More than 40% of CSU students are transfer students, arriving primarily from the California Community Colleges system. In an effort to simplify their pathway to a four-year degree, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act – AB 928 – creates a singular, lower-division General Education (GE) pattern for both California State University and University of California transfer admissions. This pattern, called Cal-GETC, was approved by all three higher education intersegmental partners via the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates in spring 2023 and is scheduled to go into effect for fall 2025.
The CSU Board of Trustees will determine whether the CSU will adopt Cal-GETC as its single GE pattern or whether the system will continue to offer CSU GE Breadth for incoming freshmen.
A Comparison of GE Patterns
In a comparison of the two proposed GE patterns, Cal-GETC requires five fewer units than CSU GE Breadth. It does this by:
- Including a one-unit laboratory for Biological or Physical Sciences
- Not including one of three Arts or Humanities courses (in Area C)
- Not including Area E, Lifelong Learning and Self-Development
If the CSU adopts Cal-GETC for incoming freshmen, then five units will be returned to campuses to determine how to utilize.
| A1 – Oral Communication | 3
| Oral Communication | 3
|
| A2 – Written Communication | 3 | English Composition | 3
|
| A3 – Critical Thinking | 3 | Critical Thinking and Composition | 3
|
| B1 – Physical Sciences | 3
| Physical Sciences | 3 |
| B2 – Life Sciences | 3
| Biological Sciences | 3
|
| B3 – Laboratory (included in B1/B2 units) | — | Laboratory (for Bio/Physical Sciences course) | 1
|
| B4 – Mathematics/QR | 3 | Mathematical Concepts/QR | 3
|
| C1 – Arts | 3 | Arts | 3
|
| C2 – Humanities | 3
| Humanities | 3
|
| C3 – Additional course from C1 or C2 | 3
| — | —
|
| D1 – Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| D2 – Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| E – Lifelong Learning and Self-Development | 3 | — | —
|
| F – Ethnic Studies | 3 | Ethnic Studies
| 3
|
|
UNIT TOTALS |
39 |
|
34 |
About the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act
Authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman and approved in 2021, Assembly Bill 928 consolidates two existing general education pathways for California Community College students into a single pathway to either the CSU or UC system. It also requires that community colleges place incoming students on an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathway, if one exists for their major, on or before August 1, 2024.
Key Terms and Definitions
What is Cal-GETC?
Cal-GETC is a proposed new GE pattern that would be adopted in fall 2025. As a result of its adoption, California Community Colleges would no longer offer the current CSU GE Breadth and Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) patterns.
What is IGETC?
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, or IGETC, is designed for the community college student who wants to be eligible to transfer to either the CSU or the UC systems.
What is CSU GE Breadth?
CSU GE Breadth is the current General Education pattern for all CSU students whether they are first-time first-year students or transfer students.
What is an ADT?
The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) allows California Community College students who meet the CSU's minimum eligibility requirements guaranteed priority admission to the CSU, though not necessarily to a particular campus or major. Students earn a two-year associate degree (no more than 60 units) that is fully transferrable towards a CSU bachelor's degree.