Transfer Credit
Articulation Office Overview
The Articulation office works to ensure that prospective undergraduate transfer students have access to accurate information about approved SFSU course equivalencies and transfer pathways.
In support of this goal, we:
- Identify potential course equivalencies and pathways, facilitate faculty review, and display approved course equivalencies for requirements in our undergraduate degree programs;
- Collaborate with other SFSU offices working with transfer credit;
- Develop and deliver resources about articulation and transfer credit to the campus;
- Utilize technology to improve data accuracy and increase accessibility to information about transfer credit.
Articulation agreements
ASSIST: SFSU Faculty determine how and whether transfer courses satisfy undergraduate major requirements. Current articulation agreements with California's community colleges and other CSU campuses are maintained in ASSIST, a public database that displays how lower division course units can be applied after transfer. SFSU's faculty-approved course-to-course agreements are organized by department and by undergraduate major.
- Agreements outside of ASSIST: SFSU maintains course and GE equivalencies with other institutions which are not displayed in the ASSIST system.
C-ID Courses: The Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) helps students understand how California community college courses may transfer to SFSU. Courses with matching C-ID designations are generally recognized as equivalent, making it easier to plan your transfer pathway. You can also explore approved coursework for Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T and AS-T) and view SFSU’s current C-ID course alignments.
Resources and Information
ADT / STAR ACT / SB1440
The STAR Act (Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act/ SB 1440) guarantees that students who earn an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) will receive admission to a CSU campus with junior status; furthermore, students who pursue a B.S. or B.A. in a program that is deemed "similar" to their transfer degree will be able to complete the degree by taking no more than 60 units at the CSU.
The STAR Act mandated the creation of two types of ADTs:
- Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T)
- Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T)
If a B.A. or B.S. degree or concentration is deemed "similar" to a specific ADT, it means that SF State faculty have reviewed the relevant ADT and determined that a student who earns that ADT can complete the "similar" major after transfer, including all graduation requirements, in no more than 60 units.
San Francisco State has developed guidelines to help students, faculty and staff understand how ADTs are verified, and to provide clarification about conditions associated with ADTs.
Read the SFSU ADT Implementation Guidelines (updated Oct. 2020)
Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) Roadmaps
Sample pathways (roadmaps) are available for students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree in a similar major. The roadmaps display the 60 units required for graduation from SF State, including units for the major and any additional graduation requirements. For those majors, click on the degree title to access the roadmap. (Roadmaps are added to this chart on an ongoing basis.)
Visit the "ADT Pathways / Roadmaps" tab (above) to see the majors at SF State that correspond to similar AA-T/AS-T degrees.
Questions?
- If you did not complete an AA-T or AS-T from a California community college in a major deemed "similar," consult with your major department about the required pathway to graduation.
- If you have questions about why a particular AA-T or AS-T is or is not "similar" to a particular SF State degree, contact artic@sfsu.edu.
- If you have questions about admission to the university with an AA-T or AS-T degree, contact sb1440@sfsu.edu.
Learn more about California’s Associate Degrees for Transfer
Follow the link below to access a list of the SF State degrees that have been formally approved as "similar" -- which means that SF State faculty have reviewed the relevant ADT and determined that a student who earns that ADT can complete the "similar" major after transfer, including all graduation requirements, in no more than 60 units.
Each pathway includes a link to a sample roadmap for ADT students transferring into a similar B.A./B.S. degree program at SF State. The roadmaps illustrate how to complete the SF State degree in 60 units, how many units from the ADT apply to the major, and how the units apply to the major.