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Transfer: TAG

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

UC Merced Campus

California community college students are eligible for the UC Merced Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG contracts specify the courses to be completed and GPA you must earn at a community college to be guaranteed admission to UC Merced in the major of your choice.

On this page:

Steps to Apply for a TAG:

  1. Complete the Transfer Admission Planner
  2. Submit your TAG for your intended transfer term
    • Sept. 1-30 for fall
    • May 1-31 for spring
  3. Apply for Admission

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Why Apply for a TAG?

The benefits of participating in the UC Merced TAG program include early notification that your admission to UC Merced is guaranteed (subject to the conditions of the program), and opportunities for individualized advising about major preparation, general education and/or IGETC requirements.

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Student at a lab

How Can I Pursue a TAG?

  1. Apply for a TAG at uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu.
     
  2. Apply for admission to UC Merced. Students with approved UC Merced TAGs must file the UC application for undergraduate admission for the major and term for which the TAG is written. You are encouraged to wait for your TAG decision before submitting the UC application. You can start your UC application at admissions.ucmerced.edu/transfer/apply.

If you have additional questions about the TAG program, email transfer@ucmerced.edu with “TAG Information” in the subject line.

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Faculty at whiteboard

TAG Eligibility - Effective Fall 2020

Click here to view the previous Spring 2020 TAG Criteria.

To be considered for a TAG you must meet the following criteria at the time the TAG is submitted:

  • Be enrolled full-time at a California community college
  • Have completed 30 UC-transferable units
  • Meet the minimum GPA required for your major

In addition you must also meet the requirements below prior to your intended term of enrollment:

  • Complete the minimum English eligibility requirements for admission
    Completion Deadline: 
     - Fall TAGs by the end of the spring term prior to enrollment
     - Spring TAGs by the end of the summer prior to enrollment

  • Complete the minimum math eligibility requirements for admission.
    Completion Deadline: 
     - Fall TAGs by the end of the fall term prior to enrollment
     - Spring TAGs by the end of the spring term prior to enrollment

  • Complete the required preparation for your major.
    Completion Deadline: 
     - Fall TAGs by the end of the spring term prior to enrollment
     - Spring TAGs by the end of the fall term prior to enrollment

  • Complete 60 UC-transferable units
    Completion Deadline:
    - Fall TAGS by the end of the spring term prior to enrollment
    - Spring TAGS by the end of the summer prior to enrollment

  • No unrepeated grade(s) of No Pass, D or F in UC-transferable coursework.

  • No more than two total withdrawals in major preparation courses.

  • No more than one (1) major prep course where grades of no pass, D or F were received, even if repeated with passing grades. 

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Required Preparation for Your Major

See the Majors & Minors page to learn more about UC Merced's academic offerings

School of Engineering

Majors in the School of Engineering require a minimum GPA of 3.0. The TAG requires you to complete the following UC Merced course requirements at your community college prior to enrolling at the University, with at least 50% of the required coursework completed prior to spring.

Bioengineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering

  • CHEM 2
  • MATH 21, MATH 22, MATH 23, and MATH 24
  • PHYS 8 and PHYS 9

Computer Science and Engineering

  • CSE 20 and CSE 21 (must be completed with grades of B or better)
  • MATH 21, MATH 22, MATH 23, and MATH 24
  • PHYS 8 and PHYS 9

School of Natural Sciences

Majors in the School of Natural Sciences require a minimum GPA of 2.9. TAGs for the majors listed below require you to complete the following UC Merced course requirements at your community college prior to enrolling in the University, with at least 50% of the required coursework completed prior to spring.

Applied Mathematical Sciences

  • CHEM 2
  • MATH 21 and MATH 22
  • PHYS 8 and PHYS 9

Biological Sciences

  • BIO 1 and BIO 1L (with grades of B or better)
  • CHEM 2, CHEM 8 and CHEM 8L, CHEM 10, and CHEM 100
  • MATH 11 or MATH 21
  • MATH 12 or MATH 22

Chemical Sciences

  • CHEM 2 and CHEM 10
  • MATH 21 and MATH 22
  • PHYS 8 and PHYS 9

Environmental Systems Science (formerly Earth Systems Science)

  • CHEM 2 and CHEM 10
  • MATH 11 or MATH 21
  • PHYS 8 or PHYS 18

Physics

  • CHEM 2
  • MATH 21 and MATH 22
  • PHYS 8 and PHYS 9

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA)

Majors in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts require a minimum GPA of 2.8, except for Psychology, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. TAGs for the majors listed below require you to complete the following UC Merced course requirements at your community college prior to enrolling in the University.

Anthropology

  • At least one course from ANTH 1, ANTH 3, ANTH 5

Cognitive Science, B.A

  • COGS 1 or PSY 1
  • MATH 5 or MATH 11 or MATH 21
  • PSY 10

Cognitive Science, B.S.

  • COGS 1 or PSY 1
  • MATH 11 or MATH 12 or MATH 21 or MATH 22
  • PSY 10

Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

  • CRES 1 (with a grade of B or better)
  • HIST 17 (with a grade of B or better)

Economics

  • ECON 1
  • MATH 11 or MATH 21

English

  • At least two UC-transferable courses in English, Literature or English Literature

Global Arts Studies Program

  • Not open to TAG**

History

  • At least three UC-transferable courses in History (students are strongly encouraged to complete two courses that have been approved as equivalents to specific UC Merced courses, including at least one world history course, as this will prepare students for upper division courses at UC Merced)

Management and Business Economics

  • ECON 1
  • MATH 11 or MATH 21

Philosophy

  • Choose two courses from the following: PHIL 1, PHIL 2, PHIL 3, or PHIL 9
  • And PHIL 4 or PHIL 5

Political Science

  • At least one course from POLI 1, POLI 3,  POLI 5

Psychology

  • PSY 1, PSY 10, and PSY 15

Public Health

  • Not open to TAG**

Sociology

  • SOC 1
  • At least one of the following courses from the following course ranges: SOC 9 or SOC 11-SOC 14 or SOC 16-SOC 89

Spanish

  • SPAN 4 or SPAN 11 (with a grade of B or better)

All SSHA majors are highly encouraged to complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) prior to enrollment at UC Merced.

* Requirements are subject to change. Check this page frequently for updates and spring deadlines.
** Apply as a regular applicant. View major requirements at https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/transfer/major-preparation-schools.

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