Transfer Credits

This page offers guidance on interpreting articulations on ASSIST and the UC Physics Course Chart. To petition for course equivalency for courses NOT on these charts, please click here.

Note: 

"Remote" lower and upper division physics lecture courses, as well as "remote" lower division physics lab courses (but not upper division lab courses), offered in real-time during COVID (2020-2021) may be considered for course equivalency at UCSD. However, "online" and "hybrid" courses (eg. courses that are conducted online, via independent study, with/without the exception of exams, and/or were self-paced) are ineligible for equivalency at UCSD unless the courses were taken within the UC-system (See UC Online). At this time, the exception is courses that are already articulated on ASSIST.

For personalized quarterly planning of courses at UCSD, please contact your major department. For courses you plan to take outside UCSD, note:

  • UCSD staff do not oversee scheduling or instruction at other institutions.
  • Students must adhere to the enrollment policies of each institution and familiarize themselves with their rules.
  • Courses without official articulation listed on ASSIST must be formally reviewed by UCSD Physics Department for equivalency credit (click here to petition).
  • Refer to the Physics 1 & 2 series Frequently Asked Questions for course equivalencies from other UC Physics Departments.
  • To receive equivalency credit for courses taken outside UCSD, students must send official transcripts to UCSD Office of Admissions. It takes approximately 8 weeks for courses to be added to the UCSD record after transcript submission.

Courses taken at California Community Colleges (CCCs) may have formal articulation as a UCSD Physics course - follow these steps to find out: 

  1. Go to ASSIST
  2. Look for the box labeled "Search below for articulation agreements"
  3. In the "Academic Year" dropdown, select the academic year corresponding to when your CCC
  4. In the ""Institution" dropdown, select your CCC
  5. In the "Agreements with Other Institutions" dropdown, select "To: University of California, San Diego"
  6. Click the blue button labeled "View Agreements"
  7. Change the "View Agreement by" bubble to "Department"
  8. Leave the "at University of California, San Diego" bubble marked
  9. From the list of Departments, click "Physics"
  10. Please review and comply with the agreement. The example and explanation provided below will assist you in understanding how to interpret the contents of the agreement.

Example

  UCSD       San Diego Mesa College  
Course Title Units   Course Title Units
PHYS 2A Physics - Mechanics (4)   PHYS 195 Mechanics (5)
PHYS 2B Physics - Electricity & Magnetism (4)   PHYS 196 Electricity and Magnetism (5)
PHYS 2BL Physics Lab - Mechanics & Electrostatics (2)   PHYS 195 Mechanics (5)
PHYS 2C Physics - Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, and Optics (4)   PHYS 195 &
PHYS 196 &
PHYS 197		 Mechanics
Electricity and Magnetism
Waves, Optics, Modern Physics		 (5) 
(5) 
(5) 
PHYS 2CL Physics Lab - Electricity & Magnetism (2)   PHYS 196 Electricity and Magnetism (5)
PHYS 2D Physics - Relativity and Quantum Physics (4)   PHYS 197 Waves, Optics, Modern Physics (5)
PHYS 2DL Physics Lab - Modern Physics (2)   PHYS 197 Waves, Optics, Modern Physics (5)

In the articulation above we see the following:

  • PHYS 195, alone, must be completed to earn UCSD PHYS 2A course equivalency. Since PHYS 195 is also listed as the equivalent of UCSDs PHYS 2BL a student who completes PHYS 195 will also earn UCSD PHYS 2BL course equivalency.
     
  • PHYS 196, alone, must be completed to earn UCSD PHYS 2B course equivalency. Since PHYS 196 is also listed as the equivalent of UCSDs PHYS 2CL a student who completes PHYS 196 will also earn UCSD PHYS 2CL course equivalency.
     
  • PHYS 197, alone, must be completed to earn UCSD PHYS 2D course equivalency. Since PHYS 197 is also listed as the equivalent of UCSDs PHYS 2DL a student who completes PHYS 197 will also earn UCSD PHYS 2DL course equivalency.
     
  • PHYS 195, 196, and 197 must all be completed at San Diego Mesa College to earn UCSD PHYS 2C course equivalency. Note:
    • UCSDs PHYS 2A (Mechanics) (whether taken at UCSD or completed via AP/IB/A-Level exams) does not include any PHYS 2C material, and so a student could not combine UCSDs PHYS 2A with San Diego Mesa College's PHYS 196 and PHYS 197 to receive a PHYS 2C equivalency.
    • UCSDs PHYS 2B (Electricity and Magnetism) does not include any PHYS 2C material, and so a student could not combine UCSDs PHYS 2B with San Diego Mesa College's PHYS 196 and PHYS 197 to receive a PHYS 2C equivalency.
    • A student who takes PHYS 195, 196, and 197 at San Diego Mesa College earns the PHYS 2C equivalency as well as the PHYS 2A, 2B, 2BL, 2CL, 2D, and 2DL course equivalency.

Notice that course equivalency is awarded despite the differing unit values between the schools.

 

Courses taken at another UC may have formal articulation as a UCSD Physics course - follow these steps to find out: 

  1. Go to the Physics 1 & 2 series Frequently Asked Questions
  2. Open the section called "TRANSFER PHYSICS COURSES / PETITIONS FOR COURSE EQUIVALENCY"
  3. Select the question that asks "What courses at other UC campuses (UCs) are equivalent to the 1 series or 2 series?
  4. Review the chart to see what to take at the other UC campus in order to receive a PHYS 1 or 2 Series equivalency at UCSD.

Example

UCSD Other UC 1 Other UC 2 Other UC 3 
1A 400X 71A & 71B 63A
1AL 400X 71A & 71B None
1B 401A 71B & 71C 63B

In the sample chart above we see the following:

  • PHYS 400X, alone, must be completed at Other UC 1 to earn UCSD PHYS 1A course equivalency. Since PHYS 400X is also listed as the equivalent of UCSDs PHYS 1AL a student who completes PHYS 400X will also earn a UCSD PHYS 1AL course equivalency.

  • PHYS 63A, alone, must be completed at Other UC 3 to earn UCSD PHYS 1A course equivalency. 

  • Other UC 3 does not offer a course that is approved for equivalency as UCSDs PHYS 1AL.

  • PHYS 71B and 71C must all be completed at Other UC 2 to earn a UCSD PHYS 1A course equivalency.

  • A student who takes PHYS 71A and 71B and 71C at Other UC 2 earns equivalency for UCSDs PHYS 1A and 1AL and 1B.

  • A student who takes only PHYS 71A and 71C at Other UC 2 earns no equivalencies at UCSD.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Check Tritonlink to ensure your transcript was received by UCSD. If so, contact the UCSD Office of Admissions and ask about the status of your transcript review. If not, contact the school where you took the course to ensure they sent the transcript to the UCSD Office of Admissions.

Determine which category on the chart below that you fit into and follow instructions for that category:

  • IF Transfer work is from ONE California community college (Note: courses from colleges in the same district are NOT considered "one" community college)
  • AND Transfer work satisfies articulation agreement on Assist.org (100% match)
 Contact the Staff Undergraduate Advisor through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) and indicate the following:
  1. The name of the school where you completed the transfer work
  2. What UCSD Physics course equivalency is missing from your record
  • IF Transfer work is from a single California community college but does not satisfy articulation agreement on Assist.org (not a 100% match)
  • OR Transfer work is from multiple CA community colleges (including schools in the same district)
  • OR Transfer work is from another university in California and therefore does not have an articulation with UCSD Physics on Assist.org
  • OR Transfer work is from a college/university outside of California
 You will need to submit a formal petition to have your course(s) reviewed for UCSD Physics course equivalency. Refer to the Petitions in Physics page for details.