What Classes Should I Take in Community College to Transfer?
What classes should I take in community college to transfer?
To earn a bachelor's degree from a university, you need to take about 60 units of lower division coursework and about 60 units of upper division coursework. Instead of taking all 120 units at a university, you can take your lower division courses at a community college and then transfer to a university to take your upper division courses.
Each university requires their own set of courses they want you to take at your community college before you transfer. Usually universities and community colleges have documents called articulation agreements, that list the courses you need to take at your community college. These articulation agreements are different for every university, major, and community college, so unless you only want to transfer to one university from one community college with one major, you will have to keep track of multiple agreements. These agreements can be confusing to understand and they take a lot of work to follow.
The good news is many universities like the California State Universities (CSU's) and some private, online, and out-of-state universities (like Los Angeles Pacific University and Hawaii Pacific University) agree on a common set of courses. This common set of courses is called an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). It allows you to follow a simple pathway, so you don't have to follow multiple articulation agreements. Students who earn an ADT transfer at higher rates because they have a clear path to follow. An ADT is a 2-year degree, which means you will earn a degree in community college that you can add to your resume even before you get to your university. If you attend a California community college, following an ADT is a great way to go!
How do I earn an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)?
1. First, you will choose your ADT. Do you want to study business or psychology? English or math? Choosing your ADT is like choosing your major. On EdVisorly, you can plan for multiple ADTs if you haven't narrowed down your decision.
2. Once you choose your ADT, you will take your ADT major specific courses. These are classes that have to do with the subject of your ADT. For example, if you chose a Business ADT, you will need to take Accounting and Economics classes because these are subjects that are important to business.
3. Along with your ADT major specific courses, you will need to take General Education courses. Unlike the ADT major courses which are centered around one topic, these courses cover a landscape of topics. Universities want you to know a little bit about a lot of things, and your general education courses allow you to learn about topics outside of your ADT major. For example, you will need to take English, Math, Science, Humanities, and Ethnic Studies courses.
When you are at a CA community college, you might hear about the different types of General Education patterns. The two popular patterns are IGETC and CSU GE. If you are transferring to a University of California you will need to follow the IGETC. If you are transferring to a CSU, private, out-of-state or online university that accepts an ADT, you can follow the CSU GE pattern or the IGETC pattern. The state of California is currently in the process of creating one singular pattern, but for now there are two.
How do I plan my community college courses and transfer requirements?
On EdVisorly, you can choose the universities you want to transfer to and which Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs) you want to focus on, and then create a Transfer Path with the exact courses you need to take. We will tell you the ADT major specific courses you need to take and we will show you the general education courses you need to take. EdVisorly does the work for you and gives you confidence that you are taking the right courses 😊. All you need to focus on is working hard in your classes!
If you want to earn more than one Associate Degree for Transfer (for example: if you want to study business and English) you can even plan for multiple ADTs and we will show you the courses that will count for both ADTs. Also, if you change your mind, you can always update your Transfer Path and swap out your courses. EdVisorly will always be there for you to plan and pivot!
Plan your Associate Degree for Transfer courses on EdVisorly!
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should you take in your first year at community college?
Your first year should cover English composition, college math at the level your intended major requires, and one or two introductory courses in your potential major area. These three areas form the foundation that most transfer pathways build on. If you are undecided about your major, a breadth-first approach works: one humanities course, one social science, one natural science, and English. This satisfies general education requirements while giving you exposure to different fields. Avoid taking too many low-level remedial or non-transferable courses in your first year, as they do not count toward transfer requirements.
How many classes should you take per semester at community college?
Full-time enrollment at community college is typically 12 to 18 credits per semester, which translates to four to six courses. Most students take four or five courses (12 to 15 credits) to maintain full-time status and finish an associate degree in two years. If you work, consider 9 to 12 credits (three to four courses) per semester, which most financial aid programs still recognize as at least half-time enrollment. Taking too many courses while working often leads to lower grades, which can hurt your transfer application more than taking fewer courses with stronger results.
Can you take major-specific classes at community college before transferring?
Yes, and for most majors you should. Completing introductory major-specific courses at community college before transferring demonstrates preparation and interest to admissions reviewers. It also means you enter the four-year university ready for upper-division coursework in your field rather than spending time on lower-division prerequisites there. For competitive majors like nursing, computer science, and business, taking the prerequisite courses with strong grades can significantly strengthen your transfer application. Check your target school's lower-division requirements for your major and systematically work through as many as your community college offers.
What classes should you avoid taking at community college if you plan to transfer?
Avoid non-transferable remedial courses if you can place out of them through assessment or concurrent enrollment options. These courses add credits to your community college schedule but do not count toward the 60 transferable credits needed for most transfer pathways. Also be cautious with highly specialized vocational or certificate courses that do not have equivalents at four-year schools: they may count toward an AAS degree but rarely transfer as credit toward a bachelor's program. Before registering for any course, check its transferability status on your college's course catalog or with a counselor.
