Can I Take Lower Division Courses and Upper Division Courses in the Same Semester?

Transfer Students
1

I’m planning to transfer to UCI and I won’t have some lower division courses completed. Will I still be able to take upper division courses while taking those, provided that I’ve completed the prerequisites for them?

2

Yes, but be aware that upper division and all UC courses could put you over the credit limitation to transfer to some UCs (lower division non-UC courses are capped at 70 semester units and will not by themselves exceed the credit limitation). See page 33 of http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2018.pdf

3

Thanks @ucbalumnus ! Sorry I don’t fully understand though, does this mean the credit limitation includes the upper division units I will be taking after transferring to UCI? Or does it only take into account the units I transfer from my Community College? I will not be taking any classes at a university with lower and upper division units.

4

the credit limitation is just before transfer.

It sounds like what you’re asking is whether the UCs expect you to have finished every lower-division requirement before they let you take any upper-division classes. The answer is no. Once you enroll at Irvine you are free to enroll in any upper-division class for which you meet the prerequisites. And at the same time take lower division classes to finish out breadth or major requirements.

5

Yes that is what I thought prior to your response, sorry I didn’t word it that way, thank you so much!

6

I should add there is a catch for a few majors such as neurobiology. I think (not 100% sure) that you can’t xfer directly into this major, you have to enroll at Irvine and then change into the major. See http://neurobiology.uci.edu/undergraduate-programs/neurobiology-major/ The catch is that there are some classes that may be limited to majors only such as the sequence mentioned in that page. So check out the conditions of admission to your major and if there are any classes restricted to majors only. And even if this applies to you it doesn’t mean you can’t take any upper-division classes, just not those restricted to majors only.