American River College to UC Davis
Computer Science Transfer Plan
ARC has a match for every one of UC Davis's 12 Computer Science prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at ARC. Start with CISP 300.
From
American River College
To
UC Davis
Computer ScienceMajor Requirements
Computer Science Major Preparation
Courses at American River College that satisfy UC Davis's Computer Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at American River College | Satisfies at UC Davis | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CISP 440 — Discrete Structures for Computer Science | ECS 020 — Discrete Mathematics For Computer Science | 3 |
| CISP 360 or CISP 480 — Introduction to Structured Programming | ECS 036A — Programming & Problem Solving | 4 |
| CISP 400 — Object Oriented Programming with C++ | ECS 036B — Software Development & Object-Oriented Programming in C++ | 4 |
| CISP 430 — Data Structures | ECS 036C — Data Structures, Algorithms, & Programming | 4 |
| CISP 310 — Computer Architecture and Organization | ECS 050 — Computer Organization & Machine-Dependent Programming | 4 |
| MATH 400 — Calculus I | MAT 021A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 401 — Calculus II | MAT 021B — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 401 + MATH 402 — Calculus II + Calculus III | MAT 021C — Calculus | 10 |
| MATH 410 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MAT 022A — Linear Algebra (choose 1) | 3 |
| BIOL 400 — Principles of Biology | BIS 002A — Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth (choose 3) | 5 |
| BIOL 400 (or another listed option) — Principles of Biology | BIS 002B — Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology & Evolution (choose 3) | 5 |
| (BIOL 420 and BIOL 410) or BIOL 415 — Principles of Zoology | BIS 002C — Introduction to Biology: Biodiversity & the Tree of Life (choose 3) | 5 |
| CHEM 400 + CHEM 401 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHE 002A, CHE 002B, CHE 002C (choose 3) | 10 |
| PHYS 410 — Mechanics of Solids and Fluids | PHY 009A — Classical Physics (choose 3) | 5 |
| PHYS 431 — Heat, Waves, Light and Modern Physics | PHY 009B — Classical Physics (choose 3) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at American River College
Complete these five courses at American River College to start your UC Davis GE pattern. Finishing full IGETC/Cal-GETC at the CC is ideal — these five give you the broadest head start, and CCN-tagged courses stay portable if you switch community colleges.
BIOL 300
The Foundations of Biology
CHEM 305
Introduction to Chemistry
HIST 300
History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at American River College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 300 — The Foundations of Biology | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 305 — Introduction to Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 300 — History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
4 semesters minimum for CISP 300 onward
CISP 300 through CISP 430: 4 courses, each needing the one before, so 4 semesters minimum. Start CISP 300 in your first semester. Placing higher shortens it.
ARC semesters, UC Davis quarters
ARC runs on semesters and UC Davis on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UC Davis's quicker quarter schedule.
Preview
Your First Semester
A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
ARC covers all 12 listed courses
Every UC Davis Computer Science prep course in the transfer agreement has a ARC match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CISP 300
CISP 300 sits at the start of its sequence for this route, so it fits your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
More than one way to cover ECS 036A
For UC Davis ECS 036A, ARC accepts CISP 360 or CISP 480. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at ARC for UC Davis Computer Science?
CISP 440, CISP 360 or CISP 480, CISP 400, CISP 430, CISP 310, MATH 400 and MATH 401, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 12 of the 12 prep courses UC Davis lists for Computer Science.
What doesn't ARC cover for UC Davis Computer Science?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UC Davis Computer Science prep course listed has a ARC match.
Does ARC CISP 440 transfer to UC Davis?
Yes, for Computer Science. ARC CISP 440 (Discrete Structures for Computer Science) is the match for UC Davis ECS 020 (Discrete Mathematics For Computer Science) in the transfer agreement.
What is UC Davis's transfer admit rate for Computer Science?
47% of all transfer applicants to UC Davis Computer Science were admitted in 2025. That figure covers applicants from every college, so it isn't specific to ARC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
American River College students transferring to UC Davis for Computer Science can match 12 of 12 lower-division prep courses at ARC, including CISP 440 and CISP 360 or CISP 480. Every listed course has a American River College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CISP 300 is a good first-semester pick. On Transfermatic, put in American River College and UC Davis, and you get the classes you need for Computer Science, semester by semester.
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