Major Preparation

Major Preparation Requirements and Transfer Selection

Preparing for your major involves completing freshman and sophomore courses that will enable you to take upper-division courses at UC Merced.

All majors in the schools of Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts are required to complete specific lower-division major preparation to be considered for admission. Below is a detailed list of information to help you prepare to transfer to UC Merced.

A few things to remember before you get started:

1. Listed below are UC Merced courses; if you are a California community college student, visit our articulation agreements on ASSIST to find the equivalent courses available at your community college. If you are not a California community college student, you'll need to consult with an Admissions officer to discuss what you would need to take at your current institution.
2. Articulation agreements are honored for the terms listed, so be sure to check this major preparation page often for the latest articulation information. 
3. In some cases, articulated courses may not be offered at your institution. These courses may be taken at another California community college or at UC Merced after you transfer. Keep in mind that this may extend your time to graduation.
4. All major preparatory courses must be completed with grades of C or better to fulfill the subject requirement.
5. If you’re just getting started at a California community college and know which major you want to study, but haven’t decided which UC campus to apply to, follow one of the UC Transfer Pathways to keep your options open. The Transfer Pathways cover 21 of the most popular majors.

Fall 2026 Major Preparation Requirements and Transfer Selection:

• School of Engineering
• School of Natural Sciences
• School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

School of Engineering

Required for all School of Engineering majors (must be completed in order to be considered for admission)

• Minimum GPA of 2.4 for residents (2.8 for non-residents)
• Complete all required courses listed below for your major with a grade of C or better, unless a higher grade is indicated.
• Fall applicants must complete all minimum UC admission requirements in English and math by the end of the spring term prior to fall admission. Spring applicants must complete the English and math requirements by the end of the fall term before admission.
• Courses that meet WRI 1 and WRI 10 (usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements)
• A course in mathematics/quantitative reasoning (usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements)
• Complete 60 UC-transferable semester units the term before enrollment (not including summer).

IMPORTANT:

Applicants are encouraged to clear any No Pass, D, or F letter grade received in UC transferable course work. Applicants are most competitive in the admissions process with fewer withdrawals and/or repeated course work in major preparation. All course work must be completed with a grade of C or better. Following these guidelines will assist you in being more competitive for admission to your UC Merced major. 

Strongly Recommended

Transfer students are encouraged to complete all of their major preparatory courses and some of the courses needed to satisfy lower-division general education requirements prior to transferring to UC Merced.  Applicants to the School of Engineering are highly discouraged from completing the Inter-segmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). Below is a partial list of recommended courses that can be completed before transfer. A full list of recommended courses can be found for each engineering major at ASSIST.ORG.

School of Natural Sciences

Required for all School of Natural Sciences majors (must be completed to be considered for admission)

• GPA of 2.4 or higher (2.8 for non-residents)
• Complete all required courses listed below for your major with a grade of C or better, unless a higher grade is indicated.
• Fall applicants must complete all minimum UC admissions requirements in English and math by the end of the spring term, before fall admission. Spring applicants must complete the English and math requirements by the end of the fall term before admission.
• Courses that meet WRI 1 and WRI 10 (usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements)
• A course in mathematics/quantitative reasoning (usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements)
• Complete 60 UC-transferable semester units by the term before enrollment (not including summer).

Strongly Recommended

• IGETC/Cal-GETC is acceptable for students planning to transfer into the School of Natural Sciences. Students are encouraged to prioritize as much lower-division major preparation as possible before transferring to ensure a smooth transition and timely progress toward their degree.

IMPORTANT:

Applicants are encouraged to clear any No Pass, D, or F letter grade received in UC transferable coursework. Applicants are most competitive in the admissions process with fewer withdrawals and/or repeated coursework in major preparation. All course work must be completed with a grade of C or better. Following these guidelines will assist you in being more competitive for admission to your UC Merced major. 

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School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Required for all School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (Must be completed to be considered for admission)

• Minimum GPA of 2.4 (2.8 for nonresidents)
• Complete all required courses listed below for your major with a grade of "C" or better, unless a higher grade is indicated.
• Fall applicants must complete all minimum UC admissions requirements in English and Math by the end of the spring term, before fall admission. Spring applicants must complete the English and Math requirements by the end of the fall term before admission.
• Courses that meet WRI 1 and WRI 10 (this requirement is usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements)
• A course in Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (Usually met by completing the UC minimum transfer requirements).
• Complete 60 UC transferable semester units the term before enrollment (Not including summer).

Strongly Recommended (Completing these requirements increases your chance of being admitted to the University)

Transfer students are encouraged to complete major preparatory courses before transferring to UC Merced.  Completion of the Inter-segmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is recommended for majors within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

IMPORTANT:

Applicants are encouraged to clear any No Pass, D or F letter grade received in UC transferable course work. Applicants are most competitive in the admissions process with fewer withdrawals and/or repeated course work in major preparation. All course work must be completed with a grade of C or better. Completing the course requirements, both required and recommended, will assist you in being more competitive for admission to your UC Merced major and help you graduate on time once you transfer to UC Merced. 

*Starting Fall 2025 and ending the Fall 2027 application cycle, the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) will not require transfer students to complete the major-specific transfer selection criteria to be admitted to the following majors. Visit the SSHA Pilot project webpage for more information.

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