Electrical and Computer Engineering

Transfer Students

Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego! On this page, you will find majority of the information you will need to help you get started on your academic career within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Please be sure to check out the ECE Website when you get the chance. 

Starting June 22nd, incoming transfers can submit questions through the "Ask A Question" feature on the Virtual Advising Center (VAC): vac.ucsd.edu. The VAC is the official method of communication between the department and students.

Transfer Major Preparation

If you are planning to transfer, please refer to the UC San Diego Office of Admissions' website for information on transfer preparation. Visit assist.org to find UC transferable courses at your California community college.

Major Requirements

  • Find your undergraduate requirements for all ECE majors HERE.

Transfer Course Plans

ECE Advising

  • Undergraduate Staff Advisors: Help you in regard to your major, degree audit, course plan, petitions, etc.
  • Faculty Advisor: Provide insight about additional avenues of interest (research, industry, academia) and advice about coursework, depth sequences, and other academic issues.

First Quarter Enrollment

What should I take my first quarter?

If you are an EE major, you should be taking ECE-005 or 015, 025, and 035
If you are an EP, or EE & Society major, you should be taking ECE 015, 025, and 035.
If you are in CE, you should be taking CSE-008A, ECE-035 and a third class of your choosing.
If you have not finished all your GEs, you may wish to take a GE course. Please be sure to check out the Transfer Course Plans. This will give you an idea of what you should be taking each quarter.

When should I enroll in my courses?

New student enrollment generally begins in August. You should receive an email through your @ucsd email in regards to exact enrollment dates.

How can I find out what courses will be offered in upcoming quarters?

You can find our course offerings here. For more enrollment information in ECE courses, please visit: ECE Undergraduate Course Enrollment Updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set up an appointment to create a personalized long term course plan?

We can help students with a personalized course plan after week 3, starting in Fall quarter. Students can submit a VAC message to set up an appointment. For EE majors who do not know which depth they plan to follow, we can help with course planning for the next few quarters.

What should I do during the summer before I start taking classes in the fall?

We recommend students learn MATLAB through MATLAB's official "getting started" page: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/getting-started-with-matlab.html. The most important skills to learn are the basics in MATLAB with an emphasis on plotting.

Can I waive ECE-015 if I took a programming course in community college?

No, the ECE Department does not accept C programming courses from community colleges. But, you can take the ECE-015 Waiver Exam to waive the requirement. The exam takes place during Week 0 of Fall quarter. An announcement with exact time and location will be sent to all incoming transfer students and posted on the ECE Website in September. The department recommends trying some sample problems found here: ECE 15 Waiver Exam  If you do not know how to do them, the department recommends you take ECE-015.

Can I waive ECE-035 if I took a Circuits course in community college?

No, the ECE Department does not accept circuit courses from community colleges. But, you can take the ECE-035 Waiver Exam to waive the requirement. The exam takes place during Week 0 of Fall quarter. An announcement with exact time and location will be sent to all incoming transfer students and posted on the ECE Website in September. The department recommends trying some sample problems found here: ECE 35 Waiver Exam  If you do not know how to do them, the department recommends you take ECE-035.

The transfer course I took is not showing up in my academic history. What do I do?

If you already sent your transcripts and AP Scores to UC San Diego, then the Admissions Office is still processing your transcripts. Transfer academic histories are not updated until mid-August. Please be patient as this is a long process to complete.

I am transferring from a 4-year college/university, and my courses do not count for anything. What do I do?

Reach out to each individual department regarding the petition process to get course equivalencies for your transferred courses.

ECE Petitions
CSE Petitions
Math Petitions
Physics Petitions

I have heard that I can take CSE-030 in place of ECE-030. Is this true?

You can only replace ECE-030 with CSE-030 if you have taken an equivalent course to CSE-030 (according to assist.org) with a letter grade prior to transferring/entering into UC San Diego.

I thought I took MATH-020E. Why is it not showing up on my degree audit?

Contact the Math Department directly at  mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu or through the VAC regarding Math 20E.

I took the CSE-012 equivalent at my community college. Can I use it for ECE-017?

You can only replace ECE-017 with CSE-012 if you have taken an equivalent course to CSE-012 (according to assist.org) with a letter grade prior to transferring/entering into UC San Diego.

I was accepted as a non-ECE transfer student in Fall 2025. Can I switch to an ECE major?

No, non-ECE transfer students admitted to UC San Diego in Fall 2025 and after are no longer eligible to apply to an ECE major in the Summer application cycle after their first year. 

I was accepted as an EE, EP or EE & Society major in Fall 2026. How can I switch into the CE (ECE-BS-001) major?

EE, EP, or EE & Society transfer students admitted to UC San Diego in Fall 2025 and after are no longer eligible to apply to Computer Engineering in the Summer application cycle after their first year. 

 

Resources for New Transfer Students