ELAC Interstate Passport
What is the Interstate Passport?
The Interstate Passport is a general education plan designed to meet the lower-division general education requirements at all participating institutions. (For a complete list, visit http://interstatepassport.wiche.edu/transfer/.)
Who might benefit from earning an Interstate Passport?
Students wishing to transfer to a participating institution* may use the Interstate Passport in lieu of the lower-division general education requirements at that institution when they transfer. This is true even when the requirements at that institution are different from those where the Passport was earned. Note: Some participating institutions require additional general education coursework for graduation, but this can be taken after transferring.
*The California State University and University of California do not currently accept the Passport. Instead, they require satisfying the appropriate CSUGE or IGETC plan prior to transferring. In the LACCD, however, these patterns overlap the Passport. Thus, LACCD students who complete one of them have also completed the Passport.
How can I earn the Interstate Passport in the Los Angeles Community College District?
The Interstate Passport can be earned by passing with a grade of C or P or higher a minimum of 30 units in courses approved to meet the Interstate Passport learning outcomes for each of the nine knowledge and skills areas. A course may be used any number of times to meet the outcomes of any knowledge and skills area for which it is approved. A list of such courses and requirements can be found in the College Catalog and website.
Note: External examinations (AP, IB, CLEP) may be applied to Interstate Passport areas per LACCD Administrative Procedures, CSU policies and IGETC standards.
Upon completing the requirements of the Passport at the LACCD, a note will appear on your transcript. You will also be added to the Interstate Passport daac-tabase so that participating institutions can apply your Passport credit, should you choose to transfer to one of them.
How can I maximize my transfer options?
In the LACCD, many courses approved to meet Interstate Passport knowledge and skills areas also meet other general education plan requirements. Thus, general education coursework can be structured to meet requirements of multiple plans.
For example, if you wish to earn an Associate of Arts or Science degree, you can choose courses from the LACCD General Education Plan that also count toward the Interstate Passport. Then, upon completion of the LACCD Plan, you could earn the Passport with only a few additional Passport-approved courses. Similarly, if you complete either the CSUGE or IGETC pattern with grades of C or P or higher, you have also earned the Passport. Thus, you can earn your degree and maximize your transfer options at the same time.
If I’ve earned an Interstate Passport outside the LACCD how do I apply it to an LACCD degree?
If you have earned an Interstate Passport at a participating institution, you have met the general education requirements for all Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees* offered in the LACCD. If this applies to you, contact a counselor to find out how to apply your Passport to meet your degree GE requirements.
*Note: Associate in Arts/Science Degrees for Transfer (AATs and ASTs) require satisfying either the CSUGE or IGETC pattern. The Interstate Passport cannot be used in lieu of these patterns. However, if you are pursuing one of these degrees and you have completed the Interstate Passport or any other coursework at any regionally accredited institution, it is likely that much of that coursework can be applied to meet general education and/or major requirements for these degrees. Contact a counselor to find out how.
What are the general education requirements?
All Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees offered in the LACCD require satisfying one of the eligible general education plans: LACCD GE, or CSUGE or IGETC (including their “for STEM” variations). Incoming transfer students who have earned the Interstate Passport elsewhere have met this requirement.
All Associate in Arts/Sciences for Transfer degrees require an appropriate CSUGE or IGETC plan. While the Interstate Passport cannot be used in lieu of this requirement, most general education coursework taken at regionally accredited ac-collegiate institutions (including that used to complete the Passport) can be used to meet GE and/or major requirements.
If you are an LACCD student, and you wish to transfer to an Interstate Passport Network institution, you are encouraged to earn the Interstate Passport while here. You can then apply it to meet the lower-division general education requirements at that institution when you transfer.
While earning any degree in the LACCD, you are encouraged to take general education courses that satisfy requirements for more than one of the eligible general education patterns. This will minimize the additional coursework that would be required if your transfer goals change and you need to switch to a different GE pattern.