4.6 California State University and University of California Admission Requirements

Students applying for admission to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus must complete the 15 high school course sequence listed below.  Students who complete the High School Graduation Requirements AND receive a C or better in these classes meet the minimum course requirement for UC/CSU eligibility. Every SFUSD high school has a list of eligible CSU and UC courses; students should consult the school counselor for verification. 

In addition, both CSU and UC have qualifying eligibility requirements based upon the student's Grade Point Average (GPA). For details on CSU admission, go to the website https://www.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the_csu/pages/admission-requirements.aspx. For details on UC admission, go to the website www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions. The CSU and UC no longer consider ACT/SAT examinations in determining admission eligibility and awarding scholarships.

15 course sequence: a-g Subject Requirements Link to this section

• a. History/Social Science:  2 years required
  Two years of history/social science, including one year of world history, cultures and geography; and one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government.
• b. English:  4 years required
  Four years of college preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing and reading of classic and modern literature.  Not more than two semesters of ninth-grade English can be used to meet this requirement.  Only one year of approved ELD English may count towards English credits.
• c. Mathematics:  3 years required (4 years recommended for UC)
  Three years of college preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry.   
• d. Laboratory Science: 2 years required (3 years recommended for UC)
  Two years of science. One year each from biological and physical sciences; or one year from biological or physical sciences and one year from interdisciplinary or earth and space science.
• e.  Language Other Than English: 2 years required (3 years recommended for UC)
  Two years of the same language other than English.  Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition, and culture.  Courses in a language other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grade may be used to fulfill this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.
• f.  Visual and Performing Arts (VPA): 1 year required
  One yearlong course of Visual and Performing Arts chosen from the following disciplines: Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts or Interdisciplinary Arts - or two one-semester courses from the same discipline is also acceptable.  
• g.  College Preparatory Electives: 1 year required
  One year (two semesters) required from an approved A-G course.

CSU Note:

Required A-G courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.  Any course may be repeated with the exact same course.  There is no limitation on the number of times a course can be repeated. Repeated courses are only used once and the instance with the highest earned grade will be used in the GPA calculation. 

WAIVER OF "LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH" REQUIREMENT

If you can demonstrate competency in a language other than English that is equivalent to or higher than that expected of students who have completed two years of language other than English study, you may be allowed a waiver for this language requirement. For further information, contact the CSU campuses to which you are applying. 

UC Note:

Required A-G courses must be completed with a letter grade of C or better.  Courses with D/F grades may be repeated. There is no limitation on the number of times a course can be repeated. Repeated courses can have the same or similarly named course titles (e.g., English 9 or English 1). The first instance of a letter grade C or better will be used in the GPA calculation.