Common Academic Terms

Articulation is the process of giving credits and course equivalents to transfer courses. If you're not coming in under a transfer agreement such as TAG, IGETC, or UC Reciprocity, we rely on the articulation process to evaluate ways in which courses taken at other colleges count toward your degree.

ASSIST can help you identify the California community college courses that can be used to satisfy major requirements at UC San Diego.

The six undergraduate colleges are designed to provide the personalized attention of smaller liberal arts schools within the context of a large research university.

Colleges are distinguished by their general education themes, writing courses, and student life traditions rather than by choice of major. Your college advisor, the expert on your general education and overall graduation requirements, is your first stop for academic questions.

Prerequisites are requirements that must be completed prior to enrolling in a given course. Not all courses have prerequisites, but many do. Some prerequisites may be met by taking placement tests. Most require successful completion of less advanced courses.

Courses may be limited to a specific program, major, or minor. A restriction may also be limited to class standing based on units earned (e.g., freshman or senior).

The Degree Audit lists degree requirements and measures progress toward completing them. Your college academic advisor can assist you with interpreting your degree audit, and will recommend ways in which it can be used as a planning tool.

Each academic department/ program is responsible for course planning, course content, and requirements for the major and minor degrees it offers. Qualified department/ program staff are available to answer questions and provide resources.

The Education Abroad Program (EAP) is a UC-sponsored study abroad program. EAP offers summer programs and academic-year programs that last from 5 weeks to 3 quarters. EAP courses are awarded UC credit and count toward your GPA calculation.

General Education course requirements vary by college. Many students transferring to this campus will have fulfilled most or all of their GE requirements, depending upon their major and the college.

Completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) before transferring from a California community college may fulfill all or most lower-division general education requirements at Muir, Marshall, Sixth, and Warren colleges. You may need to take additional courses at Revelle and Roosevelt colleges.

Talk to your community college advisor about completing IGETC requirements for transferring to UC San Diego.

Lower-division courses are generally introductory and are numbered 1-99.

Upper-division courses often have prerequisites and are numbered 100-199.

The Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) allows you to participate in programs sponsored by other universities and organizations to earn transfer credit at UC San Diego. Check out the OAP website for more information.

The Office of Academic Support & Instructional Services (OASIS) provides individual and group assistance to all registered UC San Diego undergraduates.

This form is used to request exceptions to academic procedures, policies, and requirements. The most common use of petitions is to request that transfer courses count toward specific major or general education requirements. You may be asked for course descriptions and syllabi whenever you make such requests.

Many large lecture courses are linked with a number of smaller discussion sections. In most cases, you are required to attend one of the discussion sections in addition to the lectures. You may enroll online for a section in some courses; others require enrollment on the first day of class.

A Teaching Assistant (TA), usually a graduate student, assumes varying responsibility for supporting a course professor; TAs may lead discussion sections, grade assignments or exams, and hold office hours.

The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program allows guaranteed admission to at least one UC campus for community college students who complete the IGETC and maintain certain additional requirements.

The online student portal at UC San Diego, TritonLink, connects you to your academic records, course enrollment, financial information, tools, forms, campus news and announcements, and much more.

Transfer students from another University of California campus may be eligible to clear general education requirements through a reciprocity agreement between UC campuses. If you completed the lower-division general education or breadth requirements at another UC campus, you may be eligible to clear general education requirements at UC San Diego by submitting a letter of reciprocity from your original UC advising office.

The Virtual Advising Center is the online system that allows students and college advisors to discuss academic issues. This new system offers timely communication between students and advisors.

You may opt to be placed on a wait list if you attempt to enroll in a class that is already full. As space becomes available, wait listed students are moved onto the class roster. Being on a wait list does not guarantee admission to a course. Check with the department offering the class and Classes and Waitlist tool for updated information.

UCSD's web-based registration system, WebReg, can be accessed from the TritonLink website.

WebReg allows you to add, drop, and change courses online. Sign on using your student ID number (PID) and password.