Transfer Credits

This page provides a comprehensive understanding of how to read and correctly interpret articulations on ASSIST with UCSD Physics. The Physics 1 & 2 series Frequently Asked Questions is another excellent resource you can use to learn more about options and limitations when seeking enrollment in our courses, and we also recommend contacting your major department to seek support in creating a customized quarterly plan. However, if you plan to take courses outside of UCSD, please keep the following in mind: UCSD staff do not have any involvement in the scheduling of physics courses offered outside of UCSD. Therefore, UCSD staff are unable to provide any comments regarding the courses offered or the mode of instruction at other institutions. Each school has its own unique enrollment policies and protocols, and it is the responsibility of the students to communicate with the school they intend to enroll in and familiarize themselves with their rules and regulations, which must be followed.

In order to receive physics course equivalency for courses taken outside of UCSD, students must send their official transcripts from other schools to the UCSD Office of Admissions. After transcripts are received it takes approximately 8 weeks for the courses to be added to the student's UCSD record. Courses taken at community colleges in the state of California may have formal articulation as a UCSD Physics course. Check Assist.org for details. Any course (or set of courses) that does not have an official articulation with UCSD at the time you enroll, as listed on Assist.org, must be formally reviewed by the UCSD Physics Department for potential equivalency credit (click here to petition). Check the Physics 1 & 2 Series FAQs for course equivalencies from other UC Physics Departments to UCSD Physics (do not use Assist.org, as it does not contain current equivalency information for UCSD Physics).

Example

UCSD San Diego Mesa College
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.

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.