Department Certificates

Some departments offer certificates of accomplishment in specialty areas. Students should see a counselor for specific information about department certificate requirements.

Transfer Certificates: Cypress College offers transfer certificates for students wishing to complete their lower division general education requirements for UC, CSU, and many private universities that accept CSU GE Breadth or IGETC certification of general education completion. Certificate requirements include:

  • Submission of a Certificate Application to the Admissions and Records office,
  • Receive grades as indicated below for each certificate,
  • Complete at least 3 units in residency at Cypress College.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Certification (IGETC): Certificate of Achievement:

A certificate of achievement will be granted to students who complete a minimum of 37 units from areas 1–6 of the IGETC general education requirements. IGETC requirements are designed to be taken with a major area of concentration and elective courses in preparation for transfer to the California State University or University of California.1 To receive this Certificate of Achievement, students should:

  • Review the IGETC pattern in this catalog or available from the Counseling Services Center,
  • Consult with a counselor to insure they understand and are following all requirements,
  • Receive a grade of C or better in all classes,
  • Verify through their counselor and www.assist.org that classes taken are approved for IGETC the semester they are taken,
  • Apply to receive their Certificate of Achievement through the Admissions and Records Office. Note: Students who receive the IGETC Certificate of Achievement do not need to request separate GE Certification, it will be automatically granted and indicated on their transcript if all requirements are met.

Note: Completion of the IGETC requirements alone is not enough to make students eligible for admission to a CSU or UC.

CSU General Education (CSU GE) Breadth: Certificate of Achievement: A certificate of achievement will be granted to students who complete a minimum of 39 units from category A through E of the CSU general education requirements. CSU GE requirements are designed to be taken with a major area of concentration and elective courses in preparation for transfer to the California State University.1 To receive this Certificate of Achievement, students should:

  • Review the CSU General Education Breadth pattern sheet in this catalog or available from the Counseling Services Center,
  • Consult with a counselor to insure they understand and are following all requirements,
  • Receive a grade of C or better in classes taken in areas A1, A2, A3 and B4,
  • Verify through their counselor and www.assist.org that classes taken are approved for CSU GE the semester they are taken,
  • Apply to receive their Certificate of Achievement through the Admissions and Records Office. Note: Students who receive the CSU GE Certificate of Achievement do not need to request separate GE Certification; it will be automatically granted and indicated on their transcript if all requirements are met.

Note: Completion of the CSU General Education Breadth requirements alone is not enough to make students eligible for admission to a CSU.