Linguistics transfer to UC
Linguistics has no UC Transfer Pathway, so each campus sets its own preparation. 8 of the nine campuses offer it.
Checked against official UC and campus sources in November 2026.
At a glance
- UC campuses offering it
- 8 of 9
- Admit transfers to it
- 8
- Publish selection criteria
- 4
- TAG campuses covering it
- 4
UC has no Transfer Pathway for linguistics, 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 | Linguistics | Yes | Yes, see below | ASSIST |
| UCLA | Linguistics | Yes | None stated | ASSIST |
| UC San Diego | Linguistics BA, Linguistics (Cognition and Language) BAand 3 more | Yes | None stated | ASSIST |
| UC Irvine | Language Science, B.A. | Yes | Yes, see below | ASSIST |
| UC Davis | Linguistics | Yes | Yes, see below | ASSIST |
| UC Santa Barbara | Linguistics, B.A. | Yes | None stated | ASSIST |
| UC Santa Cruz | Linguistics B.A. | Yes | None stated | ASSIST |
| UC Riverside | Linguistics (Languages and Literatures) | Not stated | Yes, see below | ASSIST |
| UC Merced | Not offered | — | — | — |
“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
Linguistics
- 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
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
Linguistics
- Courses to finish
The Fall 2026 guide lists one year of foreign language as required and introduction to linguistics as strongly recommended. High school foreign language classes do not satisfy major preparation. Source
- Also note
The College does not mark Linguistics as a pre-major or as highly selective. Source
UCLA says transfer students must complete major preparation by the end of spring before transfer. Source
For Fall 2027 applicants, requests to change to a major in The College, Education, Engineering, Public Affairs or Public Health are due January 1, 2027. Source
UC San Diego
Linguistics BA · Linguistics (Cognition and Language) BA · Linguistics (Language and Society) BA · Linguistics (Speech and Language Sciences) BA · Language Studies 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
- Also note
The minimum transfer GPA for UC San Diego eligibility is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents. Source
UC Irvine
Language Science, B.A.
- Courses to finish
The requirements page lists no specific lower-division courses for Language Science beyond the GPA requirement. Source
- Selection
A cumulative UC transferable GPA of 3.0 is required (3.4 for TAG). Source
- Also note
The UCI transfer requirements page lists Language Science, B.A. and does not use the word Linguistics. School of Social Sciences majors must later satisfy a mathematics requirement and a computer education course, which is not an admission requirement. Source
UC Davis
Linguistics
- Courses to finish
The catalog lists LIN 001 Introduction to Linguistics plus one foreign language course beyond the College of Letters and Science 15-unit language requirement, in the same language. Source
- Selection
Linguistics is not marked as a selective major in the Fall 2027 transfer brochure and has no major-specific GPA requirement listed. Source
- Also note
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
Linguistics, B.A.
- Courses to finish
For Fall 2027, UCSB strongly recommends an introduction to linguistics course and two years of a language other than English. Some emphases require only one year of the language. 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
Linguistics B.A.
- Courses to finish
No major preparation courses are required before transfer. Transfers are strongly encouraged to complete as much preparation as possible in a foreign language of their choosing (2026-27 catalog). Source
- Also note
Linguistics is on UCSC's Fall 2026 non-screening majors list. Source
Transfers who do not place into language Level 2 or higher may not finish the major on time. The catalog advises taking LING 50 and LING 53 plus a language course in the first quarter. Source
UC Riverside
Linguistics (Languages and Literatures)
- 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. Linguistics itself is not listed in the guide. Source
- Also note
Linguistics is listed among UCR's Languages and Literatures majors in CHASS. Source
The Majors Preparation Guide directs students to ASSIST.org for majors it does not include. Source
Not offered at UC Merced.
Transfer Admission Guarantee
Six campuses offer TAG. These are the fall 2027 terms for linguistics 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 | Linguistics is not on the matrix exclusion list, so TAG applies at the 3.2 minimum. |
| UC Irvine | Yes | 3.40 | UCI lists no major named Linguistics. Its Language Science B.A. is not on the exclusion list, and UCI lists a 3.4 GPA for TAG. |
| UC Santa Barbara | Yes | 3.40 | Linguistics 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 Linguistics as a non-screening major, so the general 3.0 TAG criteria apply. |
Questions
Which UC campuses offer linguistics?
8 of the nine: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside. UC Merced doesn’t offer it.
Is there a UC Transfer Pathway for linguistics?
No. Each campus sets its own linguistics preparation, listed on this page. Use ASSIST to match your community college courses to each campus.
Can I get a TAG for linguistics?
Yes at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, under the fall 2027 TAG matrix.
Sources
- Berkeley: Linguistics preparation
- Berkeley: Linguistics selection criteria
- Berkeley: Linguistics notes
- UCLA: Linguistics preparation
- UCLA: Linguistics notes
- UCLA: Linguistics notes
- San Diego: Linguistics preparation
- San Diego: Linguistics notes
- Irvine: Linguistics preparation
- Davis: Linguistics preparation
- Davis: Linguistics selection criteria
- Davis: Linguistics notes
- Santa Barbara: Linguistics preparation
- Santa Cruz: Linguistics preparation
- Santa Cruz: Linguistics notes
- Riverside: Linguistics selection criteria
- Riverside: Linguistics notes
- UC TAG Matrix, fall 2027
- UC TAG Matrix, fall 2027
- ASSIST