A - G Requirements
If you're interested in entering the University of California as a freshman, you'll have to satisfy these requirements:
Complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (a-g courses), with at least 11 finished prior to the beginning of your senior year.
The 15 courses are:
a. History/social science
2 years
b. English
4 years
c. Mathematics
3 years
d. Laboratory science
2 years
e. Language other than English
2 years
f. Visual and performing arts
1 year
g. College-preparatory elective
(chosen from the subjects listed above or another course approved by the university)
1 year
Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident) in these courses with no grade lower than a C.
Meet the examination requirement by taking the ACT With Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test by December of your senior year. We don't require SAT Subject Tests, but certain programs on some campuses recommend them, and you can use subject tests to satisfy the "a-g" requirements listed above.
California students If you're a state resident who has met the minimum requirements and aren't admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available,
provided:
- You rank in the top 9 percent of California high school students, according to our admissions index, or
- You rank in the top 9 percent of your graduating class at a participating high school. We refer to this as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC).