Transfer Of Credit and Graduation and/ or Certificate Program Requirements

For students who transfer among the district’s colleges or other colleges or universities outside the district.

For more information, please visit the Transfer Center website at skylinecollege.edu/transfercenter.

The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees adopted Board Policy 6.26, which provides for reciprocity of course credit among the district’s three colleges for purposes of meeting graduation requirements.

  1. Students may transfer from one College within the District to another without penalty, although differences in curriculum offerings among the Colleges may exist.
  2. Individual courses students have taken at a particular College within the District that satisfy an area in the general education pattern, elective, statutory, and/or specific area requirements at one District College shall be accepted by the other District Colleges as satisfying those same requirements.
  3. Students who have completed an entire General Education pattern, electives, residency, competency, statutory and specific area requirements, at one District College shall be determined to have completely fulfilled all area requirements for graduation or certificate programs at any of the District Colleges. Upon transferring to another District College, students shall be required to complete only those courses applicable toward their major for the Associate Degree or Certificate Program.
  4. District students who transfer to another College within the District shall receive full transfer credit for instruction completed in their major field but, in order to graduate, they shall be expected to meet the major-field graduation requirements established by the College to which they have transferred.
  5. Students who have taken course work at more than one of the District’s Colleges shall be recommended for graduation by the College where they have taken most of their course work. Students who have completed the most of their course work at a college outside the District must complete12 units or 50% of the units required for the major, whichever is fewer, at one or more of the San Mateo County Community College District colleges, to be recommended for graduation with the Associate Degree or completion of a Certificate Program.
Skyline College currently offers thirty Associate Degrees for Transfer as follows:
Associate In Arts for Transfer Anthropology, Art History, Communication Studies 2.0, Economics, Elementary Teacher Education, English, Geography, History, Journalism, Kinesiology, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Justice Studies, Sociology, Spanish, Studio Arts
Associate In Science for Transfer Administration of Justice, Biology, Business Administration 2.0, Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Science, Geology, Hospitality Management, Mathematics, Physics, Public Health Science

Certificate Requirements

Fifty (50) percent of the total units required for the Certificate must be completed at Skyline College. Units earned to meet certificate requirements may be applied toward the 60 units required for an AA or AS degree and may also satisfy the major requirement for an Associate’s Degree.

Bachelor Degree to Associate Degree

A pathway to the associate degree for students who have already achieved a bachelor's degree

Students who wish to pursue an associate degree at Skyline College who have already been awarded a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States may be exempt from Skyline College local associate degree general education requirements. This pathway does not apply to Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA/AS-Ts). Students must still complete a minimum of 12 units in residence within the San Mateo County Community College District. For the major, at least 12 units, or 50% of the units required for the major, whichever is fewer, must be completed at one or more of the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) colleges. All other local requirements may be waived if the completed bachelor’s degree includes coursework that fulfills the Title 5 minimum requirements for the associate degree as noted below. 

Title 5 (55063) Associate Degree Requirements:

  1. Minimum of 60 units of lower division degree applicable coursework

  2. Completion of Freshman Composition (ENGL 100 or ENGL 105 equivalent at Skyline College)

  3. Completion of Intermediate Algebra or higher-level math course (MATH 120 or higher equivalent at Skyline College)

  4. Completion of a transfer-level course in Ethnic Studies

  5. Completion of at least 12 units in residence within the San Mateo County Community College District

  6. Completion of at least 12 units or 50% of the major, whichever is less, at one or more of the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) colleges

  7. Completion of 18 units of general education:

    1. 3 semester units course in Natural Sciences

    2. 3 semester units course in Social and Behavioral Sciences

    3. 3 semester units course in Humanities

    4. 6 semester units in Language and Rationality

    5. one additional 3 unit course in the aforementioned areas

Students with external coursework, coursework completed at colleges and universities outside the San Mateo County Community District (SMCCCD), should use Transcript Evaluation Service (TES) to determine how it will be applied for degrees and certificates. For more information, visit the District Transcript Evaluation Service website.

Associate Degree to Associate Degree

A pathway to the associate degree for students who have already achieved an associate degree

Students who wish to pursue an associate degree at Skyline College who have already been awarded an associate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States may be exempt from Skyline College local associate degree general education requirements. This pathway does not apply to the Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T). Students must still complete a minimum of 12 units in residence within the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD). For the major, at least 12 units, or 50% of the units required for the major, whichever is fewer, must be completed at one or more of the San Mateo County Community College District colleges. All other local requirements may be waived if the completed associate degree includes coursework that fulfills the Title 5 minimum requirements for the associate degree as noted below. 

Title 5 (55063) Associate Degree Requirements:

  1. Minimum of 60 units of lower division degree applicable coursework.
  2. Completion of Freshman Composition (ENGL 100 or ENGL 105 equivalent at Skyline College).
  3. Completion of Intermediate Algebra or higher-level math course (MATH 120 equivalent or higher equivalent at Skyline College).
  4. Completion of a transfer-level course in Ethnic Studies
  5. Completion of at least 12 units in residence within the San Mateo County Community College District
  6. Completion of at least 12 units or 50% of the major, whichever is less, at one or more of the San Mateo County Community College District colleges.
  7. Completion of 18 units of general education:
    1. 3 semester units course in Natural Sciences
    2. 3 semester units course in Social and Behavioral Sciences
    3. 3 semester units course in Humanities
    4. 6 semester units in Language and Rationality
    5. one additional 3 unit course in the aforementioned areas

Students with external coursework, coursework completed at colleges and universities outside the San Mateo County Community District (SMCCCD), should use Transcript Evaluation Service (TES) to determine how it will be applied for degrees and certificates. For more information, visit the District Transcript Evaluation Service website.

Satisfaction of Graduation Requirements by Examination

Some of the course requirements for the AA or AS Degree may be satisfied by examination and/or military service credit in accordance with regulations established by the college.

Changes in State Regulations Governing Community Colleges

The state of California has legislated a series of reforms designed to strengthen the community colleges. One of these reforms was a comprehensive review of standards for instruction in each course and classification of each course as applicable to the Associate Degree. Classes that do not count as units for the Associate Degree are noted in the college catalog. The following statement at the end of the course description: (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)