California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
34 Units
Note: The Cal-GETC General Education handouts will be available for students in June 2025.
Check the Transfer Center Workshop Schedule and register to attend a Cal-GETC GE Workshop!
What is Cal-GETC?
Cal-GETC is a new general education pattern launching in Fall 2025. Cal-GETC is for students planning on transferring to a CSU (California State University) or UC (University of California) campus.
Students who complete the full Cal-GETC GE pattern will have met the lower-division (freshman and sophomore) general education requirements for the CSU and UC. Upon transfer, students will only have to complete any junior general education requirements that the university requires.
Note: Students planning on applying to a UC campus should check with a Cañada College counselor or assist.org to determine if Cal-GETC is recommended for their intended UC major. It might be better for you to stay with IGETC.
Who is eligible for Cal-GETC?
- All students who are new to Cañada College beginning in Fall 2025
- Current Cañada College students who plan to enroll for Fall 2025 and beyond at Cañada College
I started Cañada College prior to Fall 2025. Can I use Cal-GETC?
If you plan on continuing your studies at Cañada College in Fall 2025 and/or beyond, you are eligible to use Cal-GETC. Cal-GETC becomes effective Fall 2025.
Students are advised to check with their Cañada College counselor to determine if switching to the Cal-GETC pattern is recommended for their intended major and transfer campus. For some students, staying with the CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern may be the best option.
What does Cal-GETC require?
A total of 34 units is required in the following 6 Areas of General Education:
| Totals: | 11 Courses | 34.0 Units |
| General Education Areas | Course and Unit Requirement *Course units represented as semester units |
Total Units Required |
|---|---|---|
| AREA 1: English Communication | 1A English Composition (3.0) 1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3.0) 1C Oral Communication (3.0) |
9.0 |
| AREA 2: Mathematics Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | 1 course (3.0) | 3.0 |
| AREA 3: Arts and Humanities | 3A Arts (3.0) 3B Humanities (3.0) |
6.0 |
| AREA 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 2 courses in 2 academic disciplines (6.0 total) | 6.0 |
| AREA 5: Physical and Biological Sciences | 1 course Physical Science (3.0) 1 course Biological Science (3.0) Laboratory – must be associated with a Physical or Biological Science course (1.0) |
7.0 |
| AREA 6: Ethnic Studies | 1 course (3.0) | 3.0 |
What is the difference between Cal-GETC and the general education patterns used prior to Fall 2025?
View a comparison between the original options of CSU GE and IGETC versus the new option of Cal-GETC.
Do I have to complete all of Cal-GETC to transfer to a CSU or UC campus?
Transfer admission requirements differ by campus. Generally, it is recommended to complete all required 34 units of Cal-GETC prior to transfer in order to certify completion of all lower-division GE requirements.
This means you would not need to complete any additional lower-division (freshman and sophomore) general education after transfer. You would only need to complete any junior general education requirements required by your transfer university.
Note: Some majors may require full completion of Cal-GETC as an admissions requirement. Check with your Cañada College counselor to decide if Cal-GETC is the best option for you.