UC Eligibility (Admissions Breadth) Areas

UC Eligibility (Admissions Breadth) Areas criteria define which California community college courses will fulfill UC’s seven-course pattern for students transferring into UC. General guidelines for applying eligibility criteria are as follows:

  • It is rare for a course to receive more than one eligibility area. A general education admissions breadth course should primarily be foundational in one area or discipline and will be reviewed holistically against the criteria for that area.
  • Admissions breadth courses focus on theoretical, core concepts — emphasizing research, theory, analysis and methods of the discipline — and not on personal, applied or practical aspects.
  • Topics covered are integrated into the larger academic context of the course and do not simply appear as an isolated list.
  • Eligible courses should address many or all of the elements listed in the breadth criteria area to be approved. A course which narrowly addresses one or two topics, even if it is done quite well, is unlikely to be approved for a UC Eligibility Area.

 

 

UC-E — ENGLISH COMPOSITION (3 semester or 4–5 quarter units) courses

Must include substantial instruction and practice in writing at the college level with a minimum of 5,000 words. Must require extensive practice in writing, incorporating drafting and revision in the writing process. Examples of appropriate formal writing may include synthesis-driven argumentative texts, literature reviews and analytical essays. Main writing assignments should not include creative writing genres.

  • Writing must show evidence of revision and progression.
  • Courses should also require a substantial amount of reading of significant literature.
  • Courses must include a writing handbook or evidence of similar writing pedagogy.
  • English composition ESL courses are acceptable if comparable to a standard English Composition course and not remedial in nature.

 

UC-M — MATHEMATIC CONCEPTS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING (3 semester or 4–5 quarter units) courses

Math courses will employ topics of advanced algebra as found in courses such as college algebra, pre-calculus, calculus, linear algebra, discrete mathematics, analytic geometry or elementary functions. They will further build upon foundational mathematical concepts, principles and practices.

Common representative topics or concepts in appropriate college level, non-algebra-intensive survey courses for non-math majors may include:

  • Set theory (definitions of sets, subsets, unions, intersections, Venn diagrams, cardinality and comparisons of infinite sets, Russell’s paradox or basic intro to countability)
  • Number theory (modular arithmetic, encryption concepts)
  • Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem, plurality, infinite possibilities
  • Assorted statistics, advanced algebra and calculus concepts applied appropriately

Statistics courses must include description and analysis of data using mathematical techniques including primarily algebraic methods. Topics covered should include population distribution, probability and testing of hypotheses, significance and correlations. The primary focus should be the acquisition and understanding of statistical concepts, with some provision for the application of such concepts. Data science courses which contain comparable instruction may be approved under these guidelines.

Prerequisite/corequisite courses should teach the skills and knowledge without which the student is highly unlikely to succeed in college-level mathematics or statistics and should be consistent with CCSSM standards for mathematical practice. (In reviewing courses for potential transferability, UC checks for but does not evaluate the prerequisite in TCA submissions. See the BOARS Statement on Basic Math for all Admitted UC Students: https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/BOARSStatementonBasicMath.pdf)

Courses not eligible include:

  • Math for Elementary School teachers
  • Trigonometry
  • Data literacy (may be courses which apply data science concepts or programming without significant quantitative training and practice)

 

UC-H — ARTS AND HUMANITIES (3 semester or 4–5 quarter units) courses

Acceptable humanities courses are those that encourage students to analyze and appreciate works of philosophical, historical, literary, aesthetic and cultural importance. Courses that approach religion from a dogmatic, sectarian point of view meant to indoctrinate or convert are not transferable and therefore not eligible for UC-H approval.

Examples:

  • Arts: performance and studio courses may be appropriate if the major emphasis is on integration of history, theory and criticism.
  • History courses should have a humanities focus rather than a sociological focus to be appropriate for this area.

Courses not appropriate for this area include skills-based and/or performance-oriented courses such as English composition, logic, speech, creative writing, oral interpretation, readers’ theatre, beginning drawing and/or painting and all elementary language other than English courses.* ]

*Exceptions: Advanced language other than English and performance courses may be appropriate if they emphasize substantial historical, literary or cultural aspects. Logic courses may be appropriate if the focus is not solely on technique but includes the role of logic in the humanities.

 

UC-B — SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Courses appropriate for UC-B:

  • Develop an understanding of the perspectives and methods (including research) of these sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, ethnic studies).
  • Focus on theoretical, core concepts and methods of the discipline and not on personal, applied or practical aspects.
  • Deal with the behavior of individuals as well as institutions socially, politically and economically.
  • Promote an understanding and appreciation of the contributions and perspectives of various civilizations and cultures.
  • Examine problems and issues in their contemporary, historical and geographical setting.

Courses in areas such as administration of justice and early childhood education must have a substantial focus on the theories and methods of the social sciences to be considered.

 

UC-S — PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Courses appropriate for UC-S:

  • Emphasize experimental methodology and testing of hypotheses, systematic questioning and the comprehension of basic concepts.
  • Contain sufficient material that illustrates the scientific method (a purely descriptive course would not satisfy the guidelines).
  • Teach students about the essential role of observation, hypothesis, experimentation and measurement in the sciences (through lectures or laboratory instruction).
  • Teach students to address the relevance of scientific hypotheses or methodology to life outside the classroom.
  • Contain sufficient evaluation of students’ knowledge of scientific inquiry.
  • Teach students key concepts, facts and theories relevant to the scientific method. By the end of the course they should be able to articulate an understanding of the value of scientific thinking in relation to issues of societal importance.
  • Focus on teaching the basic concepts of the physical or biological sciences disciplines.

Courses not appropriate for this area:

  • Focus primarily on the recollection of facts.
  • Do not focus on the core concepts of the discipline, e.g., Energy and the Way we Live, and Physics of Music.
  • Have a narrow focus such as horticulture, forestry, health or man and his environment.