How does the IGETC work exactly?

Does IGETC certification work on the CC level or the UC level? Like does your community college sign the certification, and the UC will let you use that instead of their own GE requirements? Or does each GE course need to articulate to a course at the UC? Sorry if the phrasing is weird, but I’m having trouble understanding it. The reason is that my major at a UC I’m TAGing for wants “Two courses approved for General Education category II except those offered by CSE, Economics, ICS, or Mathematics. University Studies courses can be used with the approval of the CS Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies”, but it’s not labeled in the ASSIST report (probably because it’s an additional requirement).

This is the link (under Computer Science) to the requirement if this will help:
http://catalogue.uci.edu/donaldbrenschoolofinformationandcomputersciences/departmentofcomputerscience/

Would that requirement be in addition to my GE courses (need to take two sciences courses there), or can I use the science portion of IGETC to clear that prereq (as long as it’ll articulate to a science course at UCI)? I tried asking this question in the UCI forum but didn’t get a response.

It’s finals week, then spring break, then the start of the next quarter, so I probably won’t be able to meet with a counselor for a while, which is why I’m asking here.

The whole point of IGETC is to cover the courses you would have to take at the university. They are GE. These courses sometimes overlap with specific classes in your case UCI wants you to take. If the courses overlap then it’s great since you are completing GE & prereq at the same time.

@Hiitsnaomi Oh okay, thanks for that! I’ll make sure that the science courses at my cc will articulate to science courses at UCI and that they’ll also cover IGETC.

I also read that you’re supposed to finish IGETC at your cc, and if you don’t, you’ll have to follow your UC’s general education curriculum right? What about in the case of AP scores? In my case, I’m using AP Bio and World History. AP Bio covers Bio at UCI, but WHAP only offers elective credit. But according to this guide

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/ap-satisfy-admission-and-igetc-req.pdf

WHAP would fulfill an area of the IGETC, which is why I’m asking whether IGETC is certified at the CC or UC level. Technically WHAP would not fulfill UCI’s general ed, but it would for IGETC I’m assuming. So even though I got IGETC certified, would I need to take a course at UCI?

Generally, your CC certifies your IGETC, and then sends it to the UC. The UC then consideres your GE requirement to be fulfilled.

Sometimes, there are additional requirements outside of IGETC that need to be taken at the CC. (i.e some of the UCSD colleges, UCB American Citizen (?), etc)

@luckie1367 From what I could look up, UCI accepts IGETC as an alternative to the GE requirement. So could I use WHAP to fulfill my IGETC even though they only accept it as elective credit there?

If your CC accepts it to satisfy an IGETC criteria, yes.

Of course, you should confirm all of this with a counselor from your CC