The UC 7-Course Pattern:Codes, Combinations, and Scheduling

The 7-course pattern is the minimum course requirement that the University of California (UC) sets for all transfer applicants. It consists of 2 English composition courses, 1 math course, and 4 subject courses, and the 4 subject courses must come from at least two areas. Each course must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Community college (CC) students must finish all of them by the end of the spring term before fall entry. Whether the goal is UC Davis or a transfer from community college to UCLA, these 7 courses are the required foundation.

Which Courses Make Up the 7-Course Pattern

This section explains the five course codes. Whether a community college course carries one of these codes can be checked in the list of UC-transferable courses on ASSIST, California’s course articulation database, or confirmed with a counselor at the college.

Code	Official area name	What it covers	Courses required
UC-E	English composition	Writing in English	2 courses
UC-M	Mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning	Math and quantitative reasoning	1 course
UC-H	Arts and humanities	Arts and humanities	4 courses combined with the next two areas
UC-B	Social and behavioral sciences	Social and behavioral sciences	4 courses combined with the areas above and below
UC-S	Physical and biological sciences	Physical and biological sciences	4 courses combined with the two areas above

The UC-H, UC-B, and UC-S areas must add up to 4 courses and cover at least two of the three areas. For how to look this up, see How to Use ASSIST.

Official Examples: How to Combine the 4 Subject Courses

This section uses the examples given on the UC website to show how the 4 subject courses can be combined.

Combination	Areas covered	Meets the requirement?
3 sociology + 1 biology	Social and behavioral sciences; physical and biological sciences	Yes, official UC example
2 history + 1 physics + 1 music history	At least two areas	Yes, official UC example
All 4 in social and behavioral sciences	Only one area	No, at least two areas are required

Students can schedule the 4 subject courses together with general education and major preparation courses to reduce the number of extra courses. For the full general education structure, see the Cal-GETC general education guide on this site.

Grade Requirements and AP Credit Rules

This section explains which grades can count toward the 7-course pattern.

• C or higherEach course must be completed with a grade of C or higher; a C- does not meet the requirement.
• Pass gradesA Pass can be used only when it is equivalent to a C (2.0).
• D gradesA D counts toward units completed but does not satisfy the 7-course pattern.
• P/NP limitCourses graded Pass/No Pass count toward transfer credit up to a maximum of 14 semester units (21 quarter units).
• AP creditAdvanced Placement (AP) exam scores of 3 or higher can count toward the corresponding area. Only one of the two English composition courses can be satisfied with AP.

Courses graded below a C can be repeated under UC rules, and the new grade replaces the original. For repeat rules and the GPA calculation, see How the Transfer GPA Is Calculated; for AP details, see AP Credit.

Common Misconceptions

This section lists the most common misunderstandings that parents and students have about the 7-course pattern.

• Assuming the 7 courses are enoughUC also requires 60 semester units or 90 quarter units, plus a minimum GPA of 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents.
• Assuming the courses can be finished in the summer before entryThe 7-course pattern must be completed by the end of the spring term before fall entry.
• Assuming any Pass countsOnly a Pass equivalent to a C counts toward the 7-course pattern.
• Taking all 4 subject courses in one areaThe 4 courses must cover at least two areas.
• Leaving English and math for the final termTAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) requires earlier completion, and UC also recommends completing them early.
• Overlooking grades at the last school attendedUC requires students to remain in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0 at the last school attended.

Some campuses and majors require a GPA above the minimum, and major preparation courses have separate requirements. These requirements should be planned together with the 7-course pattern.

Completion Timing and Common Schedules

This section explains when the 7-course pattern should be completed. UC requires the 7-course pattern to be completed by the end of the spring term before fall entry. All UC campuses recommend completing math and English early. Some campuses strongly recommend completing them by the end of the fall term in the year before entry.

TAG sets an earlier deadline. For fall 2027 entry, TAG applicants must complete 1 UC-E course and 1 UC-M course by the end of fall 2026. UC Merced’s spring TAG follows a separate timeline: applicants for spring 2028 entry must complete the first UC-E course by the end of spring 2027. The second UC-E course must be completed by the end of summer 2027, and the UC-M course by the end of fall 2027.

The table below is a sample schedule at a semester-system community college, assuming the student enters in fall 2025 and transfers to UC in fall 2027.

Term	7-course pattern plan (example)
Fall 2025	First UC-E course, UC-M
Spring 2026	Second UC-E course, 1 UC-B
Fall 2026	1 UC-H, 1 UC-S
Spring 2027	1 UC-B or UC-H, plus repeats of any course below a C

Math placement results affect when the student can begin UC-M. For students who first need preparatory math, the start of UC-M may be delayed; for how placement works, see English and Math Placement.