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 17th, 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 5 or15, 25, and 35
If you are an EP, or EE & Society major, you should be taking ECE 15, 25, and 35.
If you are in CE, you should be taking CSE 8A, ECE 35 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 15 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 15 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 15.

Can I waive ECE 35 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 35 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 35.

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 30 in place of ECE 30. Is this true?

You can only replace ECE 30 with CSE 30 if you have taken an equivalent course to CSE 30 (according to assist.org) with a letter grade prior to transferring/entering into UC San Diego.

I thought I took MATH 20E. 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 12 equivalent at my community college. Can I use it for ECE 17?

You can only replace ECE 17 with CSE 12 if you have taken an equivalent course to CSE 12 (according to assist.org) with a letter grade prior to transferring/entering into UC San Diego.

I was accepted as an EE, EP or EE & Society major in fall 2024. How can I switch into the CE (EC26) major?
  • EE, EP or EE & Society majors must complete screening courses, get a competitive screening courses GPA and apply through the JSOE Capped Major Application.
  • After the spring 2024 application cycle, there will be no spots for EE, EP or EE & Society majors to apply to the CE (EC26) major.
  • All screening courses must be completed at the end of winter quarter 2024 in order to apply for the spring 2024 application cycle.
  • EE, EP or EE & Society majors admitted in fall 2023 only have two quarters to complete screening courses. Please plan accordingly. EE, EP or EE & Society majors who wish to apply to the CE (EC26) major must complete or have credit for MATH 18, MATH 20A-20B and PHYS 2A in order to take ECE 35 in the fall and ECE 45 in the winter. Check assist.org for equivalent courses to MATH 18, MATH 20A-20B and PHYS 2A.

 

Resources for New Transfer Students