UC Santa Barbara Earth Science
Transfer Acceptance Rate, GPA and Classes
For fall 2025, 62% of transfer applicants to UC Santa Barbara Earth Science were admitted (64 of 103). Admitted transfers' GPAs ranged 3.34–3.82.
The major preparation UC Santa Barbara lists for Earth Science transfers starts with EARTH 2, EARTH 3 and EARTH 18; the full list is below.
115 California community colleges have a current transfer agreement with UCSB for this major. Pick yours below to see which of its classes count.
Source: UC Information Center, Fall 2025 transfer admissions by major.
Your community college
Which classes count at your community college?
Pick your college to see its class for each UCSB requirement.
Major Requirements
UC Santa Barbara Earth Science Major Preparation
The courses UC Santa Barbara lists as Earth Science major preparation for transfer applicants, for the 2025-26 academic year. Course numbers are UCSB's own; pick your community college above to see the matching class there.
Preparation for the major
Complete all of these
- EARTH 2 Principles of Physical Geology
- EARTH 3 Principles of Historical Geology
- EARTH 18 Field Studies in Geological Sciences
Complete 1 of these
- CHEM 1A General Chemistry and CHEM 1B General Chemistry and CHEM 1C General Chemistry and CHEM 2AL General Chemistry Lab (Part A) and CHEM 2BL General Chemistry Laboratory (Part B)
- CHEM 1A General Chemistry and CHEM 1AL General Chemistry Laboratory and CHEM 1B General Chemistry and CHEM 1BL General Chemistry Laboratory and CHEM 1C General Chemistry and CHEM 1CL General Chemistry Laboratory
Complete all of these
- MATH 3A Calculus with Applications, First Course
- MATH 3B Calculus with Applications, Second Course
- MATH 4A Linear Algebra with Applications
- MATH 4B Differential Equations
Complete 1 of these
- PHYS 6A Introductory Physics and PHYS 6AL Introductory Experimental Physics and PHYS 6B Introductory Physics and PHYS 6BL Introductory Experimental Physics and PHYS 6C Introductory Physics and PHYS 6CL Introductory Experimental Physics
- PHYS 7A Basic Physics and PHYS 7B Basic Physics and PHYS 7C Basic Physics
- PHYS 1 Basic Physics and PHYS 2 Basic Physics and PHYS 3 Basic Physics and PHYS 4 Basic Physics
Required
- EARTH 60W Geoscience Communication
Complete 1 of these
- ENGR 3 Introduction to Programming
- CMPSC 8 Introduction to Computer Science
- CMPSC 16 Problem Solving with Computers I
Also listed by UCSB
UCSB lists these under the headings shown, apart from the list above.
Recommended
- PSTAT 5A Understanding Data
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UC Santa Barbara Earth Science transfer acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, 62% of transfer applicants to UC Santa Barbara Earth Science were admitted (64 of 103). Admitted transfers' GPAs ranged 3.34–3.82.
Does UC Santa Barbara have an Earth Science major for transfer students?
Yes. UC Santa Barbara offers Earth Science (B.A.) and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.
What classes do I need to transfer to UC Santa Barbara for Earth Science?
UC Santa Barbara's Earth Science major preparation includes EARTH 2, EARTH 3, EARTH 18, CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and CHEM 1C, with more courses in the list on this page. Pick your community college on this page to see which of its classes match.
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC Santa Barbara for Earth Science?
Admitted Earth Science transfers to UC Santa Barbara had GPAs of 3.34–3.82.
Explore More
Related Transfer Requirements
Build your UCSB Earth Science plan
Pick your community college and see which of its classes count, term by term.
Pick your college