UC Santa Cruz administers three requirements from the University of California: (1) American History and Institutions, (2) Entry Level Writing, and (3) UCSC senior residence.
American History and Institutions*
All University of California undergraduate degree programs require the completion of the American History and Institutions, (AH&I) requirement. Successful completion of AH&I ensures that every student graduates with a fundamental understanding of American history and the principles of American institutions under the federal and state constitutions.
Students may satisfy this requirement by completing qualifying courses or achieving a qualifying score on a standardized exam. Many students will have already fulfilled the AH&I requirement through a high school American history or government course.
This requirement may be satisfied in any one of the following ways:
Qualifying High School Coursework
- Completing a one-year high school course in U.S. history or a half-year course in U.S. history and a half-year course in American government.
Note: Transfer students may need to take additional action to send their high school transcript to UC Santa Cruz, as they are not always required for transfer admission.
Qualifying Test Scores
- score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in United States History.
- score of 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBH) Examination History of the Americas.
Qualifying Transfer Coursework
Transfer students who satisfy a community college’s history and institutions requirement also fulfill the AH&I requirement at UC Santa Cruz. To receive credit, certification of completion must appear on an official transcript from an accredited California institution of higher education.
The AH&I requirement may be satisfied by completing a course in United States history or United States government at another college or university. The course must be 3 semester/4 quarter credits or more, and must be completed with a grade of C/P or better.
California community college courses that satisfy the UCSC AH&I requirement are listed on ASSIST.org:
- On the ASSIST.org homepage, select the California Community College institution where you plan to enroll, and select “University of California, Santa Cruz” from the “Agreements with Other Institutions” pulldown menu. Select the “View Agreements” button.
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- Select the “General Education / Breadth” agreement type, and then select the “University Requirements” agreement. The agreement will display the American History & Institutions (AH&I) courses available at that California Community College.
Satisfying AH&I at UC Santa Cruz
Students can search for courses that satisfy the American History and Institutions requirement in the “Class Search,” under the General Education pulldown menu.
As of spring 2025, the following courses satisfy the American History and Institutions requirement:
Education 164
History 10A, 10B, 12, 15, 82, 90A, 110A , 110B, 110D, 110E, 110H, 116, 128
John R. Lewis College 135
Legal Studies 120A, 120B, 120C
Literature 81F
Politics 20, 120A, 120B, 120C
Sociology 170
Tracking AH&I Completion
Students can confirm completion of the AH&I requirement in their Degree Progress Report (DPR). Students who have completed a qualifying course or received a qualifying test score, but do not see this requirement satisfied in their DPR, can contact the Degree Progress Unit at transfercredit@ucsc.edu to request a review of their student record.
Entry Level Writing Requirement
Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must demonstrate an acceptable level of ability in English composition. Prior to enrollment in your fourth quarter, you must fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) in one of the following ways:
Qualifying Test Scores
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30 or higher on ACT English Language Arts
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63 or higher on ACT English + Reading
Note: The ACT English alone will not fulfill the ELWR. For the ACT English + Reading scores, the combined scores must come from the same exam sitting.
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680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT
Note: The digital SAT Reading and Writing section score has not been approved to meet the ELWR.
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3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in English Literature and Composition
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3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in English Literature and Composition
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3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Seminar (for students entering Fall 2023 and later)
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3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement assessment in Research (for students entering Fall 2023 and later)
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5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBH) Examination in English A: Literature
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5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBH) Examination in English A: Language and Literature
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6 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Standard Level Examination in English A: Literature
Note: The university does not grant unit credit for IB Standard Level exams.
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6 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Standard Level Examination in English A: Language and Literature
Note: The university does not grant unit credit for IB Standard Level exams.
Qualifying Transfer Coursework
Prior to enrollment at UCSC, students may satisfy the ELWR requirement by earning a grade of "C" or better in a transferable English composition course worth 3 semester/4 quarter credits or more.
Once enrolled, students who have not satisfied the ELWR via qualifying test score or transfer coursework should plan to complete the ELWR at UCSC as detailed below.
Satisfying the ELWR at UC Santa Cruz
Incoming students who have not satisfied the ELWR via qualifying test score or transfer coursework will follow a directed self-placement process to enroll in an appropriate writing course at UCSC: WRIT 25, WRIT 26, WRIT 1, WRIT 1E, or WRIT 2. Courses are offered in sequence depending on placement. Students who successfully pass WRIT 1 or WRIT 1E or students who place into WRIT 2 will satisfy the ELWR.
All students entering UCSC as frosh in 2020 or later must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the ELWR before enrolling in their fourth quarter. Students placed into WRIT 25 have until the end of their fourth quarter of enrollment to satisfy the ELWR.
Students who are unable to satisfy the ELWR at UCSC before enrolling in their fourth quarter should consult the Writing Program website to identify options for completing the ELWR, including taking qualifying coursework outside of UCSC.
For additional information on the ELWR and fulfilling UCSC's writing requirements, please visit the Writing Program's website.
Tracking ELWR Completion
Students can confirm completion of the ELWR in their Degree Progress Report (DPR). Students who have completed a qualifying course or received a qualifying test score, but do not see this requirement satisfied in their DPR, can contact the Degree Progress Unit at transfercredit@ucsc.edu to request a review of their student record.
Senior Residence
Senior Residence
Every candidate for a bachelor’s degree must be registered at UCSC for a minimum of three quarters. In addition, of the final 45 quarter credits, 35 must be in regular courses of instruction taken as a registered student at UCSC (including during the summer session).
The credit requirement for residence is applied differently to students participating in one or more of the off-campus study programs approved by the Academic Senate or the division. Participating students may satisfy the requirement in either of two ways:
- Complete 35 of their final 45 credits before leaving the Santa Cruz campus to participate in one or more off-campus approved study programs. In this scenario, students do not have to return to Santa Cruz for any additional coursework after they have finished the program(s).
- Complete 35 of their last 90 credits at the Santa Cruz campus, with a minimum of 10 credits completed at UCSC after their return from the off-campus approved study program(s).
A student who takes courses outside UCSC, e.g., at community college, may choose at the time of graduation to have only some of the credits completed outside counted toward the 180-credit graduation requirement in order to meet the residency requirement. Subject credit will still be given for lower-division courses and courses at other campuses of the University of California that are not counted toward the graduation requirement. This will not require a petition, and the credit will be reduced by the Office of the Registrar, in consultation with department or college advisors, or the Admissions Office, as needed.
Open campus / Concurrent Enrollment: For students who have been admitted and matriculated at UC Santa Cruz, but who have not yet graduated, the grades earned in Open Campus/ Concurrent Enrollment courses taken after their first matriculation at UCSC appear on the student’s UC Santa Cruz transcript, are notated as Open Campus courses, count toward University of California and UC Santa Cruz Grade Point Average (GPA), and count toward senior residency requirements. For more information on Open Campus, see UCSC SIlicon Valley Extension.