Cal-GETC has come to City College!

Starting in Fall 2025, all California Community Colleges are introducing a single lower-division general education transfer pathway for incoming first-time students, called the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). This pathway will be accepted by both the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems, ensuring a more straightforward transfer process without unnecessary repetition of coursework. Cal-GETC is intended as a replacement for the CSU GE and IGETC patterns.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Cal-GETC

The Cal-GETC pattern is intended for students whose educational goal is achievement of an Associate Degree for Transfer (AD-T).

  • New students will follow the Cal-GETC pattern if they want to transfer to a four-year institution (UC or CSU) with an Associate Degree for Transfer (AD-T). For new students transferring without an AD-T, following the Cal-GETC pattern is a great way to complete the lower-division transfer requirements to a UC, CSU, or AICCU school​*.
  • Continuing students who have maintained continuous enrollment may adhere to their established catalog rights and are not required to follow Cal-GETC. Continuing students do have the option of changing their Catalog Rights year and following the Cal-GETC pattern.
  • Returning students who have lost their catalog rights need to follow the Cal-GETC pattern if they want to transfer to a four-year institution (UC or CSU) with an AD-T. Make an appointment with a counselor to discuss the course requirements for your major. 

*  For most students planning to transfer, Cal-GETC is the best option. However, for non-AD-T seeking students in some high-unit majors, such as STEM majors, Cal-GETC may not be the best option. Students should discuss their individual situations with a counselor to see if Cal-GETC is the right choice.

New students seeking a local AA or AS degree are also welcome to use the Cal-GETC pattern to fulfill local CCSF GE requirements.

A total of 34 units is required in the six General Education Areas described below.

Note: unit values shown here are Cal-GETC minimums. Depending on the CCSF courses selected, students may complete more units.

General Education AreaCourse & Unit RequirementTotal Units Required
Area 1: English Communication

1A English Composition (3 units)

1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3 units)

1C Oral Communication (3 units)

9.0
Area 2: Mathematic Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning1 course (3 units)3.0
Area 3: Arts and Humanities

Two courses:

3A Arts (3 units)

3B Humanities (3 units)

6.0
Area 4: Social and Behavioral SciencesTwo courses in two academic disciplines (6 units)6.0
Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences

Two courses:

5A Physical Science (3 units)

5B Biological Science (3 units)

Note: one of the two courses must be associated with a laboratory activity

7.0
Area 6: Ethnic StudiesOne course (3 units)3.0
Total11 courses34 units

For the 2025/26 Catalog Year, you can review this document listing all of the Cal-GETC eligible CCSF courses.

In the searchable online schedule, use the GE Area filter to search for classes that are applicable to the different General Education patterns - both Cal-GETC and the City College GE.

Screenshot of Searchable Online Schedule GE Area Filter

When adding a course in College Scheduler, you can use the Search by Program and GE Area option to see classes that are applicable to the Cal-GETC and City College GE patterns.

Screenshot of College Scheduler GE Area Filter

The Cal-GETC and City College General Education patterns are similar - both have six areas, and the areas have similar titles and included courses. For example, Area 2 in both Cal-GETC and City College General Education is titled "Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning," and both include courses in Mathematics and Statistics.

The two patterns have some key differences:

AreaCal-GETCCCSF GE
1: English CommunicationRequires three courses: one each from area 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking and Composition), and 1C (Oral Communication)Requires two courses: one from 1A (English Composition) and 1B (Oral Communication and Critical Thinking)
2: Mathematic Concepts and Quantitative ReasoningNo differences
3: Arts and HumanitiesRequires two courses: one from 3A (Arts) and 3B (Humanities)Requires one course
4: Social and Behavioral SciencesRequires two courses from two academic disciplinesRequires one course
5: Physical and Biological Sciences

Requires two courses: one from 5A (Physical Science) and one from 5B (Biological Science). 

Additionally, one of the two courses must be associated with a laboratory activity.

Requires one course.

Laboratory activity not required.

6: Ethnic StudiesNo differences
Local Graduation RequirementsN/A

Requires two courses: one from US History and Government, and one from Health and Wellness.

Certain students may be exempt from these requirements. Contact a counselor for details.

Additionally,

  • There are some courses that are applicable to a CCSF General Education area that are not applicable to the corresponding Cal-GETC area.
  • The City College General Education pattern is only available to those students seeking an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree. Students seeking an Associate in Arts for Transfer or Associate in Science for Transfer must follow the Cal-GETC pattern.
    • The Cal-GETC pattern is also an option for students seeking an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree.

 

Yes! Current students can follow the General Education pattern aligned with their catalog rights, the current General Education pattern, or the General Education pattern in place at the time a petition to graduate is filed. 

Catalog rights at California Community Colleges refer to a student's right to graduate under the degree and certificate requirements that were in effect when they first enrolled, as long as they maintain continuous enrollment. This means that even if the college updates its curriculum, students can follow the requirements from their original enrollment year rather than adjusting to new ones. 

For more details about City College's Catalog Rights policy, see the Degree and Certificate Requirements section of the College Catalog.