Transfer AA/AS Degrees
The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (SB 1440/Padilla) establishes a Transfer Associate of Arts (AA-T) or Associate of Science (AS-T) degree for California Community College students and is designed to provide a clear pathway to the CSU degree major.
For information on meeting the requirements for a Transfer AA/AS degree students should contact their local community college transfer center.
How will the Transfer AA or AS degree be used in determining admission eligibility?
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. For the Transfer AA or AS degree to be used in the admission process, the following must be met:
- The student must be pursuing an Approved Transfer AA-T or AS-T program at a California Community College.
- The degree program must be deemed ‘similar’ to the corresponding major program at CSULB.
- You must apply to that corresponding major at CSULB.
- The Community College must certify that you are on-track to complete the Transfer AA or AS degree prior to the term you are applying to enter CSULB. This means the Transfer AA or AS must be completed no later than the prior Summer for Fall Admission and no later than the prior Fall term for Spring admission.
If the requirements above have been met, then:
- The Transfer AA/AS degree curriculum is used in lieu of our specific course requirements listed in our major specific admission requirements.
- Under current CSU guidelines, the cumulative GPA will be increased by 0.1 and this ‘calculated GPA’ will be applied to the major specific minimum GPA and to any GPA used in the ranking of applicants.
How will the Transfer AA or AS degree be used in determining my graduation requirements?
Students who have completed an approved Transfer Degree program 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 AA/AS curriculum. As a result, the pathway will be determined in consultation with an advisor at new student orientation. The 60 unit graduation option will obviously not be possible if the student changes majors or elects to add any additional degree objective, such as a second major or minor.
For additional information:
- Review Transfer Application and Admissions for CSULB eligibility and application details.
- Review Major Specific Requirements for Transfer for the CSULB minimum GPA required for each major.
- Review the A Degree With A Guarantee web page for general information on the Transfer AA Program.
- Contact your community college transfer center for information on meeting the requirements for a Transfer AA/AS degree and to determine the Transfer AA Degree programs deemed similar to CSULB majors.