Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Program
What is a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)?
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Program gives California community college transfer students written guarantees of admission to UC Davis, one year in advance, in their first choice major. A Transfer Admission Agreement (TAG) is a formal, written agreement that outlines the courses you must complete and grade point average you must earn before transferring from a California community college. Written a year before you plan to transfer, this agreement lists specific requirements for engineering majors and guarantees your admission to the UC Davis College of Engineering in the engineering major you choose.
A signed agreement guarantees that you will be admitted to UC Davis in the major you want and for the term you have chosen, provided you complete the agreement and apply for admission during the open filing period.
If you would like more information on the TAG program, see your community college counselor or visit "Transfer Admission Guarantee". You may also contact the College of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Office (530) 752-1979.
UC Davis Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) (PDF)
Benefits of the TAG Program
- Written Guarantee of Admission
- One Year in Advance
- First Choice of Engineering Major
- Early Review of Academic Records
- Early Admission Notification
- Specific Guidance about Major Preparation and General Education Coursework
Who can apply for the TAG Program?
In general, anyone who is established as a student at the community college where the TAG is to be written and who will meet the academic criteria to transfer as a junior may arrange for a TAG.
Who cannot apply for the TAG Program?
TAGs are not acceptable for:
- Students who have baccalaureate degrees.
- Former UC students who left the University not in good academic standing.
- Former UC Davis students (exclusive of UC Davis summer session).
- Students who have completed 80 semester (120 quarter) or more transferable units of combined community college and baccalaureate institution credit, not counting units from Advanced Placement (AP) tests or International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level examinations.
The "80 semester unit" rule does not apply to students who have completed all of their college courses at community colleges.
Why should I apply for the TAG Program?
Transfer Admission Guarantees give transfer students written guarantees of admission to the UC Davis College of Engineering, one year in advance, in their first choice engineering major.
If your TAG is approved, you're guaranteed admission to UC Davis without competing with the large pool of engineering transfer applicants. The TAG program is a reward system which guarantees admission at lower GPAs than typical for regular transfer admission, provided students complete the terms of the agreement.
What do I need to do to be eligible?
- Meet Eligibility Requirements
TAGs may be written for students who will meet UC eligibility requirements and complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable units by the end of spring 2010 with an overall transfer GPA of at least 3.10.
Students must have this GPA at the time the TAG is written and must maintain it throughout the remainder of their transfer work.
A student must take courses equivalent to those on ASSIST for the majors below if they are offered at the California community college. Courses not offered at the California community college must be completed after enrolling at UC Davis.
All lower-division requirements for the specific major must be completed by the end of spring 2010.
The College of Engineering will honor all engineering articulations as they exist on ASSIST at the time TAGs are signed in September.
The courses required for each engineering major are listed for each community college in the "engineering grid" at Transfer Credit Agreement.
Do not submit an Engineering TAG unless you plan to complete all required courses before enrolling at UC Davis.
- Receive a Letter Grade
For all College of Engineering majors listed below, courses must be taken for a letter
grade, with no grade less than "C":
- Aeronautical Science and Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering
- Biological Systems Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics Materials Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering
- Optical Science and Engineering
TAG Criteria
The TAG Criteria document provides full details of the 2010 – 2011 UC Davis TAG criteria.
How do I apply for a TAG?
First, find out if your community college participates in the TAG program. If it does, see your counselor to discuss your transfer goals and talk about a transfer guarantee.
Once it's been determined that you're eligible to transfer to the University as a junior and that you meet the TAG criteria for your major, your counselor will start the process. Participating community colleges have the TAG criteria for the term you want to transfer.
For more information, please visit Transfer Admission Guarantee.
For more information on transfer admissions, please visit Undergraduate Admissions, Prospective Transfer Students.
How does it work?
A TAG may be written after you've completed at least 30 semester (45 quarter) units of transferable coursework. An agreement may be written up to one year before you transfer.
For example, a TAG may be written in September for the next year's fall term at UC Davis. Although a TAG is written up to one year before transferring, you should begin working with your counselor as soon as you start at the community college so you can carefully plan your academic work.
After the TAG is written, you sign the agreement together with your counselor and a UC Davis Engineering TAG Counselor. These signatures guarantee that you will be admitted to UC Davis in the engineering major you want and for the fall term you have chosen, provided that you complete the terms of the agreement and apply for admission during the open filing period.
After a TAG is signed, you must submit the regular University of California application for admission during the open filing period. Shortly after we receive your application, we will send you a letter of admission. Your admission is guaranteed as long as you complete the provisions of the TAG.
After you apply for admission, arrange to have official transcripts sent to Undergraduate Admissions at UC Davis from each college you've attended.
Steps to Take:
- See Your Community College Counselor About a TAG
- Fill Out a TAG Form (PDF)
- Review Form with Community College Counselor and/or UC Campus TAG Advisor
- Sign TAG Agreement
- Submit TAG Form to Chosen Campus
- Fulfill Remaining Coursework
- Fulfill GPA Requirements in Your TAG Agreement
- Apply for UC Admission During Filing Period
- Receive Letter of Admission
- Send Official Transcripts to Undergraduate Admissions
This handout summarizes the three basic steps you need to take to prepare for UC Davis admission. It includes a one-page summary of lower-division course work required for our selective majors.
Tag Filing Periods
Fall quarter 2010 TAGs are available at all California community colleges. Fall quarter TAGs must be submitted to UC Davis between September 2nd and the postmark deadline of September 30th, 2009.
Now what?
If you're a Prospective Transfer Student, begin planning right now for a successful transfer.
If you've already applied, find out your Admission Status and learn what you should do next.