Associate Degree for Transfer: Your Pathway to a California State University

California's higher education system relies heavily on community colleges, which serve as the primary point of access for students who may not have the opportunity to attend a four-year institution immediately after high school. With 1.8 million students, the California community college system is the largest higher education institution in the country. Improving transfer rates from community colleges to four-year colleges has become an increasingly important policy goal in California. One of the key pathways designed to facilitate this transfer is the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). This article explains what an ADT is, its benefits, and how it can streamline the transfer process to a California State University (CSU).

What is an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)?

Associate Degrees for Transfer (also called ADTs or transfer degrees) are designed to provide a clear pathway for California community college students to California State University (CSU) degrees. The ADT is a specialized associate degree offered within the California Community Colleges system. It's specifically designed to streamline the transfer process to certain four-year universities within the California State University (CSU) system. All California community colleges have partnered with all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses to form the Associate Degree for Transfer program.

ADT Guarantees and Benefits

The unique part of the ADT is the guarantee it provides: if you meet the requirements and are accepted to a CSU, you are guaranteed to have junior standing and to have at least 60 units count towards your bachelor's degree. Here's a breakdown of the key guarantees and benefits:

Guaranteed Admission to CSU System: Through this program, you’re guaranteed admission into the CSU system. Upon earning an Associate Degree for Transfer, you are guaranteed admission into a CSU. Note that admission to a specific campus or program is not assured.
Junior Standing: California community college students who earn an associate degree for transfer are guaranteed admission with junior standing to select CSU campuses. With your Associate Degree for Transfer, you'll be guaranteed admission into the CSU system, though admission to a specific campus or major is not guaranteed.
Priority Admission Consideration: California community college students who earn an associate degree for transfer are given priority admission consideration over other transfer students.
60 Units Towards Bachelor's Degree: Students who have completed a transfer degree in a major deemed similar to a CSU major can complete the remaining requirements at that CSU within 60 units after transfer. In most cases, you will be only 60 semester units away from earning your bachelor's degree. Students who have completed an approved Associate Degree for Transfer deemed ‘similar’ to their CSULB major are eligible to graduate in 60 units. The exact pathway to complete the specific major will depend on the specific ADT curriculum. As a result, the pathway will be determined in consultation with an advisor at new student orientation.
Streamlined Coursework: The degree lays out clear coursework that you need to complete, which aligns with the lower division requirements at CSU schools. This way, you won't end up taking unnecessary credits that won't transfer over. Once you're admitted to a CSU, your coursework will cover the first two years of the bachelor's degree program, and you'll enter as a junior. The intended goal is to reach the bachelor's degree in just two years after transferring, as if you had originally enrolled in the CSU out of high school.

Academic Requirements for an ADT

Academically, students must complete a minimum of 60 units of CSU-transferable coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0. Out of these 60 units, at least 18 must be in a specific major or area of emphasis. The remaining courses are to fulfill general education requirements, in areas such as English, math, and social and physical sciences. Complete 60 CSU-transferable units. Be sure to check the specific degree requirements for your community college and intended major.

Steps to Obtain an ADT and Transfer

You will generally follow these steps:

Choose Your ADT: First, choose your ADT, and make sure it aligns with the bachelor's degree program you plan on pursuing at CSU, as different ADTs are designed for different majors. Explore available AA-T and AS-T degrees and develop a plan that will allow you to transfer to the CSU as part of the ADT program.
Complete Required Coursework: Complete the 60 transferable semester units necessary for the ADT. These will include general education requirements and lower-division major courses. Complete your general education requirements and major-specific coursework at a California community college.
Maintain GPA: Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA). This minimum GPA may vary depending on the specific transfer path and the CSU campus.
Apply to CSU Campuses: Apply to your desired CSU campuses during the application period, typically between October and December for the following fall semester. Discuss your plans and timeline with an academic counselor at Mission College to ensure a smooth transfer process.

In addition to the above, students must also:

Submit your application for admission to CSU campuses for an open term by the published deadline.
Submit all requested transcripts and documents by published deadlines.
Meet CSU admission eligibility requirements for the programs to which you are applying.
Comply with any other prescribed admission requirements.

General Education Options for Transfer Students

California Community College transfer students have several options for fulfilling lower-division general education requirements for any CSU campus prior to transfer. These include:

CSU General Education-Breadth (GE-Breadth): This curriculum provides an alternative to the IGETC requirements and can be a good option if you know you want to transfer to a CSU but don't know which campus you will attend, or if you know which campus you will attend but don't know which major you will pursue.
IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum):
IGETC for STEM Majors: Students preparing for a major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) are eligible to complete IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) for STEM Majors, a separate IGETC track designed specifically for these disciplines, or the GE Breadth for STEM.

For certification under IGETC for STEM Majors, students must complete:

All courses in Areas 1, 2, and 5 of the traditional IGETC.
Two courses in Area 3 and two courses in Area 4.

This general education plan will allow STEM students to concentrate on the required lower-division math and science courses needed for success in the major.

Important Considerations and Potential Challenges

No Guarantee of Specific Campus or Major: Remember, an ADT guarantees admission into a CSU, but not to a specific campus or major. Although admission to a specific campus or program is not assured, having an ADT can significantly improve your admission possibilities. You have to consider backup options in case you aren't admitted to your first-choice campus or program. Please keep in mind that even with the benefits of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), admission into the University it is still very competitive. Admission to all majors at CSULB is competitive as CSULB continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces. All transfer students must declare a major when submitting their application.
Impacted Majors: Be mindful that certain highly impacted majors or programs may have other prerequisites or screenings to get admitted.
Not Ideal for All Transfer Goals: Furthermore, while the ADT can streamline your transfer to a CSU, it doesn't provide the same advantages for out-of-state universities or University of California (UC) schools. If you are considering private or out-of-state colleges or UC institutions, those schools may not recognize or offer the same guarantees as an ADT, so it's crucial to research each institution's transfer policies. To prepare for those pathways, you'd want to look at their specific transfer requirements.
Consult with a Counselor: It's also beneficial to meet with your community college's advising center to determine the best pathway for you given your specific career and educational goals. Discuss your plans and timeline with an academic counselor at Mission College to ensure a smooth transfer process. Remember that each academic journey is unique, and what works best for one student may not necessarily be the best option for another.

Additional Transfer Resources

CSU Transfer Planner: The CSU Transfer Planner is an online tool that empowers California Community College students to explore and plan a successful transfer to any of the 23 California State Universities. With the CSU Transfer Planner, you can:
- Learn more about any of the 23 California State Universities, their programs and transfer-admission requirements.
- Save degree programs of interest to your online account so you can access all of them in one place.
- Log your community college coursework to track general education progress and compare your current GPA against the transfer-admission requirements.
- Receive helpful tips about how to successfully transfer to your chosen CSU campus as efficiently as possible.
- Whether you’re already on track to transfer to a California State University or just thinking about transferring in the future, don’t wait! Create an account or log in to your CSU Transfer Planner account now!
ASSIST: Students may also consult the ASSIST database at assist.org for specific information on C-ID course designations.
Cal State Apply Redirection Page:
ADegreewithaGuarantee.com:

Addressing Disparities in Transfer Rates

While the ADT program and other initiatives have made progress, disparities in transfer rates persist among different racial and ethnic groups. About one in four Asian and white transfer-intending students transfer within four years, compared to 13 percent of Black and 16 percent of Latino students. Even so, these groups remain underrepresented among transfer cohorts compared to their proportion of all transfer-intending community college students. For example, Latinos made up half of first-time transfer-intending California community colleges students in fall 2019, but only 26 percent of transfer enrollees at UC in fall 2022.

Read also: College Expense Guide

Impact of the Pandemic on Transfer Rates

Substantial increases in transfer enrollment were stifled by the pandemic. From 2000 to 2020, the number of new transfer enrollees from California community colleges more than doubled at UC campuses and increased by more than 50 percent at CSU campuses. As a result of the pandemic, transfer enrollment declined markedly, dropping 7.6 percent between the two systems from 2021 to 2022.

Positive Trends in Transfer

Positive trends are emerging among students who successfully transfer. Students who successfully transfer are increasingly likely to do so within two years of initial enrollment. While only 21 percent of students who transferred in 2015-16 did so within two years of initial enrollment, this percentage jumped to 31 percent in 2021-22. This trend is driven by increases in the shares of students (1) earning and transferring with an associate degree, specifically an Associate Degree for Transfer (up 11 percentage points between 2015-16 and 2021-22), (2) starting community college while still attending high school, known as dual enrollment (up 4 percentage points), and (3) completing transfer-level math and English courses in their first year of community college (up 14 and 17 percentage points, respectively).

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