Articulation is the process that facilitates the successful transfer of students from community colleges to undergraduate baccalaureate programs at other colleges and universities. It is the development of formal written agreements that explain how courses transfer from one institution to another, either “as comparable to” or acceptable in lieu of” specific course requirements at four year institutions. Successful completion of articulated courses related to admission criteria, general education, and major preparation, according to a Student Educational Plan developed with the assistance of a counselor will ensure successful and competitive transfer.

There are several types of articulation agreements. The first step of building articulation is elective credit, courses that at minimum will transfer as lower division credit but not necessarily complete general education or major requirements.
Course-To-Course (by department) Articulation Agreements describes how specific courses taken at a community college can be used in place of specific courses at the receiving (or transferring) institution, possibly fulfilling general education or major preparation requirements.

General Education Articulation Agreements identify a pattern of courses that can fulfill lower division general education requirements. Which pattern a student should follow is dependent on the transfer universities and majors being considered, consult with a Berkeley City College Counselor for assistance with understanding the most appropriate choice. General Education Articulation Agreements include: Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) primarily used when applying to multiple UCs and/or UCs and CSUs – not advisable for high-unit majors. CSU General Education (CSU-GE) Breadth Requirements are used when applying to CSUs only; and UC campus specific agreements are sometimes an option used depending on the combination of transfer universities and majors.

Lower Division Major Preparation Articulation Agreements describe the lower division major preparation (or courses) expected in order to be a competitive transfer student. Transfer students completing all lower division major courses prepares them for upper division major requirements.

Not all 4-year university campuses provide articulation with every community college or for all of their majors or departments. Many 4-year universities concentrate on their primary feeder community colleges. This doesn’t mean you, as a student, can’t transfer. It means that you will need to talk directly with a Berkeley City College Counselor and 4-year admissions advisor. In addition, each 4-year university campus will have different articulation with different community colleges, even when they are colleges in the same district. For example, Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Merritt, and Laney have different articulation agreements even though they are sister colleges. You also can not assume that a community college course will be accepted the same way at different 4-year universities. UC Berkeley, for example, does not automatically use a course the same way that UC Los Angeles does.

ASSIST is California’s official statewide repository of transfer information for the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) university systems, offering easy access to a single database of articulation and transfer information. ASSIST will help you determine if you will receive credit for courses you’ve already taken or plan to take, and how those courses will apply to a specific academic major or general education requirement. Visit the ASSIST web site for Berkeley City College courses that are transferable to the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems according to these various types of articulation agreements. Please view on-line demostrations on how to use the ASSIST web site by visiting ASSIST Demos. By ultilizing the ASSIST web site, you can also explore UC & CSU Majors.

Click here for Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) transfer information. Click here for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Native American Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universitites for web links to schools. California Colleges has been developed in collaboration with the CCC (California Community Colleges), CSU (California State University), UC (University of California), AICCU (Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities), and the CDE (California Department of Education) to allow students to obtain information about higher education opportunities in California. The site aims to become the portal for all colleges and universities in the state.

The final responsibility for successfully achieving an educational goal rests with the student. Information on-line is designed to be helpful; however, this information changes frequently. It is recommended that students consult a counselor to confirm an educational plan.

Students are encouraged to work with a Berkeley City College Counselor to develop a Student Educational Plan (by appointment) to ensure you know how to use and understand resources available appropriately. Counseling appointments can be made online, by calling (510) 981-5036 or by sending an email to counselingbcc@peralta.edu .