<p>Hello. I've been doing some research on transferring from a 2-year community college to a 4-year. I'm pretty confused.</p>
<p>Let's say I want to transfer to UCLA and major in Biology.
I am required to complete IGETC AND take all of these classes:
BIO 1A, 1B
CHEM 1A, 1B
CALC 1, 2
PHYS 4A, 4B, 4C</p>
<p>Is it even possible to transfer in two years?
Also, let's say I need a 3.5 to transfer. What if I am only able to get a 3.5 after my last semester?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Talk to the GC at your CC. They can help you with a plan.</p>
<p>For science majors it typically takes three years to complete IGETC and major pre-requisites primarily due to the intensity of those courses. I’d say it is possible to complete it in two years, but that would spread yourself too thin, possibly hurting your GPA and chances for admission to UCLA.
However, for admission you are not required to have completed all the pre-requisites, but it will make you a more competitive applicant having them done. IGETC completion will be required at the very least to be even considered for admission.</p>
<p>It’s certainly feasible and people do manage to transfer after two years, so don’t be discouraged. It also helps to have taken some AP classes in high school that will help to satisfy some of your IGETC and/or prereq courses. There are people that start CC with enough AP credit to transfer in one year, so two is definitely possible. And depending on your CC there may also be summer / winter sessions to take more classes, which can be really helpful to transfer on time.</p>
<p>Also, be aware that you don’t have to complete all of those prereqs to transfer as a Biology major. In most cases, physics is simply “recommended” and can be taken after you transfer. For most of the UC’s usually Bio, Gen Chem, and Calc are required, and for UCLA an additional semester of ochem is also required and for Berkeley it’s one year of ochem. The more prereqs you complete obviously the better your chances for admission are, but many people are accepted with a few prereqs missing so don’t be afraid to apply if you won’t finish everything by spring. That being said, make sure you’re aware of what’s “required” and what’s “recommended” at each UC because they can be different. As long as you finish the “required” ones you’ll be eligible to transfer. Also, IGETC isn’t a requirement, but it definitely helps and will likely shorten your time significantly after you transfer.</p>
<p>Lastly, the average admitted GPA for Biology to UCLA is typically around a 3.7 so that’s what you’ll want to shoot for. The last term they’ll see for admission purposes is your Fall semester/quarter before you transfer so if you want to transfer for Fall 2015, you’d want to have as close to a 3.7 as possibly by the end of Fall 2014.</p>
<p>I’m majoring in physics and starting at a CC in illinois. It’s going to take me 3 years to finish here before transferring. The bright side will be that I’ll have all of my GenEds done, along with my two year foreign language requirement before transferring. After I transfer, I’ll be able to focus solely on upper level courses in my major.</p>
<p>Like others have posted, remember some courses are just recommended, not strictly required. IGETC is highly recommended, but not required, either. Another thing I’d advise you to consider is the fact that many majors at UCs plan for you to stay there for 3 years after transferring in order to complete your upper division classes. Bio is one of these majors. I would advise you to be done with your cc lower division stuff in 2 years instead of 3. 3 at a cc and 3 at the UC, yeah, that’s 6 years, and it’s way better to push yourself in the beginning at a cc than try to make up for it in later years. I also think it’s completely possible to do everything in 2 years. Also consider that some of these classes may be offered in the summer, and that can also help you spread your classes out a little. It is possible, though 
plan your classes for the next two years, literally make a little chart or something, it will help you see that it is possible :)</p>
<p>Even if you can transfer from a CC to UCLA in two years without completing the recommended courses, you’re going to pay way more to take those same classes at UCLA. Financially speaking, it makes no sense to move on only to pay an extra year at the university for the same class.I can understand if you’ve completed AP courses while in high school or dual enroll to move out of the CC system sooner, but you’re still taking the lower division courses outside of the UC system. </p>
<p>If you pick a hard major, it’s going to take longer to complete. You can only take so many courses in a semester and still pass with A’s. Plus, some courses can only be completed after taking another course. I have to finish 2 math courses before I can start on the physics courses. In that order, there’s no way to finish in two years.</p>
<p>Talk to your counslers and go to the transfer center.
Also seek for UCLA transfer representatives. They will help you.</p>
<p>Student 1a: As dreamer said, financially, it will be tough. You do realize that the UC’s have very limited funding for OOS right. You will probably get in, but you will pay full freight-approximately $32k.</p>
<p>@dreamerMJC
That’s not necessarily true. It really just comes down to how many prereqs and more specifically what prereqs he/she would have left to complete at the UC. Unlike community colleges the UC’s have a flat-rate tuition where you can essentially take as many units (assuming you have approval) as you want and still pay the same price. 12 units per quarter costs the same as 22 units per quarter, so just taking a few more classes doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money. Obviously, if those prereqs somehow postpone your time until graduation where you have to stay for additional quarters then you would incur a higher cost, but if you can manage to fit those prereqs in the same amount of time then the cost is the same.</p>
<p>One situation is if you leave lower division/prereq classes that aren’t required to enroll in upper division classes for your major, for example, the physics series as a biology major. Many biology transfers get away with not having taken physics in CC because it isn’t a prereq for any upper division classes. You can transfer and remain on track enrolling in upper division courses while finishing those remaining lower division classes at the same time. That being said, it does usually mean taking more classes per quarter which can be more difficult, but it’s feasible and doesn’t always postpone your time to graduation.</p>
<p>It shouldn’t take you 3.5 years</p>
<p>It finished in 3 even though it took me a whole year to get a seat in Gen Chem 1 and I was first placed into Trig (two classes before Calc 1).</p>
<p>I finished all pre-reqs except for physics and had IGETC done.</p>
<p>@SBVett, is that really true about most majors at UCs planning for you to stay for 3 years? I’d imagine there would be a few intensive majors (like STEM) that plan for 3 years after transfer but really, 3 years to graduate for most majors after transfer?</p>
<p>I think the regulations say that after transferring from a CC you have two years (three for some high unit majors) to complete your upper division courses at a UC. In practice, it appears that only UC Berkeley strictly enforces this policy. UCB will terminate your enrollment after two years for most majors whether you have completed your degree requirements or not. The other UCs seem to let you stay as long as you want.</p>
<p>@smltk1505h, I said <em>many</em> majors plan for you to stay 3 years after transferring, not most. I know that Bio, Pharm Sci, and engineering majors do. I don’t know about other non-science majors.
But yes, 3 years. I am transferring to UCI this fall as a Pharm Sci major, and luckily I took enough classes previously that I only have to attend UCI for 2 years and a quarter. The initial, general word they give you is that it will take 3 years, but it really depends on what you get done before you transfer. Same thing for Bio majors. Since this is how UCSD and UCI generally work, I don’t imagine other UCs will vary too much, but people with experience at other UCs can probably give more details about this, or correct me if I’m wrong. :)</p>