New to transfer planning? Start here.
Transferring to a CSU: where to start
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Step 1
Find out when you started at COM
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Step 2
Complete general education courses and major preparation
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Step 3
Check major prep on Assist.org
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Step 4
Check your campus deadlines, then apply
Dates that matter most
Transfer Success Pathway (first-year students)
August 1 to October 31
Cal State Apply (transfer)
Opens October 1 (Fall Admission)
Not sure where to start? Talk to a person first
A counselor can confirm your starting point and build a plan with you. You do not need to figure this out alone.
Confirm that your educational plan meets transfer requirements.
What is a CSU?
The California State University system is one of two public university systems in California. Made up of 23 CSU campuses serving over 400,000 students, it is the largest, most diverse, and one of the most affordable university systems in the country.
The CSU offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in about 240 subject areas, along with a variety of teaching credential programs. Select doctoral degrees are also offered jointly with the University of California or with private universities in California.
The information below can help you meet the requirements to enter a CSU campus as a transfer student, find where the campuses are located, see which academic programs are offered by campus, and learn how to apply for transfer.
On this page
Incoming first-year students: the Transfer Success Pathway (TSP)
The Transfer Success Pathway offers you:
- Guaranteed admission to one of 23 universities.
- Additional academic advising while you're a community college student.
- Access to the CSU Transfer Planner to stay on track.
- More options to advance your education and your career.
Application cycle for the Transfer Success Pathway: August 1 – October 31, 2025.
Learn more in the Transfer Success Pathway Brochure, or schedule a meeting with our team through Transfer Center Appointments.
CSU transfer admission requirements (starting Fall 2025)
Students who start at College of Marin in Fall 2025 or later must complete Cal-GETC (California General Education Transfer Curriculum). Eligibility requirements include:
- Complete 60 CSU-transferable semester units.
- Earn at least a 2.0 GPA (a higher GPA may be needed for competitive campuses or majors).
- Complete the required major preparation courses for your intended major.
- Complete the "Golden Four" with a C or higher (link):
- Oral Communication (1C)
- Written Communication (1A)
- Critical Thinking (1B)
- Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (2)
See the full general education course list in the Cal-GETC worksheet (PDF).
Plan your transfer with these tools
CSU Transfer Planner
The CSU Transfer Planner is an online tool designed to help California Community College students explore and prepare for transfer to any of the 23 CSU campuses. With it, you can:
- Explore CSU campuses, degree programs, and transfer requirements.
- Save programs you're interested in for easy access later.
- Track your completed coursework and general education progress.
- Compare your GPA with admission requirements.
- Get tips and guidance to stay on track for transfer.
Create an account or log in to get started: CSU Transfer Planner.
Assist.org
Assist.org helps you find community college courses that are transferable to a UC or CSU campus, see how those courses can satisfy major preparation or general education, and understand which courses are required or recommended for transfer by major and campus.
Associate Degrees for Transfer: AA-T and AS-T
The Associate of Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate of Science for Transfer (AS-T) let students earn an associate degree and a bachelor's degree at a CSU with no wasted units. They make transfer easier by setting universal lower-division major prep requirements across all 23 CSU campuses.
Other benefits include:
- Guaranteed admission to a CSU, though not necessarily to a particular campus.
- A GPA bump of 0.10 or 0.20 when applying to an impacted campus or major.
- Priority admission to your local CSU campus for a major deemed similar to the AA-T or AS-T major.
- Guaranteed degree completion within 60 semester units after transferring into a CSU.
Requirements for an AA-T or AS-T:
- Completion of required general education coursework.
- Completion of the courses required for the specific AA-T/AS-T major.
- Completion of 60 CSU-transferable units.
- A 2.0 GPA (your GPA will need to be more competitive when applying to an impacted campus or major).
- Completion of all requirements by the end of the Spring semester if transferring in Fall.
AA-T and AS-T degrees offered at College of Marin
- Administration of Justice, AS-T
- Anthropology, AA-T
- Art History, AA-T
- Business Administration, AS-T
- Communication Studies, AA-T
- Early Childhood Education, AS-T
- Economics, AA-T
- English, AA-T
- Film, Television, and Electronic Media, AS-T
- Geography, AA-T
- Geology, AS-T
- History, AA-T
- Hospitality Management, AS-T
- Kinesiology, AA-T
- Mathematics, AS-T
- Philosophy, AA-T
- Physics, AS-T
- Political Science, AA-T
- Psychology, AA-T
- Sociology, AA-T
- Spanish, AA-T
- Theatre Arts, AA-T
For more information, visit A Degree with a Guarantee.
Impacted majors and campuses
The goal when applying for college admission is to make yourself as competitive as possible. When applying to the CSU system, this matters especially if the campus or major you want is impacted.
Impacted programs and campuses receive far more applications than there is space for. When campuses and programs are impacted, they are more selective and may use supplementary admission criteria to screen applicants.
Currently, Fullerton, Long Beach, San Diego, San Jose, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo are impacted campuses, meaning every major at that campus is highly competitive. Other campuses often have certain impacted majors even when the whole campus is not impacted. View the impacted undergraduate majors and campuses at calstate.edu.
How to be a more competitive applicant to impacted programs
- Complete as many major preparation courses as possible (all of them if required by the program). Consult Assist.org to determine which classes are required for major prep.
- Meet regularly with a counselor to stay on track.
- Contact an admissions representative at the school, preferably one who works with transfer students regularly.
- Research the program's website to learn what they expect of their students.
- Find out whether you need to submit materials beyond the regular application. These extra materials, or extra applications, are called supplemental applications.
General education options for students who started before Fall 2025
Students who started before Fall 2025 (and maintain catalog rights) may choose to follow Cal-GETC, IGETC, CSU Breadth, or the prior version of COM's local GE, depending on their academic goals. Because each pattern fits different goals, meet with a counselor to confirm which is right for you. Full details are on the general education page.
Compare the GE patterns (before Fall 2025)
- IGETC — The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum is a 37-unit general education pattern that allows California Community College students to fulfill lower-division GE requirements for either the CSU or UC system without taking additional lower-division GE after transfer. Note that not all departments at the UCs accept IGETC. Meet with a counselor to determine if IGETC aligns with your goals.
- CSU Breadth — The CSU General Education Breadth is a 39-unit general education pattern that allows California Community College students to fulfill lower-division GE requirements for the CSU. Meet with a counselor to determine if CSU Breadth aligns with your goals.
- Local COM General Education — The College of Marin's local general education pattern meets the GE requirements for an Associate Degree in Arts or Sciences. Note that this pattern does not meet the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) requirements. For ADTs, you must complete IGETC or CSU Breadth.
Completing any of the above patterns (or prior completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution) will meet the general education requirement for a local AA/AS degree from College of Marin.
Completing GE for CSU transfer (before Fall 2025)
Students transferring to a CSU may complete their general education in one of several ways:
- Complete the minimum transfer eligibility requirements of 60 CSU-transferable units, which must include the Golden Four (speech, composition, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning).
- Complete the CSU GE Breadth requirements or IGETC. The full archive can be found here.
Please note: CSU Breadth and IGETC are not an admission requirement and are not recommended for all majors. Students majoring in STEM fields such as Engineering, Biological and Physical Sciences, or other majors that require extensive lower-division preparation are not encouraged to follow IGETC.
Meet with a counselor to find out which pattern is best for you. For reference: CSU General Education-Breadth 2023-2024 (PDF).
Next steps
Work with a COM counselor and a CSU advisor to understand how to prepare for your major. This will guide you to the right general education and major prep coursework. Make an appointment with a College of Marin counselor by calling (415) 485-9432 or through the MyCOM portal.
While the information posted here is intended to be accurate, other institutions may change their requirements without notice. Check back periodically with a counselor or academic adviser, both at COM and your transfer institution, to confirm that your educational plan meets transfer requirements.
