How to Save Time and Money in Community College Posted on:Thursday, September 13th, 2012

If you attend a community college in California and plan on transferring to either a California State University or University of California school, you should become very familiar with the IGETC.  The IGETC, or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, clearly outlines the courses you will need to be eligible for transfer to a CSU or UC school.  The IGETC satisfies all lower-division or General Education classes required by a CSU or UC.  It usually equates to 34-47 transferrable units. The remaining units that you will need to transfer will consist of courses in your major.

It is very important to reference the IGETC as you select your courses. Many students find themselves taking any class available after learning that their top picks are already taken.  After very aggressive course crashing efforts, you still DON’T want to just take anything.

The IGETC lays out for you the number of courses you need in each category from math, science, arts and humanities, to foreign language. Therefore, if you don’t need to take 5 arts and humanities courses, you shouldn’t: Unless time and money are of no object to you. If you have set a timeline for yourself, and especially if you’re operating on a tight budget, than it is imperative that you set and follow some clear transfer goals.

Every school whether a California Community College or out-of-state community college, has some form of the IGETC.  Be sure to learn about your schools articulation agreement, which can help you select classes strategically.  Also, keep in mind that most state colleges and universities accept courses taken from various community colleges.  Enroll in one community college as your home base, and still take classes at other campuses should you experience a shortage of course offerings at your home school. Flexibility is key to completing your courses in an efficient manner.