Transferring Credit from Other Institutions

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Transfer Credit from Other Colleges, Universities, and Institutions

The Long Beach Community College District accepts unit transfer credit from other appropriately accredited academic and professional institutions, provided that the student establishes residency at LBCC and satisfies any other curricular or academic limitations imposed by the District.

  • The Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for the establishment of appropriate standards for the acceptability of transfer credit.
  • The Executive Dean of Enrollment Services is responsible for enforcement of the standards of acceptability and for maintaining appropriate records of all transfer credit.
  • Transfer credit, if otherwise appropriate, shall only be accepted from colleges and universities that have been properly accredited by a federally authorized regional accreditor. The acceptable accrediting bodies are the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

Acceptable Transfer Credit

  • Only lower division credit will generally be accepted. An upper division course will only be accepted if the specific course is substantially the same as a corresponding course at LBCC.
  • Second party credits will not be accepted. For example, School A, whose credits LBCC would normally accept, has itself accepted credits from School B. LBCC will not accept these credits from School B through School A, but only directly from School B, if otherwise acceptable.
  • Where equivalency of transfer credits is questionable, the Records Office shall solicit the assistance of the School and College Articulation Office and the appropriate school dean or department head in determining whether or not a transfer credit is equivalent to LBCC coursework.
  • LBCC presently requires three units in a combination of physical education and health education classes for its associate degree. Veterans may be granted these three units of credit toward graduation if they served on active duty for at least 12 continuous months. A student who wishes to receive these credits must have a copy of their DD-214 and file number from the Veterans' Administration to request such credit. Please contact the Veterans Affairs Office at LAC in building A for additional assistance.
  • No credit will be granted for seminars or other instruction conducted by private or public agencies even though the academic level can be shown to be equal to LBCC courses. Students in these situations may apply for credit by examination, if such credit is offered.

Reciprocity of General Education Courses

Courses from other regionally accredited colleges and universities can be used towards the fulfillment of General Education at LBCC under Plan A. Courses approved for a specific General Education area at another institution will be honored for the comparable General Education area at LBCC.

Courses from schools without GE subject areas or proficiencies such as information competency will be evaluated for equivalency in order to satisfy that area.

Physical education activity and dance performance courses can be used to fulfill the Physical Fitness/ Wellness area. Courses in food and nutrition and theater arts must be evaluated and approved by the department as an activity course.

Courses from regionally accredited colleges and universities can be used towards the fulfillment of general education at LBCC for GE Plans A, B, and C.  Courses approved for a specific general education area at another institution will be honored for the same CSU or UC General Education Area at LBCC.  

Any student with a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university is exempt from the Plan A general education and graduation requirements.  Students are exempt from the graduation requirements should LBCC verify that the earned associate degree meets the current graduation requirements for English and math.

Foreign Institutions

Acceptance of transfer credit from foreign institutions shall be subject to the student obtaining, at their own expense, a transcript evaluation from a credentials evaluation service as designated by the Dean of Enrollment Services.