Cal-GETC
As of Fall 2025, all UC and CSU campuses have adopted the new Cal-GETC sequence as a replacement for IGETC and CSU GE Breadth. While De Anza will continue to support those older GE patterns for students who have catalog rights to use them, students are encouraged to follow the new Cal-GETC sequence.
Meeting Prerequisites
You may not have to take a prerequisite or corequisite course at De Anza if you can satisfy certain criteria for "clearing" the requirement.
Relevant Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | Previous background or course completion(s) required for entry into another course.
|
| Corequisite | A course that may be completed either prior to enrolling in a course or taken concurrently. |
| Advisory | A recommended but not required course that will help you be successful in a course. |
Clear a Prerequisite
Thoroughly read each part of STEPS 1-3 below.
STEP 1 covers CIS, upper-division, foreign and high school courses.
STEP 2 covers grades and AP scores, including info on "C-" grades and outside in-progress courses.
Viewing Clearances
Any currently active clearances can be viewed in your Student Registration Dashboard:
Prepare for Registration > Select Term > Registration Status - “Permit Override” section
Courses Not Used With This Clearance: Your Other Options
Computer Information Systems (CIS) Courses
All CIS prerequisite clearances (including MATH 22) must be processed by the CIS Department (Prerequisite Information).
Upper-Division and Foreign Courses
- For all upper-division (junior, senior and graduate level) coursework and foreign coursework, you need to email your information to the academic division that offers the course you want to take. That division will review your request.
High School Courses cannot satisfy prerequisites, with two (2) exceptions:
- High school physics courses for the physics prerequisite for PHYS 4A
- High school world language courses (French, Spanish, Mandarin, etc.)
Courses Used With This Clearance
Lower Division College Coursework
We can review lower-division coursework from US regionally accredited colleges and universities with final grades of "C" or higher.
Note: We cannot use "C-" grades or lower, or outside "in-progress" grades (including Foothill College courses) for clearing a prerequisite.
AP Scores
AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 can be used for prerequisite clearance. Please review our AP equivalency chart to find the De Anza course equivalency for your AP exam and score.
Apply for Prerequisite Clearance
Before continuing, review the course description and its associated prerequisite information. Not all courses have a prerequisite (e.g. an "adivisory" only). Others have multiple prerequisites.
This form must be completed only by the student (no other individuals).
No credit will be awarded when clearing prerequisites as this form is only for registration
purposes. Please visit our page on transcript evaluation for transfer credit information.
One Clearance Per Submission
Only one (1) course can be cleared per prerequisite clearance submission. You will need to complete this form for each course you are requesting clearance for.
Additional Action Required
After submitting your prerequisite clearance request, you will receive an email requesting additional information. Your request will not be reviewed until you complete this step.