Junior transfer admissions

Junior transfers are those who have completed coursework during a regular session at a college or university after high school (the summer session immediately following high school graduation does not count) and enter UC Berkeley as third-years.

At Berkeley Engineering, junior transfer students make up nearly 15% of our undergraduate population and are a valued part of our community. If you’re considering transferring to our program, be sure to read the following sections carefully to ensure you’ve met the necessary requirements. We also have a number of resources designed especially for community college and junior transfer students.

Berkeley gives the highest priority for admission to California community college applicants who have completed all required preparation courses, as outlined on ASSIST. Lower priority is given to transfers from other UC campuses, other four-year institutions, international schools or non-California community colleges.

Students who are admitted as junior transfers to our college are allotted five semesters in which to complete their degree.  They may also participate in enrichment opportunities such as study abroad, internships, and research.

Transfer admission eligibility

To be eligible for admission, transfer applicants must meet UC admissions requirements, which are detailed online at Berkeley’s admissions website. Applicants must complete a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units by the end of spring term prior to fall admission. They must also complete all lower-division courses required for their intended major, as listed on ASSIST. Strongly recommended courses, as listed on ASSIST, should also be taken if offered at the community college. Please note, the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) offered at California community colleges is not accepted by the College of Engineering.

Although ASSIST does not include articulation agreements between the UC campuses or between the UCs and other four-year and out-of-state schools, it can be used as a guide to determine what required courses must be completed prior to admission. The undergraduate degree requirements for each major can be found in the College of Engineering Undergraduate Guide.  Another helpful reference for Reading and Composition courses outside of the community college system is the Transfer Evaluation System (TES).

The following circumstances render an applicant as ineligible:

• Fewer than 60 transferable semester units
• Failure to complete all the required core courses as outlined on ASSIST.ORG for your major, including the reading and composition requirements
• Excessive transferable semester units (89 or more from a four-year institution, or those who complete coursework from a community college and then transfer to a four-year institution)
  Completion of a bachelor’s degree
• Failure to complete the major prerequisite admissions form in January
• A transferable GPA that is lower than 3.5
  • If your overall GPA is less than 3.5 but your major GPA is greater than 3.5, you may still be eligible. Please send an email to ESS Transfer Admissions in January, after submitting the major prerequisite admission form, so your eligibility can be determined.

Applying to the college

Prospective transfers should visit Berkeley’s transfer admissions website to find comprehensive information about the application process. Admissions decisions for transfers are shared by the end of April.

Admission to Berkeley Engineering is extremely competitive. In addition to applying to Berkeley, prospective transfer applicants should apply to engineering majors at other campuses in the University of California system, as well as other four-year institutions. It is also important that applicants choose a major carefully, as the College of Engineering does not allow junior transfers to change their major after the application deadline. Additionally, transfers may not add a second major upon admission.