A-G requirements seem simple until a family comes to me in junior year and realizes their student is missing a year of a required subject. Let me show you how to check right now, before it becomes a crisis.
If your student plans to apply to a UC or CSU, they must complete California’s A-G requirements during high school. These are the foundational courses that determine whether your student is even eligible to apply. Missing one area can make a student ineligible regardless of their GPA or test scores.
Here is what every parent of a California high schooler needs to understand.
What the A-G Requirements Are
The A-G requirements are 15 specific subject area credits that every California high school student must complete with a C or better to be eligible for UC and CSU admission. They are called A-G because each subject area is labeled with a letter: A through G.
Here is a breakdown of each requirement:
A: History / Social Science — 2 years required. Must include one year of U.S. history or one year of U.S. history combined with civics, and one year of world history, cultures, or historical geography.
B: English — 4 years required. All four years must be college preparatory and include substantial reading and writing. ESL and English Language Development courses do not count.
C: Mathematics — 3 years required, 4 recommended. Must include Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II at minimum. Calculus or other advanced math fulfills the fourth year.
D: Laboratory Science — 2 years required, 3 recommended. Must include at least two disciplines from biology, chemistry, and physics. Both must include a laboratory component.
E: Language Other Than English — 2 years required, 3 recommended. Must be the same language. A student who takes one year of Spanish and one year of French does not satisfy the requirement.
F: Visual and Performing Arts — 1 year required. Dance, music, theater, visual arts, or film all qualify if the course is approved.
G: College Preparatory Elective — 1 year required. An additional course from any of the categories above, or a computer science or economics course approved by the UC.
Total: 15 yearlong courses, all with grades of C or better.
Why a C or Better Matters
A-G courses passed with a D do not satisfy the requirement. The grade must be a C or higher. This catches families off guard. A student who gets a D in 10th grade Biology may still be listed as having taken Biology on their transcript, but they are not A-G eligible in laboratory science. They need to retake or complete a second qualifying science course.
Check the grade, not just whether the course was taken.
How to Check If Your Student Is on Track
Every UC-approved course in California is listed on the UC A-G Course List. You can search your student’s specific high school on the UC A-G Course List website to confirm which of their courses count toward each requirement.
Then look at your student’s unofficial transcript. Build a grid: A through G. For each requirement, list which courses your student has completed, the grade they earned, and how many more years they need. This takes about 20 minutes and gives you a complete picture.
Do this now, not in junior year when your student may have run out of time to fix problems.
Common A-G Mistakes California Families Make
Taking both Spanish 1 and French 1 instead of two years of the same language. Both courses may appear on the transcript, but neither satisfies the E requirement.
Skipping the lab science requirement. Students who take Earth Science in 9th grade but never complete a second UC-approved lab science are missing one year of the D requirement.
Taking only 3 years of math and stopping after Algebra II. Three years meets the minimum but four is recommended. Many competitive majors (engineering, sciences, economics) expect to see Precalculus or Calculus on the transcript.
Taking an elective that is not on the A-G approved course list. Not every course at every school is UC-approved. Check the A-G list for your specific high school before assuming a course counts.
What to Do If Your Student Is Missing a Requirement
If your student is in 9th, 10th, or early 11th grade, there is still time to fix it by adjusting their schedule. Talk to the school counselor this spring during course selection.
If your student is in late junior year or senior year, options include community college courses taken concurrently with high school (many California districts allow this), online UC-approved courses, or summer school courses that satisfy the requirement.
The UC does not make exceptions to A-G requirements for students who simply did not take the courses. Missing a requirement means the student is not eligible for UC or CSU admission, period. Fix it proactively.
For context on how the UC system evaluates applicants beyond course requirements, see my guide on what UC Berkeley admissions officers actually look for.
Frequently Asked Questions: A-G Requirements California
Do all California high school students need to complete A-G requirements?
Only students who plan to apply to a UC or CSU. Students applying only to private colleges, community colleges, or out-of-state schools are not technically required to complete A-G. But for most California families planning for four-year university, A-G completion is essential.
Do private school students in California need to complete A-G requirements?
Yes, if they plan to apply to UC or CSU. The courses must be on the UC-approved A-G list. Some private schools have all their courses approved. Others do not. Check your specific school’s course list on the UC A-G Course List website.
Can community college courses satisfy A-G requirements?
In some cases, yes. California high school students who take concurrent enrollment courses at a community college may be able to use those courses to satisfy missing A-G requirements. Talk to your school counselor about how to document this correctly.
What happens if a student gets a D in an A-G required course?
A D does not satisfy the requirement. The student needs to either retake the course and earn a C or better, or complete another approved course in that subject area. The requirement is a C or higher in each required course.
How do I check if a specific course at my student’s school counts for A-G?
Search your student’s high school on the UC A-G Course List at hs-articulation.ucop.edu. Every approved course is listed by subject area. If a course does not appear on that list, it does not count for A-G purposes, regardless of how rigorous it is.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students get into top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC. Follow on TikTok @coachtonyle.
Tony works with a small number of families each year. Book a free strategy call to see if it is a good fit.