Film and media transfer to UC

Film and Media Studies has no UC Transfer Pathway, so each campus sets its own preparation. 9 of the nine campuses offer it, and UCLA admitted 3% of applicants for fall 2025.

Checked against official UC and campus sources in November 2026.

At a glance

UC campuses offering it: 9 of 9
Admit transfers to it: 9
Publish selection criteria: 7
UCLA admit rate, fall 2025: 3%

UC has no Transfer Pathway for film and media studies, so there is no shared course list. Each campus publishes its own major preparation, and ASSIST shows which of your college’s courses match it.

Campus by campus

Campus	Program	Admits transfers	Selection criteria	Courses
UC Berkeley	Film and Media, Media Studies	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UCLA	Film and Television	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UC San Diego	Visual Arts (Media) BA	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UC Irvine	Film and Media Studies, B.A.	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UC Davis	Cinema and Digital Media	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UC Santa Barbara	Film & Media Studies, B.A.	Yes	None stated	ASSIST
UC Santa Cruz	Film and Digital Media B.A.	Yes	None stated	ASSIST
UC Riverside	Media and Cultural Studies, Theatre, Film and Digital Production	Not stated	Yes, see below	ASSIST
UC Merced	Communication and Media, B.A. (Media Production emphasis)	Yes	Yes, see below	ASSIST

“None stated” means the campus page we checked lists preparation without extra selection criteria. Every UC campus still reviews your whole application.

What each campus expects

UC Berkeley
Film and Media · Media Studies
Courses to finish
To be eligible for L&S admission, students must complete all major preparatory courses listed as required on ASSIST.org for their intended major. Courses that are not articulated should be taken in the first semester at Berkeley. Source
Selection
Letters and Science requires a minimum 3.0 UC-transferable GPA by the end of the fall term when the application is submitted. Reading and Composition, Quantitative Reasoning and Language are no longer required for admission, though finishing the Language requirement first is strongly encouraged. Source
Also note
Media Studies was added to the L&S Direct Admission Program beginning fall 2026. Source
Starting Fall 2027, all transfer students offered admission to L&S will be directly admitted into the major they selected, with no separate internal process to declare. Source
Berkeley guarantees review only of the primary major, so applicants should list their intended major first on the UC application. Source
UCLA
Film and Television
Courses to finish
No preparation courses are required. One course in theater is recommended, and foreign language is strongly encouraged but not required. Source
Selection
Applicants need a minimum 3.2 GPA at application, junior standing (60 semester units) and completed general education. A supplemental application with personal, critical, creative writing and life challenge essays plus two letters of recommendation is required, and films or links are not accepted. Source
Also note
The Film and Television supplemental application deadline listed on the page is January 11, 2027. Transfer students cannot change to this major after enrolling at UCLA. Source
For Fall 2027 applicants, requests to change to a major in Arts and Architecture, Music, Nursing or Theater, Film and Television are due December 1, 2026. Source
UC San Diego
Visual Arts (Media) BA
Courses to finish
UC San Diego does not screen this major for minimum transfer preparation. The admissions page encourages applicants to still complete the major preparation shown on ASSIST.org. Source
Selection
Applicants to Arts majors, including Visual Arts, have the option to submit a portfolio or audition. The page gives no deadline and points to the School of Arts and Humanities website. Source
Also note
The 2026-27 degree list shows no film or cinematic arts major. Visual Arts (Media) BA is the closest. Source
The minimum transfer GPA for UC San Diego eligibility is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents. Source
UC Irvine
Film and Media Studies, B.A.
Courses to finish
Complete two UC transferable English composition courses. UCI also recommends lower-division courses in composition, literature, history and philosophy or a one-year lower-division humanities sequence. Source
Selection
A cumulative UC transferable GPA of 2.7 is required (3.4 for TAG). Source
UC Davis
Cinema and Digital Media
Courses to finish
The 2026-27 catalog lists two courses from introduction to film studies, technocultural studies or media archaeology, two from media computation, filmmaking foundations or introduction to games, and two media or cinema history courses. Source
Selection
Cinema and Digital Media is not marked as a selective major in the Fall 2027 transfer brochure and has no major-specific GPA requirement listed. Source
Also note
The Fall 2027 transfer brochure lists no Film Studies major. Source
TAG for the College of Letters and Science requires at least a 3.20 GPA for all majors. Source
The Fall 2027 transfer brochure encourages transfer students to complete as much major preparation coursework as possible before transfer. Fall 2027 applicants use ASSIST academic year 2025-26. Source
UC Santa Barbara
Film & Media Studies, B.A.
Courses to finish
For Fall 2027, UCSB strongly recommends completing general education, IGETC or Cal-GETC plus one literature course, one history or cultural studies course and one arts course. Source
Also note
The Fall 2027 guide lists only recommended courses for this major, with no required courses or GPA screen. Source
UC Santa Cruz
Film and Digital Media B.A.
Courses to finish
Film and digital media is a non-screening major, so no specific courses are required before applying. Transfers are encouraged to complete general education or Cal-GETC before transferring (2026-27 catalog). Source
Also note
Film & Digital Media is on UCSC's Fall 2026 non-screening majors list. Source
To qualify for the major, transfers must complete FILM 20A plus one of FILM 20B, 20C or 20P with a C or better by the end of the first quarter in residence, with at least one course taken at UCSC. Source
UC Riverside
Media and Cultural Studies · Theatre, Film and Digital Production
Courses to finish
The Media and Cultural Studies major requires at least five lower-division courses (20 units): MCS 001, three from a list of introductory MCS courses, and one more from an approved list. The department page gives no transfer-specific rules. Source
Selection
UCR's Majors Preparation Guide states that all CHASS majors require a minimum 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable coursework, with required courses passed at C or better unless noted. Media and Cultural Studies and Theatre, Film and Digital Production are not listed in the guide. Source
Also note
UCR has no standalone film major. Its majors list includes Media and Cultural Studies and Theatre, Film and Digital Production. Source
A grade of C- or above in MCS 001 is needed to declare the Media and Cultural Studies major. Source
UC Merced
Communication and Media, B.A. (Media Production emphasis)
Courses to finish
Complete two of COMM 001, 002, 003, 004, 015, 016, 017, 018, 060 or CRES 001, each with a B or better (Fall 2027). Source
Selection
UC Merced requires a minimum 2.4 GPA for California residents (2.8 for nonresidents). Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts majors allow no D or F grades in major coursework and at most two in non-major coursework (Fall 2027). Source
Also note
UC Merced has no major titled Film. Communication and Media, including its Media Production Emphasis, is the closest program on the Fall 2027 page. Source
Course numbers are UC Merced's own. The page directs community college students to ASSIST.org for equivalent courses. Source

UCLA’s numbers

Admit rate: 3%
Applicants: 632
Admitted GPA, middle half: 3.72–3.97

UCLA reports these for Film and Television, fall 2025, counting all transfer applicants. The GPA range is the middle half of admits. Its community college applicants as a whole were admitted at 26%.

Transfer Admission Guarantee

Six campuses offer TAG. These are the fall 2027 terms for film and media studies at the TAG campuses that offer it, from UC’s TAG matrix.

Campus	TAG	GPA line	What the matrix says
UC Davis	Yes	3.20	The closest Davis major is Cinema and Digital Media, which is not on the matrix exclusion list, so TAG applies at the 3.2 minimum.
UC Irvine	Yes	3.40	Film and Media Studies B.A. is not on the fall 2027 exclusion list, and UCI lists a 3.4 GPA for TAG.
UC Riverside	Yes	3.30	The matrix sets a 3.3 GPA for Theater, Film and Digital Production, the only film major it names for UC Riverside.
UC Santa Barbara	Yes	3.40	Film and Media Studies B.A. is a Letters and Science major not on the exclusion list. If it has a pre-major, TAG guarantees only the pre-major.
UC Santa Cruz	Yes	3.00	UCSC lists Film and Digital Media as a non-screening major, so the general 3.0 TAG criteria apply.

How TAG works at all six campuses

Questions

Which UC campuses offer film and media studies?

9 of the nine: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Merced.

Is there a UC Transfer Pathway for film and media studies?

No. Each campus sets its own film and media studies preparation, listed on this page. Use ASSIST to match your community college courses to each campus.

Can I get a TAG for film and media studies?

Yes at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, under the fall 2027 TAG matrix.

How hard is it to transfer to UCLA for film and media studies?

UCLA admitted 3% of 632 transfer applicants to Film and Television for fall 2025, and the middle half of admits had GPAs of 3.72–3.97.