritime	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Biology		·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓
Geography & GIS			✓	✓	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences			✓	·	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓			✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Biochemistry		·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓
Environmental Science		·	✓		✓		✓	✓		✓		✓	✓	✓			✓		✓	✓		✓	✓
Ecology & Conservation			✓						✓	✓			✓	✓				✓		✓	✓	✓
Environmental Studies			✓						✓	✓			✓		✓	✓		✓		✓	✓
Marine & Aquatic Sciences	·	·	✓									✓	✓	✓						✓	✓	✓
Microbiology		·	✓		✓				✓	✓		✓		✓				✓	·	✓	✓
Forestry & Wildlife Management			✓																	✓
Biotechnology						✓	✓							✓		✓
Botany & Plant Biology			✓		✓
Zoology & Animal Biology			✓									·										✓

Performing Arts

103 open · 56 closed · 4 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Music	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	·	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	·	·	✓	✓	✓	✓
Theatre	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		·	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓		✓
Film & Media Production		✓	✓					✓		✓	·	✓	✓				✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Dance		✓					✓	✓		·	·		✓			✓	✓	·	✓	✓

Physical Sciences & Mathematics

158 open · 10 closed · 4 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Mathematics	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Physics & Astronomy	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Chemistry	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Statistics & Applied Math	·								✓								✓	✓	✓	·	✓

Social Sciences

232 open · 19 closed · 7 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Ethnic, Cultural & Gender Studies	·	✓	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Political Science & Government	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Anthropology	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓
Sociology	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Criminal Justice & Criminology		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	·		✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences			✓	✓				✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		✓		✓
Psychology	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Technology & Engineering

136 open · 53 closed · 11 disciplines

Discipline	Cal Maritime	Cal Poly	Cal Poly Humboldt	Cal State LA	Chico State	CPP	CSUB	CSUCI	CSUDH	CSUEB	CSUF	CSULB	CSUMB	CSUN	CSUSB	CSUSM	Fresno State	Sacramento State	SDSU	SF State	SJSU	SSU	Stanislaus State
Computer Science		·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	·	·	✓	✓	✓	✓
Computer & Electrical Engineering		·		✓	✓	✓	✓			✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	·	✓	·	✓	·	✓
Civil & Construction Engineering		·		✓	✓	✓				✓	✓	✓		✓			·	✓	·	✓	·
Information Technology				✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓			✓	✓		·			·	✓
Data Science & Informatics			✓					✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓				✓	✓		✓
Engineering (General)	·	✓		✓	✓		✓		✓		✓		✓	✓			✓	✓			·
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering		✓	✓			✓				✓				✓			✓				·
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering	·	·	✓	✓	✓	✓					✓	·		✓			✓	✓	·	✓	·
Chemical & Biomedical Engineering		·				✓						✓									·
Software Engineering		·	✓													✓					·
Aviation & Transportation	·			✓																	·

Campus codes: Cal Maritime Cal Maritime · Cal Poly Cal Poly SLO · Cal Poly Humboldt Cal Poly Humboldt · Cal State LA CSU Los Angeles · Chico State CSU Chico · CPP Cal Poly Pomona · CSUB CSU Bakersfield · CSUCI CSU Channel Islands · CSUDH CSU Dominguez Hills · CSUEB CSU East Bay · CSUF CSU Fullerton · CSULB CSU Long Beach · CSUMB CSU Monterey Bay · CSUN CSU Northridge · CSUSB CSU San Bernardino · CSUSM CSU San Marcos · Fresno State CSU Fresno · Sacramento State CSU Sacramento · SDSU San Diego State University · SF State San Francisco State University · SJSU San Jose State University · SSU Sonoma State University · Stanislaus State CSU Stanislaus
Source: CSU Transfer Planner Program Report. Not an official CSU publication.

Which path applies to you?

Most students

Started Fall 2025 or later

Follow Cal-GETC and the requirements below — this is the current, default path.

Catalog rights

Started before Fall 2025

You can choose Cal-GETC, CSU GE Breadth, IGETC, or COM's prior local GE pattern. See your options ↓

What it takes to be eligible

Complete 60 CSU-transferable semester units
Complete the "Golden Four" with a C or higher: Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking, and Math / Quantitative Reasoning
Earn a minimum 2.0 GPA (2.4 if you're a non-resident) — higher for competitive campuses and majors
Complete your major preparation courses
Meet any campus- and program-specific requirements

The Golden Four is the one hard gate. A full GE pattern isn't required for admission to every major, but the Golden Four always is. Don't leave it for your final term.

What is Cal-GETC?

Cal-GETC is the statewide GE pattern for students starting Fall 2025 or later. It:

Replaces CSU GE Breadth and IGETC for new students
Fulfills lower-division GE for most CSU (and UC) campuses
Covers English, math, arts & humanities, social sciences, lab science, and Ethnic Studies

Confirm this fits

A full GE pattern isn't recommended for every major. STEM majors especially should prioritize major prep. Meet with a counselor to confirm it's right for your goals.

Started before Fall 2025? See your GE options

If you started before Fall 2025 and maintain catalog rights, you can choose any of the following — talk to a counselor about which fits your goals:

CSU GE Breadth

39-unit pattern covering CSU lower-division GE only.

IGETC

37-unit pattern covering both UC and CSU lower-division GE. Not all UC departments accept it.

COM local GE

Meets COM's AA/AS requirement, but not the Associate Degree for Transfer. Use CSU Breadth or IGETC for that.

Completing any of these (or a prior bachelor's degree) also satisfies COM's local AA/AS general education requirement.

Your top priority

Major preparation comes first

Major-prep requirements vary by campus and are what most affect whether you get in, especially at impacted campuses and majors. Use ASSIST.org to see exactly which courses your major requires at each campus. STEM majors (engineering, biological/physical sciences) need extensive lower-division coursework and shouldn't rely on a GE-only plan.

Impacted campuses and majors

"Impacted" programs get far more applicants than seats, so they're more selective and may use extra criteria. Whole-campus impaction (every major is competitive) currently includes:

Cal Poly SLO Fresno Fullerton Long Beach San Diego San José

Many other campuses impact specific majors (nursing, business, engineering, psychology, CS, kinesiology). Impaction status changes — always check the current list.

How to be a stronger applicant to an impacted program

Complete as many major-prep courses as possible — all of them if the program requires it. Check ASSIST.org.
Meet regularly with a counselor to stay on track.
Contact an admissions representative at the campus, ideally one who works with transfers.
Research the program's website to learn what they expect.
Find out whether the program requires a supplemental application beyond Cal State Apply.

Impacted campuses may also admit local-area applicants under different criteria. An ADT adds "similar major" priority at your local CSU.

Your toolkit

CSU Transfer Planner

Explore all 22 CSU campuses, track your GE and coursework, compare your GPA, and enroll in TSP.

Open Transfer Planner →

ASSIST.org

See which of your courses transfer, and what they satisfy for your major or GE, at any CSU.

Open ASSIST →

A Degree with a Guarantee

Browse every AA-T / AS-T and see exactly what each one requires for your major.

Explore ADTs →

Use these alongside your counselor, not instead of them — a Student Education Plan (SEP) is what actually keeps you on track.

Ready for the next step?

Meet with a CSU transfer representative

Your COM counselor builds your overall plan; a campus representative adds campus-specific detail on top of it — how impaction criteria are applied, whether a program needs a supplemental application, and what counts as a "similar major" at that campus. It's worth talking to both.

Meet a CSU transfer representative Or book a counselor appointment

Or call (415) 485-9432, or book through the MyCOM Portal.

The CSU is one of California's two public university systems — 22 universities serving over 400,000 students. Check campus application dates and deadlines →

Requirements, impaction status, and deadlines vary by campus and can change without notice. Confirm anything time-sensitive with a counselor or your target campus before acting on it.