Transfer Credit
The transfer credit process is similar for both new students and continuing students.
- New transfer students should follow all transcript deadlines and instructions set my Admissions.
- Continuing UC Davis students, who have taken coursework outside of UC Davis, must send an official transcript to Admissions.
When your transcript is first processed, course credit is most often assigned based on existing agreements that institutions have with UC Davis. Once your transfer credit has been processed by the University, you can check how your coursework transferred using the Academic Record tab in OASIS. If a course is not listed as directly equivalent to a UC Davis course, but you believe that it is equivalent, follow the steps to request Course Equivalency.
| Institution Type | Course Equivalency |
|---|---|
| California Community College | Check assist.org; all courses transfer as lower division (except the CHE 118 series) |
| 4-year institutions; Private universities; Out of state universities; Military universities | Check the Transfer Evaluation System (TES) to see if your course has been approved for equivalency to a UC Davis course. Course equivalencies can expire, so pay close attention to the "End Date" listed If a course is not listed here, you can check with the department that offers the course you believe you have taken the equivalent of. For example, Psychology approved equivalencies, Statistics approved equivalencies, etc. |
Understanding Your Transfer Credit in OASIS
See examples of how to read your transfer credit as it appears on the Academic Record tab in OASIS.
Course Equivalency
If you took coursework that is not listed as equivalent on assist.org or by the UC Davis department in the same discipline, and you believe it to be equivalent to a PSC, PHI, CGS, or STS course at UC Davis, please follow these steps.
Step 1 | Check assist.org (for CA community colleges) or the UC Davis department in the same discipline (for non-CA community colleges) to determine if the course has already been reviewed for equivalency
An equivalency request is not needed if another student has submitted a petition for the same course from the same institution. Check out a list of pre-approved course equivalencies! Select the tabs at the top of the Airtable depending on the department you are seeking an equivalency for.
If you are seeking course equivalency for a course in another UCD department, here are some helpful links to other departments that offer courses you might need for a major in PSC, PHI, CGS, or STS.
Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Linguistics, Math, Physics, Statistics
If you have found that your transferred course has already been reviewed or is already equivalent to a course on assist.org, no need to pursue further course equivalency.
Step 2 | Obtain the syllabus for the transferred course
Step 3 | Identify the PSC, PHI, or CGS course that is most similar to your course
Lower division courses do NOT transfer as UCD upper division (100-199), except for CHE 118
Step 4 | Submit a Course Equivalency Request
Course Substitutions
The Course Substitution Petition is a request to apply a course to your major/minor requirements (PSC, PHI, CGS, or STS) that is not already listed as an option for your major/minor. Basically, by submitting this petition, you are requesting to change the major/minor requirements as written by allowing you to use a course that is not already listed for your major/minor.
Check out a list of pre-approved course substitutions. Select a tab at the top of the Airtable depending on the department you are seeking a substitution for. Then, use Ctrl + F to search for "Substitution" under the "Request Type" column.
Transfer Credit
You may submit a petition if your transferred course is not listed as equivalent on assist.org, and one or more of the following reasons:
- Your course equivalency request was denied, but you think your transferred course can satisfy a major/minor requirement.
- Your transferred course is similar to other courses required for your major/minor.
- Your transferred course is related to your major/minor and might satisfy a category for your major/minor requirements.
UC Davis Courses
You may submit a petition if your UCD course is not already listed on your major/minor requirements, and one or more of the following reasons:
- The course is similar to other courses required for your major/minor.
- The course is related to your major/minor and might satisfy a category for your major/minor requirements.
A petition is not needed if another student has submitted a petition for the same course.
Frequently Asked Questions about Transfer Credit
- How do I transfer my summer classes?
- If you took courses somewhere other than UC Davis, you should submit an official transcript to UC Davis Admissions in order to transfer the courses.
- Should I submit a Course Equivalency Request or a Substitution Petition?
- Submit a Course Equivalency Request if your transferred course:
♦ Is NOT listed as equivalent to a UCD course on assist.org
♦ Seems the same as a PSC, PHI, CGS, or STS course offered at UCD
Submit a Course Substitution Petition for a transferred course if it:
♦ Is NOT listed as equivalent to a UCD course on assist.org
♦ Seems similar to a course required for my major/minor, but it's not equivalent, OR
♦ Is related to my major/minor and might satisfy a category of my major/minor requirements
Submit a Course Substitution Petition for a UC Davis course if it:
♦ Seems similar to a course required for my major/minor, OR
♦ Is related to my major/minor and might satisfy a category of my major/minor requirements - I am studying abroad (UCEAP). How will my courses transfer to UC Davis?
- Courses from UCEAP will not automatically transfer as equivalent to a UC Davis course. If you hope to apply UCEAP courses to your PSC, PHI, CGS, or STS major/minor, follow the instructions for Course Equivalency and/or Course Substitutions.
If you are still in the planning stage, then a major advisor will help you understand how your desired UCEAP courses may or may not be applied to your major requirements. Note: Students planning to take courses abroad for a PSC or CGS major can use our pre-approved courses database. - I plan to take courses elsewhere in my last year at UC Davis. Is that ok?
- Maybe. Students are subject to the UC Davis Campus Residence Requirement (or Senior Residence), which requires that at least 35 of your final 45 units before graduation must be UC Davis courses. For questions about this, contact L&S Advising.
- How can I get General Education credit for a class I took somewhere else?
- Use the General Education Credit Request in OASIS and contact L&S Advising (or your college, if it's not L&S) for any questions about GE.
- What is course articulation?
- The transfer credit process is often referred to as course articulation. Articulation is when your transferred course(s) is evaluated and deemed equivalent to a UC Davis course. If you hear advisors or Admissions staff refer to articulated courses, it means courses that have been sent to Admissions, reviewed for equivalency, and posted to your UC Davis record.
Note that this is different than matriculation. Matriculation is when a new student begins their first quarter at UC Davis. Therefore, all transfer credit taken before the first quarter is considered pre-matriculation credit. This is usually only relevant for students who exceed 225 total units before graduation—a situation that should be discussed with L&S Advising.